Actors who look nothing like the character they're playing

I have always thought Elizabeth McGovern in Downton Abbey looked far too young to be mother to Mary, Edith and Sybil, and she doesn’t seem to be ageing either. Maybe it’s because I can still see Lady Marjorie Bellamy in Upstairs, Downstairs, in my mind!

I've seen several films in which actors portrayed Winston Churchill. Some of them did not closely resemble him facially but I found their acting ability far outweighed what they looked like.

I have to agree with most of the comments. If you've read the book before the production it's often very disappointing. The latest Ipcress and Bridgerton stuff are a case in point.

Liza Minelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, looked right but sounded totally wrong as she was supposed to be English with a dreadful singing voice.

The Cadfael books make it clear that he is dark and Welsh. On TV, he was played by Derek Jacobi, a blond Englishman. His friend Hugh Beringer, who is described as slightly built and very dark, was played by Sean Pertwee who didn't fit the description at all.

Apparently the author, Ellis Peters, said that she had in mind someone like Ian Holm to be Cadfael. He would have looked the part, at least.

I have been reading Our House to make sense of it, and Martin Compston was woefully miscast as the husband; I see him as a slightly dangerous Stephen Mangan.

Leslie Caron played Gigi, when Colette had already approved Audrey Hepburn (that's my Gigi) for the stage role; Audrey Hepburn played Maria instead of Julie Andrews; Agatha Christie said Joan Hickson was her perfect Miss Marple; Alison Steadman was dreadful as Mrs. Bennet; Laurence Olivier was good as Othello (it's called acting and stage makeup) but Maggie Smith was clearly auditioning for Downton Abbey.

Yet Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, Anton Lesser as Thomas More and Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey were all totally convincing in Wolf Hall despite bearing no physical similarity to their very recognisable characters.

Correction: Audrey Hepburn played Eliza Dolittle instead of Julie Andrews, who created the part onstage.
Sorry.

Susie42

Liza Minelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, looked right but sounded totally wrong as she was supposed to be English with a dreadful singing voice.

Ironically, Minelli was too talented to be Sally Bowles!

Alison Steadman just a little too vulgar for Mrs. Bennett.

I believe Ian Holm was offered Cadfael but couldn't/wouldn't do it.

In my opinion, Stephen Tompkinson was completely miscast as Inspector Alan Banks. In the books, Banks is described as around 5' 8". Stephen Tompkinson is over six feet tall. I also thought Florence Pugh was completely miscast as Amy in the most recent adaptation of Little Women. She had far too deep a voice and seemed far too worldly wise for the immature rather silly Amy.

GillT57

Ken Stott is Morse to me, John Hannah is a fine actor, but not gruff Morse.

John Hannah was the original Rebus, totally wrong for the role in every way but, like Cruise, he had the rights though. Luckily they put Ken Stott into the role who was an excellent fit though I don't 'see' him as Morse, John Thaw has that every time.
Much as I think Martin Shaw is lovely he was totally wrong as Adam Dalgleish, that had to be Roy Marsden, Shaw was far too rugged.

I love the Inspector Banks books & have read them all. I agree that Stephen Tomkinson is so wrong for the part - in fact he's so wrong, I haven't managed to watch him. On the other hand, I've also read all of the wonderful Inspector Linley series and the actor who played him is very dark whereas Elizabeth George decided he was an aristocratic blond man. They were made a while ago - possibly Nigel Havers or Anthony Andrews.
Another favourite detective of mine was Andy Dalziel . Warren Clark was the writer's creation to a T. As I read the books, I could hear him and see him, he was just perfect.

I agree about Agatha Raisin . Having read all the books I was looking forward to it but was so disappointed. Nothing like my Agatha and as for the vicar!!!!!

I actually like Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez in the Shetland series, but he's totally wrong. In the books, he's often described as being dark and swarthy because of his Spanish heritage, definitely not blue eyed with red hair.

annodomini

If I didn't have this image of Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, I'd probably find Joe Cole perfectly cast. However, MC's deadpan delivery is inimitable! I wonder if adaptations of Len Deighton's other Harry Palmer books will be in the pipeline.

God, I hope not! The Ipcress File is appalling, I keep expecting the child-Palmer to say You only had to blow the bloody doors off!

MaggsMcG

I read James Bond at a young age and when I first saw Sean Connery he was just as I imagined. The others haven't been too bad but Roger Moore - No Way Jose. In any case as far as I was concerned he was always Simon Templar.

I thought I was alone in disliking Moore as Bond, he was too sleazy looking, I remember him as Simon Templar but also as Ivanhoe!

Anthony Hopkins was so NOT Hannibal Lecter!

When ITV remade the Miss Marple stories (Why? - Joan Hickson was perfect!) they cast Geraldine McEwan who was woeful. And they also remade - and ruined - The Forsyte Saga. Soames didn't have red hair (although Damian Lewis is a very good actor) and Gina McKee as Irene was abysmal; too tall, dark haired instead of having "hair the colour of feuille mort" and altogether too feisty, which Irene in the book definitely isn't.

Rosie51

I actually like Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez in the Shetland series, but he's totally wrong. In the books, he's often described as being dark and swarthy because of his Spanish heritage, definitely not blue eyed with red hair.

But I would watch Douglas Henshall in a Verisure advert and that's praise indeed as the mute button is usually to hand!

In the three adaptations of Ballet Shoes I’ve seen (two television, one stage) Petrova is wrong. We know what the sisters looked like - they are described the book, and the original illustrations by the author’s sister are still often used. Pauline and Posy are more or less right, Petrova is not.

I refuse to watch The Ipcress File the original will never be bettered. I was about 8 when my folks took me to see it (probably no babysitter), totally unsuitable for a child. However I did learn a trick which I use to this day: when going for dental treatment I clutch a bunch of keys as a distraction from the discomfort.

Joan Hickson is Miss Marple (my MiL has the same disapproving way about her!)

David Suchet is the only Poirot.

As a radio 4 listener I am usually disappointed when I see a photo of the presenter - the face doesn’t match the voice!

The original film version of Pride and Prejudice has always annoyed me as it was so over the top, and the costumes inaccurate to the year. Is Colin Firth the only Mr Darcy? Discuss…

You’re missing a treat IMO by refusing to watch the itv Ipcress Files

Been a keen reader from a very young age. Read all the Louisa M Alcott Little Woman etc and then we got a television and we looked forward to watching it . But I burst out , thats not right she should be tall etc etc, and was very upset that they did not match my mental view of what they looked like. for a long time I couldnt get the tv charactors out of my head and was very upset, but eventually got my own mental charactors back and learned an early lesson that the tv does not stick to stories very well, but can be worth watching in a different way. I love Alison Steadman as the mother in Pride and Predudice and the wonderfully awful Catherine de Bourgville etc. Wouldnt want to watch it often but at christmas celia johnson and trevor howard are great and of course cannot do without old Humprey Bogart . todays actors , I think Judy Dench could read the telephone book and be good. Have loved her in shakespeare but also in a fine romance etc. If I see Cliff Richard even mentioned as someone in a film I would turn off. But I actually really love good voices and think that Roger Allan either being Thursday in Endeavour , or on the radio now with a lovely programme of A long Marriage with Joanna Lumley. wonderful voices both of them and a programme not for just teenagers. Love it. But of course must not forget the great Billy Connolly who played a great John Brown to Judy Denchs Queen Victoria. Still cannot beat the landscapes and people that I have in my mind as I read the book!

Only one where it's spoiled the story for me was Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, as others have said. . Having read all the books where his size and strength were a key part of the various situations ( and escapes), it just wasn't believable with Tom Cruise. The actor in the Amazon prime series is much more appropriate.

Rosie51

I actually like Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez in the Shetland series, but he's totally wrong. In the books, he's often described as being dark and swarthy because of his Spanish heritage, definitely not blue eyed with red hair.

Yes, that mystifies me too. I do think Dougie Henshall is a great actor, and he is Jimmy Perez in character, but his colouring is all wrong for his heritage.

The chap who plays DCI Banks is all wrong and I stopped reading the books because he put me off. The actor portrays him as a bit of a ‘sleeze’ and he comes across as a dirty old man - whether intentionally or not. Two different actors play Rebus . I prefer the older one as he ( Ken Stott?) matches the character better.

tictacnana I do so agree with you. I have read all the Banks books. He is described as short and dark. And he is very intelligent. Not so the actor who plays him. I can’t watch the tv programme Very miss cast