Books to Movies: When the Character Doesn't Match the Actor

One of the biggest issues with books to movies is that the image can't match the result. Not totally. Not ever. Readers can always imagine something different. And producers/directors have to make choices among living, working actors.

One of those choices is, Does one go for the "look" of the character? Or does one go for the actor?

 

I consider The Fellowship of the Ring one of the best-cast movies in existence because it got decent actors with the right look. And in the second trilogy when Lee Pace, Ian McKellan, Luke Evans, and Martin Freeman all show up in the same place at the same time, I think, Gosh, how many more strong actors who match their parts could we drag into this scene? As I mention later, Richard Armitage and Luke Evans's scenes are some of the best in both trilogies.

 

I'm less positive about the Cadfael series.

 

Sean Pertwee as Hugh Beringer is pretty close to the book description and a decent actor in his own right. I had a total crush on him when I was younger (I still swoon at the sound of his voice).

 

Derek Jacobi is...

 

How can I criticize Sir Jacobi?! He's an amazing actor! He can do anything!

 

The problem is, I read and listened to most of Ellis Peters' books before I saw the series, including the audiobooks read by Patrick Tull. And Derek Jacobi does not match my mental image of Cadfael.

 

I see Cadfael as a Welsh version of Graham Greene. There are some points of resemblance between Jacobi and Greene, but I imagine more "cowboy" than guy-with-posh-accent. I pretty much always have. So when I watch the Cadfael series, I experience this sense of cognitive dissonance.

 

But would NOT casting Derek Jacobi truly be the best option? Would any director NOT cast him?

 

I think the producers were wise, once they had him, to NOT to alter his features or change his voice. But then, the British tend to shrug off such efforts, so that even when they are playing French characters, they just keep speaking with crisp British accents (with David Suchet as the major exception). The whole world should sound like this! 

 

The Cadfael scripts are all over the map, writing-wise. The first season seems to have spent most its money on Jacobi plus the set and then got lucky with Pertwee and a few others, such as Michael Culver (Prior Roberts). Everything else feels somewhat cobbled together. But worth watching!