Atlas Shrugged Actors
Posted by Hiraghm 12 years, 5 months ago to The Gulch: General
I'm sure there are other threads about who should play what parts in ASp3, but I'd like to share my opinions of the actors in ASp2 vs ASp1, along with a couple "suggestions" for ASP3.
SPOILERS!
First, the suggestions: I suggested on twitter that Stacy Dash might be a good candidate to play Dagny Taggart. I still think that, with the caveat that, if so, I wish she'd played the role in the 1st two, as well.
Second, I think James Woods would make a kick-ass Ragnar. I know he's older now, and not the Thor-like demi-god described in the book, but he's got the ruthless look and attitude about him. Watch "Best Seller" to see what I mean.
Okay, starting with cameos: If Michelle Malkin doesn't get a cameo appearance in ASp3, I will be unimaginably upset. I may go Jihadi, or swallow a whole bottle of M&Ms.
Adam Baldwin. Somewhere you gotta find a way to stick Jayne Cobb into ASp3. He's the Hero of Canton for goodness sake!
Get Dana Loesch a role as one of the commandos who rescue whatsisname.
Okay, on to minor characters:
Gwen Ives: frankly, I found either actress interchangeable in the role.
Patricia Tallman I found unbelievable as Holly. I mean, the most powerful telepath in the universe and she doesn't know who John Galt is?? (yes, obscure Babylon 5 reference)
Eddie Willers - I preferred Edi Gathegi to Richard T. Jones. Jones seemed like a hulking bodyguard because he was so big, rather than a lacky. Of course, the actor I think would have been perfect for the role... Don Cheadle.
Dr Stadler: not a fair comparison, but I thought Robert Picardo was much more believable than Navid Negahban. The latter seemed just a stereotyped 1950s style "scientist".
Bring back Bug Hall as the Wet Nurse; he was great. Same with Jeff Yagher as Jeff Allen, and Ethan Cohn as Kellogg.
Arye Gross nailed Ken Danagger, IMO. I hope he makes it into part 3.
Above all, please bring back Graham Beckel as Ellis Wyatt.
Let's skip along to major players:
Lillian Rearden...
Rebecca Wisocky was a sleek cobra as Lillian. Kim Rhodes was more of jungle tiger. In part 3, I think Rebecca would be better in the scenes where Hank's got his divorce and she's panicking, but I think Kim would be better at interacting with James Taggart and blackmailing Dagny.
James Taggart:
Matthew Marsden was a vicious thug as James. Like Paul McCraine, Patrick Fabian was more sinister. I found him more believable as the manipulative, weak-willed James Taggart.
Francisco D'anconia:
Esai Morales killed it. Jsu Garcia was very good, but I think the best performance in both movies by any character was Esai Morales as D'Anconia. Listening to the audiobook, I missed his smooth, quietly intense delivery.
Wesley Mouch:
Michael Lerner came off as a typical, bumbling politician. Paul McCrane, however, was frighteningly sinister as Mouch. Calm, friendly, open... saying such evil things so nonchalantly made him scary.
John Galt:
Please bring D. B. Sweeney back as Galt. I know he'll be great in the role. He has that boyish, yet serious impudence that I think Galt's role needs. And I think he could deliver The Speech in the casual way Rand described it in the book. Oh, yeah... two words... "Toe pick!"
Henry Rearden:
I'm torn. I'm really torn.
Grant Bowler was my image of the successful businessman. I mean, he just *looked* like a successful... *businessman*. He had the same quiet, elegant confidence that Rebecca Wisocky had as Lillian.
But... Jason Beghe fit my image of the self-made man. Particularly one who was self-made in steel mills. If I got to choose, I'd choose Beghe, although it would be close.
And now... Dagny Taggart:
I really liked Taylor Schilling's performance as Dagny. She had the tough vulnerability I think the 1st movie needed. The reaction she gave when James accused her of not being able to feel emotion... subtle and very moving.
But....
I really loved Samantha Mathis as Dagny. I know purists will strongly disagree. Lots of people have already said how Taylor better fit their image of Dagny. I must disagree where events later in the story are concerned.
First, my prejudice: I hate Superman. I may be the only person to root for Lex Luthor. Why? Because all Luthor has is his mind. If you can stand in front of a freight train and the train is the one who gets bent, you not a hero in my book.
To me a hero is someone who is outmatched, overcome and yet continues struggling. The Atlas of Atlas Shrugged ISN'T John Galt! It's Dagny Taggart!
Samantha well-portrayed the Atlas-like Dagny. Forces beyond her control were tearing her world apart, piling more and more on it, and she continues to struggle to save it... and Samantha showed the price of that struggle. The look on her face as she walked past her great-grandfather's portrait after the board meeting made me want to gather her into my arms and comfort her, tell her, there-there, it's going to be all right, I'll find that damned Galt and cut his nuts off so you can wear them as earrings. But I digress...
I think Samantha Mathis, besides retaining continuity, would well be able to handle the range of emotional performances that part 3 will require. The strength for saving Galt, the compassion for the pain she causes Rearden, and I think the quick wit we saw flashes of in scenes such as the one where she asks Jeff Allen if being Dagny Taggart is a good or bad thing.
I loathe her role in "Under the Dome", but we're talking acting, not perceived social views.
Well, there's my opinion on the subject. I'd love to see others' reaction and opinion.
SPOILERS!
First, the suggestions: I suggested on twitter that Stacy Dash might be a good candidate to play Dagny Taggart. I still think that, with the caveat that, if so, I wish she'd played the role in the 1st two, as well.
Second, I think James Woods would make a kick-ass Ragnar. I know he's older now, and not the Thor-like demi-god described in the book, but he's got the ruthless look and attitude about him. Watch "Best Seller" to see what I mean.
Okay, starting with cameos: If Michelle Malkin doesn't get a cameo appearance in ASp3, I will be unimaginably upset. I may go Jihadi, or swallow a whole bottle of M&Ms.
Adam Baldwin. Somewhere you gotta find a way to stick Jayne Cobb into ASp3. He's the Hero of Canton for goodness sake!
Get Dana Loesch a role as one of the commandos who rescue whatsisname.
Okay, on to minor characters:
Gwen Ives: frankly, I found either actress interchangeable in the role.
Patricia Tallman I found unbelievable as Holly. I mean, the most powerful telepath in the universe and she doesn't know who John Galt is?? (yes, obscure Babylon 5 reference)
Eddie Willers - I preferred Edi Gathegi to Richard T. Jones. Jones seemed like a hulking bodyguard because he was so big, rather than a lacky. Of course, the actor I think would have been perfect for the role... Don Cheadle.
Dr Stadler: not a fair comparison, but I thought Robert Picardo was much more believable than Navid Negahban. The latter seemed just a stereotyped 1950s style "scientist".
Bring back Bug Hall as the Wet Nurse; he was great. Same with Jeff Yagher as Jeff Allen, and Ethan Cohn as Kellogg.
Arye Gross nailed Ken Danagger, IMO. I hope he makes it into part 3.
Above all, please bring back Graham Beckel as Ellis Wyatt.
Let's skip along to major players:
Lillian Rearden...
Rebecca Wisocky was a sleek cobra as Lillian. Kim Rhodes was more of jungle tiger. In part 3, I think Rebecca would be better in the scenes where Hank's got his divorce and she's panicking, but I think Kim would be better at interacting with James Taggart and blackmailing Dagny.
James Taggart:
Matthew Marsden was a vicious thug as James. Like Paul McCraine, Patrick Fabian was more sinister. I found him more believable as the manipulative, weak-willed James Taggart.
Francisco D'anconia:
Esai Morales killed it. Jsu Garcia was very good, but I think the best performance in both movies by any character was Esai Morales as D'Anconia. Listening to the audiobook, I missed his smooth, quietly intense delivery.
Wesley Mouch:
Michael Lerner came off as a typical, bumbling politician. Paul McCrane, however, was frighteningly sinister as Mouch. Calm, friendly, open... saying such evil things so nonchalantly made him scary.
John Galt:
Please bring D. B. Sweeney back as Galt. I know he'll be great in the role. He has that boyish, yet serious impudence that I think Galt's role needs. And I think he could deliver The Speech in the casual way Rand described it in the book. Oh, yeah... two words... "Toe pick!"
Henry Rearden:
I'm torn. I'm really torn.
Grant Bowler was my image of the successful businessman. I mean, he just *looked* like a successful... *businessman*. He had the same quiet, elegant confidence that Rebecca Wisocky had as Lillian.
But... Jason Beghe fit my image of the self-made man. Particularly one who was self-made in steel mills. If I got to choose, I'd choose Beghe, although it would be close.
And now... Dagny Taggart:
I really liked Taylor Schilling's performance as Dagny. She had the tough vulnerability I think the 1st movie needed. The reaction she gave when James accused her of not being able to feel emotion... subtle and very moving.
But....
I really loved Samantha Mathis as Dagny. I know purists will strongly disagree. Lots of people have already said how Taylor better fit their image of Dagny. I must disagree where events later in the story are concerned.
First, my prejudice: I hate Superman. I may be the only person to root for Lex Luthor. Why? Because all Luthor has is his mind. If you can stand in front of a freight train and the train is the one who gets bent, you not a hero in my book.
To me a hero is someone who is outmatched, overcome and yet continues struggling. The Atlas of Atlas Shrugged ISN'T John Galt! It's Dagny Taggart!
Samantha well-portrayed the Atlas-like Dagny. Forces beyond her control were tearing her world apart, piling more and more on it, and she continues to struggle to save it... and Samantha showed the price of that struggle. The look on her face as she walked past her great-grandfather's portrait after the board meeting made me want to gather her into my arms and comfort her, tell her, there-there, it's going to be all right, I'll find that damned Galt and cut his nuts off so you can wear them as earrings. But I digress...
I think Samantha Mathis, besides retaining continuity, would well be able to handle the range of emotional performances that part 3 will require. The strength for saving Galt, the compassion for the pain she causes Rearden, and I think the quick wit we saw flashes of in scenes such as the one where she asks Jeff Allen if being Dagny Taggart is a good or bad thing.
I loathe her role in "Under the Dome", but we're talking acting, not perceived social views.
Well, there's my opinion on the subject. I'd love to see others' reaction and opinion.
I'd be afraid to meet her :(
-especially 'Graham Beckel as Ellis Wyatt.' That performance was brilliant.
I've seen her speak a couple of times because she lives in my former town. She is so diminutive that a podium kinda overwhelms her. But when she starts to speak, you could hear a pin drop. Also she gets nicely worked up as she gets to some of her points, and thwacks the podium for emphasis. Both times, you would not believe how long the line was to get one of her books signed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwtLs-yyO...
Pass the Kleenex...
Michelle Pfeiffer responds, "That is completely paranoid".
"Maybe so," he says, "But... nobody wants me to quit".
It may be over the top, but it's also the truth. And can be justified by an examination of her career.
And I'm guessing you're in charge here, then.
Nobody could do him better!
I agree on Robert Picardo being the better Stadler.
Likewise, I share your opinions of Bug Hall, Jeff Yagher, Ethan Cohn And Arye Gross, and can't imagine anyone but Graham Beckel as Ellis Wyatt.
Rebecca Wisocky nailed Lillian. And I could see a Hank Rearden falling for her. The way Kim Rhoads played the part, I couldn't imagine what Hank ever saw in her. To me, her presence in Hank's life was "fingernails on a chalkboard" from her very first scene.
I agree that Patrick Fabian was the more believable of the two Jameses we've seen so far (and I do hope not to see a third). I also agree on Esai Morales being a far superior Francisco.
However, before he found his way into the bureaucracy, Wesley Mouch was Rearden's "man in Washington." Like Kim Rhodes as Lillian, I can't imagine a Hank Rearden ever having had anything to do with the Wesley Mouch played by Paul McCrane. In that context, I found Michael Lerner more believable.
As we have yet to actually see John Galt except from the back or in silhouette, I'm open to the idea of the producers choosing yet a third actor to play him in Part 3. But I wouldn't be disappointed if they stuck with D. B. Sweeney.
I'll agree on Jason Beghe as Hank. He looks like a man who'd be more comfortable in an ore mine, a steel mill or a foundry than at an office desk. It took "suspension of disbelief" to see that in Grant Bowler, as good an actor as he is.
Taylor Schilling is also a very good actor and was very good opposite Grant Bowler, but would have been a little out of place with the older Hank Rearden of Jason Beghe or the older Francisco of Esai Morales. Like Grant Bowler, it took "suspension of disbelief" to see the pretty young actor as someone who had the years of experience it took to become V. P. of Operations at Taggart Transcontinental. Samantha Mathis played the role as if she had lived it. I don't know her age, but she appeared more suited to the Hank Rearden played by Jason Beghe. I don't know if it was superb acting skills or excellent makeup, but she actually appeared younger when Dagny was happy - in Hank's arms or when she was fixing up her family cottage. I lean toward the acting skills - the transformation when she answered the phone to have Eddie tell her of the tunnel disaster was too smooth for them to have stopped the cameras to redo her makeup.
And I don't hate Superman.
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