(Geek alert.)

I’ve recently reimmersed myself in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and with Universal Pictures having acquired rights to the first book, The Eye of the World, I started looking on the internet for fantasy casting lists. How did other people imagine the characters? What I found was mostly highly unsatisfactory. The number of actors and actresses that were far, far too old! Actors and actresses who were obviously the wrong height, build, colouring in skin, eyes and hair. Sure there’s makeup, contact lenses and hair dye, but I think that defeats the purpose of even making a cast list. It’s just slapping in your favourite actors and actresses. And “I think so and so could really carry of such and such character” is almost always based on a similar role that that actor has already played. Most of us have no idea how “good” an actor is, and what they’re capable of. But I suspect that’s the way of fantasy castings. I’ve no doubt my list is just as horrifying to other people. And I suppose I didn’t stick to perfect physical descriptions either, though I’ve tried.

The following is my fantasy, beautiful people cast list. I think it’s obvious that any real Wheel of Time movie should be cast with unknowns (at least for the main characters anyway).

A final thing before I start, there were two cast lists online that I really enjoyed, possibly because I agree with their castings the most: Takoren’s list and Desiree Sedai’s list. Check them out.

Rand al’Thor – Chris Lowell

To be honest, this is one of the last characters I’ve cast and I could be persuaded to anyone else with the slightest nudge. Chris Lowell isn’t tall enough to be Rand, but I think his face is right.

Mat Cauthon – Ben Barnes

To do a lot of this casting, particularly for the male characters, I looked at sites of ‘hottest men’ lists, waiting for a face to strike me as right for a character. Ben Barnes jumped out at me as Mat.

Nynaeve al’Meara – Kate Beckinsale

Of course, Nynaeve being my favourite character, I’m a little biased in my actress selection, but I really think Beckinsale would make a great Nynaeve, save for the fact that Beckinsale is probably a bit too old. Beckinsale is so tremendously gorgeous though and doesn’t look her age because her make up is always flawless. I’m sure she could be made to look a bit plainer, because I don’t imagine Nynaeve to be quite as stunning as a glamourous Beckinsale on a day-to-day basis. I actually also think that Lara Flynn Boyle as she looked on The Practice would be an excellent Nynaeve, but googling her these days, she just looks a bit like a freak, and definitely too old. (Plus when you google her you get all the ‘before’ photos of her to highlight how much plastic surgery she must have had in her life.) One option, of course, is who I consider to be the lesser Kate Beckinsale, Evangeline Lilly. She doesn’t quite fit though, but maybe that’s just her blue instead of dark eyes and her cheerful smile.

Another option that occurs to me is Chyler Leigh. I don’t like Chyler Leigh, but mainly because I don’t like her character, Lexie Grey. She’s got the right Nynaeve look I think.

Egwene al’Vere – Emmy Rossum

I had to get this suggestion from the internet. Emmy Rossum is nothing like the Egwene in my head. My Egwene is pretty in a beautiful girl next door way, but she is less striking than Nynaeve. In my head she’s more of a Briget Regan with brown eyes, but sticking with the RJ Egwene description, Emmy makes the cut.

Moiraine Damodred – Rachel Weisz

I actually agree with most of the internet on this one- Rachel Weisz. To be honest, I think I’ll always imagine Moiraine as on the Darrell K Sweet cover for TEotW, who doesn’t really look like Rachel Weisz at all, but illustrated Moraine can easily be replaced in my head with a Weisz lookalike if I try. Weisz is beautiful enough and her look is pure Aes Sedai to me.

Lan Mandragoran – Clive Owen

Some people think it’s too cliched, but wtf? Owen is perfect for the part. I agree with the internet.

Elayne Trakand – Amy Adams

Ooooh controversial perhaps? I get the feeling most of the world pictures Elayne as a blonde (though of course, a “strawberry blond”, however you interpret that) but I distinctly imagine her as a redhead. Not a brilliantly red redhead of course (that’s Aviendha) but still red-gold anyway. I tossed up Isla Fisher (wrong eyes) and Deborah Woll for a while, but in the end, Amy Adams was a clear winner.

Morgase Trakand – Nicole Kidman

It seems to me a lot of people in the US hate Nicole Kidman, but she’s still one of our homegrown stars, and frankly, having been married to Tom Cruise makes me feel sorry enough for her that most transgressions would be forgiven. I’m so happy to see her married to Keith Urban with her beautiful baby girl. She and Amy Adams look enough alike, and I think she looks very appropriately regal, cold at times, and can carry off silly moron too. (I don’t think much of Morgase.)

Min Farshaw – Audrey Tautou

I don’t imagine Min as wide eyed as Tautou, but I can see her as a perfect (famous person) fit.

Aviendha – Laura Prepon

It’s not just about the red hair for me with Aviendha, she has to be somewhat exotic as well. I don’t know that Prepon could pull off short hair though.

Runners up were Alicia Witt (below) and only just thought of, but Milla Jovovich.

Siuan Sanche – Amanda Peet

I had incredible trouble with Siuan. I picture her as more of a Connie Nielsen…

But I really needed someone with darker hair… I’m sure it can always be dyed, but then I don’t think Nielsen could be reversed to as young Siuan is supposed to look after her stilling. I don’t like Amanda Peet much, and Siuan is my second favourite character, so it’s pretty galling to me to pick Peet, but there’s potential there I think. Another alternative is Eva Green, but as you’ll see below I’ve cast Eva as Mesaana.

Leane Sharif – Paz Vega

Leane being a preipheral character I think has a lot of leeway. Isn’t Paz Vega gorgeous?

Sheriam Bayanar – Christina Hendricks

This I think is possibly the most perfect fit. I didn’t realise Hendricks was so busty, but then, I can imagine the former MoN as having a big bust.

Birgitte Silverbow – Blake Lively

Of course, I don’t imagine Birgitte like Blake Lively in my head, but for fantasy casting I can think of no better. I think Lively is one of the most beautiful women alive, a large part of that being her gorgeous smile and her amazing hair.

Lanfear or Berelain – Maria Korinthiou

I found Maria Korinthiou while googling a “Greek actress” for Faile. I can’t believe how beautiful this woman is. What do you think? Is she Berelain or Lanfear? Both are supposed to have pale skin, though I imagine Lanfear to have the paler skin, so perhaps this is a Berelain.

Faile Bashere – Elena Paparizou

My image of Faile will always be tainted by the illustration in The World of the Wheel of Time. To me, Faile is a Greek woman. I was surprised to find a lack off young Greek actresses on the internet, but then perhaps most of the fansites are in Greek. I found Elena Paparizou not inappropriate for a WoT casting.

Graendal – Scarlett Johansson

I might’ve picked Katherine Heigl for Graendal, but it could be that she isn’t lush enough. Scarlett does the job well I think. But Katherine’s a very close second.

Mesaana – Eva Green

Mesaana isn’t very well described in the books, and the only reason I’ve cast her is because I considered Eva Green for Siuan, and couldn’t decide if she fit. Eva’s a bit too beautiful instead of handsome for Siuan so I’ve made Eva Mesaana instead.

Liandrin – Kristin Bell

This was poorly cast by me- Liandrin has dark eyes and honey coloured hair, but for some reason I think of Bell when I think of Liandrin. Bell is so cute though, if not Liandrin, surely she can be cast as someone else.

Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag – Tessa Thompson

To be honest, I haven’t met Tuon yet. I stopped reading at Winter’s Heart, but I have read descriptions of her and a few spoiler passages. Tessa Thompson has the sass I think for Tuon.

And that’s it for my casting so far! Noticable omissions who will be future additions:

Perrin! Do you know how hard it is to find a muscly, curly haired young actor? Most of the youngin’s aren’t particularly muscly. At the moment I’m contemplating Patrick Fugit, but I can’t find enough photos of him as he is nowadays online. His build is quite different now from his days in Almost Famous.