Inkling wrote:You're right that depth is a concern. I haven't seen him in a truly dramatic role, but he is absolutely able to add heart to a character. And I love him as Wheatley!
It's good to know that he can add heart! I did find Wheatley to be rather endearing at times, but at the end of the day, he's an AI.
David West wrote:Ooh, I like that idea a lot! He seems like he could be a good choice. He's definitely tall and lanky enough to nail the look. I also really like Glumpuddle's idea of Bruce Spence, but I wonder... How old do you guys think puddleglum should be cast?
I've personally been leaning more towards the idea of a slightly younger Puddleglum, perhaps in the 45-ish range, but I'm all right with an older Puddleglum as well. One thing that comes to mind when we're talking about people who are older than 60, though, would be the sheer physical demands of the quest. I'd hope that he at least appears like he's in good enough health to handle a trek into the snowy wilderness.
David West wrote:How about Doug Jones? He's a very prolific character actor with more experience than just about anyone wearing crazy creature prosthetics, he's 6'5, super skinny, has a nice gaunt face, and is even a professional contortionist, which I'm sure could be used to great comedic effect at times and help give puddleglum a more frog-like and presence in general. I didn't know this before researching him a bit more just now after he popped into my head, but he is also a Christian! I think he could be a great choice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Jones_(actor)
He has a great face for a Marshwiggle! There is also a bit of a youthfulness about his features that I think would set him apart from his more serious brethren. I do wonder if he's able to do a convincing English accent, but other than that, he seems like a very good possibility!
fantasia_kitty wrote:Tom Baker is so ingrained in my head as Puddleglum, I have a really hard time picturing Puddleglum as a "cheerful pessimist." That to me is weird. I'm not saying it wouldn't work, I just can't picture it.
Puddleglum is such a delightfully difficult personality to categorize.
I don't mean cheerful so much in the sense that he relishes bad luck, although considering his reaction to meeting the Underlanders and his reasons for going on the expedition in the first place, perhaps that's not entirely off-base.
Rather, he's "putting a bold face" on a bad situation, at least in his mind. Everyone else, aside from his brethren, sees him as a wet blanket, but he sees himself as an optimist. He plainly states the dismal facts and then goes right on and does his best without a second thought. So, a "cheerful pessimist" in that sense.
I do really like Tom Baker's Puddleglum, but I think his interpretation works better in a serial where there's more time for pondering speech. In the movie, I think Puddleglum will need to be a bit more energetic... still serious, obviously, but I think his lines will need to be delivered at a faster clip, just because of run time.
As I'm thinking about Puddleglum's personality, I'm reminded of the way that Lewis described the Garden in
The Magician's Nephew: "it was a happy place but very serious." I think since most people don't tend to associate seriousness with happiness, Puddleglum can seem like something of a paradox. I really hope the actor is able to pull it off! *crosses fingers*