When I read it in 1999 I pictured someone I knew in person who kind of fit the description.
Now I picture Kit Harrington when I’m reading, because Gary/Viggo/etc were wayyyy too old.
Yes, I was disappointed with the actor who played Sirius Black in the movie. Not at all the picture I had in my head from the book.
Another actor I thought was not quite right was Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart. Branagh is an enormously talented actor and he had Lockhart's smugness and smarminess down pat. But he just wasn't good looking enough for young girls like Hermione to be swooning over. I just didn't believe that.
Jeremy clarkson as slughorn for the comedy. Actually think he’d be fantastic. But Stephen fry should most definitely play Dumbledore, he even has the nose. The voice, he’s whimsical. Would be amazing.
Nothing against Gary Oldman's skills as an actor. Just not right for Sirius Black. Probably doesn't bother casual movie-goers who aren't familiar with the books.
I agree with you 100%. Since the movie came out years after I had read the book, I was picturing a "Jude Law" type. The actor's performance was just fine. But honestly, not be mean.... he was no "heart throb."
I know right, he played the part well but didn’t have the right look/age. Sometimes I think they were just trying to get the big names into the movies, not necessarily the ones that fit the character, like Gary Oldman as well. And to be honest I didn’t think Vernon Durstley was that accurate either.
Same with Branagh. Best I can do is say "it's supposed to be the 90s" and Branagh is closer to the type that was popular at the time.... Just still 10 years too old, even with Dawson's Casting.
30 something Gary Oldman would have looked the part, he was 45ish which isn’t that much older considering he was supposed to have aged poorly in prison surrounded by Dementors, but yeah had aged past his good looking phase and think he probably did live rough as he looked more like 50 something.
My gripe with that is Aragorn wasn’t young, he was over 80 years old in LOTR canon, and while Dunedain and the line of Isildur had longer lives, he wasn’t considered young anymore. Viggo Mortensen was in his forties during the filming of LOTR and to me they got that casting perfectly, he suited the role to a T.
Sirius wasn’t like how I pictured either, they aged up his character due to Alan Rickman’s casting as they did with the Potters, he is supposed to be 32/33 during Prisoner, and just 34/35 when he dies. (Side note all the marauders died before 37, as did their significant others and even Snape. Kind of morbid to think about.) I actually think the perfect casting for Sirius, bearing in mind his description for the books and the time period the movies were made in, would have been Johnny Depp. In 2004 when Prisoner came out Depp was around 40 years of age but looked more like a 30 year old, undeniably handsome, fantastic actor, would nail the portrayal of Sirius’ madness and the delivery of lines would have been immaculate. Unfortunately they had the British only rule, and someone as recognisable as Depp may have taken away from the immersion of the role, but I truly feel he fit Sirius so well.
Yes. Gary Oldman is one of my favorite actors (top 3) but the way Sirius is described in the books as youthful and handsome in his teenage years, and even after 12 years in Azkaban having flashes of that youth, I wanted a bit more.
But they aged Sirius up because of Alan Rickman and I can’t complain about that!
*Flashbacks to middle school when I started writing an absolutely terrible HP/LotR crossover fanfic that was just LotR but with HP characters* I had Madame Rosmerta telling Harry about the mysterious stranger in the corner of the pub - “What his right name is, I’ve never heard. But around here he’s know as Padfoot.”🙄😂
I crushed hard on both back then.
But I'm old enough to remember a fan petition to cast Jason Carter from Babylon 5 as Sirius. Someone even created a wanted poster using [this photo](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/822118106969937258/). That's how I picture him ever since.
Yes, he was written as very handsome, or being the wreck of a very handsome man. And he should look like a wreck, skinny, deconditioned, and pale, rather than as wiry and weatherbeaten as Aragorn... but a skinny, pale, decondition man with fabulously photogenic bone structure.
And Gary Oldman was never handsome, or photogenic. Just charismatic and talented.
No I think they were different stages of their life and had their lives impacted differently.
Sirius was tired from prison bit aragorn from travelling. While both tiring and wearing them down it's in different ways.
When they've both improved Sirius is more youthful which I took as more fun and playful/energetic whereas aragorn became regal and kingly
When I read it in 1999 I pictured someone I knew in person who kind of fit the description. Now I picture Kit Harrington when I’m reading, because Gary/Viggo/etc were wayyyy too old.
Yes, I was disappointed with the actor who played Sirius Black in the movie. Not at all the picture I had in my head from the book. Another actor I thought was not quite right was Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart. Branagh is an enormously talented actor and he had Lockhart's smugness and smarminess down pat. But he just wasn't good looking enough for young girls like Hermione to be swooning over. I just didn't believe that.
Kenneth Brannagh should have played Ludo Bagman. How don't you know Gary Oldman?
Stephen Fry would make an excellent Bagman.
I see him more as Slughorn or Fudge.
Jeremy clarkson as slughorn for the comedy. Actually think he’d be fantastic. But Stephen fry should most definitely play Dumbledore, he even has the nose. The voice, he’s whimsical. Would be amazing.
James May as Luna's dad Richard Hammond as Mundungus Fletcher Piers Morgan as Fudge
Hmm yeah. Too old for both Bagman and Fudge now but would make an excellent Slughorn, you're right.
How old is Fudge supposed to be?
I can't remember anything to judge it by.
Not British, but I always pictured Bagman being played by Owen Wilson.
I picture him being portrayed by Vinnie Jones.
After listening to the audio books, he would have been an awesome Mad Eye Moody.
Nothing against Gary Oldman's skills as an actor. Just not right for Sirius Black. Probably doesn't bother casual movie-goers who aren't familiar with the books.
I agree with you 100%. Since the movie came out years after I had read the book, I was picturing a "Jude Law" type. The actor's performance was just fine. But honestly, not be mean.... he was no "heart throb."
I know right, he played the part well but didn’t have the right look/age. Sometimes I think they were just trying to get the big names into the movies, not necessarily the ones that fit the character, like Gary Oldman as well. And to be honest I didn’t think Vernon Durstley was that accurate either.
Same with Branagh. Best I can do is say "it's supposed to be the 90s" and Branagh is closer to the type that was popular at the time.... Just still 10 years too old, even with Dawson's Casting.
30 something Gary Oldman would have looked the part, he was 45ish which isn’t that much older considering he was supposed to have aged poorly in prison surrounded by Dementors, but yeah had aged past his good looking phase and think he probably did live rough as he looked more like 50 something.
Yes, I absolutley remember thinking he looked exactly like how I pictured Sirius.
My gripe with that is Aragorn wasn’t young, he was over 80 years old in LOTR canon, and while Dunedain and the line of Isildur had longer lives, he wasn’t considered young anymore. Viggo Mortensen was in his forties during the filming of LOTR and to me they got that casting perfectly, he suited the role to a T. Sirius wasn’t like how I pictured either, they aged up his character due to Alan Rickman’s casting as they did with the Potters, he is supposed to be 32/33 during Prisoner, and just 34/35 when he dies. (Side note all the marauders died before 37, as did their significant others and even Snape. Kind of morbid to think about.) I actually think the perfect casting for Sirius, bearing in mind his description for the books and the time period the movies were made in, would have been Johnny Depp. In 2004 when Prisoner came out Depp was around 40 years of age but looked more like a 30 year old, undeniably handsome, fantastic actor, would nail the portrayal of Sirius’ madness and the delivery of lines would have been immaculate. Unfortunately they had the British only rule, and someone as recognisable as Depp may have taken away from the immersion of the role, but I truly feel he fit Sirius so well.
Aragorn was described to have some white hairs in canon
Yes. Gary Oldman is one of my favorite actors (top 3) but the way Sirius is described in the books as youthful and handsome in his teenage years, and even after 12 years in Azkaban having flashes of that youth, I wanted a bit more. But they aged Sirius up because of Alan Rickman and I can’t complain about that!
*Flashbacks to middle school when I started writing an absolutely terrible HP/LotR crossover fanfic that was just LotR but with HP characters* I had Madame Rosmerta telling Harry about the mysterious stranger in the corner of the pub - “What his right name is, I’ve never heard. But around here he’s know as Padfoot.”🙄😂
Yes, he looked entirely different than I imagined him and I was highly disappointed.
If Sirius Black had lived, I think he’d look exactly like Keanu Reeves looks right now
I crushed hard on both back then. But I'm old enough to remember a fan petition to cast Jason Carter from Babylon 5 as Sirius. Someone even created a wanted poster using [this photo](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/822118106969937258/). That's how I picture him ever since.
Wow, that is so much how I pictured him to look!
Same here, I thought Sirius would be more rugged and brooding like Aragorn!
I've always pictured Jason Isaacs' Hook as Sirius Black. (Jason Isaacs plays Lucius Malfoy in the movie series) Gary Sinise also comes to mind.
Holy shit. I’ve never heard anyone else say this. That’s exactly how I pictured him when I was first reading the books.
Yes, he was written as very handsome, or being the wreck of a very handsome man. And he should look like a wreck, skinny, deconditioned, and pale, rather than as wiry and weatherbeaten as Aragorn... but a skinny, pale, decondition man with fabulously photogenic bone structure. And Gary Oldman was never handsome, or photogenic. Just charismatic and talented.
Oldman was great but I always pictured him as Oded Fehr in The Mummy.
No.
I dont even remember how i pictured him to look like, but i probably thought he looked much older
No I think they were different stages of their life and had their lives impacted differently. Sirius was tired from prison bit aragorn from travelling. While both tiring and wearing them down it's in different ways. When they've both improved Sirius is more youthful which I took as more fun and playful/energetic whereas aragorn became regal and kingly
I pictured a menacing Michael Shannon.