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[The Artisan]

I think Dylan O'Brien was born to play Peter Parker and I can't over the fact that he won't be still excited to see the rebooted spidey though

I put Christian Bale there for Batman and Emma Watson there for Hermione Granger

 

[Maedre]

This doctor who fanboy

the best!

 

[HarryHengst]

Danny DeVito in Always Sunny in Philadelphia feels like he is just playing himself all the time.

 

[digitalrelic]

Danny DeVito in Always Sunny in Philadelphia feels like he is just playing himself all the time.

I love Danny DeVito in the role but I'm pretty sure he's not climbing naked out of couches all that often in real life.

 

[Monocle]

Ian McKellen as Gandalf
Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow
Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine

Rami Malek as Elliot on Mr Robot

I mean he's even wearing his own hoodie on the show, so his look is almost as important as the acting. The show was dead in the water at the casting stage until he showed up.

This too.

 

[Zombine]

Karl Urban as Judge Dredd...

:/

 

[BKatastrophe]

Say what you will about Brett Ratner's direction of XM3:TLS, but the man knew what he was doing when it came to casting:
Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast

Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde

The Nichola Hoult is great, but Kelsey had it down pat. And Ellen will always be Kitty. Always.

Michael Caine is Alfred to me.

Has there been a bad Alfred yet, though? I'm not a big fan of Gotham, but I think even they got Alfred down. And Bullock.

All the Hellboy casting is on point.

As much as I love Connery, both as Bond and in general, I'd say that Pierce Brosnan was even more perfect for the role in every way (though Connery is really, really close). Which makes it so much more of a shame that his Bond movies were so fucking awful

Well it helps that Pierce had Remington Steele under his belt, considering that's basically discount James Bond.

 

[digitalrelic]

What about Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men?

 

[TheJollyCorner]

I love Ian Holm. He is just a legitimate master-class performer.
That said, for me he was born to play Ash in ALIEN. The reveal that he was a synthetic (first time I saw the movie) was a real shock, as he plays the part with amazing nuance. Once the curtain has been lifted, he becomes terrifyingly cold. Just amazing.

Ben Kingsley as Gandhi.
Stunning performance.

Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth in Schindler's List.

Mick Jagger as Vacendak in Freejack. 'Nuff said. You know it to be true, BobbyRoberts!

 

[DarkKyo]

Seems like this thread should just be called "iconic characters and the actors who played them."

 

[king picollo]

Damian Lewis nailed this

 

[radioactivez0r]

While he nailed the role for the earlier, idealized portrayals of Dumbledore, I think Michael Gambon ended up being a much better fit for the far more complex and flawed reality of the character in the end.

Considering there is no other performance to compare it to, this seems unfair to Harris. Honestly, his casting as Dumbledore is my favorite of the franchise, and they were all inferior after he passed.

Seems like this thread should just be called "iconic characters and the actors who played them."

Yeah, seems to be a lot of "this guy did a great job as this character" but that isn't really the point is it? I mean, Fassbender is a great actor who played a great role in 12 Years, but to say that he was born to play it seems a bit much. The best ones are probably "actor basically plays themselves in this part and it works incredibly well".

 

[Bleepey]

Michael jai White - Black Dynamite lol

The thing is, when he put on the afro and mustache I couldn't recognise him at all. Like I can't believe it's the same person.

 

[adamsappel]

Both of them.

Seems like this thread should just be called "iconic characters and the actors who played them."

Not even iconic, but just great in their roles. I much prefer the interpretation of an actor nailing a character that previously existed in another medium. I think Mads Mikkelsen is a much better Hannibal than Hopkins and more true to the book character, but I allow that Hopkins plays the role very well. Val Kilmer is fantastic as Doc Holliday, but Dennis Quade does a fine job as well. Patrick Stewart makes the role of Jean Luc Picard his own, but he embodies Professor Xavier to a tee.

Or how about an actor who's only done well in one role? I can't think of a role that Shelly Duvall has played that couldn't be done by any other actress, but damn if she isn't a perfect Olive Oyl.

Johnny Depp was terrible as Hunter S. Thompson. He can't play a junkie to save his life. An obvious sober man.

HST wasn't a junkie. He's one of my favorite writers (his collected letters are a fascinating read) and I've seen him give an intimate talk (he sat at a table and opened a bottle of Chivas and when the bottle was empty the speech was over). Depp nailed him.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

I really dont understand some of the choices in this thread.

Wouldnt be one of the key things here that the character already existed in other media (books, comics, animation, real life history characters...) for it to fit what the OP is trying to say?
Some of the choices are great roles without a doubt, but they are doing original characters, and as the first actor doing that role they also had a big hand in creating that character and making it their own.
Yeah, they were written first on a script, but the audience watches them for the first time with that actor.
If for example, 50 years after an actor doing an original character in a great way, comes some type of remake with another actor that totally resembles the original one, that would be also considered an excellent choice for what the OP is saying.


Thats why i would only count here actors that were put into already existing roles. They were born to fit those roles because, even before cast, people in their head already said, he would be perfect doing this character. Or after watching the movie you think, wow, this actor is just like the real life (x character) I always imagined.

 

[Joni]

I really dont understand some of the choices in this thread.

Wouldnt be one of the key things here that the character already existed in other media (books, comics, animation, real life history characters...) for it to fit what the OP is trying to say?
Some of the choices are great roles without a doubt, but they are doing original characters, and as the first actor doing that role they also had a big hand in creating that character and making it their own.
Yeah, they were written first on a script, but the audience see them for the first time with that actor.


Thast why i would only count here actors that were put into already existing roles. They were bron to fit those roles becuase, even before cast, peoplke in their head already said, he would be perfect doing this character. Or after watching the movie you think, wow, this actor is just like the real life (x character) I always imagined.

It means something else for everybody. If you can't imagine any actor doing better in that role, it would probably fit.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

It means something else for everybody. If you can't imagine any actor doing better in that role, it would probably fit.

The problem I have with this statement, is that nearly every good character that appeared in movie would fit that broad explanation (and there are so many good movie characters, this thread would never end if we tried to cite everyone), so why make this thread in the first place, and I say this as I think that finding and talking about the ones where these actors tried to emulate other media or real life perfectly is more fun as a thread idea, becuase you have to cherry pick much more.
But hey, that my two cents.

 

[rothgar]

David Suchet as Poirot. Embraced the part so much to the extent that he's filmed the entire canon over 25 years.

I'll add him as classical Holmes:

Though Cumberbatch is great as a modern holmes.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Kanye West as Kanye West

 

[JLynn]

Someone might have already said it, but even so it bears repeating:

Matthew Lillard as Shaggy in Scooby Doo.

He was so good that after Casey Kasem retired, WB hired him to be the official voice of Shaggy.

And to me Christopher Reeve was born to play Superman.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Coach Taylor and Matt Saracen played by Kyle Chandler and Zach Gilford, respectively.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Say what you will about Brett Ratner's direction of XM3:TLS, but the man knew what he was doing when it came to casting:
Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast

See, I was going to say Kelsey Grammer for this subject as well, but for his portrayal of Frasier Crane. Because, let's face it, when you were watching X-Men 3, you were thinking "hey, Frasier's not bad as Beast." No one even calls him Kelsey anymore. He was on Colbert last week talking about how his favorite snack is caviar; he's become a caricature.

 

[roflwaffles]

Fassbender as young Magneto

 

[The Boat]

Hugo Weaving was born to play Joker and yet, he hasnt

 

[Wrynnax]

David boreanaz was born to play Nathan Drake, fingers crossed that it happens.

 

[Lord_Balkan]

Robert Englund

Angus Scrimm

 

[BKatastrophe]

See, I was going to say Kelsey Grammer for this subject as well, but for his portrayal of Frasier Crane. Because, let's face it, when you were watching X-Men 3, you were thinking "hey, Frasier's not bad as Beast." No one even calls him Kelsey anymore. He was on Colbert last week talking about how his favorite snack is caviar; he's become a caricature.

Fair enough. I was young enough that the first name that came to mind was Fraiser.

 

[ManUnkindH]

this guy, man....

 

[SamualDude]

Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid for me! Just spot on casting.

 

[matrix-cat]

If you absolutely have to cast white people in a Ghost in the Shell thing:

It'll never happen, but it'd be so perfect.

 

[TheCthultist]

All things considered I think Manu Bennett made a very convincing Deathstroke... Maybe not my favorite, but considering I'm pretty sure he's the only live action version of him, that's gotta count for something... Not that anyone will ever top Perlman as him in the animated stuff.

 

[Showaddy]

Not sure the performance could have been any more perfect.

 

[Gonzalez_Hotspur]

Les Gold as Ocelot

 

[Joni]

If you absolutely have to cast white people in a Ghost in the Shell thing:

It'll never happen, but it'd be so perfect.

Terry Crews would have fit better, due to his love for the series. It is a shame they aren't using one of the people that actually wants this movie.

 

[yogloo]

Patrick Stewart as Xavier.

 

[Mohonky]

Tilda Swinton as David Bowie

Lol'd

Then saw the avatar, my favourite video clip.

Well played.

Or a President. Either way.

 

[kinn]

So many great ones already mentioned.

The entire cast of only fools and horses

And Michael J Fox for BTTF

 

[gappvembe]

Say what you will about Brett Ratner's direction of XM3:TLS, but the man knew what he was doing when it came to casting:
Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast

I agree to an extent. The voice is there. The intellectual is there. The physique and overall look wasn't though. Maybe do CGI with his voice. Something more ape-like, or animalized. Nicholas Hoult is ok, I like Kelsey Better.