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Would Anson Mount Make A Good Roland?


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    13

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I think Cumberbatch could also make a good Randall Flagg, though I still will always see him as Dafoe in my mind.
I didn't even know who this Anson Mount guy was, actually. But here's a good photo of him that sort of fits the role:

Hell-on-Wheels-02-Anson-Mount.jpg
 

Takoren

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2015
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I haven't read this entire thread, but I can't buy Anson Mount as Roland. I have a feeling that the only reason people want him is that he is able to fit the cowboy archetype well.

But to me, he doesn't say Roland. He says "Typical Cowboy". I don't know how to describe this very well, but I tend to stay away from people who seem the "typical" choice. This is one reason why I will never get behind Viggo Mortensen as Roland, either.

There's got to be a quality to the actor beyond just "does he look like a cowboy". I'm not sure how to describe the quality. A kind of hardness that communicates danger and also a sense of "I don't belong here", no matter where he is. This is another reason I don't want an A-lister in the role.

I still want Langley Kirkwood.
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I haven't read this entire thread, but I can't buy Anson Mount as Roland. I have a feeling that the only reason people want him is that he is able to fit the cowboy archetype well.

But to me, he doesn't say Roland. He says "Typical Cowboy". I don't know how to describe this very well, but I tend to stay away from people who seem the "typical" choice. This is one reason why I will never get behind Viggo Mortensen as Roland, either.

There's got to be a quality to the actor beyond just "does he look like a cowboy". I'm not sure how to describe the quality. A kind of hardness that communicates danger and also a sense of "I don't belong here", no matter where he is. This is another reason I don't want an A-lister in the role.

I still want Langley Kirkwood.
I had never heard of him before, but he appears to be quite intense!
latest
 

Takoren

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2015
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For what it's worth, I think Idris Elba is a better choice for Roland than Matthew McConaughey is for Walter. Though I would change my mind if McConaughey learned to turn off his signature twang.

My Walter is Lee Pace.
 
Feb 23, 2016
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I'd rather see Bryan Cranston as Cort. While in general, I prefer unknowns for the Dark Tower (talented unknowns), Cranston's ability to remake himself is well known so that you see the character and not the actor. With the proper scars added I have no doubt he could bring Cort to life.
Cranston is good, but I don't know about him playing Cort. Cort has to be stalky and beefy and mean-looking. A big bad-ass. I could see him as Roland's father, or even the man in black -- Walter (ironic, isn't it?) But who would play Cuthbert? Dax Sheppard? And who would play Jake? Or Eddie? Aaron Paul would be a great Eddie, or even Cuthbert, maybe? Your thoughts?
 
Feb 23, 2016
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When Stephen King used the analogy
One final thing, not all "bombardier" eyes have to be blue. Movie makeup can alter the eye color of any actor they choose, when I picture "bombardier" eyes I see in my mind the definition of bombardier itself which is: "A member of a bomber crew in the US Air Force responsible for sighting and releasing bombs." In essence a soldier who has seen and done horrific things, fitting for Roland in description for certain. Not simply blue as the skies in which a bombardier flies, but hard and cold. How could you not be after dropping bombs?

When Stephen King used the analogy "Bombardier," to describe Roland's eyes, it was to imply that his eyes are very sharp, not that a bombardier has seen horrible things. They're thousands of feet in the air and get only an extreme long distance view of the carnage their bombs cause. They know full well what happens, but they don't really see it. Anyway, not trying to be a d*ck, so please don't take offense.
 
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M_Parabola

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2016
56
268
31
Outside NYC
I haven't read this entire thread, but I can't buy Anson Mount as Roland. I have a feeling that the only reason people want him is that he is able to fit the cowboy archetype well.

But to me, he doesn't say Roland. He says "Typical Cowboy". I don't know how to describe this very well, but I tend to stay away from people who seem the "typical" choice. This is one reason why I will never get behind Viggo Mortensen as Roland, either.

There's got to be a quality to the actor beyond just "does he look like a cowboy". I'm not sure how to describe the quality. A kind of hardness that communicates danger and also a sense of "I don't belong here", no matter where he is. This is another reason I don't want an A-lister in the role.

I still want Langley Kirkwood.
I don't suggest him purely because of his role in Hell on Wheels. Have you seen any of his other work? Have you seen Hell on Wheels also? He doesn't play a cowboy, he was a former soldier and joins the railroad as a vigilante seeking justice for the murder of his wife and son. The construction of the railroad is almost like Roland's wandering to find the Tower, except Bohannon in the show is trying to find his purpose now that everything has been stripped away. He's also no A-Lister, but from the roles I've seen him in, he's a good actor. An actor not many mention, and therefore I mention him as a fan of his work. *shrugs*
 
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nanadab

Member
Apr 14, 2016
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sorry I love Hugh Laurie but, not for Roland maybe the Father. Daniel Craig would make a great Roland.
 
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