If the BBC (or other party) was to remake "Tinker, Tailor, ..", perhaps make "The Honourable Schoolboy" and remake "Smiley's People" again. Who do you think would be best to play George Smiley?
People who've read the books might have a better idea. But I'm keen to hear people's ideas.
how about a woman? that will make it more gender-balanced. cameron diaz? she played a spy in charlie's angels.
sharehope it's just a joke. first, making it "gender-based" would move from adaptation to being based upon, which imho doesn't go for a remake. second: cameron diaz? a spy in charlie's angels ? pleeeaaase. these two movies aren't on the same page in the book, to say the least
shareAnthony Hopkins would be my first choice, Michael Caine second provided he could keep the "don't throw that spear at me" accent he had in Zulu.
shareCameron Diaz? Are you kidding me? Anyways...I don't know of any short, rotund, and frankly pertaining to the physicality of George Costanza. But, I do remember an actor in Patriot Games, the guy who owned the book store. He looks just like George Smiley.
shareI'm just glad no one said Ian McKellen. I think he's brilliant, but these days he's the name everyone comes up when they ponder what older Englishman should play a particular part. I think Michael Gambon would be an excellent Smiley--or perhaps Albert Finney.
sharecameron diaz-shocking. Ken Stott from the vice and Messiah, he's different enough to make the part his own
Tony: Can I buy you half a lager?
Rob: You can buy me a pint.
Ken Stott is excellent and I love his work. But he's almost too much personality. Smiley is almost like a ghost in the books. He listens, thinks and acts carefully. Another problem is the academic aspect. Somehow I can't see Stott as ex-Oxford.
Stephen Fry on prozak? :-)
Casting is such a challenge.
I was thinking Albert Finney also (being a fellow Salfordian). But then somebody said to me "Ronny Barker" and it totally threw me. You'll have to remember he's an actor first and a comic actor second.
Sadly, I think it's too late for him to play the part because by the time it could get off the ground, he might not be around to do it.
Glad nobody said Bob Hoskins either!
The problem is that from LeCarre's description, you'd be looking for a shy, retiring, fat little old man.
I always assumed that "The Honourable Gentlemen" never got made because of the cost implications of all the far east filming.
"The problem is that from LeCarre's description, you'd be looking for a shy, retiring, fat little old man."
Which is why casting Gary Oldman just completely eliminated my ability to "suspend disbelief" while watching the remake yesterday. :-(
Well, Alec Guinness was hardly a shy, retiring, fat little old man, either, but he did a great job. Oldman wasn't fat - but he captured the rest of it. I thought he was excellent.
shareHad a thought. What about Sir Derek Jacobi?
shareNo thats crap.
I still have nightmares of how bad cadfael was.
If film involving smiley was to be made maybe it should reflect the current state of the world and have a more contemporary Smiley.
Tony: Can I buy you half a lager?
Rob: You can buy me a pint.
Yup, I'd agree with that - both "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Bourne Identity" have seen good remakes in recent years, but they were politically transposed from the Cold War to the age of the War on Terror. The old version of "The Bourne Identity" (close to Ludlum's book) had good footage, violent fighting and an unsatisfying plot involving the super-terrorist Carlos, a guy about whom very little was known in the 1980s, so you could really do what you wanted with the figure. The new "Bourne" is completely changed and set in a world with Arab terrorists and all kinds of alliances.
In any context, I'd love to see Cate Blanchett as a lady double agent.
Agree with rleather - Definately Derek Jacobi. Although Alec Guiness performance was definative.
sharetom wilkinson or michael caine. please
shareDerek Jacobi would be a great choice. He captured a tone in "I Claudius" that would work very well for Smiley.
sharePatrick Macnee would have been brilliant, it would have been a perfect way to break with the John Steed typecasting. Well, it never happened - but I'm sure he could have pulled it off.
shareI quite like the idea of Richard Griffiths -- very good at being glum and sat upon. He is, however, probably a little TOO fat. And, of course, it would be hard to shake memories of Uncle Monty.
sharewhoever it is, he (for he has to be a he for sure) must fulfil three criteria:
1. he has to be british and capable of the right type of accent
2. he has to be capable of that allmost "nonacting" type of total stillness combined with the utmost sense of urgency and deep unhappiness so masterfully executed by Alec Guinness.
3. he must have the right age
A lot of people fulfil 1 and 3, but criterion no. 2 makes Anthony Hopkins my main suggestion. Moreover, he would physically look the part quite well if he gained some serious weight ;-)
cheers!
Jim Broadbent is the one person I can think of who captures both Smiley's frumpy helplessness and his well-disguised killer instinct.
shareMichael Caine.
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I liked the Caine, Broadbent, Hopkins angle, but I agree that I can also see Albert Finney in the role. I'm thinking of A Man of No Importance; not a great film, but Finney captured the degree of emotional fragility that I thought haunted Guinness' performance. I'm not sure he could manage the accent, though. Just thought of that. Smiley really must be a toff.
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You've reminded me that James Mason played Smiley (renamed Dobbs) in Call for the dead. I thought he was pretty good.
By the way, everyone's worried about weight. When I first saw Tinker... - which I think just about the best ever TV series ever made - I thought Guinness too tall and slim (comparatively) for the image I'd got from the book. It has to be Hopkins. He would make the role his own, just as Guinness did.
It ain't like it used to be. But it'll do.
Nothing is wrong with the original. Far from it.
But its not a perfect representation of the book and there really hasn't been anything quite so intelligent on TV for years. The fact that "The Honourable Schoolboy" was dropped is unfortunate.
Peoples comments regarding Sexing it up are a little misplaced. I think its almost too precious as a period piece to mess around with it. After all, The Cold War is quickly leaving the realms of spoken history. Most people under 25 haven't a clue about it.
The motivation for revisiting the genre is down to the interest for new and intelligent programming and the rights for the series still being held in BBC hands. But only for another 5 years. Hence the question.
Whilst I think Timothy Spall is a terrific actor, he's just not lighting my boat.
You look at the people who've played Smiley in the past and its a real mixed bag.
Rupert Davies - In the 1965 "Spy who came in from the cold" (Davies being remembered more for Maigret)
Denholm Elliott - In the 1991 "A Murder of Quality" (also staring a very young Christan Bale) - Terrible performance.
Alec Guinness we know.
Plus George Cole in a fairly recent version of "A Murder Of Quality". And I even think Bernard Hepton (who was of course Toby Esterhase in the T.T.S.S and Smiley's People).
I almost want to say Warren Clarke. But could be pull off the accent. Actually, he was in Tinker Tailor as Alwyn. But who also spotted Alan Rickman as Mr. Brownlow in Smiley's People.
But then Hywel Bennett is looking more 'Smiley' everyday... if you follow my drift. Follow this BBC link to see what I mean.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/03_march/28/hywel_bennett.shtml
Ian Richardson- would be good to have him revisit the story and play a different character.
or, why not Christopher Lee?
I seriously hope they don't remake it but why Michael Caine. Cockey accent all the way through it. His accents are as good as Sean Connery's!!!
One suggest which i think would work would be Sylvester McCoy - the 7th Doctor Who. He's small, quite fat and can do deep and broading very well. The type of person who would happily kill anyone if it helped the bigger picture!
Sorry for the Spelling Mistakes
Although i'd like to say its sacrelidge to have anyone but alec guiness play smiley (even Le Carre says he can't write smiley without picturing Guiness), I'd put peter firth forward.
'I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis'
Ian Holm, maybe? If he gained some weight... But Smiley's always been a baritone.
shareChristopher Lee, like most actors, is a chameleon. However, losing 12 inches in height may be beyond even him.
shareYeah, Lee would be a better Karla than Smiley. Smiley is the least flashy character you can imagine. He's decribed as "tubby, bespectacled." In every book he's betrayed by people he's trusted, yet he still is willing to help when asked. This is a guy that's been through the ringer for thirty plus years, emotionally and vocationally. I don't know if there's anyone better than Guiness to play him... but I could see Anthony Hopkins doing a great job. He's got that sorrow behind his eyes. Just my thoughts.
I shall owe thee an answer for that...
I completely support the idea of Anthony Hopkins as Smiley, more than Michael Caine who I think is more appropriate for a different role. Just think about the Butler in Remains of the Day. The role has a good deal in common with what would be expected of George.
Geoffrey Rush might be a fair alternative.
I agree that Ian Richardson would be excellent as Smiley. But of course he would be unlikely to play the role because Alec Guinness played it to perfection.
shareHm... Danny Webb, perhaps? He's maybe a little too handsome for the role, but he scuffs up quite nicely. He's also an actor able to slide into almost any role. It's very difficult to think of anyone really suitable. Maybe Ian Richardson could be Control.
If they did The Honourable Schoolboy, I'd like to see Kevin Howarth as Jerry Westerby.
No need for apologies, when you're made of clay