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.
Why remake it anyway? If something is done as well is it could be done - and I see very little room for improvement in the production overall and none whatsoever in the portrayal of Smiley - then leave it alone.
In any case, it was of its time. We are no longer embroiled in a Cold War. Could it possibly have the same impact, the same resonance, as previously it had?
Notwithstanding, Sir Alec Guinness, Sir Ian Richardson, Bernard Hepton, Sian Phillips, Michael Jayston, etc. Where do you start looking for a cast to match that? Certainly not within the ranks of the generally mediocre (or worse) denizens of British TV screens.
I agree with your comments. Part of the reason the Smiley stories are so well done is that they represent the serendipitous mixture of the right actors, screenplay, direction, etc., at just the right time in history.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I think the suggestions have all been pretty good but I would rather see someone comparatively (or completely) unknown, a bit like Smiley himself, someone chubby too. I would also like to see The Honourable Schoolboy made into a BBC film too, nice and long. What we all agree is how greatly entertained we have been by Le Carre's spy novels and what a joy Smiley has been to all our lives.
shareFor Smiley: Geoffrey Rush; Michael Gambon; Tom Wilkinson; Jim Broadbent.
For Bill Haydon: Alan Rickman
For Control: William B. Davis ("Cigarette Smoking Man" in the "X-Files"; he's Canadian, but if he could manage a British accent, he'd be perfect; don't forget that Alexander Knox, the original "Control", was also Canadian; here's Davis' Wikipedia entry: http://tinyurl.com/3w2f2p2)
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Have to say Gary Oldman did a really great job of a hard act to follow. And we've seen Mr Oldman play some pretty wacked out characters in his time (True Romance, Leon ???) which might have made us think he'd be a little too high voltage to play Smiley. But it seemed to me he played it as a tribute to Alec Guinness, and boy ... did he ever pull it off.
Fortytwo? FortyTwo? what sort of puerile, pathetic, stupid answer is that? Everyone knows it's 43.
Anyone but Johnny Depp, please. Even as a joke, it's sacrilege to mention his name along with Guinness. I watched him on Letterman, he's so in love with his own image that I thought he'd start caressing himself any minute. His acting in the last decade isn't any better, either. Kids think he's übercool in his masks and makeups, but who has seen him act with his own face lately?
Michael Caine is one of my favourite actors, but I didn't think he'd be right for this part... until I saw Harry Brown. He pulled off that "fragile and unnoticeable on the outside" mannerism pretty well. Late actors Lawrence Olivier or Nigel Hawthorne, even Peter Sellers would be interesting to see as Smiley a well.
Never be complete.
Stephen Fry ?
shareI have just watched Gary Oldman's George Smiley & loved him. As for another actor, I for some strange reason keep seeing Paul Reubens. All joking aside I am sure he could do it.
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