Casting Speculation Season 6: Euron Greyjoy

Euron Greyjoy
Artwork by Mathia Arkoniel

Probably the most exciting piece of news to come out of the casting leak is that Game of Thrones is hunting for someone to play the role of an infamous pirate this year. Though the parts are unnamed for security reasons, the description leaves little mystery in our minds- it’s a perfect description of Theon’s uncle Euron Greyjoy from the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. From our casting post:

Pirate, man in his 40’s to late 50’s. He’s “an infamous pirate who has terrorized seas all around the world. Cunning, ruthless, with a touch of madness.”
He’s a dangerous-looking man. A very good part this season.

A source tells us the original casting breakdown also mentions the pirate has “huge charisma and power” which says Euron for sure to us, as opposed to other pirates from the novels such as Euron’s brother Victarion.

With that in mind, we’re going to focus on Euron for our casting speculation post this week.

Euron Greyjoy is as we mentioned Theon’s uncle, the younger brother of Balon Greyjoy. There are no physical requirements in the casting breakdown (leaving it very open for speculation) but in the novels, he is considered handsome, dark-haired with a matching beard. He wears an eyepatch over his left eye, and his lips are blue from drinking shade of the evening- the same substance that makes the lips of the Qarth warlocks blue. He’s dangerous and unpredictable, untrusted even by his family.

Let’s take a look at some fan favorites and frequent suggestions for the role:

James PurefoyJames Purefoy – Let’s ignore that “Never gonna appear on Game of Thrones because of Rome business from 2013 that might’ve been a joke. He’s a fan favorite for the role, and he is great at playing rogues and villainous sorts. The Following has been cancelled, but he’s already been booked to star in SundanceTV’s series Hap and Leonard and that may conflict with GoT filming this summer.

Rufus SewellRufus Sewell – Sewell is well known for his turns in movies such as Dark City, A Knight’s Tale, The Legend of ZorroTristan + Isolde and the recent Hercules. He’s not averse to television either, having appeared in many mini-series. Sewell is starring in Amazon’s new series, The Man in the High Castle. Filming on the series is happening now but might be finished up in time for him to take part in GoT.

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Dominic WestDominic West – West has worked with HBO, starring in the beloved series The Wire and he was offered a role on Game of Thrones (most likely Mance Rayder) before. Bonus- he’s just appeared in Testament of Youth with Kit Harington. He’s currently starring in the Showtime series The Affair, however, and filming seems to be happening this summer. Would the actor be able to juggle both projects?

MadsMads Mikkelsen – I know people love him but with him currently starring in a network television show in its third season, it’s unlikely that Mikkelsen is going to take a supporting role on a show with a large cast. I also can’t say I’ve ever heard the Danish actor convincingly pull off an English accent.

 

Richard ArmitageRichard Armitage – Co-starring in Hannibal with Mikkelsen, he’s unlikely to happen as well. He’s booked only for a six-episode arc as the Tooth Fairy this season on that show (a book-length villain), which could hint at another season for him if Hannibal is renewed. If we’re wrong though, I’d be okay with that because Armitage is a hell of an actor and would knock Euron out of the park.

Euron is a popular character- one of the characters I’ve seen the most enthusiastic fancasting suggestions for, with a list that also includes names like Viggo Mortensen, Jason Isaacs, Michael Wincott, Christopher Eccleston, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Joseph Fiennes, Clive Owen, Rhys Ifans, Tommy Flanagan, Sharlto Copley– and many more.

Our Euron could be one of these men. Or he could be a total surprise, a brilliant pick by Nina Gold’s people and Benioff and Weiss. Who is your choice, readers?

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

150 Comments

  1. Hodor..
    Jason Isaacs for me. I don’t know why, but he just has that mad and dangerous look on his eyes, exactly how I pictured Euron

  2. I also can’t say I’ve ever heard the Danish actor convincingly pull off an English accent.

    How about Nikolaj Coster-Waldau? Anyway, Mads is my choice but sadly it probably won’t happen, tho it was rummored that he might consider it since him and Nikolaj are good friends.

  3. Damn ‘The Affair’! I wanted McNulty on GOT, and he would have been great as Euron. I have a feeling they will find a relatively unknown actor for the role now, as many of these actors have projects lined up.

  4. Divljakse: How about Nikolaj Coster-Waldau? Anyway, Mads is my choice but sadly it probably won’t happen, tho it was rummored that he might consider it since him and Nikolaj are good friends.

    I think you misunderstood. I didn’t say I’ve never heard *a* Danish actor pull off an English accent, I said *the* Danish actor. I meant Mads Mikkelsen. His English is always spoken with a very flat tone that doesn’t sound native. That doesn’t mean he can’t pull it off, but I think he’d need to a vocal coach, he’d have to really work on it to be believable as someone with a native English accent.

  5. They already have their man. It’s Michiel Huisman, because everyone knows Euron is Daario. 😀

  6. I’ve liked all of those picks at one time or another and would be happy with any of them I think… That said, I have been thinking of some “lesser” known actors lately..
    Jason Flemyng, Hans Matheson, Scott Handy and Sean Harris.

    I think Flemyng has a great combination of look and ability to show quiet menace and/ or psychopathic actions.

    I had not seen Matheson in much since Nina Gold cast him in The Tudors, but his character in 300: Rise of an Empire made me think of him as Euron!

    I’ve seen both Sean Harris and Scott Handy play a variety of roles, but I think both can do menace well even if they may not have the exact stature or look many associate with Euron.

    Honestly though I would love to see Armitage , Purefoy or Sewell as the Crow’s Eye!

  7. There is one true Euron, and his name is Christopher Eccleston. He’s the right age, the right look (maybe not the right look for his book counterpart, but he realistically looks like he could be Balon’s brother and Theon’s uncle), can be charming and creepy. It sounds like his role in the Leftovers, if he’s even in the next season, shouldn’t be too time consuming.

  8. I really think Jeffrey Donovan could pull it off even though he’s on the younger side. I would love Rufus Sewell or Dominic West. If they were to end up casting West and he didn’t have a scene where someone accuses him of something and his response was, “The f*** did I do???” I would cry.

  9. *sigh… How many times do I have to say Michael Wincott before people start realizing that this has always been his role?

  10. Divljakse: How about Nikolaj Coster-Waldau? Anyway, Mads is my choice but sadly it probably won’t happen, tho it was rummored that he might consider it since him and Nikolaj are good friends.

    Mads said sometime last year, and perhaps blithely, that he’d like to appear sometime since his friend Nikolaj was on the show. But y’know, he’s very busy.

    If they cast Mads I would be over the moon, but I’d happily accept Sewell or Dominic West! The casting for this show is always on point for me, so no matter who they get there’s no doubt it’ll surpise and impress.

    Sue the Fury,

    Since Euron has been all over the world for years (decades?) I don’t think the English accent will be too important. They regional dialects and accents are all over the place anyway (more noticeable if you’re British, I think?)

  11. Anyone who’s seen the first 5-10 minutes of Solomon Kane can’t argue that James Purefoy would make an excellent Euron!

    Failing that I’d go for Gary Stretch. Although I’m fully aware that would be a massive long shot!

  12. Bit of a typecasting, but I’d love Toby Stephens (from Black Sails) or Clive Standen (from Vikings) as Euron. Wouldn’t say no to Sewell, West or Armitage though.

  13. (This is tricky, I’ve been forcing myself to avoid all comment sections on GoT sites until after the finale, to avoid any leaks or foreknowledge on the episode. So I’m just chucking in my own comment without looking at anyone else’s and just hoping it slots into the conversation.)

    Maybe he’s busy, but I don’t think Mads Mikkelsen’s Danish accent would be an issue. I think most people would agree that Euron’s probably the most well-travelled of any (important) character in the book, at least in terms of back story. They could name-drop any number of places we haven’t seen in the world yet, and it’d still be very believable (or at least, impossible to disprove) that those travels produced the Danish accent that Mikkelsen has.

    Factor in his madness, too, and I’d say there probably aren’t any rules when it comes to the Crow’s Eye’s accent.

    Anyways, if Mikkelsen doesn’t get it, I’d say out of the other guys – purely in terms of looks ‘cos I don’t know enough about everyone’s acting – Dominic West’s probably the best pick, followed by James Purefoy. Sewell and Armitage, meanwhile, are a little too “standard Westeros” in my opinion. I’d like Euron Greyjoy to stand out a little more.

  14. Kay,

    (Oops, others beat me to the Sewell in ‘Troy’ correction, so I edited it out.)

    Anyway…

    Out of the usual suspects rounded up, Purefoy’s the closest match to my conception of Euron, but my preference is to be totally surprised. Nina has been very good at turning relative unknowns into GoT icons, and I hope that tradition continues.

    Swagger, stature, physicality, intelligence, sex appeal, dominance. A tall order!

  15. I hope they will cast James Purefoy if Euron have to be included. I wished Balon to fulfil his role, that actor is briliant and i would like to see more of him.

    Dominic West is great as a selfserving cheating prick on The Affair, but he is not right for such campy role. Unless they rework Euron for the show, which sure is quite possible.

  16. James Purefoy is great. He has the perfect look and the acting chops (he was great in The Following) to nail this role like no other. My top pick by far.

    Mads would also be good if he could do at least a mild English accent. I’ve never heard him try one (or any other accent actually) before though so I don’t know how capable he is or not.

    Either way this will be the casting choice to watch for. I know some people disliked the Greyjoy uncle chapters in the books but I loved them and I always found Euron to just be a badass character, so I’m really excited to see who gets this part.

  17. Since we probably can’t get Mads, I think his brother Lars Mikkelsen would be another good option. He was recently on BBC’s Sherlock and House of Cards. I wouldn’t mind Purefoy either.

  18. I would love James Purefoy for this role but if he isn’t avaiable then I would love Mark Ryder aswell. He was a brilliant Cesare Borgia in Canal Plus’ Borgia and he would certainly look very well in Euron’s part : http://c3445010.r10.cf0.rackcdn.com/landscape_image/5677/big_c17b5e1d61.jpg

    http://www.lagardere-entertainment.com/images/galeries/198/Michael_Driscoll_IMG-6756_copyright.jpg

    The only downside is, he is very young, 15 years younger then Euron is in the books. Although it could work because it is said Euron never aged since he left.. Overall I think he would be an utterly briliant Euron Greyjoy especially if he can play it aswell as Cesare.

  19. Rodrik the Reader,

    She’s raided Rome for talent more than a few times though ( Mance, Edmure, Ellaria) so Purefoy could be in with a shot. Plus, I remember him playing Blackbeard in a BBC drama series so his pirate swagger is no doubt down to a tee!

  20. anyone knows when they will announce who got the roles?

    last year was at comiccon i belive

  21. Ravyn,

    If ratings were the only factor in NBC’s decision-making, Hannibal wouldn’t have made it past a month, much less two full seasons. The only reasons why that show is still on the air are that it gets a rapturous amount of critical praise (and rightfully so; it’s probably my favorite show at the moment- and, yes, that includes GoT) and that it’s largely financed by a third-party studio. There’s a lot of talk about it going to Netflix or Amazon if NBC were to cancel it, so Mads might not be free even if this were to happen. Regardless, I don’t really like him for this part anyway- as others have pointed out, his accent is WAY too thick (much more so than Nikolaj’s natural voice when speaking English) to believably pass as being related to the other Greyjoys. Plus, you’d have to think that the guy would be bored with yet another psycho villain role at this point- he’s starting to get into Gary Oldman/Christopher Walken territory.

    Whoever mentioned Christopher Eccleston is so spot-on it that isn’t even funny. He would be PERFECT…if only he wasn’t already playing a role on another HBO show at the moment. If not him, then I’d go for Dominic West or Damien Lewis (if HBO can afford him).

  22. Hỡýţì Voñ Tơťíỵ,

    Nah, that’s about right plus what they’ve advertised for. Some selections people are putting forward are really too young for a the role. You need an older but good-looking chap for it. He’s older than both Victarion and Damphair.

  23. TheTouchOfFrost:
    Hỡýţì Voñ Tơťíỵ,

    Nah, that’s about right plus what they’ve advertised for. Some selections people are putting forward are really too young for a the role. You need an older but good-looking chap for it. He’s older than both Victarion and Damphair.

    Well it is said Euron did not age much since his departure on Pyke. I think someone of 30 would certainly work. All in all, I would just love it if Mark Ryder got the part. 😛

  24. TheTouchOfFrost:

    Nah, that’s about right plus what they’ve advertised for. Some selections people are putting forward are really too young for a the role. You need an older but good-looking chap for it. He’s older than both Victarion and Damphair.

    Cunning, ruthless, with a touch of madness.

    Books are one thing Tv show another. If you are going for a “pirate” with above qualities making him in his late 30s early 40s would be the way to go.

  25. davy,

    Depends on the actor I guess but I hope they don’t look too young. They need a ruggedly handsome guy with authority but also a dangerous look about him. Some of the people being suggested just look far too soft for a infamous pirate/viking who rips his own crews tongues out and carries out blood riuals on his ship!

  26. Hỡýţì Voñ Tơťíỵ,

    I had the same thought: that Euron needn’t be that old. Book canon, I believe, has him as a half-brother to Balon, correct? That is, he is Balon’s brother by another mother and is thus possibly much younger. The show simplifying the Greyjoy genealogy and making Euron a credibly age-appropriate sibling to Balon makes sense.

  27. Hỡýţì Voñ Tơťíỵ,

    Well, take it up with the show as they’ve put the call out for a guy in his 40s-50s! 😛

    Just hope they get some of his better quotes worked into the show.

    “ Godless? Why, Aeron, I am the godliest man ever to raise sail! You serve one god, Damphair, but I have served ten thousand. From Ib to Asshai, when men see my sails, they pray.”

    “ We are the ironborn, and once we were conquerors. Our writ ran everywhere the sound of the waves was heard. My brother would have be content with the cold and dismal north, my niece with even less … but I shall give you Lannisport. Highgarden. The Arbor. Oldtown. The riverlands and the Reach, the kingswood and the rainwood, Dorne and the marches, the Mountains of the Moon and the Vale of Arryn, Tarth and the Stepstones. I say we take it all! I say, we take Westeros.”

    “ I am the storm, my lord. The first storm, and the last.”

    “ Perhaps we can fly. All of us. How will we ever know unless we leap from some tall tower? No man ever truly knows what he can do unless he dares to leap.”

  28. I expect anybody who had played a pirate or the like would not be seriously considered.

  29. Rodrik the Reader:
    Hỡýţì Voñ Tơťíỵ,

    I had the same thought: that Euron needn’t be that old. Book canon, I believe, has him as a half-brother to Balon, correct? That is, he is Balon’s brother by another mother and is thus possibly much younger. The show simplifying the Greyjoy genealogy and making Euron a credibly age-appropriate sibling to Balon makes sense.

    They could make Euron. Balons nephew instead of brother. That would allow him to be younger.

  30. TheTouchOfFrost:
    davy,

    Depends on the actor I guess but I hope they don’t look too young. They need a ruggedly handsome guy with authority but also a dangerous look about him.Some of the people being suggested just look far too soft for a infamous pirate/viking who rips his own crews tongues out and carries out blood riuals on his ship!

    Well tbh, you can be extremely handsome ánd ruthless though. How someone looks does not always reveal who someone is, Euron is certainly someone that looks very handsome but is extremely evil.

    That’s why I would rather go for someone that fit’s that description, like mark ryder :P.

  31. I had never thought of Christopher Eccleston. Now that I have, i’m totally rooting for him!

    Jason Isaacs definitely has the crazy quality in him, and well, i am and always will be a Mads Mikkelsen fangirl so would love that choice also.

  32. TheTouchOfFrost,

    Plus, Purefoy has that disrespectful, upset-the-apple cart, loose cannon vibe that some of the other choices, fine actors all, can’t quite match. At his best, as in ‘Rome,’ you never knew what he’d do next, and he was totally mesmerizing.

    But: it’s ten years past ‘Rome.’ Purefoy would be great, but time marches on, and it really takes some acting chops to sell the swagger and heat that is Euron when one is well into middle-age. That’s why I would prefer someone on the lower end of the age range called for.

    The painting at the top of the post defines who Euron is, and whoever can step off that painting and onto the screen has my vote.

  33. Wednesday Addams: I had never thought of Christopher Eccleston. Now that I have, i’m totally rooting for him!

    Only if Euron is really a disguised character who will be unmasked to be a character played by David Tennant…..

    davy: How someone looks does not always reveal who someone is, Euron is certainly someone that looks very handsome but is extremely evil.

    Also, what an actor looks like has very little bearing on what roles he/she can play. Indeed, after they smother a character in hair extensions, beards, prosthetic scars, etc., the actor himself will be unrecognizable in all probability.

    And I doubt that Euron is “evil”: he’s probably just a jerk. (We actually know next to nothing about him, so it’s tough to say, although it seems he has a penchant for spouting off silly prose worthy of bad heavy metal songs! Maybe Ozzy Osbourne should play the role….)

  34. You know what’s funny? I think the guy who currently plays Daario would make a good Euron. Haha.

  35. Chriss,

    Stealth Euron has its charms. Then we could all say, of course, so obvious, we saw it all along! But the casting call suggests this is not to be…

  36. J,

    I thought and like Blake Ritson, Ed Stoppard as well as Tom Burke (for some reason I always think of them together), but I came to the same conclusion as you that they probably are too young. Stoppard is closest in age, but I agree Ritson may have the most edge to him. Burke is good on The Musketeers though…

    Chriss,
    I always forget about Callis!
    He could be fun in the role!

  37. Wimsey: Only if Euron is really a disguised character who will be unmasked to be a character played by David Tennant…..

    Also, what an actor looks like has very little bearing on what roles he/she can play.Indeed, after they smother a character in hair extensions, beards, prosthetic scars, etc., the actor himself will be unrecognizable in all probability.

    And I doubt that Euron is “evil”: he’s probably just a jerk.(We actually know next to nothing about him, so it’s tough to say, although it seems he has a penchant for spouting off silly prose worthy of bad heavy metal songs!Maybe Ozzy Osbourne should play the role….)

    Since all we know about Euron is that it seems he raped his brother’s salt wife and ripped the tongues out of all of his crew members, I’m thinking he’s tilting a bit past jerk on the evil scale.

  38. Definitely Mads. Yes, I am a fangirl, but this is a case of a good match imo. I think he’d have tremendous fun doing it, I’m only a bit concerned he wouldn’t make Euron QUITE as flamboyant as the books. But if Daario and Cersei are anything to judge by, D&D kinda prefer the desaturated version of the characters anyway. His brother, Lars, would be a mighty fine pick as well.

    I do like West, Sewell and Armitage as actors, but I can’t see any of them as Euron. West would have been a marvelous Mance, but Euron? Hmmm.

    I would like to see Clive Owen take up the role, but I somehow doubt he’d be willing. And Sharlto Copley! That’d be a treat!

    And I see Joseph Fiennes listed but I would actually prefer Ralph for the role.

    I would actually love a slightly younger Stellan Skarsgard take up the role.

  39. gewa76:
    Stone Cold Bastard,

    Ray Stevenson signed on for season 3 of Black Sails. He should fire his agent.

    Shit…..he would have been great for either brother. Black Sails got a little flaky for me this past season….why, why, why??

    Clive Owens would probably do well here too. I think Rickman is a little too old and not as charismatic as the role should be (although I still love you Alan <3)

  40. Eos,

    Sharlto Copley would be a lot of fun, but I wonder if he would be busy filming the second season of Powers? No clue on its production schedule….

    Likewise I wonder if Clive Owen would be busy with Season 2 of The Knick? I think it’s in production now, but I’m not certain.

  41. Eos,

    I love many of the suggestions for Euron, but I’d pass out if they somehow snagged Clive Owen for the role. Mind you, I’ve been in love with him for a long, long time, so I have no objectivity, but in my mind he’d be perfect. He has the physicality, the good-looks, and the undercurrent of danger about him. I’m sure there are more Euron-esque pictures of him out there, but just look at this…

    http://www.gq.com/images/slideshows/mens/standalone/gq/feature/0906/cliveowen/00001f.jpg

  42. Hỡýţì Voñ Tơťíỵ,

    Rather they not, as they’ve already mentioned Balon’s brothers in the show and would lend more to the continuity. Plus it’s a needless change when if that is a direction they wanted to go in they could just change his age.

    davy,

    Euron has travelled the world aso I think an older actor would portray that experience a lot better. Apologies, but can’t say I’m sold on Mark Ryder as Euron at all. Too young looking and doesn’t look at all intimidating.

    Rodrik the Reader,

    I’m sure Purefoy could still pull it off! Solomon Kane, Ironclad and The Hollow Crown weren’t more than a few years ago and although he’s played more serious lately he could still do it if need be. Plus he comes with the fighting skills and historical experience that would lend itself to GoT.

    Benaario Staharis,

    Good call on James Callis. Wouldn’t mind him getting a shot at it in the slightest.

    Arthur,

    oracle86,

    Really underreated film. Purefoy put a lot into it and you can tell he was personally disappointed when it didn’t get a sequel. Think they wanted to make it a franchise to rival it’s Howard stalemate, Conan the Barbarian. Sure it can’t be more than a couple of quid (or whatever your currency is!) on DVD so give it a try!

  43. Delta1212: Since all we know about Euron is that it seems he raped his brother’s salt wife

    I thought that Euron had an affair with Victarion’s wife and that this was the source of Victarion’s anger with his brother.

    And as for ripping out his crews’ tongues, well, again: I’m going with “jerk.”

  44. Cersei’s Brain,

    Dig has not been renewed as far as I know. It had fairly poor ratings so I don’t expect a renewal,

    I know Isaacs had some film projects in various stages of production, but I think he could be available schedule wise… Do we know when GOT will film the Euron scenes?

  45. My favorite choice so far is Michael Fassbender… you know, Euron’s dong seems to be important to the whole plot… Just kidding. But Michael Fassbender seems the best actor to play Euron’s role.

    Richard Armitage is a very good second choice… James Purefoy is ok and maybeee Dominic West.

    I never understood why people want Mads Mikkelsen for this role. Doesn’t made sense to me. I just can’t envision him as Euron Greyjoy.

  46. Delta1212: Since all we know about Euron is that it seems he raped his brother’s salt wife and ripped the tongues out of all of his crew members, I’m thinking he’s tilting a bit past jerk on the evil scale.

    So he raped a woman who was being raped by someone else, you say? No wonder D&D are adding this character next season.

  47. My choices:
    Michael Wincott: his gravely voice, that strong pirate accent. His penchant to both roguishly charming and utterly cruel. He is easily believable as Patrick Malahyde’s brother.
    James Purefoy-just to have him on GoT and he could pull off the character. But Purefoy is known for passionate characters and Euron is more the cold type than a hothead. But I’m sure Purefoy could find common ground.
    Rufus Sewell: this is perfect. He has an aristocratic, kingly aura but can take his demeanour to that of a guttersnipe with his strong lower class accent.
    Thorbjorn Harr: a colder alternative (and a better Scandinavian choice than Mads in my opinion). He stole the show in season 2 of Vikings as the vain. wily, haunted Jarl Borg.

  48. Sewell looks the most like how I imagined Euron in my head.

    But I kind of want them to cast a relative unknown who will hopefully take the opportunity and run with it, creating a huge sensation. Kind of like Pedro Pascal did.

  49. Just when I thought there was no way I could love GoT more, someone mentions a way I could love the show twice as much. I’ve been utterly obsessed with Richard Armitage since he played John Thornton in North & South. Every time a Hobbit trailer would come on, I’d scream “my boyfriend, my boyfriend,” to the befuddlement of my husband and girls. Just now rewatching a Robin Hood sketch, I asked my eldest to guess who was being tossed around for a potential new actor in GoT. She was like, “That Hobbit guy.” Yes! Sir Guy of Gisborne, Thorin Oakenshield, John Thornton, Richard Armitage. A girl can dream. A girl will dream.

  50. weirwoodtreehugger,

    I think Sewell would work in all ways because he has great range, charisma, physicality and his aesthetics are pleasing to the discerning female. I think he would be a sensation, putting much needed fire to the rather unpopular Greyjoy storyline.

  51. gewa76:
    They already have their man. It’s Michiel Huisman, because everyone knows Euron is Daario.

    My favorite tinfoil theory! 😛

  52. As a Fannibal who has followed every bit of Hannibal-related news, I can confirm that Bryan Fuller and Martha de Laurentis have both said the entire Red Dragon story will be wrapped up this season–which means Armitage will be available.

    I would love him, Rufus Sewell, or Tommy Flanagan for the role…but if Nina Gold pulls someone we don’t know out of a hat, like Pedro, I trust her.

  53. I suggested Marton Csokas on another thread and I believe it was Darquemode who told me he was busy with a new show now…but I’ll mention him again anyways. I think he’d be a perfect Euron.

  54. Euron has to be ripped af this is a requirement

    Imagine if it was Viggo Mortensen omg I’d cry

  55. Wimsey: Delt

    I read it as somewhat ambiguous leaning towards rape, with the caveat that Victarion is probably the POV character with the fewest (hi, Stannis) redeeming qualities, and therefore not necessarily 100% reliable in the impressions he gives.

  56. Mads MIkkelson looks kind of creepy in a Euronesque type way

    To a degree Purefoy might also look the part

    As suggested above though Michael Fassbender did such a great job playing the quirky unhuman and mistrustworthy Android in Prometheus that despite the clean-cut image in that I reckon he will be able to pull off the creepy vibe I get from reading book Euron once he’s in costume etc

  57. Greenjones,

    Greenjones, I’m right with you on how good Csokas would be as Euron…. or maybe even Randyll Tarly!

    I know he is filming his new show for AMC called Into the Badlands right now. He may be the main antagonist, but the series is only six episodes so maybe it will wrap in time for him to make the Thrones production?

    Couple links for you about the show.
    http://deadline.com/2015/05/marton-csokas-cast-into-the-badlands-amc-1201420634/
    http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/into-the-badlands-daniel-wu-martial-arts-drama-amc-1201517605/

  58. I think any of the people mentioned could work – although I didn’t particularly like the Euron storyline. A couple of left field suggestions. Quite recently I watched some episodes from the most recent adaptation of The Forsyte Chronicles and Ioan Gruffudd was on that and I thought initially “Is that a young Dominic West?” [not that DW is exactly ancient now] so I think he has the look. I also thought of Nathaniel Parker – he might be a tad too conventionally handsome but the make-up people seem able to make actors look more “rough” if necessary. I also watched some reruns of “Waking the Dead” recently. Tara Fitzgerald was on it and was a lot better looking on that than in GoT as Selyse and I think they [the GoT make-up people] “roughen” up the Brienne and Yara actresses also.

  59. Rufus Sewell would be awesome! I’m not a fan of the Greyjoy brothers but their TV adaptation could always improve on them!

  60. StandOzone:
    I never understood why people want Mads Mikkelsen for this role. Doesn’t made sense to me. I just can’t envision him as Euron Greyjoy.

    Because he once wore an eye patch while playing Rochefort in the crappy steampunk version of The Three Musketeers. Seriously. That’s it. I don’t get it either.

  61. Mads has an intense, dangerous look and a cold demeanor that might lend itself well to the role. However, Euron is also a bit flamboyant and I don’t know how well Mads can do flamboyant, and of course there’s the accent. Not my top pick for the part but if he could get an English-ish accent going and act at least a little manic from time to time he might make for a decent Crow’s Eye.

    But James Purefoy is still the man for the job IMHO.

  62. Sue the Fury,

    You should watch The Salvation if you haven’t, his English accent is flawless in it.

    Although he wouldn’t be my first choice for Euron. Kim Coates could be freakin’ amazing in the part.

  63. davyJones: I’m not a fan of the Greyjoy brothers but their TV adaptation could always improve on them!

    You misspelled “only”….. 😉

  64. I have been a long time fan of Gary Oldman and I suspect now he’s finally settling down into one of those old-school hollywood method actors, without going over the top as he’s done in the past. Would love to see him in the role..

    That being said Michael Wincott would be outstanding also, maybe even better. And Tommy Flanagan always carries the off-hinged vibes this roles needs.

    Second thoughts; Michael Wincott wins hands down.

    Third thoughts: I love you Garry. Don’t listen to the haters

  65. Joshua Atreides,

    I’ve not yet seen Strike Back. I watched the first couple of seasons of MI-5, but I didn’t make it as far as Armitage’s entry to the show. Maybe I should just start with his entry. And I’m sure there are others I’ve missed, as well. I loved his cameo in The Avengers. I didn’t even know he’d be in it and, needless to say, I over-gasped in the theatre when I saw him. I’m sure those around me thought I was hyperventilating. I nearly was.

  66. Valaquen:
    Since Euron has been all over the world for years (decades?) I don’t think the English accent will be too important. They regional dialects and accents are all over the place anyway (more noticeable if you’re British, I think?)

    As I Brit I can confirm the accents do wander, to put it mildly. We have siblings who sound absolutely nothing like each other to the trained ear, but the quality of the show means you forget that really quickly, so anyone speaking English should be fine as long as they are convincing in other ways.

    Ginevra
    We really do think alike! I don’t know Ray Stevenson so whenever people mention him I automatically think of Ray Stevens. I’d be waiting for him to sing Bridget the midget to Tyrion and get a smack 😀

  67. Not sure how realistic it is to expect big stars like Oldman, Fassbender and Mortenson to play a non-major role in the show. I mean if they did I’m sure they’d be great but I can’t see it happening.

  68. TheTouchOfFrost: Not sure how realistic it is to expect big stars like Oldman, Fassbender and Mortenson to play a non-major role in the show.

    Also, I know that Viggo has said that he won’t do fantasy again. Oldman also has had some big fantasy roles (Dracula, Sirius Black), so he might be reluctant to go there again, anyway.

    My bet is that it will be someone we’ve seen in small parts before and probably not even anything that would make us think Pirate King.

  69. David Wenham (Faramir in LotR) would have to be my hope for the role. He’s a brilliant actor, shouldn’t be overly expensive as he hasn’t really been in the spotlight recently, and could pass for a relative of Alfie Allen.

  70. Ginevra,

    Well there’s two incarnations of “Strike Back”. There’s “Chris Ryan’s Strike Back” starring Armitage, Andrew Lincoln and Jodhi May (Maggie the Frog). This is the unofficial “Strike Back Season 1”. It’s a fantastic 6 episode series that did not receive the ratings it deserved.
    So it was saved from cancellation by Cinemax who replaced Armitage as the lead with Sulivan Stapleton and Philip Winchester; in fact Armitage is unceremoniously written out (I guess the Hobbit came calling?) in the season 1 (2?) premiere. All in all, the first series was a well made Spy-action thriller whereas the new Strike Back is basically “24′ on crack. It boasts great action and humor plus boobs and gore. But it’s nowhere as compelling (to me) as the first season was.

  71. Love to see Sewell in GOT. In a lot of his roles (i.e. Zen, Shakespeare Retold) he brings a great combination of charm, sleaziness, and self-deprecation.

    Would be an interesting take on Euron, who does seem to be rather self aware about the whole evil pirate sorcerer thing.

  72. James Purefoy
    James Purefoy
    James Purefoy
    James Purefoy
    JAMES PUREFOY!

    There is no other choice, that man is perfect for The Crow’s Eye.

  73. I just had a random thought, but I kinda like it…Fassbender.

    ETA: read comments after posting and clearly others had the same thought. Woo!

  74. Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or cast Mads Mikkelsen as Euron! Now is the time to shape your stories! The series is in your hands!

  75. Ravyn: Considering Hannibal’s ratings, Mads may not be booked much longer.

    Hannibal’s ratings were always like that, and lo and behold it’s already on Season 3. It’s not produced by NBC, they just air it in the US, so it’s not costing them a lot of money to keep it on air.

  76. Spidey-Dan: *sigh… How many times do I have to say Michael Wincott before people start realizing that this has always been his role?

    Wincott totally has my vote! (It probably won’t happen, though.)

  77. Wincott does bear a resemblance to Malahide. Potential there. He’s good with crazy anyway.

  78. I know it will never happen BUT, Tom Hardy is handsome and definitely can do crazy! He might not even look too young.

    Would also love Michael Fassbender or Richard Armitage as mentioned by others.

    I adore Viggo, but he will always be Aragorn to me.

  79. If you think Euron should be played by anyone whose name isn’t Ian McShane, you’re just wrong.

  80. Ive been watching House of Cards and every time Lars Mikkelsen (playing the Russian President) is on the screen he just screems Greyjoy. Think he would be a great choice.

  81. Cillian Murphy of Peaky Blinders would be perfect if he were a little older, but I would like to put a long shot on Mark Strong

  82. Al Swearengen:
    James Purefoy
    James Purefoy
    James Purefoy
    James Purefoy
    JAMES PUREFOY!

    There is no other choice, that man is perfect for The Crow’s Eye.

    Hear, hear.

  83. JB,

    I’m not familiar with him, but he certainly has an interesting look that could work for Euron! Interesting idea!

  84. Surprised no one’s mentioned Peter Serafinowicz. He has a menacing countenance, a snakelike presence, and above all, a deep baritone voice that just oozes confidence and charisma. Imagine Euron with a sexy, hypnotic voice. Serafinowicz voiced Darth Maul in 1999’s “Phantom Menace,” and last year was cast in the “Good Omens” audio book as a frigging demon. He’s a great dark horse fit for Euron.

  85. Sean Harris

    scary

    mad

    terrifying

    powerful face and acting

    it has to be him. Just put a eyepatch in his face and voila

  86. This will be the second most anticipated piece of news for me behind spotting Kit on set or some other confirmation of Jon in Season 6. The Crow’s Eye is just a total badass and I’ve been holding out for him to make it into the show for a long time, Lady Stoneheart be damned. I just hope they get the right guy (aka James Purefoy) for the part and do better with the Iron Islands in general than they did with Dorne.

  87. hannibal just got canceled. its a total bummer but I’m not gonna lie if he’s euron i’ll be okay with it. i hope this means his schedule just opened up. i just need some Mads in my life.

  88. I would love to see William Fichter playing that part. He might not have the right looks but the people on set can do amazing things on appearance. Fichtner is just a great actor and I can totally see him playing that twisted character just perfectly. He’s got something that would be amazing for the part as Euron. And plus, he is an extremely talented actor.

  89. heh:
    If you think Euron should be played by anyone whose name isn’t Ian McShane,you’re just wrong.

    I believe you may get your wish.

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