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Who Should Play John Galt In Atlas Shrugged?

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Felix

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We still have nobody for Francisco.

Any suggestions?

Antonio Banderas. Did you even have to ask? :D

On a different note, someone mentioned what I'm about to say in another thread, and I still think it's the best suggestion I've heard for any of the characters by a mile. Hank Rearden played by Liam Neeson.

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To change the images in your head, here's another subject:

I think Anthony Hopkins should be Hugh Akston.

Sean Connery for Hugh Akston.

Diane Kruger for Dagny Taggart. (?)

I think one of the best ways for this movie to be made (if it is at all) is to have unknown actors in the major roles and big-names in the backup roles. The thing is, and I noticed this when watching Sahara, you keep comparing it to the book. If the characters are off, I won't like the movie.

Zak

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I like him as Ragnar more than Galt. He's always impressed me as coming off a little "sly." Perhaps this is because I first saw him in "A Perfect Murder." By "sly" I don't mean inappropriately deceitful, as that would certainly be unbecoming of Ragnar as well. Maybe "tricky" is the word I meant. I'm not particularly good with words right now, apparently. :D

Has there been a suggestion yet for Quentin Daniels? We need a young, brilliant, good guy engineer, right? I'm thinking Giovanni Ribisi.

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Viggo has to play Galt, because Ragnar is already taken... By Dolf Lundgren.

But, I now am forced to retract Gwen Stefani because I think I'm only allowed one ridiculous suggestion. I still think she still looks good with the 20's haircut.

And I think I remember Francisco being paler than Banderas... I had the Banderas skin tone in mind the first time I read the book, but I think I remember a reference where he wasn't that dark... It would be hard to find the page.

Edited by FeatherFall
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Viggo has to play Galt, because Ragnar is already taken... By Dolf Lundgren.

But, I now am forced to retract Gwen Stefani because I think I'm only allowed one ridiculous suggestion. I still think she still looks good with the 20's haircut.

And I think I remember Francisco being paler than Banderas... I had the Banderas skin tone in mind the first time I read the book, but I think I remember a reference where he wasn't that dark... It would be hard to find the page.

We really should go thru and read everywhere Rand gives descriptions of her characters. For instance - F.D. has blue eyes. John Galts hair wasn't staight blond either. etc.

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We really should go thru and read everywhere Rand gives descriptions of her characters. For instance - F.D. has blue eyes. John Galts hair wasn't staight blond either. etc.

In fact, if anyone here has that searchable database of her work, maybe they could post her character descriptions on this thread and then we could really get to work on our daydreaming.

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You like that guy, don't you. :confused:

Well I used to...before I got a look at his "paintings". I think he's a pretty good actor and would be good playing a swashbuckler, but not Galt. Thinking about it again, I would not want someone as famous as him-- it'd ruin it. I'd keep thinking "Oh Strider has thoughts?". I'd prefer as others have said, an unkown actor or theatre actor.

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We need a young, brilliant, good guy engineer, right?  I'm thinking Giovanni Ribisi.

NO! I used to really like Ribisi but he only ever plays little squirmy guys who are in one self created agony or a another. Plus he's a scientologist now. Plus I just don't think he looks right for the role. We need someone towering beautiful and masculine.

For Franciso I was actually thinking maybe Orlando Bloom? I saw a picture of him with dark hair and he looks good. bloom_1.jpg

if not Bloom then maybe Spanish actor Leonardo Sbaragliasbaraglia.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Protagonists

Dagny Taggart - Gillian Anderson. She isn't as soft looking as other females are at first glance, and she looks great in a business suit.

Fransico d'Anconia - Jeff Goldblum? A little too old maybe, and not quite the right face. If not him then Antonio Banderas, I suppose. He looks more mature than Orlando Bloom, and looks more 'weathered'.

Hank Rearden - I find myself seconding Liam Neeson. He has a very 'deliberate' face. Or Bruce Willis.

Ragnar- Viggo. He is attractive and his face and eyes do belie joy and innocence, to a degree.

John Galt - I have to agree with Michael Vartan. It's certainly the sort of face I'd imagined.

Ellis Wyatt - I second Ethan Hawke. He has a sort of young, unruly look about him.

Hugh Akston - I second Sean Connery.

Richard Halley - Kenneth Branagh? I'm grasping at straws here. I've honestly forgotten his physical description.

Eddie Willers - Elijah Wood.

Antagonists

James Taggart - Rick Gomez? I can't really think of anyone.

Dr. Ferris - Alan Rickman. He has a sly, sadistic manner about him.

Dr. Robert Stadler - Ian McKellen.

Lillian - Kate Blanchett.

Benicio Del Toro - one of the bullies.

Most of the 'villians' in this novel are a blur to me, these are just the ones I'm picking out of memory.

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Viggo Viggo Viggo. I don't know if he could pull off Galt. Perhaps Ragnar.

As far as looks go, I'd pick him for Galt over Ragnar anyday. Remember that Ragnar and Kay were both depicted as being breathtakingly beautiful. For that reason, I've always imagined Brad Pitt as Ragnar.

As far as Galt goes, I had never thought of Bale before, but I really like that idea. I think he has the look and the attitude.

For Dagny (this one might throw you guys for a loop), I'm gonna suggest Angelina Jolie. She definitely carries herself in the right manner, she's an excellent actress (although she doesn't get that much credit for it these days). Sure, her personal life is a little wacky, but what does that have to do with being in a movie?

Jim Taggart - Kevin Spacey. All the way.

Francisco's a tough one. I don't like Antonio Banderas for the role. He's not really that great of an actor. And besides, I'd really like to see somebody with the hook-nose.

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Been Giving This A lot of Thought:

I would like to Second Diane Kruger for Dagny, that is the perfect choice

kruger-diane-photo-diane-kruger-6234275.jpg

http://ads.skins.be/pics/DianeKrugeroXo008X1024.jpg <- Reference, its perfect, with the Jewelery, Furs, etc

As For Hank Rearden, I would like to put the name, Loren Dean in to the mix. Kinda of a Character Actor Type, but with his rolls in Gattaca and Mumford I think he has the face and the actor moxie for the role

gat5.jpg

I would also like to second Kevin Spacey as Jim Taggart, just the right bad-vibe is this for him.

On the Same Note Cheryl would be perfectly played by Jewel Staite, the women who played the techinian in the film Serenity. Again its just Right Note of Knowing Innocence / Street Rat, but I might be Type-casting her.

serenitypre3.jpg

As for Galt, thats a Tall Order, Being basically the image of human and Masculine Perfection. Even with Bale, Its not quite there. Its nerve-racking even thinking about it.

Other Characters/Actors will be posted when I come up with them

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  • 2 months later...
Brad Pitt played Tyler Durdan in fight club. How "ironic" would it be he play John Galt. I like C. Bale much better, really. Also, I don't think that even a trilogy would be able to do A.S. justice. How about a TV show. They want contraversy, lol, we'll give'em contraversy. :)

An Atlas Shrugged DVD series? Can you say NetFlicks?

But, I can totally see Brad Pitt as Galt, or Ragnar. They need a resonatingly confident and masculine appearance, which Pitt could handle. Bale would pull this of too.

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I have no idea what characters they DO have already so I'll just make my suggestions:

Dagny: Natalie Portman

Jim: That guy from "the edge", the young one...

Francisco: definitely some great theater actor that most people don't know but would be amazed by if they saw the movie

John Galt: Definitely not Brad Pitt.... umm.... wow, he's a hard one. I think if I actually saw a human representation of John Galt to fit the part, my heart would stop, otherwise I'll most likely be disappointed.

Rearden: Another theater actor...

Daneskjold: Heath Ledger!

Eddie: Ethan Hawk

Jim's Wife: Kate Winslet (even though she definitely deserves a better role)

ooooo the Philosopher: Sean Connery!!!!

Ok.... I think I'll just stop there...

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ooooo the Philosopher: Sean Connery!!!!

I'm definitely opposed to Connery. I think Atlas should stay away from any iconic actors, even if they do fit the part (qua part). They will carry over too many assumed characteristics from their other roles or general iconic status, and I think Atlas is too important to be influenced in that way. It needs to come off as something completely fresh.

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Somewhere it's been noted that Ayn Rand wanted the guy who played a German officer on Rat Patrol, I forget his name, to play John Galt. He had dark hair, not blonde, so obviously hair color was not as important to her as an intelligent, focussed looking face.

With that in mind, I'd suggest Sean Maher, who played Simon Tam on Firefly and Serenity, for Galt.

For Francisco, perhaps Matthew McConaughey. I think he fits the aristocratic persona of Francisco well, in appearance and in his mellifluous voice.

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Dagny: Natalie Portman

John Galt: Definitely not Brad Pitt.... umm.... wow, he's a hard one. I think if I actually saw a human representation of John Galt to fit the part, my heart would stop, otherwise I'll most likely be disappointed.

Daneskjold: Heath Ledger!

With the caveat that I'm hardly in a position to critically evaluate an acting performance, I just don't buy Natalie Portman as Dagny. I didn't buy her in Star Wars as the Queen of the whatever-it-was. I don't buy her running a massive railroad. It's very strange, because I know she's got raw intellectual power, and I'd definitely want her over for coffee in a Marina City apartment overlooking the Sears, but I just don't see it.

I like the Heath Ledger suggestion.

I don't know where I stand on whether Galt should be a big name actor or not. However, if Galt is a big name actor, I'm going to repeat my request for Denzel Washington. Though a black man might not fit Rand's physical description of Galt literally, I don't see any reason to categorically exclude nonwhites on the ground that they don't match the exact description. Denzel is young, handsome, physically fit, and just oozes confidence. I'd buy it all the way.

(Added link to Google Images - Snerd)

Edited by softwareNerd
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I actually think that Salma Hayak would play an excellent Dagny. When I watched Ocean's Twelve, she immediately struck me as the businesswoman who can put on a straight face devoid of emotion and make decisions quickly. She also has that look of certainty and knows how to laugh beautifully.

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