Círdan

Haakon

Administrator
Staff member
Let's discuss Círdan here. I think he is a fascinating character. He will definitely be discussed by the execs, but why not give them some input and not leave everything up to them?
What kind of traits are we looking for in an actor here? He should be tall. He grows a beard and should look wise - but that seems to happen gradually, right? He doesn't have a beard from the beginning. And his wisdom should come from experience. So, an actor cast as Círdan must be able to be both young and old, both wise and curious. And he is a craftsman, so he needs to be physically strong. What else?
 
Who?

Círdan is a tough one. He is on the edge of many stories, but it's difficult to get a good read on him. I see him as somewhat...protective. He looks out for people, tries to keep them out of the fighting. His home is a haven, of course, and he also is Gandalf's predecessor with the Ring for enkindling hearts. Soooo...? Young, old, always there, never doing much....kinda a weirdly bland character. We can do better, but there's very little to go on with him.
 
Or maybe Joseph Mawle. He's got a more 'ordinary decent guy' look than Damian Lewis.
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Derek Jacobi's probably too old to be playing a young Cirdan, but I think he would rule for Cirdan in the 3rd age.

I mean, he looks dang good for 77 years old, I'd still cast him. :p
 
Derek Jacobi's probably too old to be playing a young Cirdan, but I think he would rule for Cirdan in the 3rd age.

I mean, he looks dang good for 77 years old, I'd still cast him. :p
A fine actor. He's not very tall though, is he?
 
I always picture Cirdan as older and wiser than most elves. The picture that just popped into my head was Liam Neeson. Not the Taken version but more like the Star Wars and Narnia (voice of Aslan) version.
 
The problem I have with that is that he's going to be young in the First Age. I'd rather go for an actor who can be both old and young in a believable way, and I would rather choose a younger actor who still have the gravitas to portray an older man than an older actor who needs makeup to play a young man.
 
Well, then I don't think the older actors discussed here will be able to pull it off, evene if they are great actors and in good shape for their age.
 
Our best bet is likely to use makeup(etc) to make a middle-aged actor look 'young' in the first half of Season 2, and then remove that youth-effect for the next time we see Cirdan, and then age him with makeup for the 3rd age. The beard will help there. So, cast a guy in his late 40's, maybe?
 
I'd rather try to find someone with an appearance that can be adjusted to look appropriately younger and older, than looking for people in a specific age span. But I agree, fortyish would probably be right.
 
I'm thinking anywhere from early 40s to late 50s would be fine.

Or hell, just cast Patrick Stewart, that dude is an ageless beefcake.
 
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