Board 8 > Solfadore ranks 43 Game of Thrones actors

(+) Yeah! (+)

First of all, let me warn you that there will be SHOW SPOILERS in this topic, up to and including Episode 10, but NO BOOK SPOILERS. Please keep that in mind while you post, react and speculate.


Since I'm done watching the excellent second season of Game of Thrones, I figured I might as well go ahead and rank what I consider to be the best and 'worst' actors (although there are no bad actors per se, which is quite impressive!). A few things to highlight first before I get into the actual ranking:

1. Actors have been separated into two categories, so as to avoid mixing apples and oranges: "Lead actors" and "Supporting actors." It's very hard to gauge the talent of a one-scene wonder like Syrio with a consistently good actor like Sean Bean - which is why I feel such a distinction is important. Please note, however, that by 'Lead Actor', I do not mean the most important actors, but the ones that, in their scenes, tend to take a leading role. Supporting actors, on the other hand, will be those that tend to be there to provide a foil to the actual focus of the scenes. I fully expect some of my choices to be controversial, but hey, feel free to discuss and criticize. Admittedly, some characters were very hard to categorize.

2. I will only be ranking Season 2 actors. This means no Sean Bean, no Jason Momoa, etc. etc. It's been a while since I've watched Season 1, and I'd rather go with what we've seen all season.

3. Obviously, I will only be ranking actors that actually have material to work with. As fun as Hodor is, there really isn't much to evaluate Kristian Nairn on - good or bad - and I feel it would be unfair to gauge his performance. More importantly, I will admit I have skipped some scenes obecause they didn't interest me (I've read the books and didn't like their S2 plotlines); as such, I will not rank some actors who would have otherwise qualified one way or another. Chief among those are Ygritte, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Talisa, Qhorin Halfhand and Dagmer Cleftjaw. If they don't appear on this ranking, it's not because I hate them, but because I don't have enough to judge them with.

4. I will try to rank three actors per day. Since I've got 28 supporting actors and 15 lead actors, I will rank 2 of the former and one of the latter each day. I expect that should even things out nicely.

Finally, feel free to speculate while I post the rankings! Some of my rankings will be expected; some might be surprising to some.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

---EDDARD STARK TIER OF POLITICAL SAVVINESS (Lead Actors)---
Let me start off by saying that there are no bad actors on this show (I used to think someone was, but they upped their game and have moved out of that qualification). I don’t even think any of the 'lead actors’ could qualify as ordinary. Let’s just say the actors in this tier are not ‘impressive’, yet are still quite good. This is HBO, after all.

Since these are not actually bad actors, don't expect long rants and huge write-ups for quite a while. Write-ups will get more meaty once we reach the top 10 or so of each category.

15. Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)

This would have surprised me one year ago, in light of Clarke’s solid performance during the first season. Some of it is to be attributed to the material, of course – her character progression grows a bit stale during the second season, but I think she could have done more with the character.

The main problem with her, I feel, might come exactly from what made her Season 1 performance so strong: the transformation from submissive bride to dragon queen. She had a lot of range to play with last season, and as such tempered her acting a bit. Now, she’s hamming and cheesing through scenes, or instead letting supporting characters do the work for her. It’s not entirely out of character, mind you – but while it was awesome during S1 EP10, it’s growing a bit stale here. She should tone things down a bit while working on the little nuances and the screen presence; this season was all about her suffering setbacks and realizing she won’t win her crown that easily – which is where a more low-key performance would sometimes be appropriate. That said, though, she’s still quite good. Just not on the level of the other actors.

Best scene: The scene with Drogo in the tent, in last night's episode. Honourable mention to the first ‘Dracarys’ scene where she’s training her dragons. Basically, any time she’s not hamming it up, she’s doing fine.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

This list is off to a good start!

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SubDeity wants to vote for Calvin Coolidge. [Evil Republican]
Play Der Langrisser.

no ugly pics!

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Menji
"I'm on a f***ing bicycle ding ding ding."

Other two writeups will follow a bit later in the day, in order to let some of you speculate/comment on who you feel should go first and last. Just to give you guys something, here's how it'll go:

Lead Actors

??? Tier (Top Tier)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

??? Tier (Amazing Tier)
6.
7.
8.

??? Tier (Great Tier)
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Eddard Stark Tier of Political Savviness
14.
15. Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)



Supporting Actors

??? Tier (Top Tier)
1.
2.
3.

??? Tier (Amazing Tier)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

??? Tier (Great Tier)
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

??? Tier (Good Tier)
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.

??? Tier (Okay Tier)
22.
23.
24.
25.

??? Tier (Meh Tier)
26.
27.
28.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

Am I the only one that never cared for Drogo? I wasn't very excited to see him again, and I think I big part of that was that I never really "bought" that whole relationship.

Also giving Syrio and Eddard as examples and then not including them in the list makes me sad :(

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No I'm not a damn furry. Looney Tunes are different. - Guiga
I wanted Sonic/Shadow romance at that time, not sex. - MWE

When I say 'Best scene', I don't mean "Scene I liked the most in which said actor was featured", but the scene in which I felt they gave their best performance of the season. That's a big nuance there.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

It's too bad you're not ranking Ygritte's actress, I thought she was great. Especially considering I didn't like her in the books.

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Not today

Tagging dis, good so far

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##Alec

I AM in complete AGREEMENT with this LIST.

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Hey, its that SuperNiceDog! Congrats to the Guru 2011 winner

Alfie Allen for top tier

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Maisie Williams #1

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Little town...

---BRAN STARK TIER OF COMBAT PROWESS (Supporting Actors)---
Okay, well, here we’ll start with ‘ordinary actors’ (which is pretty amazing given the size of the cast). Unlike lead actors, though, supporting actors might not all get great material to work with – sometimes their role is really to just feed lines so that the lead can really show off. I’ll thus try to take into account the actual material that they’re working with. My bias will still get the best of me, particularly as we approach the top... and in one instance near the bottom-middle. You have been warned.

28. Esme Bianco (Ros)

Now I liked Ros’ character back during Season 1, when the writers didn’t start to shoehorn her in every other scene. I’ll say the same of her actress, albeit for different reasons. Bianco was at her best in Season 1, in the North, when she could act a bit smug around the likes of Theon and whatnot. She’s good at being smug and lively.

She is not, however, a great actress when it comes to being subtle, low-key and a bit afraid. Thing is: her Season 2 ‘character arc’, if we can call it that, called precisely for the kind of low-key performance she has trouble offering. I’m thinking about her scene with Littlefinger in Episode 2, and the scene last episode with Varys. She’s not bad per se, and never detracts from the scene... but it’s like she’s not there. There’s a difference between being in a supporting role to cast the lead in a better light or to make them more compelling, and just not being there. Whenever she’s being bullied by Littlefinger and has to act afraid, I just get the feeling that she’s on one of these HBO casting people who are just there to spew lines in order for the casting directors to evaluate Gillen/Gleeson/Hill’s work. That’s... not a good thing.

Although I’m probably a bit harsh on her because I really don’t like her character in Season 2. Oh well. There’s your bias.

Best scene: Probably the beginning of her scene with Varys last episode, before she realized to whom she was talking. As I said, Bianco’s pretty good at nailing the lively, mischievous whore who’s just a bit too reckless with clients for her own good. Sad that she reverted back to usual Ros when she felt the gash.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

27. Kerr Logan (Matthos Seaworth)

Now there’s a one-note performance if there ever was one! I know that Matthos is not the best role to land if you want to shine, as he’s something of a bumbling fanatic, but he’s still got some material to work with. Interactions with Melisandre – or with his father in Blackwater. There’s something to be done with the lines he’s got, but Logan never really departs from his ‘fanatic’ composition. He delivers “There is only one God and He watches over us” the exact same way as “Our ships outnumber theirs ten to one”.

I’m sure there’s some nuance and subtlety he could have drawn upon to try to deepen Matthos’ character a bit. Instead, he’s pretty much just the same from his first scene with Salladhor to his last with his father on the ship sailing for King’s Landing.

Though he does talk fast, I’ll give him that.

Best scene: Not really a scene per se, but the way he recoils a bit when Salladhor threatens him was funny and well done. I also liked the “I have trust in my God, my king............ and my captain” line in Blackwater, but I fear that was mostly the line itself. All in all, Logan’s doing a good job with his physical play – it’s only when he actually talks that he pales a bit in comparison to all the others.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

I'm curious based on the inclusion of Matthos, who pretty much didn't do anything: what's the relevance cutoff for being included/excluded from the list?

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No I'm not a damn furry. Looney Tunes are different. - Guiga
I wanted Sonic/Shadow romance at that time, not sex. - MWE

Basically, whether or not the actor had enough lines and material this season for me to get a bearing on their work. In some exceptional cases, I might mention actors that pretty much didn't get anything, but still did a very good job with what little they had and deserve a kudo. Some examples of actors that won't appear here, for want of material, would be Princess Myrcella, Rodrick Cassel or Grenn/Dolorous Edd. They were there, but they didn't really do anything, save for like Rodrick whose job was to foam at Theon for one scene (which he did wonderfully, but it's hard to compare him to others).

--> Everyone on this list has been featured in at least two scenes.
--> Aside from Matthos, the 'oddballs', I'd say, would be #16, 18, 21 and 24. The rest have been featured at length.

I'll probably try to do some more for today.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

14. Kit Harington (Jon Snow)

Let’s give credit where credit is due: Jon is not the easiest character to play. Some roles get the best lines without the actor having to do much work with them (Jaime is probably the best example, although in Coster-Waldau's case, the actor can definitely embellish the result - but more on that later). Some roles are really, really hard to nail because the character is thoroughly unsympathetic (looking at you, Sansa - at least to me). Some roles flounder in the middle because the character’s a bit bland, meaning the actor really has to bring his A-game to make them memorable. That would be Jon.

Kit – while he did play well – did not bring his A-game, and the result, yes, seems a bit lacklustre. It’s like he’s bored, tired and unhappy at the same time, all the damn time. It kinda reminds me of LOST Season 4/5 Jack, before Matthew Fox woke up and drastically improved his game for the last season. Harington’s performance could similarly do with a bit more energy – though he’s meant to be the lead character, other actors quite often manage to ‘steal’ scenes away from him, and not necessarily through amazing ability of their own.

In the end, though, he still manages to pass Clarke because his job is harder than Dany. He’s kind of the classic/angsty fantasy hero – and his lines are not particularly engaging to begin with, whereas Dany is a very fascinating character, especially coming off from the amazing Season 1 finale. I’ll be much less forgiving of Kit come next season, because that's where his best material comes in.

Best scene: I quite liked the scene with Jeor Mormont at the beginning of Episode 3, in which he figures out that Mormont knew all along that Craster was a ****. His performance there was low-key, but effective. You could really sense the disgust/disappointment he felt towards the Lord Commander.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

I did think Kit Harrington improved this season, but he still lags behind most of the cast so I have hope for a better future.

I have some comments to give on other people you mentioned, but I'll wait til they come up.

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##Alec

1. Emilia Clarke's season 1 performance makes up for Season 2. You can tell in the last episode when she gets to go back to Mother of Dragons Mode that her material wasn't up to snuff. When she's in that role she shines.

2. How do you NOT believe in the Drogo/Khaleesi relationship? It's the most believable one on the show. Their passion for each other was friggin tangible after awhile. They were perfect for each other and they both knew it.

3. I personally think Kit Harrington has been fantastic for 2 seasons and we never discuss him because his situation is always placed on the backburner. The looks on his face during tense moments are staggering. When he first meets Tyrion, his realization that he's spoiled compared to most, his recent scenes beyond the wall when he sees the Night's Watch isn't as pure and whOlesome and how the good guys don't always do good things... His character learns more during these 2 seasons than anyone. Kit plays the wide eyed learner so effortlessly that he's become under valued.

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Realo won gold at the Sex Olympics with a BROKEN FRIGGIN NECK.-Voltch

26. Sibel Kekilli (Shae)

I will say this right now. Next season, Kekilli won’t be so low. If I were to rank her based on ‘Blackwater’ and ‘Valar Morghulis’ alone, she’d probably be hovering around 17-18. Girl has improved drastically over time, and I suspect a lot of her shortcomings from her lack of proficiency in English. I’d like to see her act in German.

That said, her recent outings cannot overshadow the very, very lacklustre performance she brought to the table for the previous 18 episodes (more like 10 episodes, but yeah). That performance would’ve earned her the very last place had I done these rankings two weeks ago. She had the unnerving tendency to break a fourth wall of sorts, in that I often saw an actress playing a character, rather than the character itself. She seemed unnatural, uncomfortable and thoroughly unconvinced by the very lines she was given, as if she didn’t really belong in the world.

Thankfully, she did improve a lot over the course of the second season and I’m fairly confident we’ll see her in better shape next season.

Best scene: without a doubt, the scene with Tyrion in the final episode. Not only because it was a surprising departure from the source material (though a potentially welcome one – we’ll have to wait and see where they go with it), but because she also brought something new and refreshing to the show. For the first time, I feel like we saw the genuine Shae, instead of Sibel Kekilli playing a character. It was oddly fitting, seeing as Tyrion himself discovers her for the first time as well.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

Tag. Pretty agreeable rankings so far, I'd say.

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It's iubaris, not Lubaris.

TheConductorSix posted...

2. How do you NOT believe in the Drogo/Khaleesi relationship? It's the most believable one on the show. Their passion for each other was friggin tangible after awhile. They were perfect for each other and they both knew it.

I guess I just can't really imagine a thirteen year old girl sold to a warlord would ever come to genuinely love him in a non-Stockholm sense. Like, I see this culture that rapes and slaves everything they come across, and I'm supposed to believe that their leader is this genuinely good husband? That doesn't seem very likely, so it seems a bit contrived. I'm also really not a fan of barbarian-like characters in general, so I was probably biased against the Dothraki from the get go.

Pretty much agreeing with the placements so far, by the way.

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No I'm not a damn furry. Looney Tunes are different. - Guiga
I wanted Sonic/Shadow romance at that time, not sex. - MWE

Solfadore posted...

I’d like to see her act in German.

I'm fairly certain that she's a german porn star, in which case I can't imagine there was much acting to be done. <_<

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If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person? [HERO'S PLUNGE]
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From: Solfadore | #017

Best scene: I quite liked the scene with Jeor Mormont at the beginning of Episode 3, in which he figures out that Mormont knew all along that Craster was a ****. His performance there was low-key, but effective. You could really sense the disgust/disappointment he felt towards the Lord Commander.

agree with this being the best Jon scene. also



BOOK SPOILERZ PEOPLE DONT CLICK AT ALL UNLESS YOU HAVE READ ALL THE BOOKS

I think Jon gets much, much more interesting later especially in ADWD where I loved his relationship with Stannis and how well they play off of each other at the wall. in my opinion if the show lasts that long, Kit will definitely have a chance to shine when we get there (especially because Dillane has been doing an awesome Stannis so far)

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tag

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/ssbsb/

---ARYA STARK TIER OF POINTY END-STICKING (Supporting Actors)---
We’re now moving away from the ‘ordinary actors’ to the disappointments. It might seem like scarcely an improvement, but the distinction is important. What follows are actors who definitely did it right, played their part well through and through... but still left me wanting for more. Perhaps I expected more of them. Some of them are well-known actors/actresses, some had fascinating and complex characters who had a lot of potential that did not realize completely. In any case, this tier is utterly personal and plays with my expectations prior to watching the season/series, so I don’t expect you to agree with a lot of who is there. Things should and will get better once we reach the next tier.

25. Natalia Tena (Osha)

First potentially controversial ranking incoming. Obviously, there’s quite a big difference in talent between this tier and the previous one, seeing as we start things off with Tena. As I said, though, this is playing with my expectations and how I see the characters being portrayed, so obviously things might get a bit personal. But I digress.

Now, I know what Tena was aiming for here. Osha’s a wildling, so she went for some sort of a wild performance. Every time she’s on screen, she always looks like she could ‘break loose’ at any moment – the glint of madness in her eye, the posture, it’s all there. And I’ll grant her this: it’s done well. Thing is: that’s not Osha. That’s not the wildlings either.

We’ve seen that with Ygritte, the Lord o’ Bones and the rest of ‘em, and I’ll wager we’ll see more of it next season: wildlings aren’t blood-crazed barbarians or savages – they’re just human beings who happen to live on the northern side of the wall. Now I know you could say that it’s probably just the writers who wrote her this way and changed her character, but I would beg to differ. The writers changed Shae’s character, for instance, so I didn’t fault Kekilli for acting a bit nicer than in the books. That’s just the script.

Here, Osha is supposed to be this down to earth, very practical, no-nonsense, “I don’t care if you’re a high lord or a peasant, so don’t act all high and mighty” kind of woman. The script’s going in the same direction (just look at her spiel to Theon in the first season). Tena’s just not conveying that, though somewhat ‘dumbing’ the character down instead.

I don’t consider myself a stickler for fidelity to the source material. This is TV – if the writers, or the actress, or whoever decide that the characters would work better that way on television, I won't mind. IF it’s done right. You might have noticed Littlefinger hasn’t appeared yet, despite my rant against him in the other topic. Don’t expect to see him on this tier either. They (either Gillen or the writers) changed his character – not necessarily for the better, but the result’s still fine. Not so for Osha, who loses a whole lot of depth for... nothing much, really.

Best scene: Nothing particularly strikes me, I must admit. I guess her seducing Theon (as well as pretending to switch sides) back in Episode 6 or 7 worked well for me, so let’s go with that. She has been fairly consistent as far as talent/presence goes - it's just her choice of portrayal that bothers me.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

---MARGAERY TYRELL TIER OF POLITICAL SEDUCTION (Lead Actors)---
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Ranking Clarke and Harington was fairly easy, as I hold these two to pale a bit in comparison to the other thirteen actors in there. Now, it gets hard, as everybody on here is good, great even. Why are these actors in this tier and not the next? They’re just basically less mind-blowing than the other guys. This will be less about pointing out the bad, rather than saying why that gal’s great is better than this guy’s good.

Without further ado, let’s start things off with...

13. Richard Madden (Robb Stark)

I like Madden’s accent. It’s a bit unusual (to me), but it just fits Robb really well, with the kind of gritty roughness he embodies. Madden’s portrayal of Robb is also quite decent. He has the difficult task of playing the part of a ‘green boy’, young and inexperienced, while somehow making us forget that he’s in his late twenties. For the most part, he succeeds.

I find Madden at his best when he has to convey a sense of regality tainted by just a shade of uncertainty, idealism or whatnot. I don’t know exactly how he does it (probably the tone and rhythm of his delivery, rather than his non-verbal acting), but he’s good at reminding us that, yes, this is pretty much still a young man with big shoes to fill. It’s not exactly an easy thing to do, and he does it well.

Things aren’t perfect, though, and while I can’t point any direct flaw in his acting, something doesn’t click with “Young Robb in love.” I don’t buy that relationship, and while most of it is on the writers, there’s still something to be said with the way Madden acted. It might come from that very first scene with Talisa as she’s cutting that Red Shirt’s leg. At first, he doesn’t know her. In the end, you can plainly see that he’s starting to fall for her. In the middle, though, there’s nothing really – no progression, no middle ground, nothing. Perhaps a vague hint would’ve been appropriate - a look, a nervous laugh, a glint in his eyes. Add these kinds of hints and transitions to each of their scenes together, and you’ve got yourself a more believable relationship (the rest of it is on the writers).

While that’s not much, that’s enough to put him behind other actors.

Best scene: When he learns what Theon has done. A beautiful, moving scene, which takes a lot of its strength from Madden's tangible grief, disgust and shame.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

I support this topic.

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Well played, SuperNiceDog. Well played.

Yep, fairly agreeable ranking so far. I tend to appreciate Harrington's acting more than most, so I'm not surprised to see him a few spots lower on your list than mine, but rest assured, it isn't by terribly much. Excellent points on Sibil Kekilli.

I feel like with Ms. Tena, Osha was very much a part of a much rougher little gang of Wildlings than the garden variety, and that the writers may have done this to intentionally misdirect audience perception for a little while. I recognize that this could be wishful thinking, but I'm rolling with it for the time being.

I agree with regard to Richard Madden; there's something rather off-putting about his performance with regard to Talisa. I also feel like his 'icy outbursts', such as when he shouts, "why?" regarding Theon's betrayal, don't really do justice to the script. Madden likes to play with the cold-eyed gig, but it doesn't really fit his acting style very well as-is, and instead he comes across as looking a bit of a buffoon. I'd honestly drop him down a notch or two, although I still enjoy him overall.

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"Later..." <Toonami> <4/1/2012> <Never Forget> ~SCP~
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Alright, let's make this interesting. I bid you to try and guess which actors are on each of the respective top tiers, and in what order they appear. Something like:

Leading Actor
1. Sean Bean/Ned Stark
2. Mark Addy/Robert Baratheon
etc.

Supporting Actor
1. Miltos Yerolemou/Sylvio Forel
2. Natalia Tena/Osha
etc.

I will give one point for every actor on my list that is on yours, too. Three bonus points to whoever guesses #1 correctly (aka put them in the correct position), two bonus points for #2, one bonus point for #3. You have until I upload Lead Actor/Actress #9's writeup to input your list. You are free to change your picks any number of times, provided the final edit is provided before I upload Lead Actor/Actress #9's writeup.

The winner will get a piano arrangement of the song of their choice, provided it's not too hard to arrange (if it is, I'll ask you for something else) as I'm not an extraordinarily skilled pianist. If there are ties, the one who submitted their final list the earliest will get the win.

Please don't PM me your list, but put it on the topic itself. I don't want to manage and delete PMs. Spoilers: the hardest thing will probably be to figure out who I have as a Lead Actor and who I have as a Supporting Actor. There's at least one tough call in each of the respective top tiers. Have fun!

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

(Also, if for some reason one of my Top Tier Supporting Actors makes it on your Top Tier Lead Actors list, you'll still get a point.)

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

GRRM has said that he likes TV Osha more than his own.

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( dany looks 18 or so on television so please stop telling me things from the book. I plan on reading it soon so spoilers like that, while small, lessen the experience. I want to find out where the book and show differ myself.)


It seems your lack of understanding into human passions is what keeps you from understanding why Dany and Drogo worked so perfectly. His violence and passionate barbarism didn't demean his love, quite the contrary in fact. It was jagged at first because they were both unfamiliar with each other but also because Dany didn't carry herself with any respect so she didn't get any. But that moment in episode 4 when she stopped being dominated during sex and instead treated herself as an equal is the day he saw her as one. He was the one man strong enough to carry her lofty dreams and not crumble and she was someone he could see as an equal. They're also both crazy as F*** and barbaric at times and they have great sex. Can't ask for more than that.

Of all the shows sex scenes, be it Jaime/Cersei, Robb/Talia(sp), Tyrion/insert whore here, Theon/insert whore here, Dany and Drogo's was the only one that held any passion; everyone else felt soulless in comparison.

As for Osha, I agree 100%. If her character was meant to be a red herring, whose purpose was to deceive the audience into falling into Westeros' perception of the wildlings then things would be different. As it stands she comes off as a foil to Theon's pretensions and facade. He, the iron born prisoner pretending to be regal, and her, the simple willing with more wit and sense than everyone else. The problem is she plays the role with this hunched posture and piercing glare that always gives off the sense that she is deranged. I kept waiting for her to turn on Bran and by not doing it she only further disproved wildlings reputations and her earlier demeanor.

Perhaps the wildlings really are savage and Ygritte is just the minority. Who knows!

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Realo won gold at the Sex Olympics with a BROKEN FRIGGIN NECK.-Voltch

( dany looks 18 or so on television so please stop telling me things from the book. I plan on reading it soon so spoilers like that, while small, lessen the experience. I want to find out where the book and show differ myself.)

If a characters age being different in the books is really that huge of a plot point for you, I'd highly recommend not reading anything about GoT ever again until you read the books. People seem to slip actual spoilers into all sorts of things about it without even realizing.


It seems your lack of understanding into human passions is what keeps you from understanding why Dany and Drogo worked so perfectly.

...Wow. 'Oh I see why you don't agree with me, you've never had sex'

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**R.O.B.A.Z.O.I.D**

...Wow. 'Oh I see why you don't agree with me, you've never had sex'

You must not have been here during the height of the alpha/beta fad on this board.

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24. Dominic Carter (Janos Slynt)

Aaaaaand... here we go with our second oddball. Look at him walking in the glorious footsteps of Matthos Seaworth. Just look at him.

So yeah, it might be a bit unfair to Carter to include him in these rankings, given that he only had one ‘real’ scene to act, but hey, it’s a great scene and there’s ton of material in there, so he’s in. Now, Slynt’s a bit of an odd case, as there’s nothing really wrong with how he went about with the character. He’s a turncloak, plain and simple, and his various scenes throughout the two seasons convey that well.

Here’s the problem, though: he’s thoroughly average. Completely forgettable. The guy went about and betrayed Ned Stark to an incestuous brat just so he could get a promotion. You’re supposed to despise him! Did you hate him? I sure didn’t – at least not in the series! He’s just there. And the guy did murder a baby and torture a poor blacksmith. Do I lack empathy or something?

I like to believe I don’t, and since I usually agree with myself, I’m going to pin this partly on the writing, partly on Carter’s acting, which is really run-of-the-mill. You can see he’s tense, a bit arrogant, a bit defensive (good), but there’s really nothing more than that. In the books (a dreadful way to start a sentence, I know, but sometimes it must be done), the guy’s a completely unlovable bastard. He’s incredibly arrogant, a bit stupid and is just so proud with himself that he doesn’t see Tyrion’s trap springing around him until it’s way too late. A really vivid character – I hate him, but enjoy seeing him there. This is something that Carter is just not doing, and he did have the material to convey at least some of it.

Off to the Wall he goes.

Best scene: Duh.

--
When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

You guys are so sad. You are so insecure over something meaningless that you don't see the actual point.

He said he can't understand how a man so violent and barbaric can be a good husband. This is an idea that has been rammed down people's throats, that men like these can't be good fathers and husbands. I loved Drogo and Game of Thrones in general because it doesn't pander to this BS ideology.

If you disagree with their relationship based on lack of chemistry or because it wasn't sold well that is one thing. But to say it is unrealistic because of who he is and who she is is where I disagree.

So please, before you let your insecurities lower you into some pointless argument and ruin this great topic, learn to read and comprehend first.

--
Realo won gold at the Sex Olympics with a BROKEN FRIGGIN NECK.-Voltch

23. Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell)

A bit too low? Perhaps. But not for me. See, there’s a character that’s really unlike the book version, but the change just works. I really like the (somewhat major) changes they made to her character. Kudos to the writers on this one.

No kudos, however, to Natalie, who overplays it just a tad. Now when I saw they went with Anne Boleyn for the casting, I expected great things... which sadly didn’t pan out quite as well as I had hoped. In the books, Margaery seems to be a bit of a naive and charming lady, much like Sansa, but more likeable and smarter. After a while, you realize that she’s actually much more conniving than she lets on, but it’s still veeeeeery subtle. Here, the writers decided to make her more openly manipulative (at least to the viewers). This is TV after all – and it works.

Natalie, however, just went all out and decided to be as subtle as an evil chancellor mumbling about his evil plans to take over the kingdom for all to see. Seriously, you can replace half her lines with “I AM PROVIDING FALSE COURTESIES IN ORDER TO GAIN YOUR APPROVAL AND BECOME A QUEEN” (preferably in the hammiest tone). “Well yeah, Solf, but Sophie Turner does the same when she praises Joffrey to the skies, and nobody’s holding that against her!” Sure. But Sansa’s meant to be thoroughly unsubtle. LF tells her that everyone in King’s Landing is a better liar than her. Margaery, on the other hand, is meant to be a (somewhat) subtle charmer.

She’s not bringing that to the table, sadly. Just rewatch her very first scene, with Renly at the tournament. Look at the way she says “I’m very sorry for your loss, Lady Stark.” That’s just clearly a lie. She plainly doesn’t care. Catelyn should know that she doesn’t care. Everyone on the tourney grounds should know that she doesn’t care. Oh well. And she does it again with Joffrey in the final episode. Hell, I have an easier time believing Joffrey’s courtesies than hers, and that’s saying something! I think it would’ve been much more effective had she really seemed genuine during her first scene with Catelyn, and then later turned out to be much more manipulative during that scene alone with Renly.

Why's she higher than the other guys, though? Well, she does have some weaknesses, but when she nails a scene, she does so very convincingly. There's a reason why non-book viewers remember her character in what seems to be a pretty good way, and that's because she's doing something right.

So yeah, she’s still a great actress. Just not a good, consistent Margaery. Hopefully, she stops hamming it up next season.

Best scene: I will surprise exactly no one by humbly invoking her scene with Renly in which she suggests that Loras come in and help. In private (i.e. that and her scene with Loras and LF after Renly’s death), she’s actually much more believable.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

12. Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark)

The Starks are dropping like flies as far as lead actors go! Will the slaughter continue, or will they get a reprieve? Guess you’ll have to wait a bit to find out!

Seriously though, that kid can seriously act with his eyes. That’s pretty impressive. During these early scenes with Luwin when he’s talking about his dreams and Luwin tells him that they’re just dreams, you can seriously see everything he feels and thinks without him needing to say anything, or even move! That’s pretty rare, and seeing as the emotions he has to convey are not exactly one-dimensional, that’s all the more impressive. One thing he has going for him is that he really seems smart and precocious (Bran – can’t say for Bran), which is good, because I consider Bran to be probably the smartest Stark out there, save maybe for Arya.

Why’s he so low, then, especially since he’s so young? Mainly because the others above him are even better. While Hempstead-Wright’s really great with acting with his eyes, that’s about all he does (through no fault of his own – the script really limits him to pretty bland lines and no physical movement). Now, I feel bad for pinning script constraints on him, but since I’ve never seen him convey extremely complex emotional turmoil through a very subtle performance or incredible screen presence, I’d rather not assume he can do that and put him over other characters that *have* been shown to do that.

I’ll say though that he’s a fairly average actor as far as dialogue and screen presence is involved (which, considering his age, is ridiculously impressive, since most child actors tend to be passable at best), from the material we’ve seen so far. Not bad per se, but not shining either.

Best scene: The very first scene from Episode 6, when Theon bursts into his room. He plays such a good foil to Theon’s pathetic arrogance, managing to remain calm in an extremely dire situation, and making it look believable. Well done.

--
When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

THE LIST SO FAR

Lead Actors

??? Tier (Top Tier)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

??? Tier (Amazing Tier)
6.
7.
8.

Margaery Tyrell Tier of Political Seduction
9. [You have until I upload this guy/gal's description to post your predictions for the five lead actors and three supporting actors that will make it to their respective top tiers, IF you want a piano arrangement of the song of your choice. Well, provided enough people post their list, at least.]
10.
11.
12. Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark)
13. Richard Madden (Robb Stark)

Eddard Stark Tier of Political Savviness
14. Kit Harington (Jon Snow)
15. Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)



Supporting Actors

??? Tier (Top Tier)
1.
2.
3.

??? Tier (Amazing Tier)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

??? Tier (Great Tier)
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

??? Tier (Good Tier)
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.

Arya Stark Tier of Pointy-End Sticking
22.
23. Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell)
24. Dominic Carter (Janos Slynt)
25. Natalia Tena (Osha)

Bran Stark Tier of Combat Prowess
26. Sibel Kekilli (Shae)
27. Kerr Logan (Matthos Seaworth)
28. Esme Bianco (Ros)

--
When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

*Bran - can't say for Isaac.

--
When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore

Hey realo, when you do your read, you should make a topic. You don't really have to update much for the first two books, but I'm interested in what you think of how characters compare.

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##Alec

Also, I'm hoping for a Jaime Lannister Tier of Kingslaying (or Trolling, really). And a Theon Greyjoy Tier of Being **** On. Because nobody gets **** on by every character to cross his path like Theon Greyjoy.

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##Alec

Theon_Greyjoy posted...

GRRM has said that he likes TV Osha more than his own.

Yeah, Martin promises to give Osha a lot more interesting material after being inspired by Natalie's performance. I think the tv series gives us too much Osha though, at the cost of Bran.

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When you've got a pretty-boy monkey on your back constantly calling you a puppet, you hardly want to seem like you're happy to be used. - DSakaCharanJ

Oh, come on, this is just wrong... Daenerys, Osha and Shae already?

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Dr Football > Dr Soccer

I completely disagree with this list already but the writeups are interesting.

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Black Turtle did a pretty good job.

I really don't care about character placement, I just enjoy the write-ups and discussion.

--
"It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy...let's go exploring!" - Calvin
http://img.imgcake.com/calvinfinalpngpy.png

"I want to be the queen."

>_>

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"Later..." <Toonami> <4/1/2012> <Never Forget> ~SCP~
http://img.imgcake.com/Jeffzeropngus.png

Khal Drogo is ****ing awesome and probably the nicest character on the show despite being a rapist/murderer/warlord

--
_foolmo_
'Ulti is like when your parents post something on your facebook status' - Sir Cobain

Well, I've been mulling things over and have switched my rankings around for the lower tiers. I realized I had #22 so low because I thoroughly hate the character (and not in a 'love-to-hate' kind of way), which made me hate the way said character was portrayed. Thinking it through, though, I can't really fault the actor/actress for the way the character is, and they did manage to portray them quite well. So they go up a tier, and up a few ranks as well. Which means we move to...

---JON SNOW TIER OF KNOWING NOTHING, YET STILL BEING COMPETENT WITH A SWORD (Supporting Actors)---
Well, we’ve moved out of the bad/mediocre/disappointing tiers and are now ready to tackle the good. Basically, as with the others, this is mostly other actors simply being better, rather than them making major mistakes. However, I will still be taking pot-shots at perceived flaws from the height of my 0 year acting experience. I feel like a critic already.

I’d say these are, at their worst, a bit better than the average S2 Clarke and Harington, and at their best, about as good as Madden and Hempstead-Wright. Should be a fun ride. Well, not at first. We do have to take care of the middle-of-the-road characters first. Let’s say it’ll start getting fun around #17-18.


22. Robert Pugh (Craster)

Yup, Craster’s in there. Sue me. He’s not even the worst oddball yet – just you wait for magic #19. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

So, Craster. Why’s he there? Mainly for a kudo. I will say that I absolutely did not imagine Craster looking and acting like this – for some reason, I thought he was going to be some sort of Walder Frey with more muscle. I must’ve been sleep-deprived when imagining that, because this version of Craster works rather well, and much better than an incestuous Frey.

So, Craster. There’s one thing I liked with Pugh’s performance: he looks like he’s drunk, all the time (drunk as in “abusive drunk husband”). Maybe it’s the relaxed posture when he sits down, maybe it’s the way he enunciates (not well, but Pugh probably meant it that way and it fits Craster), but all of it really forms a stark contrast with the uptight and slightly boring men of the Night’s Watch. I assume that was the point, and if it was, it was well done. Plus, the ‘drunkard’ attitude definitely reinforces the lecherous side of him, which is if we recall quite an important facet of his character. Or maybe that’s just me being slightly turned off by his conception of a happy family.

So yeah, Pugh’s good; the way he handled the character works well, but I can’t really rank him any higher. He’s there for about two scenes, and while he’s magnificent in the first, he really still seems drunk in the second one, when he barges in carrying Jon Snow. Guy just killed a baby. He really shouldn’t be oozing drunkenness.

Also, I love to nitpick at little things because I have nothing better to do. In my defence, I have a solid experience in acting: I watch a lot of TV. Or used to, at least.

Let’s move on.

Best scene: You might have noticed that I had misgivings over Pugh’s second scene. The most brilliant minds among you will have deduced that I naturally preferred Craster’s only other scene – that being the one in his hut with Mormont, Jon, Gilly and the rest of the Night’s Watch.

I also now realize that I forgot Gilly in my rankings. Heh. Let's say I have her around this level, perhaps around Carter/Slynt because she did act a bit dumber than she really needed to.

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When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore