Les miserables the movie Valjean - Hugh Jackman Javert - Paul Bettany Fantine - Kate Winslet or Marion Cotillard or Britney Spears Cosette - Kiera Knightly Eponine - Melanie Laurent or Lea Michele Marius - Zac Efron Enjolras - Darren Criss Mme Thenardier - Rosie O'Donnell or Catherine Zeta-Jones or Madonna Thenardier - Graham Norton or Jeff Bridges or Hugh Laurie
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop
I see Keira Knightley more as Fantine than Cosette because she needs to break free from beautiful clean-cut characters. But despite Marion Cotillard's age I could see her as Fantine as well.
Britney Spears as much as I love her I don't think her talent can handle the beast of a musical that is "Les Miserables"
So here are my choices... Hugh Jackman as Valejean Paul Bettany as Javert Marion Cotillard as Fantine Helena Bohnam Carter as Madame Thenardier Jeff Bridges as Thenardier Josh Groban as Enjolras Bradley James as Marius Astrid Berges-Frisbey as Eponine Emmy Rossum as Cosette
I'm just throwing this out there but maybe Emmy's voice has matured since the Phantom movie. Updated On: 7/2/11 at 07:59 PM
"@VonTussleGirl I for one loved her voice when she sang 'On My Own'"
Okay, and? The character of Eponine is more than just "On My Own." Just because someone sings it well doesn't mean that they are necessarily right for the role. (FYI, I am not saying Lea Michele should or shouldn't play Eponine, just making a general statement.)
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
Tom Hooper just directed Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter in THE KING'S SPEECH. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see the two of them cast opposite each other as the Thenardiers, though Rush's commitment to the Melbourne Theatre Company production of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST in the fall probably renders him unavailable.
Marion Cotillard would be a stunning Fantine.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
But Lupone was too old. In fact, Fantine is usually cast with an actress who is too old for the part as she is in the novel and as she would have been given her circumstances in mid-19th century Europe.
Cotillard, however, looks young and could be great. Winslet, also a great star, is now much better at mature roles than younger, less seasoned women. Compare her work in The Reader and Midlred Pierce, both of which she was IMHO ideal, to her work in Revolutionary Road, for which, again IMHO, she was came off too womanly, too worldly-wise for the character.
"They both still look young to me and they have the same worldly-wise quality that I think is NEEDED for the character of Fantine. This is a woman who lost her innocence, whose dreams were crushed. She descends to the lowest depths looking much older than her real age and tragically dies after going through much sadness, poverty and disease. I don't see them casting a young actress to convey all these aspects of the character."
I completely disagree. I feel very strongly that Fantine must be mid to late 20s, and I don't think Winslet or Cotillard can pass for that. I'd MUCH rather see a younger actress convey the desperation of Fantine.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
@Muhlethaler I agree with you on this one. It dosen't matter how old the actress playing Fantine is. As long as she plays the role pitch-perfect it'll be fine. The same thing can be said with Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer when they played Romeo and Juliet when he was 43 and she was 34 and those two characters were clearly teenagers.
Even if Emmy Rossum's voice has improved, IMO she has not shown that she can do much with characters who already are at high risk of being bland and personality-less.
And yeah, Fantine can be older onstage, but film isn't as forgiving. And if you can't find a younger actress who can portray her desperation and despair, then they aren't very good actresses. I'm a stickler for as much accuracy to the novel as possible though.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
I've actually spoken with someone who says Emmy Rossum could be good as Cosette. Even if the role is basically nothing maybe even worse than nothing. But she makes Marius feel good.
Valjean - Hugh Jackman Javert - Paul Bettany Fantine - Marion Cotillard Cosette - Anne Hathaway Eponine - Carey Mulligan (no clue if she can sing, but acting wise and physically she would be the ideal choice. ) Marius - Darren Criss Enjolras -Ramin Karimloo Mme Thenardier - Helena Bonham Carter Thenardier - John C. Reily
edit: Aida Man - I think its hilarious how your cast ideas keep changing completely after others make their suggestions or turn down your initial casting choices.
Also, if we are of the opinion that Winslet and Cotillard aren't too old for the role, why not then cast their great contemporary, who would have been an ideal Fantine years ago:
"The gods who nurse this universe think little of mortals' cares. They sit in crowds on exclusive clouds and laugh at our love affairs. I might have had a real romance if they'd given me a chance. I loved him, but he didn't love me. I wanted him, but he didn't want me. Then the gods had a spree and indulged in another whim. Now he loves me, but I don't love him." - Cole Porter