Discussion: Who can play Snape?
Hey everyone I always wanted to ask a big group of Snovers who would be the perfect actors to play younger or older Snape. Plz comment and add a picture of who would be your perfect choice. Here's mine.
First Younger Snape: Louis Garrel
Next Older Snape: Adrian Brody
I don’t know of any actor per se who would fit the image I have in my head. I would prefer some unknown rising actor instead of someone well known. But based on the book description of a large hooked nose, dark features, and yellowish skin tone, I think of someone foreign. He’s also described as looking a lot like his mother who had a heavy brow and was written as plain-faced. No one really comes to mind when I focus on that but a couple actors start to form when I think of all Severus has done, his accomplishments, his values and his way of life.
Oded Fehr when he was younger and played Ardeth Bay in The Mummy. His loyalty and integrity over the years as he protected the world from Imhotep as a Medjai spy. He and Severus Snape have many parallels.
Then there is Viggo Mortensen and the role he played as Aragorn in Lord of the Rings. Once again, similar features but more importantly the unwavering loyalty he has shown to Arwen and the beauty of his love and devotion reminds me of Severus. There’s also his “spy-like” role as Strider the air dark air of mystery when he is thought of as the bad guy brings Severus to mind as well.
I've thought about Adrien Brody too, @debofnight, but he's now 50, and we'll be facing the same problem of Snape being significantly older than he is supposed to, thus losing part of his tragedy (and other characters').
Anyway, I propose this guy (Tamino):
Who is, sadly, not an actor but a singer, which I guess kinda defeats the purpose of suggesting him in the first place... I don't know where I first saw him as a fancast for Snape, but I fell in love with the idea.
While I love Adrien Brody (seriously one of my top five actors of all time), he's 50 years old. Of course, I think he could absolutely pull it off in some AU/postwar survival scenario, but I don't imagine that will ever happen on screen. :/
Viggo Mortensen is an unusual choice. Putting aside the fact that he's well into his 60s, I just don't see anything "Severus" about him. The only role I can think of where he even comes close is from The Prophecy (1995) when he played Lucifer, but for me, it's not close enough to make him a serious contender.
Having said that, if this is purely fantasy and current age isn't a factor, I'd have to go with Trent Reznor circa 1990s. I mean, seriously…
The makeup department wouldn't even have to do anything except maybe tweak his nose a bit. 😂
My current preference is now Robin Lord Taylor - he played the Penguin in Gotham, and He looks like he could totally pull it off. Still some dark lenses in his eyes, and give him the iconic Snape hair, and I think he can do Severus justice. He has really good range, too, and plays manic/angry very well.
I also did have another actor in mind, but I forgot.
Ah, Adrian Brody is an interesting choice! I remember some people fan casting him as Tobias Snape.
@sanctuaryangel, I like the idea of Robin Lord Taylor as well.
Adam Driver is also a possibility
Or Shazad Latif, a not so perfect fit due to the skin color but why not?
I believe Adrian Brody was the first choice to play movie Snape. He wasn't available, JKR suggested Rickman and we know how it went. 😸
Damn. No shade on Alan Rickman, but I wish we could've had Adrien Brody. He would've been so amazing in that role, and during the time the movies were filmed, he was the perfect age
Side note: Tim Roth was first choice to play Snape, not Adrien Brody. He would've been 39 when the first movie started filming, while Adrien was 27-28. Rickman was 54 in Sorcerer's Stone and 64 at the end of Deathly Hallows.
They probably didn't even consider Brody as he's American, and they were only casting British actors. I would've loved to see him in that role, though. Alan Rickman added a lot to Snape's character and is certainly behind many fans' love for him. But he wasn't book Snape
Quote from Heatherlly on August 2, 2023, 4:42 pmDamn. No shade on Alan Rickman, but I wish we could've had Adrien Brody. He would've been so amazing in that role, and during the time the movies were filmed, he was the perfect age
Side note: Tim Roth was first choice to play Snape, not Adrien Brody. He would've been 39 when the first movie started filming, while Adrien was 27-28. Rickman was 54 in Sorcerer's Stone and 64 at the end of Deathly Hallows.
Damn, I got confused between Adrien Brody and Tom Hardy.
