Faces from Page to Screen and Back Again

We all do it, don't we? We read a book, and through the author's guidance and our own imaginations, we see the characters. Our minds paint us a clear image of what each main player in the plot looks like. For me, though, rarely does the picture in my mind match any actor or actress. At least, not at the beginning.

Take, for example, the Twilight series:

Leaving aside any judgment of whether the book was 'better' than the movie or vice versa, and despite the fact that Robert Pattinson can indeed be handsome and charming, he's not Edward to me. That is to say, he's not the image my mind holds of Edward. In my mind, Edward is not so much taller than Bella, a bit more fair-haired than RPattz, with not such a square jaw. Despite five films and endless photos, RPattz will never be my Edward. Should I go back and reread the books, his face will not fill my mind.

For Hunger Games, I have a bit of a different reaction. 

Jennifer Lawrence came close enough to my image of Katniss - whether it was the costuming or the hair or the makeup, her face was in easy agreement with my mental picture. As Peeta (once he went blond), Josh Hutcherson is spooky accurate to my impression of Bread Boy. Spooky. It's like the casting director was reading my mind. So when I go back and re-read Suzanne Collins's novels, I will easily envision Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. Not Liam Hemsworth, though. The Gale of my imagination is slimmer, more cat-like, ever so slightly darker skinned. Liam Hemsworth, is not my Gale. He'll have to fill my mind for other reasons : )

And then, there is...

Alan Rickman's portrayal of Professor Snape from the Harry Potter books. Truly I cannot recall the face my imagination first painted for Snape. So thoroughly and magically has he embodied the character that in reading J.K. Rowlings work, I see Rickman as Snape so clearly he eclipses any other lingering impressions I might be harboring. And I think that's kind of awesome.

With these thoughts in mind, I'm looking ahead with curiosity...to

Lily Collins as Clary (City of Bones)

and Shailene Woodly as Tris (Divergent)

Will they match the image in my mind? Will they be so far removed I'll hold on to my initial vision? Or will they fill the role so completely I can picture no one else?

How about you? Has the casting of recent books-to-movies matched or conflicted with how you saw the character? Or have you been Snaped by any of them?







~ Jen