If DS were only beginning next Jan, who would you want to assume the roles of the main characters? None of the old-cast actors are available. This could be mental tedium, so here's a template- Capt Sisko- Kira or Bajoran attache'- Miles- Bashir- Odo- Jadzia Dax- Quark- Rom- Nog- Garak- Gul Dukat- Damar- Martok-
Main characters Ben Sisko- Denzel Washington Kira - Michelle Rodriguez Miles- Jack Davenport Bashir- Brendan Fraser Odo- David Jason Jadzia Dax- Sienna Miller Quark- Eddie Griffin Jake- some unknown as I can't think of anyone of a suitable age
OMG I think you just gave me nightmares. OK, let's play this game...seriously. I have a suggestion for Bashir: Karim Saleh, who was great in Antonia Bird's docudrama Hamburg Cell. (In which he, incidentally, shared a scene with an unrecognizable Alexander Siddig. who had a cameo appearance.) Eamonn Walker could play Sisko - he has the presence and the physicality, and he can speechify - and overact. BTW, this was discussed some time ago in this thread, where Temis the Vorta made a bunch of suggestions, some of which I liked, some of which I didn't. One I definitely did like was Mary McDonnell as the Female Founder. Elizabeth Mitchell would be perfect for Kai Winn in 20 years time. edit: Or you could flip flop the roles - McDonnell could also be a great Winn, and put Mitchell in Founder makeup, and problem solved. I can't think of anyone for the other roles, but maybe I'll think of someone later.
Capt Sisko- Eamonn Walker Kira or Bajoran attache'- Kate Bosworth Miles- Judd Nelson Bashir- Sacha Baron Cohen Odo- Timothy Dalton Jadzia Dax- Jennifer Aniston Quark- Adrien Brody Rom- Adam Brody Nog- Shia LaBeouf Garak- Gary Oldman Gul Dukat- Gerard Butler Damar- David Weham Martok- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Capt Sisko-Chris Rock Kira or Bajoran attache'-Sharon Osborn Miles-Hugh Grant Bashir-Adam Lambert Odo-Neil Patrick Harris Jadzia Dax-Megan Fox Quark-Barry Manilow Rom-Conan Obrien Nog-Shia Labouf Garak-Perez Hilton Gul Dukat-Gordan Ramsey Damar-James Spader Martok-Peyton Manning Rob
"Soon the fucking Pah-wraiths will burn across fucking Bajor, the Celestial fucking Temple, the fucking Alpha Quadrant! Can you picture it? An entire fucking universe set in flame!" My only suggestion is Ramsey as the Klingon chef.
Back when DS9 and the characters were first announced, I had two people in mind for Sisko: Scott Bakula (believe it or not), and the guy who played Captain Benjamin Maxwell in "The Wounded." I was hoping someone really hot would play Kai Opaka (who was originally announced as a recurring character).
Capt Sisko- Andre Braugher Bajoran attache'- Michelle Forbes Miles- Ardal O'Hanlon Bashir- Kal Penn Odo- Kelsey Grammer Jadzia Dax-Colbie Smulders Garak- David Hyde Pierce Martok- Edward James Olmos ETA: On second thought, I'd go with Kurtwood Smith as Odo instead of Kelsey Grammer.
Bob Gunton. (Who has, incidentally, always been my pick to play the late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman in anything, if the opportunity ever arises. I used to refer to him as "the actor who looks like Tudjman". )
Capt Sisko- Delroy Lindo (a bit old at 57, but...) Kira or Bajoran attache'- Lena Headey Miles- Colin Ferrell Bashir- Alessandro Juliani Odo- Eric Roberts Jadzia Dax- Gina Holden Quark- Jason Alexander Rom- Clint Howard Garak- John Glover Gul Dukat- Christopher Eccleston Damar- Paul Bettany Martok- Tony Amendola Admiral Ross- Gary Cole Vedek Winn- Jane Fonda
Capt Sisko-Lance Reddick He's a lot more understated than Avery Brooks, but I personally think he has the presence and strength of character to pull off the role very well. Kira or Bajoran attache'- Asia Argento I loved her badass performance in Land of the Dead. I think she could pull off the aggression level and physicality needed for Kira while still having the range to show vulnerability. She's no one note actor. Miles-John C. Reilly He's an actor who has a lot more range than some of the roles he has taken have indicated. He has subtle humor and can pull off the practical everyman vibe equally well. Bashir-Kal Penn Too bad he left acting for a political career. I could easily see him in this role. If not Penn then Cliff Curtis. He can pull off wry smart ass very very well. Odo-John Noble Gruff, serious, and yet capable of portraying compassion and subtle emotion. Jadzia Dax-Ali Larter I've always liked Larter, long before she became popular on Heroes. I think she'd be able to come across as both serious science officer and a more relaxed, adventurous person off duty. Quark- This one I have no idea. I know they had height requirements for Ferengi, and it's hard for me to think of anyone who matches the physical restrictions plus has the acting chops to do so well in heavy prosthetics. Rom- I have the same issue as above for Rom. Nog- And for Nog. Garak- Robert Knepper Perfect combo of sleaze and charm. Gul Dukat- William Fichtner He does cold menace so very well, and yet he can also appear charming and compelling. Damar-Dominic Purcell I think he has the physicality needed for this role and the matter-of-fact demeanor and delivery. He'd be very believable as a soldier turned drunk turned revolutionary. Martok- Another one I can't think of. Klingons are hard to cast and hard acts to follow.
Erik King for Sisko! This must be so. Oh, uh, and Wayne Pygram as a Cardassian. Enabran Tain, perhaps. I'm out of ideas now, but John C. Reilly as O'Brien? They'd better chuck his Irishness if that was hypothetically the case, I don't want to see him (or any American actor, tbh) imitate the rather authentic average Irish guy persona that Meaney is so bleeding excellent at. She was! She appeared in like, two episodes! Supposedly she was sacrificed in "The Battle" because the writers by that point considered her one of the few expendable established characters, but oh well.
I agree, I can't see any non-Irish actors as O'Brien... For some reason, people keep nominating American and English actors for him (even posh, RP-accented, gorgeous English actors like Jack Davenport unless that was a joke because his breakout role was of a bloke called Miles?). Reilly at least has the everyman thing down. Nobody has yet nominated James Nesbitt for O'Brien? Lots of good nominations above, quite a few of my favorite actors were mentioned (Andre Braugher, Christopher Eccleston, Lance Reddick, William Fichtner...). I like most of PSGarak's ideas - I didn't think of Asia Argento, probably because it has been ages since I've seen her in anything, but she may be a really good pick. Only I'd replace Ali Larter with Tricia Helfer. And I have no idea who Kal Penn is. I'm sticking with my initial pick for Bashir, even though he is not very well known - the only issue may be that I have no idea if he is is good in comedy, since I've seen him in just one thing, and it was such a dark role. But he would be really good in dramatic episodes, and it would be especially interesting to see him do darker stuff like Changeling Bashir, possessed Bashir, MU Bashir... I didn't get the idea just because the guy is a young, good-looking actor presumably of Arabic descent (even though not English but French) but because he was so convincing as an educated, charming, somewhat naive and impressionable young man who is at the same time so inscrutable that he can lead a double life and hide a terrible secret from everyone, including people closest to him. I think he'd convince me that Bashir had really been hiding the fact that he was genetically engineered all that time. Heck, he'd probably even make me worried for a moment if Bashir would really join Section 31! But the role I really have the most problem coming up with ideas for is Quark. I don't think Rom is much of a problem, since all the actor has to do is act dumb/helpless and be somewhat likable nevertheless. So just find someone short who can do that. Willie Garson? Charles Martin Smith has to play a Ferengi, I'm just not sure which one. Too young for Tain. But he could play some other Cardie.
Actually, I have to switch one of my ideas. I could completely see John Noble as Enabran Tain. He would be perfect, even better than as Odo. I also left off one nomination. Noah Gray Cabey for Jake. The kid is a phenomenal actor, and I found out recently that he is also a musical prodigy, an accomplished concert pianist. EDIT: I wouldn't want to see anyone doing some awful parody of an Irishman, but I wouldn't automatically write off anybody's ability to play one without even seeing whether they could or not. Reilly could surprise. Not everyone who portrays an Irishman without being one would be Oirish. I have similar complaints for Southern characters who all sound like they're from South Carolina, regardless of where the character is from. People portraying New Orleans natives are the worst offenders of this in my experience. People from New Orleans don't sound southern at all. They sound more like people from Brooklyn.
I'm going with a DS9 2.0 (Season 8) Capt Sisko- Lance Reddick (Fringe) Kira- Christine Woods (Flashforward) Miles- Robert Knepper (Heroes) Bashir- Phillip Rhys (Survivors) Odo- Joel Gretsch (V, 4400) Ezri Dax- Alison Brie (Community, Mad Men) Quark- Michael Emerson (Lost) Garak- John Barrowman (Torchwood) Martok- Ian McShane (Deadwood, Kings)
I love the pick of Knepper...he is a good actor. never seen him before Heroes..he needs to be the new JOKER. He looks like the Joker, I think, more so that Heath did. Rob