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Peter Jackson has announced today that blighty's own Stephen Fry has been cast as the Master of Laketown. Now don't get me wrong, I do like Stephen Fry, but I've never really see him play anything other than silly. The closest I've seen thing to a serious Stephen Fry role was Jeeves and that was only because he was the straight man to Hugh Laurie's buffoon.

What say you to this? Or any of the other Hobbit casting decisions made so far.

I haven't seen too much of him in the past, mainly bits of Fry and Laurie and on QI. But he does quite a bit of theatre, some of that might be more serious...
But he strikes me as the kind of person who can be very serious if he needs to be, and i'm sure will have no problem in this role. The only problem could come, is if people think its funny him being serious

They have piles of his book translated into Swedish at the Ikea in Chiba.

He played a psychologist for about 5 episodes of Bones, he was quite good in that so I'll hope that this'll turn out well.

Goliath wrote:He played a psychologist for about 5 episodes of Bones, he was quite good in that so I'll hope that this'll turn out well.

Seconded. I really liked that character and the way he played with the rest of the cast.

He's a great actor, and I'm sure he'll be able to pull off whatever role they think he's best for.

I'm just glad we're not hearing things like Justin Beiber will be cast as anything...maybe as like a corpse or something.

Flashman wrote:...and that was only because he was the straight man to Hugh Laurie's buffoon.

Oh, the irony.


I thought he did OK in V for Vendetta.

Ulver wrote:

Flashman wrote:...and that was only because he was the straight man to Hugh Laurie's buffoon.

Oh, the irony.

Yes, very good

Ulver wrote:

Flashman wrote:...and that was only because he was the straight man to Hugh Laurie's buffoon.

Oh, the irony.


I thought he did OK in V for Vendetta.

I was going to mention that, he can play decent serious characters, it's just that he works better in a role with a little bit of jollity to it.

IIRC the master of laketown wasn't as serious a character as the rest of the hobbit story, but it has been a long time since I read the book

The Master of Laketown was a backstabbing politician. No 'jollity' there.....

Still at least he and Ian McKellen get to hang out together. They seem good chums and always gave each other a peck on the cheek when Fry was presented the Baftas.

Oh wait... Gandalf isn't around for the Laketown scenes.

To non UK who don't know who we're discussing, Stephen Fry is a (fairly) widely appreciated comedian, television presenter, and actor (I'd say in that order) who appears to spend all his waking moments on Twitter. He had a very good comedy partnership with Hugh Laurie (who now plays House) and they appeared together in an excellent adaptation of Jeeves and Wooster as the title characters. He is prone to depression and once disappeared for a few months when he was supposed to playing a role in a theatrical production. He also about the only British actor not to appear in the Harry Potter films despite doing a great job of reading them for the audio publication. You may have seen him in bit roles in films like IQ, V for Vendetta and Gosford Park and he will be playing Mycroft Holmes in the next Robert Downey Jnr/Jude Law Sherlock film.

Flashman wrote:Still at least he and Ian McKellen get to hang out together. They seem good chums and always gave each other a peck on the cheek when Fry was presented the Baftas.

Oh wait... Gandalf isn't around for the Laketown scenes.

To non UK who don't know who we're discussing, Stephen Fry is a (fairly) widely appreciated comedian, television presenter, and actor (I'd say in that order) who appears to spend all his waking moments on Twitter. He had a very good comedy partnership with Hugh Laurie (who now plays House) and they appeared together in an excellent adaptation of Jeeves and Wooster as the title characters. He is prone to depression and once disappeared for a few months when he was supposed to playing a role in a theatrical production. He also about the only British actor not to appear in the Harry Potter films despite doing a great job of reading them for the audio publication. You may have seen him in bit roles in films like IQ, V for Vendetta and Gosford Park and he will be playing Mycroft Holmes in the next Robert Downey Jnr/Jude Law Sherlock film.

He's got Bipolar hasn't he?

He's not bi-polar, he's bi winning. Everyone knows that.

@flashman. You forgot to mention his role with Norwich City Football Club!

To be honest, given how good Game of Thrones is, It's hard to muster any enthusiasm for the Hobbit, especially when it's split into two parts. Shameless profiteering ********!
Apologies for the spelling.

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:@flashman. You forgot to mention his role with Norwich City Football Club!

To be honest, given how good Game of Thrones is, It's hard to muster any enthusiasm for the Hobbit, especially when it's split into two parts. Shameless profiteering ********!
Apologies for the spelling.

And thats his greatest achievement!! (Not that he actually does anything, not sure why he's a director)

And your second comment, not quite sure i understand that.... What has Game of Thrones got to do with The Hobbit?
Also, if its taken you this long to realise that Hollywood is all about profits...... But the Hobbit will still be good, LOTR was. With two films, they have no excuse to leave anything from the book out, in fact i think they are probably adding things. It will be fine.

I was making the point that Game of Thrones is a superior, gritty,dark,brooding,thoughtful,intriguing etc etc whilst the Hobbit is pretty twee stuff IMO

Game of Thrones and The hobbit are completely different, you might as well say your not exited about The Hobbit because of how good House is or something. If its that kind of stuff you want to see in a TV show/Film, then your obviously not going to like The Hobbit that much. And anyway, have you seen the Hobbit? I'm fairly sure they only just started filming, so you have no idea how it will end up..... Writing it off now seems pretty silly. But if the only things you like, is what Game of Thrones provide, just watch that.

Agree with Rodgers.

Also, speaking as an American, anyone who consumes English-language television or films, and doesn't know and love Stephen Fry, is Not Paying Attention to the Good Stuff.

Stephen Fry played the lead in the film Oscar (Wilde)
and jolly good in a non silly way he was too.

Also seen him presenting TV documentaries very well.
A versatile chap.

Started TV in a sketch show with Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, and iirc Robbie Coltrane. All have had success with serious acting roles.

Wrong thread

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:@flashman. You forgot to mention his role with Norwich City Football Club!

To be honest, given how good Game of Thrones is, It's hard to muster any enthusiasm for the Hobbit, especially when it's split into two parts. Shameless profiteering ********!
Apologies for the spelling.

LOL, just a little randomly pointless ignorant nerd rage going on there.

Having been pleasantly surprised to see Fry pop up as Dr. Gordon Gordon Wyatt on Bones, and with how thoroughly enjoyable the character was, I'm sure he's going to have a heck of a good time at Lake Town too.

Was that the psychologist who became a Chef? if so, than i can see him in more serious roles.

i do find it hard to believe that "House" ever did humor though.

Big Mek Dattrukk wrote:Was that the psychologist who became a Chef? if so, than i can see him in more serious roles.

i do find it hard to believe that "House" ever did humor though.

Hugh Laurie before being on house was more known for his comedy roles, were he almost always played a complete idiot.

That's one of the things that made watching 'House' so much fun in the beginning. I kept expecting, sooner or later, that suddenly the funny was going to come busting loose.

Im still waiting for the non-WASP Hobbits.

I enjoyed Mr Fry's various roles in the Black Adder series.

AvatarForm wrote:Im still waiting for the non-WASP Hobbits.

Well you may have to do without as Bilbo has to have his sting

Ketara wrote:The Master of Laketown was a backstabbing politician. No 'jollity' there.....

Ever watch 'Absolute Power'? He'll be perfect.

Steven Fry is also writing the script for Peter Jackson's Dambuster movie iirc.

I grew up knowing Fry and Laurie from Black Adder. Damn funny dudes.