Malcolm MacDowell or John Hurt as Mr Carlton-Hayes
Who Is He? Adrians elderly employer and owner of an antiquarian bookshop, Hugh Carlton-Hayes is extremely intelligent and sympathetic towards Adrian, offering him strong support in times of both financial and emotional need. He is eventually revealed to be either gay or bisexual in The Prostrate Years, living with a man named Leslie.
Why Malcolm MacDowell or John Hurt? Malcolm MacDowell is best known for playing the villain but a lot of the time, his characters are evil in an understated and polite way, something which could transfer very well to the grandfatherly character of Mr Carlton-Hayes. Plus, I always imagined Mr Carlton-Hayes having a voice not entirely dissimilar to MacDowells when reading the books. Alternatively, John Hurts portrayal of Mr Ollivander in the Harry Potter series is something I think would set him in good stead for playing the character. Mr Carlton-Hayes doesnt have the same mysterious air to him as Ollivander but its that feeling of the kindly and slightly antiquated elderly man thats the same.
Nigel Lindsay as Bernard Hopkins
Who Is He? An alcoholic bookseller from Hell who is banned from working in every single branch of Waterstones and Borders yet is reluctantly employed by Adrian in times of crisis. He reappears in The Prostrate Years and is given massive character development, eventually becoming one of Adrians closest friends and house-mate.
Why Nigel Lindsay? As the Chris Morris film Four Lions shows, Lindsays an excellent comic performer but as well as that, hes got an extensive theatre background with Olivier Award and British Comedy Award nominations under his belt. Hes got a wealth of experience and talent which is exactly what is needed for such an important character. He may be twenty years too young at the age of forty-three but miracles can be performed with prosthetics. Alternatively, Id have loved to have cast Bernard Cribbins but sadly hes just too old.