2. Iwan Rheon- Ramsay Bolton (Probably)
OK, before you jump to tell me the obvious, yes, it's not quite been confirmed that Iwan Rheon is in fact playing the part of Ramsay Bolton. It's only been heavily rumoured. However, these rumours are probably heavy enough as to be crushing, and given the amount of time Rheon has spent around Alfie Allen of late (there are pictures online), he's either got the part of Ramsay, or is just really, really interested in getting a signed CD off his sister. So though he's only on the casting list as 'Boy' at the moment, I'm taking it as read that he's probably going to end up as the Bastard of the Dreadfort. But if he was confirmed, this would've been at number one on the list. The casting of Rheon is nothing but a boon for Game of Thrones. He's not necessarily the biggest name in the cast, nor probably the biggest name on this list, but he's a rising young talent that has shown himself to be capable of great things, not facing one of the biggest challenges of his career. He's certainly able to don the mask (sometimes literally) of characters on the fringe of society who are capable of jumping off at the deep end of the behavioural spectrum, but thus far his characters have mostly been ultimately good people. Think Simon in
Misfits, deeply weird, but with a good heart. Ramsay Bolton is nothing like that, thus posting a unique challenge for Rheon. Ramsay is a lot like everyone's favourite shit-kicking heel Joffrey, but with the leash really let off. Remember that scene in King's Landing when Joffrey would've had Sansa beaten to death, if not for Tyrion's intervention? Well, imagine the lack of a civilising influence, and the disapproving looks replaced by words of encouragement. Already outrageously wicked and psychotic in his own right, Ramsay was born into one of the most sinister families in Westeros, the Boltons (well, technically he murdered his way into it, but that's another story entirely). Their crest is a flayed man, and they still hold a soft spot for the practice in spite of it's banning centuries ago. So basically, imagine horrific cruelty personified. This makes for a character is undoubtedly hard to play, both in terms of dramatic conveyance and audience expectation. With the exception of Joffrey, I'd argue that no major character in the Ice & Fire universe is out-and-out evil. That's why the King stands out as such a hateful bastard; everybody else has motives for what they do. Jamie isn't evil, he's amoral. Similarly, Cersei and Tywin are out for themselves, and will do whatever it takes for the sake of self-preservation and the preservation of their loved ones. But Ramsay most definitely is evil- he commits acts so savage that they surely won't appear on screen, such are their heinous nature. This creates an interesting problem for Rheon. He has to act in an utterly depraved manner, but make sure it doesn't become one-note. It must be compelling, without skimping out on the obvious ill-will that should come Ramsay's way. Such evil must be multi-layered- think the Joker in Batman. Personally, I don't know if he's up to the task. But I'll certainly be watching him try.