I forgot to mention that sometimes Kovacs actually talks exactly like Paul. They definitely share this no people pleasers vibe and it's really remarkable.
In the previous post I gently suggested the reader may imagine Kristin Ortega looking like Salma Hayek, but if one is about to read the whole trilogy, I'd recommend to save Salma for Virginia from the last part - Woken Furies. And Emilia Clarke - for Sarah.
And when it comes to the bleakness… actually, all the parts of Richard Morgan's trilogy are extremely dark-themed, but at the same time - Altered Carbon offers a satisfying, despite bitter-sweet, ending, while the last chapters of Broken Angels will successfully prevent you from romanticizing the Envoys all together, and Woken Furies - even the Kovacs himself, as two versions of him appear in the novel (there's "our" Kovacs and "junior" Kovacs, whom you'll not necessarily want to like...)
Do you have a favorite (ie, most attractive) version of Cinderella's Prince? I'm personally partial to Richard Madden in the 2015 movie
As far as looks alone are concerned, Richard Madden is possibly my favorite too, although the three Rodgers & Hammerstein Princes – Jon Cypher, Stuart Damon, and Paolo Montalban – all come very close.
But in terms of portrayal, it's much harder to choose. Richard Madden, Paolo Montalban, Richard Chamberlain, Dougray Scott, Matthew Broderick, Stuart Damon, Jon Cypher, Michael Wilding, Aleksey Konsovsky, the various tenors who have played Don Ramiro in the opera La Cenerentola... they're all excellent in different ways!
I do have several more characters in the works, and I wanted to just keep a running list of the portrayals I'm considering using just in case anyone wants to change anyone's current face-claim that these are ones for characters in the works/reserved :D
Tomorrow, Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White” will be coming out…aaand I don’t think I’ve looked forward to a movie LESS in my entire life. -_- Seriously, I was iffy about the idea, to say the least, right from the word go, but the more I hear and see of the film - completely disregarding behind the scenes foolery, JUST focusing on the movie itself - the more I feel my interest and confidence dwindle. And there wasn’t much of that to begin with.
The most disappointing aspect to me is Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Again, putting aside all the behind the scenes stuff, and how one may or may not feel about Gadot as a PERSON (I know opinions there can be VERY strong), as an ACTRESS I was actually looking forward to that piece of casting. But the more I see and hear of her Queen, the less sure I am that she’s going to be worthwhile. Of course, the film hasn’t come out yet, and it’s unfair to judge completely, and it’s also worth stating that direction and writing are just as likely to blame as anything else…but regardless, any support I had for her there has faded away for the most part.
Thankfully, there’s more than an abundance of takes on the character to choose from beyond Gadot’s portrayal. “Snow White” is one of the most popular fairy-tales out there, and the Evil Queen is one of the most well-known and frequently adapted villains in the history of literature as a result. A while back I did a list of my Top 15 Favorite Portrayals of the Queen that have come around over the years. I thought it would be fun, with the newest film’s upcoming release, to look back on these other portrayals again, since it’s been a couple years and not everyone likely saw the older rankings. Maybe when the film comes out, Gadot will manage to make her mark among these malevolent monarchs…but I’m not holding my breath. In any case, with that in mind…here are My Top 15 Favorite Portrayals of the Evil Queen! Let’s see how many you all know. ;)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (Left to Right, Top to Bottom)
Judy Parfitt, from The Charmings.
This was a very weird attempt to turn the Snow White story into a 80s sitcom. Parfitt plays "Queen Lillian," who acts as the typical unpleasant mother-in-law figure that Snow White and her prince have to deal with. She also falls in love with Gomez Addams at one point. Bizarre.
Julia Roberts, from Mirror Mirror.
While I generally like this more comedic retelling of the Snow White story, I feel there's something somewhat lacking in Roberts' portrayal of Queen Clementianna, as the character is called here. I think it's an issue with the writing. Generally, though, I think there's still stuff to admire both about this character and this film.
Monica Belucci, from The Brothers Grimm.
This dark fantasy/horror film is kinda like a medieval Ghostbusters…sort of. XD Throughout it, the titular characters encounter creatures that will become figures in their famous fairy-tales in the future. Belucci plays the main villain of the story, “the Mirror Queen,” who is sort of a conflation of the Evil Queen and Rapunzel…leaning more heavily towards the former than the latter, obviously.
Patricia Medina, from Snow White and the Three Stooges.
This film has a major issue with tone, as the slapstick goofiness of the Three Stooges is sort of hamfistedly slammed against what is a more or less "serious" handling of the fairy-tale. It feels like the movie can't make up its mind what it wants to be. With that said, I like Medina's Queen, and elements of her portrayal have actually influenced me in some works of my own.
Eleanor Audley, from The Railroad Hour (1953).
Before she played Maleficent, but after she played Lady Tremaine, Audley voiced the Evil Queen in a radio version of Disney's Snow White. She does a fine job, as you'd expect. Interestingly, this was the second time this radio program attempted to adapt the Disney film; an earlier production featured Jeanette Nolan in the role. She's alright, but Audley is lightyears more interesting.
Tamsin Grieg, from Revolting Rhymes.
This two-part animated miniseries adaptation of the Roald Dahl book by the same name features a comical depiction of the Queen, who - before being crowned - goes by the name "Miss Maclahose." Unfortunately, this version disappears from the story pretty quickly and never actually receives any real comeuppance for her villainy.
CHOICES 15 - 11
15. Prince Raj, from Snow White With the Red Hair.
While this genderbent take on the Queen ranks at the bottom, do not misconstrue this to mean I dislike him, as he's quite possibly my favorite character in this anime. Raj is a vain and spoiled prince who starts off as a (somewhat comical) villain before eventually finding redemption and becoming a friend to Shirayuki, the Snow White character. In the Japanese original, he's voiced by Jun Fukuyama; in the English dub, he's played by Todd Haberkorn.
14. Queen Hedrian, from Denshi Sentai Denjiman AND Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan.
This take on the Evil Queen was the main villain of the former series in the Super Sentai franchise, and later became the secondary antagonist of the latter. She desires to destroy all things of beauty in the universe, so she can be the only beautiful thing left. The actress who played her, Machiko Soga, would later play the witch Bandora in “Zyuranger,” a.k.a. Rita Repulsa in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.
13. Charlize Theron, from Snow White and the Huntsman.
This version is known by the name “Queen Ravenna.” While I’m not a huge fan of this movie (and haven’t even bothered to watch its sequel), I genuinely think Theron was a well-portrayed and excellently-cast take on the Evil Queen. She’s both one of the most empathetic and yet thoroughly despicable takes on the character on the whole countdown, which is saying a lot.
12. Majorina, from Smile! Pretty Cure (a.k.a. Brooha, from Glitter Force).
This fairy-tale themed “Magical Girl” series features the Queen as one of the main villains of the show. In the original Japanese version, she is called Majorina (literally meaning “witch queen”), while in the English dub - entitled Glitter Force - she’s called “Brooha” (a pun on the Spanish word for “witch”). In the former she is played by Tominaga Miina; in the latter, the vocal chops are handled by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn.
11. Vanessa Redgrave, from Faerie Tale Theatre.
One of the most over-the-top takes on the Queen out there, in the best possible way. Redgrave is delightfully hammy, but still has her moments of menace, and faces one of my favorite defeats of any version of the character out there. Also, her Magic Mirror is played by Vincent Price: instant kudos there.
CHOICES 10 - 6
10. Diana Rigg, from Snow White (1987).
This rather cheesy, low-budget children’s musical movie is ultimately saved almost single-handedly by Diana Rigg’s turn as the villain. To be honest, this is one of the most perfect casting choices for the role the world has ever seen. Like Redgrave, she’s very hammy and often strays towards the comical, but she has her threatening moments and a pretty awesome (if somewhat confusing) final bow from the picture.
9. Hitomi Yoshida, from Grimms Notes: The Animation.
I finally figured out who voices this version of the Queen! This take on the character appears in the anime adaptation of the now-defunct game “Grimms Notes.” This is quite possibly the single most tragic and sympathetic version of the character on the entire list, which is saying a lot. The only reason she isn’t higher is because I wish we had even more of her; she only shows up in one episode.
8. Dianne Wiest, from The 10th Kingdom.
Here named “Christine White,” this version of the character is actually the new Evil Queen, following in the footsteps of the original from the classic fairy-tale. She’s still out to defeat a young lady, still uses the old poison apple gimmick, and generally clearly bears all the hallmarks of the classic Queen we all know, however, so I still think she counts. Another somewhat sympathetic take on the character who rides a fine line between cruel tyrant and tragic villainess.
7. The Queen of Fables, from DC.
If you’ve only seen the version from the “Harley Quinn” animated series, to be blunt, you haven’t seen the REAL Queen of Fables. Read some of her comics, there’s some great stories there. In the DC Universe, this version of the Queen believes that Wonder Woman is, in fact, the reincarnation of her old nemesis, Snow White. Weird, but certainly fun.
6. Anne Francine & Charles Hall, from Snow White Live!
Long before Disney brought “Beauty and the Beast” to Broadway, their first big stage version of one of their animated films was this show at Radio City Music Hall. It’s gone by several titles, but I know it best as “Snow White Live!” Anne Francine played the Queen in her beautiful, radiant form, while actor Charles Hall played the Witch following her transformation. Both are awesome.
THE TOP FIVE
5. Miranda Richardson, from Snow White: Fairest of Them All.
While this TV film adaptation has some problems, Richardson’s Queen Elspeth is widely considered one of her best performances, and easily a shoe-in for my top five. This take starts off as a sympathetic character, but becomes increasingly more despicable and deranged as the story goes on, as her yearning for beauty and love drive her to the point of madness.
4. Vil Schoenheit, from Twisted Wonderland.
If you know me well, you should have known this one would be on the countdown. In this Disney-Villains-themed gacha game, taking place at a School of Dark Magic founded by seven famous baddies, Vil is the analogous character to the Evil Queen. He is a worldwide celebrity who, despite his fame and fortune, still struggles with issues of self-confidence, envy, and pride. In the game, the character is voiced by Hiroki Aiba.
3. Sigourney Weaver, from Snow White: A Tale of Terror.
This horror film version of the story boasts one of the most underrated and delightfully complex versions of the Queen out there. Weaver isn’t by any means obvious casting in the role, but she does a phenomenal job. Like Richardson, this take on the character - known as Lady Claudia - starts off as a sympathetic character, but becomes increasingly more villainous and demented as the story goes on.
2. Lana Parilla, from Once Upon a Time.
Here named “Regina Mills,” Parilla’s Queen was something of a breakout character for this series. I actually love her more today than I did when the show first came out. Regina starts off as a straightforward villain, but as the series goes, she evolves and changes, going from a sympathetic antagonist to an anti-hero and ultimately to being one of the good ones. Her arc and her performance throughout are spectacular.
1. The Disney Version.
Was there ever any doubt? Through various incarnations, the original Queen - first voiced by Lucille LaVerne - is by far one of Disney’s most iconic villains, and the chances are good this is the first take on the character most people think of when they think of the story. She’s not as complex or sympathetic as other versions, but she doesn’t need to be: she’s a great baddy in a truly classic feature film, and that’s all she really needs to be to take the top. ‘Nuff said.
I think both Cara Delevigne or Eva Green would e great portrayals of Demri if a movie including her would be ever made
Oh yes!!!! I think model and actress Cara Delevingne would be a great Demri if a movie about her or about AIC/grunge/1990s Seattle was ever made! Or about 1990s artists, fashion, style, poets...
As Demri, she pulls out funny faces:
With dark hair she could be a very believable Demri, I think
Plus, if Demri was her age today, I think she might be as successful as Cara (with Instagram, the internet and so). I could picture her easily playing the role of pixie faerie Vignette Stonemoss on Carnival Row
Or presenting/hosting her own TV series "Planet Sex" as Cara does!
Plus Cara is a model and an actress, Demri was a model and an aspiring actress, both are lgtbi so I think Cara would find very interesting to play a role like Demri's (with honor and respect). She's slim like Dem but a bit taller.
As for Eva Green, this Alison Dyer photo of Demri reminds me of beautiful Eva, but just this one:
Eva is also an actress and model, a bit shorter than Cara but still taller than Demri.
Demri would have enjoyed playing the role of tortured medium Vanessa Yves in Penny Dreadful if she was alive...
🌴 I will never understand why the RPC claims all genderbent muses are problematic while not even batting an eye at official genderbends. I can think of so many characters from popular media that were changed to women for their adaptations -- in the MCU, the Arrowverse, Hannibal, The Boys, Elementary, BSG, and more. Everyone understands that these changes were for better representation or just to be more interesting. But if an RPer does the same thing, they're a transphobe. Make it make sense.
