Which do you think is more true?

[Master Zeffy]

Character depictions in the movies in the art in the books? I'm still new to the series so I dunno if it's opinionated or if one is a set fact. Just brought this up because if it's art, then according to Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 14 'Snape's Grudge,' Snape has a beard. =O  

[ScottieBears MiaKitty]

Well, obviously the books, because they came first. I was always kind of annoyed about some of the ways they made the characters in the movies... Lupin, for example... Honestly, I think that Scottie looks more like the way I thought Lupin would be.  

[paraphernalia_101]

I totally agree with you the books are the first resource that you should go to if you want reliable descriptions of characters. Also the art because fans get the description of character from Jo from the books the themselves. Even though I do like the actress they picked for Luna. She is pretty much canon.  

[Grey Gardens]

Yes obviously the books will give you the best original description since they came first before anything else did.

In every movie which is from a book, they can't get any actor that will look EXACTLY like the character that is described in the book.  

[Master Zeffy]

I don't mean character descriptions, I meant the art at the beginning of each chapter. Obviously the character descriptions are right. ^^;  

[FleurEvetteD]

When I read the books (I've been a fan since Half-Blood Prince first came out) I always imagine the actors except for the characters that aren't in the movies. This is probaly due to the fact that I watched the first three movies before reading the books.

But since the chapter art isn't drawn by J.K Rowling there probaly no more accurate depiction of the characters than the actors in the movies.  

[LadyHealingHands]

paraphernalia_101

I totally agree with you the books are the first resource that you should go to if you want reliable descriptions of characters. Also the art because fans get the description of character from Jo from the books the themselves. Even though I do like the actress they picked for Luna. She is pretty much canon.

Well spotted! I 'd have to sleuth to find the exact interview, but recently Jo was asked (really paraphrasing here) something like do you see/visualize any of the movie actors as the characters now when you're writing.
And she said, just one, Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood, and is perfect down to the voice! (really, really paraphrased from memory).

Master Z, I think in the US Mary GrandPre.'s art is probably very close because she's working right off the books. I think her Slughorn, from Half Blood Prince, bent into a Sofa shape is quite good. The one picture I saw of the movie actor, which SuperKoolParty Gal 101 was kind enough to post (http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?page=2&t=11758109#156742276)
as she says, the actor is too skinny, no walrus mustache.

And I could go on about that scene: it's not in the dungeons, which is not right for Potions, and dungeons are specifiec in the book. One wouldn't want potion ingredients such as herbs exposed to sunlight. Jo has the potion ingredients, rightly so, in cabinets to prevent that. Here they are in jars with plenty of sunlight streaming in the window. And just what is written around the window? The cauldrons arent "bubbling" away so maybe this is a rehearsal scene or they will be CGI ed in later.

I think they have to cast actors who can emenate aspects of the characters, unless like with Evanna Lynch they get very lucky.
And it's amazing that they were able keep a cast together for seven movies.
Remember the kids were cast as kids of 9, 10, and 11, how could they know that 'roundfaced' Neville would shoot up to skyscraper heights? They were lucky with Daniel, who remained close to the canon "midget" and that Rupert grew gangly and tall (though he's filling out as he matures); when they started the two were just about the same height. There are other things in the movies I'm more upset about than appearance, as long as the actors have a canon sense of their characters canon personality.

I grew to like David Thewlis as Remus more and more on repeated viewings, especially the tones in his voice and his weariness. It was weird for me because at the time of POA movie, I was beta-ing a novel length FanFic for a friend, who cast and photoshopped many pictures with Ralph Fiennes (the eventual movie Voldemort) as Remus.

And POA, my favorite book gets me mad and heartbroken in turn - how could they not take half a minute and mention the Marauders? I know too many who haven't read the books (reading disorders) so only know the movie unless I can get them to listen to the CDs.

And don't get me started on Gambon! The only I can watch him on film is to chant to myself, that's not Albus, that's not Albus! No twinkle, no kindness, no patience, grrr. He did do a very good fight scene in OOP and that is the only thing I can think of that I respect.  

[ScottieBears MiaKitty]

I agree wholeheartedly on everything you've just said, LHH! With the exception of Remus... I just can't find it in me to like him, or, as I've said, Sirius. I suppose it may be because the two of them were my favorites form the moment I read about them. And I do mean the moment. I don't know why, but throughout PoA, I thought something was off about the story of Peter's death and Sirius' involvement with the Death Eaters. I wasn't at all surprised when he turned out to be a good guy. And I loved Remus from the start, possibly because one of the first things he does is give out chocolate (yum!). David is a good actor, but there's just something about him that doesn't speak to me in the role... I'm such a Thespain, I'm so critical of that type of thing... Same goes for Sirius, I like the actor playing him, but not really in the role.  

[smaw12]

Evanna Lynch is the closet actor to Luna I have ever seen. Even when she's not on camera. I saw an interview, and she was wearing a very old-fashioned long dress. And the voice isn't act, her attitude and voice are exactly like Luna. The girl who plays Ginny was in the interview too. She says "like" a lot.  

[Minerva the Bookwyrm]

While I like some of the art within the books, I don't go by that because when the illustrator reads the book (If he read it; they often don't.) then he might have a different image than I do. In JKR's case, if a character has facial hair she tends to say it, so I definitely disagree with a drawing that depicts Snape with a beard.

As far as actors looking like their characters...Hagrid, Luna, and Dumbledore (only in the first two films) are exactly like how I imagined them.

Some of the actors act out the personalities perfectly, but don't precisely look the part. For example, Snape's nose is too small and McGonagall's hair isn't black, but they act beautifully!  

[KatieInTheBox]

I think with any work of writing or story telling their should be a little leeway given. I think of characters in a book like real people; sometimes they have beards, sometimes they cut their hair or style it differently and so on. It seems to me that when your trying to get tension, excitement or joy across in your plot, it's forgivable to forget to mention you imagined a character having a beard because he hasn't been home or near a razor for a week. I think Harry and Ron had facial hair in the 7th book while they were on the run. Not full blown ZZ Top beards but the stuff guys get when they haven't shave in a week because if you think about they had to take the camping stuff from Ron's house and I don't think razors would have naturally been stored with the camp gear, unless Hermione though of that too, but even those must have gotten dull and they were always near towns to take the disposables or possible Hermione knew a hair removal spell. XD Their hair must have got unruly and longer, they must have smelled from lack of bathing, and so on. So if I were to draw them then it would be different then how I would draw them at the wedding or after final battle, which is all in the same book. It's open to interpretation and I like it that way. xd

For the actors I agree with Minerva. I think they did very well with picking people who came as close as possible to the characters, and most of them act well even if they don't look exactly like their rolls. I also would add Lockheart to the list because he was just like I had pictured him.  

[ARoseLight]

KatieInTheBox

I think Harry and Ron had facial hair in the 7th book while they were on the run. Not full blown ZZ Top beards but the stuff guys get when they haven't shave in a week because if you think about they had to take the camping stuff from Ron's house and I don't think razors would have naturally been stored with the camp gear, unless Hermione though of that too, but even those must have gotten dull and they were always near towns to take the disposables or possible Hermione knew a hair removal spell. XD Their hair must have got unruly and longer, they must have smelled from lack of bathing, and so on.

Now, there's some image, Katie! I imagine them a bit less scruffy, as Hermione had managed to master housekeeping charms 'Reparo' even before first year, and was doing some not so minor medical charms while they were on the lam looking for Horcruxes. I guess is she'd have soap, there was plenty of water, and we know that conjuring flames was an early specialty of hers too. So if she didn't have a human version of 'Scourgify' I'd be very surprised.

While I read the books first, it's hard now not to envision the actors in the roles - their voices are distinctive and they, except for Gambon, really become their characters in the movie--I think the acting is very good.  

[Galyxies]

My view of the characters was tinted by the movies, because I was seven when I began reading Harry Potter books and the movies were just beginning to come out then.

So, I view Severus without facial hair, but I pictured Remus ALOT different than they did in the movie.
And Harry and Hermione look very different in my mind, also; Hermione has bushier hair and large front teeth like she's supposed to, and Harry's hair is going all over the place.

The characters are supposed to look like they do in Jo's descriptions, and some of them do to me, but alot of my characters are partially that of the movies. -__o'