I canna believe I never saw this before. Hayley Atwell blew me away in The Pillars of the Earth. Is it possible? Could she be... Claire? Wow. Just... wow. I loved her from the second she appeared on screen in the first episode. Now I'm wondering if my heart thought so all along.. but my brain just had to catch up.
And PS - gee how odd that I, of all people, should sneak in a little Eddie Redmayne being his usual gorgeous self?
Post Scriptum Scriptum: Spoiler Alert! If you are still reading The Pillars of the Earth - you may want to skip this video!
she's pretty but doesn't stand out. Claire is a very beautiful woman - one that stands out. I believe Jamie compared her to some women he's seen in France. They have that special something that draws men. I always think of the actress from prince of persia. Now that the Exile picture of Claire is out I don't think of that actress much anymore...oh whats her name, anyway you all know who I mean. Hayley Atwell did well in pillars though, but I just don't see her as claire.
ReplyDelete...Gemma Arterton. Thats who I was trying to think of!! But in Exile thats not who Claire looks like.
ReplyDeleteI was watching an old movie a few weeks ago (and when I say "old" I mean from the '80's). It was "Presumed Innocent" with Harrison Ford. Bonnie Bedelia played his wife. It struck me that Bonnie Bedelia is the way I picture middle-aged Claire.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I agree about Haley Atwell, but I do think Eddie Redmayne belongs somewhere in the Outlander series. I can't really pin him to a character, but he fits somewhere.
I'm going to finish Echo this week (freaking out a little bit!), and will need something else to read.
ReplyDeleteShould I try Pillars of the Earth? I've heard good things, but honestly, I trust the opinion of Outlander fans more than other people. :-) Is it really that good?
Oh Rochelle I remember that feeling. Just close your eyes and jump. It's an odd feeling to not have new Jamie Fraser to go to - but we're all in this together.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that - Pillars is awesome. But I read it before Outlander. It's written differently; it's written by a man. But it is a beautiful love story... and you have to be patient enough to get to it because it evolves throughout the book. The characters will stick with you though. When it came out as a mini series on Starz I was beside myself. It's just such a beautiful story in general - whether you like romance or not.
I had just finished reading Pillars when the series came out on TV. Aliana was nothing like I had imagined. But after watching her, all was forgotten and she was great. I think she could be a Claire. We all have a preconceived notion of what they should all look like. For me, I think Redmayne is my Ian Jr. Maybe we could morph together all our favorite features? Wouldnt that be fun!
ReplyDeleteOooohh! I like Gemma Arterton as Claire. I've never thought of that. I loved her in Tess of the D'Urbervilles, which, coincidentally, also starred Eddie Redmayne as Angel Clair. He was a great Angel Clair.
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated topic...I've been watching this BBC TV series called "Monarch of the Glen". It's new to me, but I think the series is about 5-10 years old. It's a modern day story about an aging, eccentric highland laird and his family and the quirky village characters. It's utterly charming. The scenery is breathtaking. There's even a character named Fraser. However, he's sneaky and untrustworthy - not admirable at all. Watching it makes me want to just abandon my life in Oklahoma and start fresh in the Scottish Highlands. I recommend this series to you all.
Someone mentioned this women Lena Heady as Claire on compuserv. She comes pretty close to what's in my head.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lena-headey.us/lena_headey_wallpaper_02.html
And the more I've looked at pictures. GAbriel Aubry really is the Jamie for me. Someone just needs to start working with him on his acting!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bretam; Hayley Atwel isn't striking enough to be Claire. And I'm half way through Breath of Snow and Ashes right now, and just passed that comment about Jamie comparing Claire to a ... well a smoldering French girl. This Hayley doesn't have that.
ReplyDeletePillars was really good. I think the plot style relates a lot to Outlander, because things get really good and really bad by turn. Keeps a reader's heart on its toes, if that make any sense...
Stephlav I totally agree that Redmayne could be Young Ian. He's definitely handsome, which Ian isn't supposed to be, really, (Claire always says that his warm kind brown eyes are his face's only redeeming quality) but if you're gonna make a movie or series out of the books, why not use hot actors for the people who will get a lot of screen time?
I'm ashamed to admit that I still haven't read this book yet. It's been on my radar forever and a day. I must get with it!
ReplyDeleteI've never thought Claire was supposed to be that stunning. Attractive, yes. I wonder if that's because, when she arrived in the 18th century, the book was from her POV. Maybe in the graphic novel, she'll show up and they'll be all "Holy crap have you seen that unbelievable knockout of a sassenach???" Who knows.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I can't take it anymore, I am going to read Pillars. The last two books I've read were terrible disappointments, and I'm beginning to wonder if the Outlander series has ruined me on all other books for the rest of my life! Nothing is coming close to it.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Claire goes, that will be difficult casting, personally I think it should be someone fairly unknown, I'd have a hard time getting into a movie with a Kate Winslet or Rachel Weisz. I watched the movie 'Bright Star' recently and I'm digging Abbie Cornish right now. Good acting ability, she's tall, and you must check out her eyes! No contacts needed for her!
Have y'all ever considered Dina Meyer. She had a short stint on 90210 as a professor Brandon was involved with, and when she was younger, she would have made a perfect Claire. Now that she is older, I think she would make a perfect Claire, twenty years later. She has brown curly hair, beautiful features, but she is American. Maybe claire's voice 20 years later,having lived in Boston, would have less of an accent.
ReplyDeleteAlso she's not super skinny. I think Claire needs a little meat on her, and too many actresses that are discussed for Claire are typical Hollywood sticks. She needs a nice plump are.
Claire's beauty I think is suppose to really stand out. Or something about her -Jamie speaks about being aware that he is a very fortunate man to have such a rarely beautiful wife and that he has only encountered a few women of such rare beauty - those being french. Does nobody else remember that-I forget which book it was. Also didn't someone here mention just recently how Roger's first reaction to Claire was more pronounced than his reaction to Bree. Maybe I misunderstood that one - don't really remember Roger's reaction to Claire, only Jamie's and others. I will have to research it for ya'll.
ReplyDeleteAngie -- Dinah Meyer has a special look to her - especially in the eyes. Diana seems to want Claire's eyes and mouth to stand out about her when you look at the drawing.
the french thing was in a breath of snow and ashes when they went to get that 14 year old indian wife back for the 2 haggard indian brothers that jamie and roger met--well, captured i guess--in the forest
ReplyDeleteand it wasn't really "rare beauty" but a ... ha like a simmering sexuality about them. jamie was saying that he didn't see why all the trouble to get this girl back, but then saw this quality in her, comparing it to Claire and some french women he'd seen/known.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteyes thats it!!! And theres another one too in the fiery cross I believe - something having to do with Philip Wiley I think...I have a bad memory. And Diana herself describes Claire as..."Dark brows and lashes, arresting whisky-colored eyes. Noticeably pale, translucent skin and A STRONG SEXUAL PRESENCE!!!! She would definetly have to stand out. I don't think your average woman has a strong sexual presence- do they???
ReplyDeleteI'm more prone to noticing guys' strong sexual presences myself....haha :)
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking of Gemma Arterton for a while as Claire. She's 27-years-old (same as Claire), has whisky-colored eyes, full lips, pale skin, and a "real" woman's figure. She's often said that she is uncomfortable with how the big studios pressure her to work with a personal trainer for films (e.g. Prince of Persia). She likes looking natural/curvy. She also studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, so she's got some acting chops! I think she'd be a perfect fit for the role.
ReplyDeleteoh WOW. Tess of the D'Urbervilles! I LOVE her. I don't know if I've ever considered her! I have to give that some thought. I'll watch some of her videos. NICE DETECTIVE WORK, Anon! :)
DeleteI forgot to mention that she definitely has a "STRONG SEXUAL PRESENCE." What former "Bond Girl" doesn't?
ReplyDelete