Who Else Could Play John Thornton?

When it comes to Mr Darcy, we have plenty of performances to compare and contrast but Mr Thornton only has one actor's rendition available for your viewing pleasure. In this whimsical piece, I wonder who else might be suited to the role, and what each of them might bring to the character. 


Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart as John Thornton

While he has already played Thornton in the 1975 mini-series, I do not know of anyone who remembers this version.

However, I think he would he great. He should play Thornton just like he played Jean Luc Picard, a tough and strong leader who is fair but brooks no fools. Occasionally Picard let his emotional side out, falling in love and he could play that side of Thornton, especially the heartbroken aspects, with a typical British stiff upper lip masking his deeper misery.

Tastes have changed since the 70's however and while I'm certain that he could play Thornton very well, I'm not sure how well the script and production values would match up to modern sensibilities.

John Simm

John Simm can play anything and be believable, from the insane Master on Dr Who, to time travelling Sam Tyler in Life on Mars, to driven Cal MaCaffery in State of Play.

My only reservation would be that his roles don't usually require an air of authority, which is an integral part of Thornton's character. 

Robert Downey Jr

There is no doubt that Downey excels at playing Tony Stark-esk roles, the flippant playboy type.

I honestly wouldn't care of he turned Thornton into Stark, it's RDJ for God's sake!

Seriously though, if you haven't seen his performance in Chaplin, do so; it really does show that he's more than just a pretty face and charming personality. This guy has some serious acting chops and now that he's clean and sober, I think he could really do Thornton justice. Plus he's already mastered the British accent to play Chaplin. I wonder what his northern accent would be like?

Colin Firth

Thornton has often been compared to Darcy so why not have Darcy playing Thornton?

While both characters are stern however, Thornton doesn't have the same learning curve to go through that Darcy does. Thornton's character essentially doesn't change, other than he learns to follow his heart and broaden his ideas. Even when it comes to his workers, Thornton is always the best of the mill Masters and his later attempts to help are merely a logical extension of his good business sense.

Firth could pull Thornton off, though his version would likely be more dour than stern and more angry than heartbroken.

Nathan Fillion

Nathan would bring a refreshingly flippant air to Thornton!

When Margaret found him beating up Stephens, he wouldn't order her out, he'd ask if she liked what she saw and throw her a wink. His Thornton would be a wordsmith, cracking jokes and puns and not afraid of telling Margaret how he felt about her “up tight” airs and graces. Underneath that superficial charm though, would beat a heart of solid gold and he would solve all of Milton's problems with a MacGyver-esk plan that involved unearthing the capitalist conspiracy to keep the proletariat in their place.

David Tennant

Well he'd get in his TARIS, fly back to the start of the industrial revolution, correct the social problems before they started and take Margaret off on an adventure throughout the universe!

OK, assuming he isn't playing Thornton as the 10^th Doctor, Tannant has proven that he can play emotional roles, not only during Doctor Who but also in such drama's as Single Father. He could play Thornton's stoic heartbreak with relative ease.

Having said that, I don't think stern comes easily to him. His face is friendly and his nature more suited to comedy than to 'hard' characters. Even when threatening to wipe out entire species as the 10th Doctor, he just didn't seem than menacing.

Tennant's Thornton would be a more emotional and vulnerable character, and whether ot not that would work would depend largely on your own tastes.

Benedict Cumberbatch

There is no doubt that Benedict has the acting chops to play Thornton but I'm just not sure he could be believable as a rough and ready mill master. Benedict is upper class though and through, but it would be interesting to see him a little rough around the edges and hear him try to do a northern accent.

Perhaps someone more familiar with his body of work can tell us if he's attempted any such roles in the past?

Justin Beiber!

Imagine it - Thornton: The Early Years!

Okay, seriously, I don't know much about Bieber, but I did see his stint on CSI and he wasn't a bad actor at all (though I did hear unpleasant things about his manners on set).

Could he pull off a 16 year old boy who is dragged from school to support his family? Well hasn't Bieber been his families sole earner for years now? He certainly has some experience there that he can draw on, I'm sure.

Would it be a success? Well Bieber Fever would probably ensure that.

Would it be any good? You decide!

Thomas Dekker 

 

Honestly though, if we're talking the early years I'd like to see Thomas Dekker give it a try. I remember him playing a 14 year old faith healer on House a few years ago and even at that age, he could believably portray strength, charisma and vulnerability. He's wasted on the Secret Circle.

Give this guy a real challenge, like a young John Thornton!

Christopher Eccleston

An often sadly overlooked English actor (sometimes by his own choice, I think) Eccleston has the talent to give Thornton both the gravitas he needs and the vulnerability we observe when he is rejected.

I believe he would portray Thornton as more 'working class boy made good' than 'middle class boy who had a tough start'. His accent and mannerisms would probably be less refined but there is no doubt in my mind that he could breath life into Thornton and make us love him.

Plus, no disrespect to either Mr Eccleston or Mr Armitage, Thornton in the book is described as unremarkable and it is his personality we are supposed to be attracted to. Mr Armitage had both looks and the acting chops but Mr Eccleston would (sadly) have to win us over with only his performance, just as Thornton in the book won Margaret.

So who would you like to see play Thornton and what do you think they would they bring to the role? 


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What I Love About John

It's safe to say that I was not impressed with John the first time I met him. I thought him rather rough and uncouth. In truth, I had never had any exposure to the manufacturing classes before and I was content not to think of him at all. When I did, I thought him the type of man who puts profit before people, who worships cold, hard cash and who has little appreciation for things like compassion or charity.

Fortunately for me, I was unable to ignore John since his association with my father regularly brought us into the same company, and slowly I began to see the man behind the manufacturer. I realised that I had been horribly unfair and prejudiced against him. 

I came to see that he was not arrogant but rather, was proud of his achievements (and rightly so).

He did his best for his mill and his workers, even when he didn't know how best to help them.

I came to see that he was a man who was open to new ideas and ways of thinking, he was progressive and welcomed change.

Falling for him was a gradual process and it wasn't until he had seen me with Frederick and then caught me in a lie, that I realised just how very much I wanted him to think well of me. That's when I began to realise that my feelings for him had changed.

I had been so cruel and callous towards him for so long, especially when I rejected his proposal of marriage, that I assumed that he would no longer share my feelings and I thought that I was destined to be alone.

I sometimes wonder if Mr Bell knew more about my feelings then he let on. Did he have any idea that his gift to me would not only offer me security, but bring me to the man I loved? He was a shrewd man and he knew Thornton rather better than I did at the time, so I think it likley that he knew exactly what he was doing. I only hope that wherever he is now, he can see us and how very happy we are together.

Margaret X

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What I Love About Margaret

The first time I saw Margaret I thought that she had a frank dignity about her. Her dress and shawl were simple but she wore them with the same poise as the queen, when she wears her regalia. She was a creature unlike any other I had encountered before and I was captivated by her.

I worried that I did not make any such favourable impression; more a rough hewn, taciturn manufacturer.

My opinion of her grew as different facets of her personality were shown to me.

First I saw her softer side and playfulness as she allowed her father to use her fingers as sugar tongues.

Next I saw her compassion as she continued to help the strikers. I also witnessed her courage to continue helping those in need, despite scorn from others in our society.

Finally I saw her bravery as she stepped between me and the rioters, risking her life to save mine. The fact that she was indifferent to me at that time only made the gesture even more profound, for who risks danger for one they do not like?

It's impossible to pick one single reason for why I love her but it's safe to say that the moment we first touched, as she handed me a cup and saucer, was the moment that I knew my heart belonged to her.

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Who else could play John Thornton?

Richard Armitage as John Thornton

We all know what a good job Mr Richard Armitage did of portraying me, John Thornton, on film.

You may or may not know that there is also a 1975 version of North & South with Patrick Stewart playing John Thornton but this clip (see below) of Margaret and Mr Hale is all that is available.

Miss Winchester has often expressed a desire to view that mini-series so that she might compare performances (I believe she is also a closet trekkie, though I'm not quite sure what that means).

Out of curiosity, I was wondering if there is anyone else whom you think capable of playing Mr John Thornton, if only for the chance to compare and contrast how different actors handle the role.

Please comment with your suggestions. Suggestions will then be put to you in the form of a poll during the Fanstravaganza in March.

A Celebration of North & South!

Next week Melanie is starting a two week celebration of North and South, the story of my and Margaret's meeting.

Please stop by her blog, Melanie's Musings, and share your love for Gaskell's classic novel, the BBC adaptation or simply to drool over Mr Richard Armitage, who did a very fine job portraying me!

She will have lots of guest blogs and giveaways so mark it in your diaries, February 13th to the 24th!

A Family Is Not Complete Without A Dog

A drawing Margaret made of Bill

At least that's what Margaret says. She never had any pets as she was growing up, so I blame Bill for this change of heart.

Who is Bill? Bill was our first dog, a large, black bitch (yes, that's right, Bill was female) that Margaret found while walking the hills around our house one afternoon. It was hard to say what breed she was but she seemed to have some wolfhound in her.

Margaret didn't consult me over the dog and I was rather surprised to get home one evening and find her sitting in my chair! Bessy and Margaret lover her though and while I grumbled for a while, I would never have made them get rid of her.