ACOTAR TV Series Cast: Who Plays Feyre, Rhysand, Nesta, Cassian?
Hulu is reportedly developing a TV show based on A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), Sarah J. Maas’ bestselling series of fantasy novels. The books follow young human huntress Feyre Archeron, who is pulled into the dangerous world of the Fae courts of Prythian. There she meets the seven Fae High Lords and the alluring and menacing members of their courts, who will become allies, friends, enemies, and romantic partners to her.
While Hulu’s TV show has not moved forward in some time, fans are still eager to discuss who could star in it, formulating an ACOTAR TV series dreamcast. ACOTAR fans on BookTok and other platforms have posited countless possibilities to play their favorite characters, hailing from other fantasy series or completely different acting backgrounds, all contributing to the endless debate of who will be able to recreate the characters’ personas as they are in the books.
ACOTAR TV series dreamcast
Read on for how we dreamcasted the characters of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and who should play Feyre, Rhys, and more favorites, ahead.
Feyre Archeron — Danielle Rose Russell
Danielle Rose Russell seems to end up on every dreamcast list for a fantasy book-to-screen adaptation, but she might have first been part of the ACOTAR characters dreamcast. Known for playing Hope Mikaelson in the Vampire Diaries universe, Russell is well-suited to any headstrong and kind-hearted protagonist of a fantasy epic. Additionally, part of Russell’s performance as Hope is portraying her mixed emotions about her family’s violent past and her own darkest instincts. This is also something Russell could bring to the role of Feyre, who does not see herself as a perfect heroine.
Nesta Archeron — Emily Carey
Emily Carey gave a stunning performance as Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon, which launched her to widespread fame. They convey Alicent’s sadness and anger and could do the same as Nesta, Feyre’s feisty eldest sister. Nesta reacts to the injustices of her life slightly differently than Alicent, but the characters share some core traits. Readers who have made it to A Court of Silver Flames might also be able to draw a connection between a key scene of Nesta’s and Alicent’s grand entrance at the Green Wedding. Carey only gets a few moments of playing Alicent as ruthless but would have plenty of scenes like this as Nesta.
Elain Archeron —Thomasin McKenzie
Elain, the middle Archeron sister, is presented as the most soft-spoken of the three—but her potential to become a powerful player is hinted at. Thomasin McKenzie has played characters who seem to be characterized by their gentle nature but reveal a hidden ferocity. McKenzie is one of the best up-and-coming actresses there is, with several confirmed future projects, who would have no problem playing Elain at the beginning of the series. However, it is most interesting to think of how she would handle Elain’s yet-unpublished storylines.
Rhysand — Sean Teale
Rhysand is possibly the most difficult character to pick for an ACOTAR characters dreamcast, because the books paint a larger-than-life picture of him. It would be a challenge for Sean Teale, as it would for any actor, to live up to this. However, Teale at least has Feyre and Rhys’ initial dynamic down, as he is hilariously blasé about Kaitlyn Dever being angry at him for most of Rosaline. He is also known for his dramatic roles in Skins and Reign and has Rhys’ brooding looks. Teale just might be what ACOTAR fans are hoping for.
Morrigan — Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh has proven that she can play just about anyone—the vain youngest March sister, a Black Widow assassin, a shrewd galactic princess. Pugh looks the part of Rhys’ cousin Morrigan, known as Mor, and could bring something from all of her past roles to this character. Mor is a shrewd politician, a fierce warrior, and a stylish queen, described by Ferye as the most beautiful woman she has ever seen.
Amren — Anna Sawai
Amren dominates every room she is in despite being very short (small enough to wear a child’s fighting leathers). She is a chaos god trapped in a Fae body who is Rhys’ second-in-command. From the moment Anna Sawai appears on screen as Mariko in Shōgun, she commands every scene she is in. Mariko is intelligent, demanding when she can be, withholding when she can’t, and generally conveys a subtle power in the same vein as Amren. Sawai’s place in this ACOTAR characters dreamcast is cemented by her having Amren’s stature since she is 5 feet, 1 inch tall.
Cassian — Avan Jogia
Cassian is Rhys’ general who grew up with him and whom Rhys considers his brother. Avan Jogia’s role in Zombieland: Double Tap is a dumb guitar player who is the punchline of a lot of jokes, but it at least shows his potential to be irritatingly amicable towards Nesta. Jogia also stars in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City as the iconic game character Leo Kennedy, who is unsure at the beginning but becomes a more classic action hero like Cassian.
Azriel — Luke Pasqualino
Luke Pasqualino is fresh out of the canceled-too-soon show Shadow and Bone. He might be in for another fantasy novel-to-TV adaptation and could take on the part of Rhysand’s other brother-in-arms. Azriel is the Night Court’s spymaster, with a mysterious and understated persona, somewhat similar to Pasqualino’s Shadow and Bone character. However, David is timid and awkward, while Azriel is characterized by a deadly silence. Yet Pasqualino also recently played a supporting role in the A24 murder mystery Medusa Deluxe.
Tamlin — Austin Butler
Fans are somewhat nonchalant about picking a Tamlin for their ACOTAR characters dreamcast, mainly because of how unpopular the character is, but Austin Butler is still a common choice. This is probably because Butler has the versatility and the physical features to play Tamlin, with a history of portraying both genial and unlikable characters. He also has a fanbase that would appreciate his performance, even if he is playing a controversial character.
Lucien — Dylan O’Brien
Despite some tension in their relationship, Feyre and Lucien remain close friends after the events of the first three books. The best way to capture this in the show is to cast someone who can convince the audience that Lucien is a genuine friend despite his mistakes. Dylan O’Brien fits this description perfectly, as he is best known for playing loyal and protective characters like Stiles in Teen Wolf and Thomas in The Maze Runner.
Gwyn — Freya Allan
If she were cast as Gwyneth “Gwyn” Berdara, Freya Allan would also be joining the ACOTAR show in a later season. Gwyn is a shy but brave priestess who becomes Nesta’s other best friend, and trains with her and Emerie. Allan can evidently play a character who is both vulnerable and fearless, as seen with Ciri in The Witcher. She, Suman, and Carey, all hailing from popular fantasy shows, would make an exciting trio—although we may not see it for years to come.
Emerie — Amita Suman
Emerie is a later addition to the ACOTAR characters dreamcast because she only becomes a major character in the fifth book of the series—so the show would have to run for four or five years for her to appear. Emerie becomes one of Nesta’s best friends when they begin training together, partially as a way to work through their trauma. After her excellent performance as Inej Ghafa in Shadow and Bone, it would be great to see Amita Suman play another character who is generous (at least to her friends) and has nerves of steel.
The King of Hybern — Robert Pattinson
The malevolent King of Hybern is a flat character, who serves the story as the big bad but doesn’t have any notable personality traits. With some help from the writers, Robert Pattinson could change that. Pattinson’s career has flourished since Twilight, playing the charmingly enigmatic Neil in Tenet and the anti-hero Bruce Wayne in The Batman. As he continues to show more of what he can do, it would be great to see him play a grandiose villain; he could take Hybern’s character in a multitude of directions.
The Weaver — Anya Taylor-Joy
The Weaver of the Wood is a terrifying immortal being who dwells in an isolated cottage in the wilderness of Prythian, slaughtering anyone who comes across her and weaving materials from their remains. Anya Taylor-Joy is a well-rounded actress who has played some creepy roles in movies like Thoroughbreds and Last Night in Soho. Her sharp features could be complimented by a wig of long black hair, per the Weaver’s book description.
The Suriel — Shohreh Aghdashloo
Readers usually pick a male actor for the Suriel for their ACOTAR characters dreamcast, but it is not essential to the story. The Suriel is a skeletal faerie who must answer any question truthfully if the asker has successfully captured them. Shohreh Aghdashloo would be a good choice to voice the Suriel, given her recent intense, sibylline voice performance as the dragon in Netflix’s Damsel.
Eris — Jake Austin Walker
Jake Austin Walker is a natural redhead, matching the description of Luciuen’s older brother Eris. Eris is a complicated character who is initially presented as irredeemable but is slowly revealed to have a lot more going than being a straightforward villain. Walker conveys a sense of wisdom mixed with insecurity as Liam Sadusky in National Treasure: Edge of History that would suit Eris’ character.
Helion — Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Helion is the charismatic and wise High Lord of the Day Court—there is certainly something very Morpheus-like about him. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gave a performance in The Matrix Resurrections that lived up to Laurence Fishburne’s in the original trilogy. With Aquaman 3 unconfirmed, it would be great to see Abdul-Mateen land the role of a fan-favorite character in another big franchise.
Viviane — Evanna Lynch
Evanna Lynch has disappeared from mainstream media since playing Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter franchise. However, if she were to return to it, she would be perfect to play Viviane, Kallias’ wife and a close friend of Mor’s. Lynch has an ethereal appearance aligning with Viviane’s book description and there are some similarities between Luna and Viviane’s personas. However, she might also get to do more combat scenes than in Harry Potter.
Kallias — Tom Blyth
Kallias is the cold and cunning High Lord of the Winter Court. Tom Blyth not only looks like Kallias but has played other characters known for strategic thinking. This is especially true in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, where Blyth plays a corrupt aspiring politician with a brilliant mind. Kallias might be considered a nobler version of Coriolanus Snow.
Cressida — Ariana DeBose
Varian’s sister Cressida, the Princess of Adriata, only plays a small role in the ACOTAR books. However, there is always the potential to expand her character, or even just include a poignant scene between her and Rhysand while the Night Court is visiting Adriata. Ariana DeBose is, of course, a talented actress who could make Cressida’s appearance indelible, even if it is only for one scene.
Varian — Regé-Jean Page
Varian, known as the Prince of Adriata, is Tarquin’s cousin and later Amren’s partner. To sum it up, whoever plays Varian needs to have a palpable back-and-forth with Amren. Regé-Jean Page blew everyone away with his breakout performance for Bridgerton, playing a character who is equal parts daring, suave, and intelligent. His scenes were dominated by his chemistry with Phoebe Dynevor, something that he would hopefully also have with the person playing Amren.
Tarquin — John Macmillan
John Macmillan’s performance in House the Dragon is memorable in a unique way. Laenor Velaryon is an “honorable man with a good heart,” something scarce in the world of Game of Thrones. Macmillan’s embodiment of this character strengthens his impact. He could be the same thing playing Tarquin, the High Lord of the Summer Court, who stands out as one of the few High Lords with a vision for a better world.
Ianthe — Dakota Fanning
Ianthe is a priestess who becomes Tamlin’s advisor but abuses her position and the other members of the Spring Court. Setting aside that she is blonde like Ianthe, Dakota Fanning gave a chilling performance as the Volturi guard member Jane back in the days of The Twilight Saga. Even in The Equalizer 3, her most recent movie, Fanning is somewhat fiendish. She will always be suited to playing undisputed villains who are nonetheless important to the story.
Amarantha — Sophie Turner
Sophie Turner’s performance as Sansa Stark in the later seasons of Game of Thrones shows how she has the elegance and loftiness to play Amarantha, a brutally evil queen-type character. It would be amazing to see Turner grow as an actress by playing a malevolent character like this. She dabbled in villainy with X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but this movie was so poorly received that she needs and deserves another shot at it.
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