12 Famous Characters That Changed Dramatically Between Books And Movies

When adapting a book into a movie, there might be a lot of contradictions. Indeed, the filmmakers already have a plot that is widely accepted. But they still have to meet a lot of demand from readers and authors. For example, they must consider which actor best fits the role or who can generate the most box office revenue. As a result, sometimes the film became a hit even though the actor didn't fit the author's description. On the other hand, the differences between the characters on screen and in the books disappointed fans and viewers.
Well, there's nothing more upsetting than seeing the cinematic version of your favorite book characters being rendered differently. However, we should all remember that film is a distinct and changeable art form. Also, actors can't just transform into the characters’ descriptions, so the difference is inevitable.
Here are 12 examples of actors who did not really fit the original description of the character they portrayed. Keep reading for more details!

#1 James Bond — Casino Royale

Source: © Casino Royale / Columbia Pictures and co-producers

Daniel Craig has brought the audience a perfect spy James Bond with his personality and intelligence. But in fact, Craig and the fictional persona created by Ian Fleming are quite different. The author portrayed Bond as a 5'9" guy with long hair that fell over his forehead.

#2 Jo March — Little Women

Source: © Little Women / Columbia Pictures and co-producers

In the book, Louisa May Alcott describes Jo March as a 15-year-old girl with light brown hair and gray eyes. But apparently, in "Little Women" 2019, they omitted those traits when choosing Saoirse Ronan.

#3 Pennywise — It

Source: © It / Green/Epstein Productions and co-producers, © It / New Line Cinema and co-producers

Stephen King skillfully created a terrifying character named Pennywise. He wears an all-silver suit with orange buttons and has white skin, and feeds off the dread of his victims. In the 1990 miniseries, Pennywise is portrayed by English actor Tim Curry. He is shown as a bald, white-faced clown with a crown of red hair around his head. He wears a red nose, gloves, a full-body yellow costume, yellow suspenders with orange buttons, and occasionally holds balloons in his hand. In the film adaptations, "It Chapter One" (2017) and "It Chapter Two" (2019), Pennywise is portrayed by Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård. He portrays an old silver Victorian clown, complete with white lace cuffs, pom-poms, and red thread embroidery.

#4 Katniss Everdeen — The Hunger Games

Source: © The Hunger Games / Lionsgate and co-producer

The series was a huge hit on the big screen, but the adaptation fell short in terms of faithfulness to the source material. Due to a lack of food and her petite stature, Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old girl with a much thinner body than actress Jennifer Lawrence.

#5 Sherlock Holmes — Sherlock Holmes

Source: © Sherlock Holmes / Warner Bros. and co-producers

It is not easy to play one of the most legendary characters of contemporary fiction, such as Sherlock Holmes. However, casting Robert Downey Jr. Playing the most famous detective in history was a rather strange choice. He is very different in appearance from the fictional figure, who is described as being over 6 feet tall and incredibly wiry, giving the impression that he is much taller. “His eyes were sharp and penetrating, [...] and his nose, thin and aquiline, gave his features an air of liveliness and resolution.”

#6 Beatrice “Tris” Prior — Divergent

Source: © Divergent / Summit Entertainment and co-producer

In 2014, "Divergent" based on the novel by Veronica Roth with Shailene Woodley in the lead role was released for the first time. However, Woodley is completely unlike her character Tris in appearance. She is described as having a long face, long facial features, large blue eyes, and blonde hair.

#7 Gilderoy Lockhart — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Source: © Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets / Warner Bros. and co-producers

We don't talk about Kenneth Branagh’s acting skills, which influenced Chris Colombus’ decision to cast him as the contentious Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in the second Harry Potter movie. But we might think of a younger actor, someone a little more "attractive" and true to the book's description.

#8 Alice — Alice in Wonderland

Source: © Alice in Wonderland / Walt Disney Pictures and co-producers

Lewis Carroll's Alice is based on a real girl. Although the author does not mention much about the girl's appearance, some details
in the 2 novels provide some information about her life. For example, it is thought that the girl is 7 years old, although this has not been confirmed. In Tim Burton’s adaptation, Alice is presented as a 19-year-old girl portrayed by Mia Wasikowska.

#9 Count Dracula — Dracula

Source: © Dracula / Universal Pictures

Many actors are playing the role of Dracula but the first Dracula played by Bela Lugosi certainly continues to cause some nostalgia. But Lugosi's Dracula is not at all like the character depicted in the book. The monster in the novel is described as a “tall, clean-shaven old man, except for a long white mustache, and dressed in black from head to toe, without a single spot of color anywhere.”

#10 Skeeter — The Help

Source: © The Help / Dreamworks Pictures and co-producers

With her amazing talent, Emma Stone successfully portrayed the character Skeeter in the Oscar-nominated film "The Help" adapted from the novel by Kathryn Stockett. Emma's performance astounded everyone, despite her appearance is far from identical to that of the book. Kathryn Stockett described Skeeter as a tall, slender lady with a crooked nose.

#11 Rochester — Jane Eyre

Source: © Jane Eyre / Focus Features and co-producers

In Charlotte Bronte's novel, Edward Rochester is an unattractive man. In fact, the author intentionally portrays him in that way to advance the story. However, Rochester (played by Michael Fassbender) in the 2011 film adaptation didn’t have a stern face or bushy eyebrows.

#12 Elsa — Frozen

Source: © Frozen / Walt Disney Pictures and co-producer

Elsa is an adaptation of the Snow Queen but she has won the hearts of both young and old with her piety, passion, and kindness. In Andersen’s original story, the queen is portrayed as a living ice queen dressed in white and shrouded in sparkles but in "Frozen", she is a human.