Warning: Spoilers for A Court of Thorns and Roses and the ACOTAR books beyond
Summary
- Ian Somerhalder's iconic portrayal of Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries makes him a top choice for playing Rhysand in A Court of Thorns and Roses.
- Ben Barnes' experience playing villains in shows like The Punisher and Shadow & Bone could suit him well for portraying Rhysand's complex character.
- Fans have also suggested actors like Fabien Frankel and Henry Cavill, who could bring both physicality and depth to the role of Rhysand.
Book readers know the success of the TV adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses will live and die by who is cast to play Rhysand. The High Lord of the Night Court and Feyre Archeron's mate and love, Rhysand is a pivotal character in the books, not just as Feyre's love interest but as a character who propels the plot as a whole. His character would certainly be one of the most fun for an actor to play in Hulu's A Court of Thorns and Roses TV show, starting out as a seeming villain before becoming a little more of a Loki-like figure - not a hero, but perhaps not quite the villain readers thought.
Whoever plays Rhys in the Court of Thorns and Roses TV adaptation needs to hold a complex role in his mind, keeping one foot anchored in who Rhys is while also being aware of who he becomes to Feyre in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. It's a tricky line to walk, and it will require someone who is quite talented. The actor to play Rhysand will need to bring charm and charisma by the boatload, but also be terrifyingly cruel at times. He'll need to be tender and romantic, but also able to throw down in hand-to-hand combat or with a sword convincingly. It's a tall order, but here are a few actors who could be cast as Rhysand in A Court of Thorns and Roses and do a great job with it.
9 Ian Somerhalder
Ian Somerhalder Was Born In 1978
It's hard not to immediately think of Ian Somerhalder when thinking of an actor who might play Rhysand in A Court of Thorns and Roses. His iconic portrayal of bad boy vampire Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries was basically the blueprint for Rhys' smoking hot villain with a heart of gold, after all. On the surface, Rhys is cocky, an arrogant scoundrel more concerned with himself than with others. But that arrogance and cruelty are carefully cultivated facades meant to hide the fact that Rhys is actually incredibly compassionate and protective; if the other High Lords of Prythian fear Rhys, his people will be more protected. Somerhalder is unfortunately likely too old to play Rhys, but if any actor were qualified, both in looks and filmography, to play the Lord of Night, it would be him.
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8 Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes Was Born In 1981
Another obvious choice of actor to play Rhysand is Ben Barnes. Barnes is no stranger to playing genre roles, with his career really kicking off with the Chronicles of Narnia movies. More recently, he's found success playing jerks and baddies on TV, including Logan in Westworld, Billy Russo/Jigsaw in The Punisher, and, most recently, General Kirigan, a.k.a. the Darkling, in Shadow & Bone. He clearly has the dark good looks and the experience playing a villain to pull off playing Rhysand early in the story. Yet, Barnes also has the talent to be as convincing as Rhys once he drops his villain act and allows his truly good heart to shine through. As an added bonus, it would be very interesting to see Barnes play against type, first appearing to play another villain as always before flipping the script to play a true hero like the roles he tackled earlier in his career.