Get ready, because casting for main roles of Shadow and Bone‘s second season is officially underway. No name is in the hat yet, as the show is still in the early stages of casting for the new characters. However, today we received news that an actor of our acquaintance is auditioning for the most anticipated role of the season (if not the show, as some fans — myself included — would tell you): Sturmhond. And that actor is none other than Toby Sebastian, aka Trystane Martell of Sunspear, the Dornish prince introduced in seasons 5 of Game of Thrones.
The actor is also known for his role in The Music of Silence among other roles, and a musician; he is the older brother of Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh.
Shadow and Bone fans have been speculating for months on who would be cast as the mysterious pirate privateer, and dozens of actors have been ‘fancast’, but this is the first time we’ve heard about someone actually auditioning. As of now, we have no knowledge of other actors who are trying out for the part. Luckily for us, Toby Sebastian’s audition tape started circulating on Vimeo a few hours ago. It has since been deleted, but some fans were quick enough to download it and repost it. You can watch it here.
Personally, I was stunned by Toby’s performance in the tape. It was only one minute and 37 seconds, but he was able to convey all the swagger, sass, and self-confidence that make Sturmhond such a charismatic character. In the scene, he is talking to Alina as she (and Mal, presumably, if we’re going by book canon) is once more trying to escape the Darkling’s grasp. The scene could be set on land, or it could be set once they’re already on the Volkvolny schooner.
Without giving away any spoilers, Sturmhond is a privateer — which is a word he much prefers to pirate — who captains a modest fleet. He is an unparalleled sailor despite his young age, and a mysterious and infamous man feared by many for his ruthlessness. Word on the sea is that he got his nickname when he fed an enemy captain’s fingers to his dog. Despite the many rumors circulating about him, he is a loyal subject of Ravka who blockades the nation of Fjerda in order to aid his native land and provide resources to his country.
As we can see from the audition tape, just like in the books, the Sturmhond of the show is coy, witty, and can be very persuasive. When Alina Starkov meets Sturmhond in the second book of Leigh Bardugo’s trilogy, Siege and Storm, she describes him as a tall boy of about 20 years (noting that he looks too young to be such a feared captain) with muddy green eyes, hair a strange shade of red, a nose that’s been broken several times, and something else that she can’t quite place. Toby’s hair is certainly not red, but fans aren’t worried. But to understand why, we need to dip into SPOILERS territory, so keep reading at your own risk.
Game of Thrones veteran may play Sturmhond/Nikolai Lantsov in Shadow and Bone season 2 on Netflix
Somewhere in the first half of the book, we learn that Sturmhond is an alias created by Nikolai Lantsov, the younger prince of Ravka. Nikolai traveled the world: he went to university at Ketterdam, he served his time with the First Army, and he truly loves the sea. At one point during his late teenage years he realized a prince is too easy a hostage on a ship, and that he could do much more for his country if he impersonated a feared captain rather than playing the part of the perfect younger prince. He created a fake persona and an entire myth around Sturmhond, employing the services of a trusted Heartrender (Tolya Yul-Bataar) to tailor him and change his features beyond recognition.
When Alina and Mal — who put their trust in Stormhund — find out he is actually Prince Nikolai Lantsov, they are shocked and angry at Stormhund for lying to them. Their dynamics shift in various different ways that I won’t delve into here; suffice it to say that season 2 won’t lack drama.
Now, the question on every fan’s lips is: will the show cast two different actors, one for Sturmhond and one for Nikolai? Or will they only cast one actor and alter his appearance with the help of make-up, special effects and prosthetics?
In the books, Nikolai looks every bit the part of the golden prince: blond hair, hazel eyes, handsome beyond words. Alina thinks he came out of a fairytale. The casting doesn’t have to match the book’s physical description, although the show has set a very good precedent of being pretty faithful to book canon.
Many fans on the internet believe Shadow and Bone will cast one actor to play both parts. I personally reckon they will cast two, although I would be incredibly happy if they cast one and it ended up being Toby Sebastian (did I mention I fell in love with his interpretation in the audition tape? I swear I’m not biased because he played a Martell).
The reason why I believe they will cast two actors is that we’ve already seen Tailoring at work in season 1, when Marie acted as Alina’s double at the winter fete. Marie’s appearance was altered completely, and her scenes were acted and voiced by Alina actor Jessie Mei Li. I guess you could argue that the level of altering is a choice that can depend on the Tailor’s abilities and the person’s wishes, but if Nikolai was creating a secret identity, why would he risk even the smallest chance of being recognized? Better to look entirely different and less princely than risk being discovered.
This would mean that we would only have Sturmhond for a few episodes in season 2 (with the possibility to guest star again in later seasons if the show gets that far), as the actor playing Nikolai would take over at around Episode 3 or 4, according to my calculations.
What do you think of Toby Sebastian’s interpretation? Do you think they should cast two actors, or one? If the latter, who would you want to play Nikolai?
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