An actor’s established persona can override a film’s intended moral stance.

Evidence

The casting of John Hurt as Ward is a declaration of intent. He is at the center of the film, and it would be difficult for this actor to play an unsympathetic character. — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 369

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the phenomenon of casting-as-argument in film criticism, where recognizability of an actor shapes reception before a frame plays. — connects to: Casting can steer audience sympathy against the script’s intent — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 330
• SEED: Could seed an essay on how casting against or with type functions as the director’s first and most powerful rhetorical move.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 369