If Brendon was played by a different actor... *SPOILERS*

I know this board has been dead for a few months but I've just finished watching Part 2 (watched Pt 1 almost a year ago and never got round to finishing it ) but I have to say one of the things that intrigues me the most about this movie is the opinions of those who have seen it - especially females.

Now, to me, I know Tennant from things like Doctor Who and Casanova, where his character is often a lovable, slightly eccentric, occasionally morally ambiguous joker who, most of the time, you just wanna hang out with and occasionally slap on the back of the head. That said, his portrayal in this as a charming but obviously bordering-on-psychopathic obsessive stalker was absolutely fantastic. Honestly. One of the best performances of his that I've seen (and yes, I am a fan).

However, one thing that slightly concerns me is the reaction by some females to his character. It seems to me that people have a habit of mixing actors with their characters - using an actor's reputation as a 'nice guy' combined with previous parts they've played to try and excuse a despicable character's actions. To me, although I like Tennant, Brendan is someone I would cross the street to avoid. It seemed fairly obvious to me that he was somehow responsible for the death of Miranda's brother and the later murders. Hell, this character was undeniably a rapist! He was not a nice guy! However, because of the actor playing him, many seem to look for any excuse to dismiss this.

So. I have a question. If Brendan wasn't played by Tennant - let's say he was played by some random, generally unknown actor with Tennant's talent - would anyone still try and make excuses for his actions/dismiss them? Or would the general consensus now be that Brendan is as appalling as is evident in the film? In other words, does the casting affect how people see characters?

PS Yes, I am aware that this was made before Tennant became Doctor Who but it doesn't take away from the fact that this is a guy who is generally known for being 'light and fluffy' with his choices of roles - the exceptions (as far as I know) being this and Hamlet/Richard II.


Someday I'm gonna make a movie then laugh watching people over-analyse it