This is the old cast list from April 1999. If you're looking for the new cast list from October 2000, go here. Otherwise, enjoy this work of nostalgia. :)

Let's say for a moment that some Hollywood producer thought that The Wheel Of Time was marketable and would be a huge hit. What would his or her first impulse be? Why, to crunch all the books into one single movie, of course.

I agree. A frightening prospect.

So I was thinking more like a really long mini-series, with a two-hour episode for each book. Get directors like Steven Spielberg (yeah, right!), Peter Jackson, and the Wachowski Brothers. Spend millions of dollars on sets and computer special effects, and pay all these actors and actresses huge amounts of money. All of Hollywood would stop everything else to concentrate on this one project. Even George Lucas would put a hold on the Star Wars movies to come down and have a look. It would be one big party!

Of course, this would never happen, and the likelihood of the WOT series ever being processed by the Hollywood marketing machine is lottery-odds slim at best, so this cast list, like all the other ones, is merely a daydream, to be enjoyed for a moment, then forgotten like Atari.

Yes indeedy, this is the new and improved cast list, with pictures, more casting choices, and a longer page load time! Woo-hoo! We've got a hundred characters to go through, so let's not waste any time. If it isn't already, your screen resolution should be at least 800x600, and at least 32,000 colors would be a good idea, too. Note: the format is Character, Picture, Actor, Reason. In the Reason column, the actor's most well-known project is in brackets.

Rand al'Thor		Ryan Phillippe	There's a rumour that he can act; he's fairly tall and in good shape; he's young enough to look like he's under 20, even though he's not; and, the girls seem to like him. (Cruel Intentions)
Mat Cauthon		Freddie Prinze Jr.	When I look at him on the screen, he looks like he's wanting to goof around on somebody. I hear he's good-looking, too. (She's All That)
Perrin Aybara		Jerry O'Connell	Originally, I had Jerry as Rand, but he's one of the few young actors working today who could seriously buff himself up while still retaining a nugget of innocence. Big change from his 'Stand By Me' days... (Sliders, Scream 2)
Egwene al'Vere		Anna Paquin	In reading the WOT series, I always got the sense that Egwene was the youngest-looking girl of the group, and there aren't many young actresses better than Anna Paquin (note the Oscar win). She can age with the production without looking like she's aging, too. (The Piano)
Elayne Trakand		Alicia Silverstone	I'm sticking with my original pick, come hell or high water! :) Sure, she hasn't had a hit movie since 'Clueless' (I don't count 'Batman and Robin'). She can really cop a snooty attitude, though, which would make her perfect for this role. (Clueless, Blast From The Past)
Nynaeve al'Meara		Kate Winslet	I'm really going out on a limb here with this casting choice (wait 'til we get to Lan!), but Winslet has the acting chops to make this work. The hard part will be keeping the audience's sympathy while being constantly miffed during nearly every scene. Kate can do it. (Titanic)
Min Farshaw		Fairuza Balk	Underneath that tough, scrappy outer shell that Fairuza presents to the audience in her movies, there is a soft, tender inside just waiting to emerge. Balk would walk right into Min's character without even blinking. (The Waterboy, The Craft)
Aviendha		Bridgette Wilson	The tough part about casting Aviendha is that you have to find a young actress who can be athletic and beautiful without one getting in the way of the other. Wilson's the best of the bunch. (Billy Madison, Mortal Kombat)
Faile		Sarah Michelle Gellar	The main reason why I didn't cast Sarah as Aviendha is her height, so Faile was the next logical choice. Remember that scene with Faile and Berelain in 'The Shadow Rising'? Love them catfights... (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Cruel Intentions)
Moiraine Damodred		Jodie Foster	In Moiraine, you need an attractive, strong woman with a commanding presence. If Jodie looked you in the eye and started giving you what for, don't you think you'd be running to follow her orders faster than you could say "Oscar-winning actress"? (Contact, Silence of the Lambs)
al'Lan Mandragoran		Clancy Brown	Who? Clancy Brown? The actor who played the bad guy in Highlander? The corrupt guard in Shawshank Redemption? That's right. Remember Lan's description? A man with a hard, angular, rough face, and a muscular body. If you think about this for a while, you might see the sense in my suggestion. Or perhaps not. :) (Highlander)