Keith Carradine could have done it.

David Warner if he could do the accent.
But what about an Irish actir?
It's not "Sci-Fi", it's "SF"!
"Calvinism is a very liberal religious ethos." - Truekiwijoker

Michael J Fox.

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I actually think O'Neal suited the role, but McDowell would've been awesome in it too.
Having an opinion can save your life. Just ask Marvin.

Anybody except Ryan O'neil, his performance is the only thing in this beautiful movie that doesn't fit quite right at all.

In the same way that the look of a Kubrick movie is often more important than its content.

They are better actors than O'Neal but none of them had his angelic good look. The way O'Neal looked was many times more important than his acting.

Tom Courtney, Oliver Reed or Alan Bates.

Ryan O'Neal was outstanding in the lead.

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If Ronald Colman, Richard Burton, Frederic March, Peter O'Toole (all in their youth, of course) would be ideal.
They would have brought too much Hubris, would have been too self aware. Almost the stereotype of the typical "rogue."
Although lacking the charm of the above mentioned, Ryan O Neal brings a quiet, calculating resolve to his character that works much better.
O'Neal, sounding like he just got off his surf board in Malibu, is an embarrassment.
No he really doesn't, he actually came off as someone who studied and observed the accent thoroughly, although I can't say that about most of his roles. Ryan O Neal actually worked on this role and put some effort into it.

Since Ryan O'Neal was the worst possible choice for the role, just about anyone would have been a better choice, including Woody Allen or Arnold Stang.
If Ronald Colman, Richard Burton, Frederic March, Peter O'Toole (all in their youth, of course) would be ideal.
O'Neal, sounding like he just got off his surf board in Malibu, is an embarrassment.

I thought I did this already, but maybe there's a delay (my first post=noob.) So I will give the short version:
Then: Leonard Whiting (Romeo and Juliet)
Beautiful, could act, could get the accent(Irish and uppah crust Brit)better than Ryan with his flat American that kept popping through.
Now: Aidan Turner (Ross Poldark, Kili the Elf). He IS Irish, beautiful, a terrific actor.
Loved seeing Marisa Berenson.
Found out why Ryan and Farrah named their son Redmond.
All in all, a C because I fell asleep, which is better than staying awake yelling at the screen.

Oliver Reed.

I just watched it and thought the whole way through Malcolm McDowell would be fantastic. Watch him in O Lucky Man!

Malcolm McDowell and Anthony Hopkins both would have been interesting( as would have David Hemmings) but after watching Barry Lyndon again for first time in a while, I do think that Ryan O'Neil did do a good ( great?) job. It's not as as an immediately iconic a performance as say Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange, Jack Nicholson in The Shining, or George C. Scott in Dr. Strangelove but O'Neil was able to bring enough nuances to the role that he definitely worked despite not being the most well suited for the part.

David Hemmings

I do think however that Ryan was a good choice to play Redmond (bad accent and all). Ryan's poor accent lends to Redmond's inability to ever fit in with the English Aristocracy. Remember also that the Chevalier himself spoke German and Hungarian with a passive Irish lilt that the Chief of Police in Prussia found highly suspect as well. It's a running theme throughout the film about not fitting in.
I don't know, What was so bad about it?

Brilliant, by today's standards!

Channing Tatum.

Barry Lyndon is one of my all time favorite films as well.
I do think however that Ryan was a good choice to play Redmond (bad accent and all). Ryan's poor accent lends to Redmond's inability to ever fit in with the English Aristocracy. Remember also that the Chevalier himself spoke German and Hungarian with a passive Irish lilt that the Chief of Police in Prussia found highly suspect as well. It's a running theme throughout the film about not fitting in.
"Where's your spark now?"

Ryan O'Neal. He has the youth and fecklessness of the character, and they've lasted for decades.
Ryan O'Neal's best films:
Paper Moon
Barry Lyndon
The Driver
Tough Guys Don't Dance

The character of Barry Lyndon requires a certain sense of naivet. He's an opportunistic social climber, but there's a kind of cluelessness in the way he blunders crudely from one situation to the next. Both Malcolm McDowell and Anthony Hopkins would've been too "knowing" and self aware to really carry this off. Ryan O'Neal might have his limitations as an actor, but he was right for this part.
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