Samantha Spiro Joins Narnia Cast in First Confirmed Voice Role
Samantha Spiro has joined the cast of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia movie, providing the voice of a Beaver. The news was first reported by What’s On Netflix after the role details appeared on Spiro’s online résumé.
The multi Olivier Award winning stage actress previously starred opposite Emma Mackey in Netflix’s Sex Education, and has also had minor roles in numerous popular TV shows such as Game of Thrones and Doctor Who.
Spiro joins a slowly expanding cast list for the film, which also includes Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan and Denise Gough, but is notable for being the first confirmed voice role for any of the talking animal characters from the story so far.
In a perhaps fortuitous coincidence, the Beavers are noted in the book as the being the very first animals listed who are gifted the ability of speech by Aslan:
“And now, for the first time, the Lion was quite silent. He was going to and fro among the animals. And every now and then he would go up to two of them (always two at a time) and touch their noses with his. He would touch two beavers among all the beavers, two leopards among all the leopards, one stag and one deer among all the deer, and leave the rest. Some sorts of animal he passed over altogether. But the pairs which he had touched instantly left their own kinds and followed him.”
The Magician’s Nephew, Chapter 9
Other talking animals mentioned within the book include Badgers, Bears, Boars, Bulldogs, Donkeys, Elephants, Elks, Jackdaws, Moles, Owls, Panthers, Rabbits, Ravens and Warthogs, amongst many more.
Audio samples of Samantha Spiro’s voice can be found on her voice acting agency’s website here.
Did a quick search. The book has one spoken line by a beaver (from the male):
“Well?” said the He-Beaver at last, “what, in the name of Aslan, are these?”
But given, we will see more beavers in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, it should be cool to have some intro to the beavers in this movie.
It’s a pleasant change to actually hear what a role is when someone has been cast and whether it’s voice acting or not.
Interesting that the first animal voice we learn of is for a beaver. I wonder if Gerwig is trying to create really strong ties between characters in MN and LWW. Wouldn’t be surprised if the movie actually ends up being a part one of a two part movie that combines MN and LWW. Not that I would like that at all!
Remember how Jadis really hated the beavers, to the extent they were nearly, “stamped out?”. Maybe the beavers have a much greater role in this movie?