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Who is Dagny Taggart?

Posted by sdesapio 11 years, 3 months ago to Entertainment
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Beautiful, tenacious, and fearless, Dagny Taggart has inspired women and men alike for over 50 years.

As Atlas Shrugged Part 3 heads to production, some major decisions still lay ahead. For the past several months, we've read all over the web everything from "Taylor was PERFECT!" to "Samantha IS Dagny!" to "You should have case [INSERT NAME HERE]!"

Now it's time for you to tell us directly. Who is Dagny Taggart?

Taylor from Part 1? Samantha from Part 2? If you had to pick someone else, who would it be? Beyond her ability to embody the character of Dagny Taggart, what else should be considered when casting Dagny? Should she already be an advocate of Ayn Rand's ideas? Should she have at least read Atlas?


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  • 40
    Posted by donleycott 11 years, 3 months ago
    Taylor from Part 1 is our choice, I don't care about her personal ideologies, unless she is Jane Fonda. Taylor had a certain innocence and yet portrayed a hard Capitalistic driver. She was more believable.
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  • 32
    Posted by rcunha 11 years, 3 months ago
    Taylor was the more accurate portrayal as Dagny. She rocked. The more of Part 1's Cast you can get, the better the movie will be.
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  • 30
    Posted by drjonz 11 years, 3 months ago
    Taylor started slow, but absolutely got the character down perfectly soon into the film. Samantha was mopey and whiny. For that matter, just bring back everyone from the first film.
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  • 28
    Posted by 40Below 11 years, 3 months ago
    Bring back everyone from ASP1!
    Taylor was excellent as Dagny. She looked and acted just like I pictured Dagny while reading the book. Same for Hank.
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  • 20
    Posted by menagerie56 11 years, 3 months ago
    Please bring back Taylor! She is a much better actor who really brought Dagny to life; beautiful, strong, and determined. I really did not enjoy Samantha's acting and felt that she was a poor fit.
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  • 19
    Posted by spmx497 11 years, 3 months ago
    Taylor had a greater range of expression. She was the beautiful steely-eyed business women, who could let down her guard and demonstrate her vulnerability side. Samantha always looked like a worried, stressed-out mother whose kids are late coming from school. Personally, I liked the whole cast from Part 1 better. I don't care about ideology. Meryl Streep would be an awesome Dagny no matter where she stands on the issues.
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    • Posted by reard771 11 years, 3 months ago
      I agree, a younger Meryl Streep type would work. When I saw Part I, I thought Taylor was too girly and immature. She didn't strike me
      as someone who would actually know how to run a railroad. I felt her character was not capable of coming up with the lines she spoke. Her voice was too whisper-sexy most of the time. She looks 27, and Dagny is 35 and tougher. I'd like someone in between Taylor's youthful energy and Samantha's angst-ridden timid delivery. Neither one was ideal. The personal politics are not important as long as she reads Atlas to understand the role. The role is so much deeper than either of the scripts (I or II) would indicate.

      A good movie is about telling a good story, not a political lecture. Who came up with Dagny's line "That's not even charitable" in Part I? Where does she say anything like that in the book? She's a businesswoman, not a philosopher or politician.

      I liked Beghe's Rearden of Part II better than Grant, who was too soft for a guy that started working in the foundries as a kid. Grant was a little too average cleancut good-looking, but his acting was ok. I preferred Beghe's rough voice -- breathing iron dust and smoke for 30 years will do that!
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  • 15
    Posted by Jvhoot 11 years, 3 months ago
    Please bring Taylor back as Dagny! She embodied every part of Dagny from the books. I was quite disappointed with Samantha, as she wasn't strong like Dagny, but mousey and timid. No offense to Samantha. I just believed Taylor was Dagny!
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    • Posted by mumps1 11 years, 3 months ago
      In number 1 Dagny (Taylor) was young, beautiful and looked exactly as I thought she would. On the other hand in number 2 Dagny (Samantha) was middle aged, overweight, and a poor actress.
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  • 13
    Posted by Cmlgambino 11 years, 3 months ago
    I would have to agree that Taylor is Dagny Taggart. Her presence on the screen is the cool yet passionate and determined Dagny of Rand's. Please bring her back. The ending needs her!!
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  • 13
    Posted by ssmerika 11 years, 3 months ago
    I thought Samantha was a horrible actress- Taylor was MUCH better, and I feel like she understood the character more.
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    • Posted by Storo 11 years, 3 months ago
      I don't think Samantha is a particularly bad actress, but having seen Part 1 and anticipating Part 2, I was rather disappointed with Samantha as she seemed old and tired compared to the energy and spark that Taylor brought to the part.
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  • Posted by BYJR 11 years, 3 months ago
    Please bring back Taylor Schilling, as she portrayed Dagney exactly as I had envisioned her when I read Atlas. Samantha did fine, but Taylor did much better. I don't care whether you bring all the original cast from Part 1 back, EXCEPT the Francisco actor from Part 1 was terrible, and the one in Part 2 (Esai Morales) was GREAT so you should use him.

    Re John Galt, I have defiite misgivings with your using D.B. Sweeney, as he does not have the presence. The guy in Part 1 was not much better. You've got to have someone with some serious PRESENCE to play John Galt. Perhaps Tim DeKay (from White Collar TV show), or a white, American version of British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor from Serenity (now that fellow's got presence - almost stole the entire movie!).
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    • Posted by $ Susanne 11 years, 3 months ago
      You are so right on about Galt... Neither showed anywhere near the overwhelming "is" of the Galt character, which must be a strong, dominant, mature, and especially, considering he has the admiration of the most powerful (and no-nonsense) captains of industry, deep thinking man... Add to this you need to match the chemistry of Dagny to Galt... This is going to take a lot of work (and likely money) to get the *right* actor...
      TO me... someone like Chris Hemsworth could pull off both the "track worker John", the "make the looters squirm" John, and the "one with the business titans" John. Lookswise - he fits. And he can act.
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      • Posted by $ brewer37 11 years, 3 months ago
        Brad Pitt. It might take a little more money.
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        • Posted by $ Susanne 11 years, 3 months ago
          That would be a hard one... he does have the looks, his age is right on the money, he and Taylor would be a stunning couple, and he has played ultra-high "horsepower" characters... add to that he did come from conservative roots, but he's a champion of the looter class and a serious Obamaist. Otherwise, I really *do* think that he could play the part and do it justice... plus, having a major name as JG would propel AS3 into the stratosphere... I'm just not sure if someone of his political leanings would detract from the credibility of the message...

          It's too bad Eastwood isn't about 40 years younger! ;-)
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