Cassandra Clare talks Robert Sheehan’s Simon audition
Robert Sheehan is the most recent member to join the cast of the highly-anticipated adaptation The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, which begins filming on August 15.
Author Cassandra Clare broke the news of Robert’s casting and is now spilling secrets from Robert’s audition:
Two scenes with just Simon and Clary, one where he first meets Jace, and the one where he catches Jace and Clary kissing in the hallway.
She also discussed the positive reaction to his casting:
I haven’t run across much negativity. Robbie’s probably the best-received piece of casting we’ve had. I guess what I would say is that first, there’s always an adjustment period, when you adjust your mental image of the character (and everyone’s mental image of a character is different) to encompass what a cast actor looks like. It doesn’t have to replace your mental image. You just sort of mentally accept the actor as a version. That seems to be 99.9% of people’s process.
When people say “He doesn’t look like Simon” they mean “He doesn’t look like Simon in my head” (since Simon, not being real, does not look a specific way beyond the general markers given to him in the book — brown hair, brown eyes, medium height, thin. Until we replace actors with the human equivalent of Dr. Who’s psychic paper, where you look at it and see whatever you want to see, there will never be total consensus about what a fictional character looks like or whether an actor matches them. Especially if you’ve gotten attached to a piece of fancasting. All that goes away when you actually see the actor acting the part, because the acting is actually what matters. (Obviously, if they suck, that’s a whole different story, but Robbie is a fantastic actor and I think that’s a large part of the why the response to him was so positive. You tend to trust people who’ve given great previous performances.)
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones will hit theaters on August 23, 2013.
What do you think of Robert as Simon? Are you excited to him in those scenes he auditioned with? Sound off in the comments!
TMI Source 
I think that Robert Sheehan will make an excellent Simon. And of course I want to see him do the scenes that landed him the role of Simon! They must be outstanding! I did visualize Simon a little differently, but I can definately keep an open mind. I just want to hear him do an Ameican accent as opposed to his Irish one!
I’m sorry I said “Simon” so many times!
I am excited…at first I was a little skeptical about the casting but it’s true…I’m thinking of it how I pictured them. I’m a Robert Sheehan fan so I’m down!!!! Can not wait to see this movie!!!!
Yeahhh you tell them, Cassie. Maybe when people read this they’ll stop complaining so much about the cast. -_- The fact peopple are saying they won’t see the movie just because they don’t like the cast is ridiculous. They’ll see it anyway. You know they bloody will.
I completely agree! I really do not care who anyone is played by as long as the don’t look like night and day compared to how I imagined the character and if they are a decent actor. I will see the movie no matter what and cannot wait to!
I’m loving the cast for far and I’m so happy and people to those who are dissastifed, stop complaining! Are you entitled to your our opinions, yes! Everyone is to a certain extent. But Cassie is extremely happy with the choice. She created the world and characters so obivously, she in’t wrong. Constantin is right too! and yeh I wanna scene those scens too
I just noticed an interesting thing here…The audition scenes Cassie has talked about, are actually the scenes in the original screenplay…I am totally going to re-read the past casting talks.
I love the cast for this movie cant wait
This is the most excited I’ve been for any of the casting so far- I do quite love the cast NOW, but I had to be reconciled to the idea of certain actors in certain parts…But as soon as I found out Robert was our Simon, I was ecstatic. He will be fantastic! He just oozes the very essence of Simon’s character, and I am so very, VERY happy to know he is part of the cast!
IIIIIIIIII LLLLLLLOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEEE TTTTHHHHEEEEE CCCCCAAASSSSTTTT they are all going to do us all proud. yeah Robert may not look like your Simon, but honestly the looks don’t count, the acting does, plus if Robert was a shit actor I’m sure they wouldn’t of evev cast him as Simon 😀 I LOVE THIS,,,,, hes such an amazing individual ❤
I love this casting. I think it’s fantastic. It’s not exactly what i thought Simon would look like but it’s really good. I love the whole cast. I’m still skeptical about Jamie Campbell-Bower as Jace, but if people who made a cast like this thinks he’s good, then I’m willing to have an open mind. And my friend and I think we know who Alec is. We are hoping we’re right
YES! Love Robert Sheehan and love the fact that a fellow Irish person is in the film. One for the Paddys! One of my crappy claims to fame is that I had went on a night out with him and some friends when I was in Uni. He got really drunk and stuck his finger down the back of my jeans and into my ass crack! But apart from that he was nice and funny!
YES! I LOVE Robert Sheehan and I think he would be brilliant for Simon and Simon’s brilliant one-liners. And he’s Irish, like me. Paddy power! One of my crappy claims to fame is that I went on a night out with him while at uni and he got really drunk and stuck his finger down the back of my jeans and in my arse crack! He was very nice and funny though.
LOVE Robert Sheehan! He’ll deliver Simon’s one-liners brilliantly. And he’s a fellow Paddy! That’s one for us Irish!
Honestly, I have only seen a snippet of Robert’s work, so I can’t really say if he’s a good actor or not. But if Cassandra Clare and Lily and Jamie say he’s the best Simon, then I’ll believe that Robert will do Simon justice.