The description of Roland (IN the last novel on page 486) by Mrs. Tassenbaum ( after she buys him some new clothing ) is as follows : " with the unruly mop of gray-flecked hair combed straight back from his brow, she had revealed the spare good looks and angular features of an interesting crossbreed: a mixture of Quaker and Cherokee was what she imagined."

That line stuck in my head somewhere and although Idirs Elba is a great actor, the role clearly requires a different person.

I was thinking the guy from "Hell on Wheels"...I could definitely see him as Roland.