In response to a fan who once asked Robert Jordan which actors and actresses he would cast if a movie were made about the Wheel of Time, he said that such power was never given to an author, but, regardless, he had never really thought much about it. He went on to say something about Sean Connery or Patrick Stewart in relation to Thom Merrilin, but that was the extent of it.
RJ’s notes, however, tell us that the fan may have asked the wrong question, as they give us insight into models he may have used for some of the characters. Whether these associations were prompted by the fan’s question, or whether RJ used these actors from the start as helpful visualizations, we don’t know. But it’s fun to learn about actors he may have associated with some of the WoT characters.