Interaction of a columnar vortex with a long circular cylinder translated normal to the vortex axis is examined for the case where the cylinder diameter is much larger than the vortex core radius. The study focuses on understanding and quantifying the limitations of traditional vortex filament models arising from vortex-induced separation of the cylinder boundary layer and vortex core shape deformation. These limitations are examined over a wide range of values of the impact parameter, defined as the ratio of the ambient normal velocity past the cylinder to the maximum vortex azimuthal velocity. Filament model predictions of vortex displacement are compared to experimental data both before and after vortex-induced boundary-layer separation. Experimental data are presented showing the importance of the ambient normal velocity to the cylinder in delaying vortex-induced boundary-layer separation, so that for cases with high impact parameter the flow is governed by inviscid effects even as the vortex moves quite close to the cylinder surface. The inviscid shape deformation of the vortex core is modest in the cases examined, even for close vortex-cylinder interaction