By Pat Gulley
We seem to be talking a lot about actors and the parts they
play in movies made from our favorite books. Not surprising, it seems Hollywood
So, here’s the fun part and a promo op for all authors,
whether it is your novel or short story, to do a little daydreaming about when
Hollywood comes calling and who you’d like to see play the lead roll in your
book. Surprisingly, to some, I don’t see my book as a big screen movie. I’d
prefer to see it as a made for TV drama on a station women love to watch, and may
watch more than once. By the way, most of my characters are in their fifties,
with two in their forties. I used:
to find (and make sure) they were over 50 actresses. They
have other age groups sites too.
So though I’d like to see Meryl Streep or Glen Close in the
roll of Prudence Peters, my protagonist, or one of my antagonists (don’t read
villain) Pru’s westcoast director, Donna Makely, I also like Jessica Lang or
Sela Ward for Pru. OTOH, for attitude, I’m positive Sigourney Weaver or Holly
Hunter could bring the attitude and hard business woman of Donna Makely alive.
Holly and British actress Anna Massey could handle the eyebrow of Harriet
Beecher Merriweather.
So let’s hear it, put on your casting director hat, drag out
a casting couch, and cast your book. Well not the whole list of characters, but
two or three.
7 comments:
Like you I think I'd rather see my story told on the smaller screen than a movie screen.
As I've only just completed my first book. (Well completed for this stage) I haven't really thought about this question, but it would be a thirty something dark haired British actress.
MM, you've left me with something to think about now....
In my second novel, which is still unpublished, A Travel Guide to Murder, I cast Shirley McLean in the leading older woman's role. My main character would have been Natasha Richardson, but she unexpectely died soon after I wrote it. I was blown away when I heard that she had died. My leading lady, lost.
I think I've done this before, but here goes:
For the DIY books, Kate Hudson for Avery, Aaron Eckhardt for Derek, and Leslie Bibb for Melissa.
For the Cutthroat Business books, I've always seen Faith Hill as Savannah. Simon Baker for Tim, some blandly good-looking blond for Todd, and a British actor named O-T (or O.T.) Fagbenle as Rafe. He can do an American accent. I've heard it. If you want a look at him, I did a blog post once: http://theabcsofdiy.blogspot.com/2011/05/houses-hunks-and-whodunit-part-2.html
As a movie lover from itsybitsy hood, I've always cast my characters. The original cast for the first of my mystery series are too old now. I was a La Femme Nikita fan and cast Peta Wilson and Roy Dupuis.
The current movie version is sort of waiting for Dakota Fanning to hit 21, and I can't seem to find a 30 something actor for the lead who has enough substance. But Robert Pattinson would be great as Averill, the absinthe loving poet.
In "The Professor's Books" which appears in FISH TALES, a Guppy anthology, I picture Judith Dench as Tilly, at least as she appears in PBS's CRANFORD series. Tilly has been the faithful housekeeper of the professor for years, but she's not too bright. When she's close to being discovered for helping herself to some of the professor's books and selling them one at a time at a used book store, she feels the only thing that will save her is if the professor dies. Gloria Alden
Great question, Pat, and it gives us all a moment to fantasize. When I started the Sandi Webster series, I had a young Sally Field in mind. Sandi took on a life of her own, but I'd stick with that choice. For the Bogey series, of course, it would have to be someone in their thirties who very closely resembled Humphrey Bogart. This is fun!
Thank you everyone who responded. What really pleases me is to see more than the 'usual suspects'. I had hoped to see more from people with WIPs and short stories.
patg
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