Perfect Casting, part 2

[Priscellie]

Murphy:  Renee O'Connor!  She was Gabriella in Xena.   She got Really Good martial-arts-wise by the end of the series.  Significantly better than Lucy Lawless (Xena) who tends to be a bit clumsy (I've heard).  The Story Goes that they had to be careful how much of her they showed of Renee or the Side Kick would be showing up The Main Character.

No luck finding later-seasons videos of her fighting on youtube, but I have no doubt she could pull it off. 

Short blond: Check  (5'4")
Sweet: Check
Kicks Ass: Check

Fer instance:


Are we sold yet?!

Holy crap yes.

Actually, for the graphic novel, Jim instructed Ardian to combine "Scully and Gabrielle" for Murph, so you're bang on the money. XD

[SometimesKate]

At this point Renee O'Connor is a good age to play Murphy as well.   

I just want to point out that Paul Bettany would be a dreadful Harry, because the man doesn't have eyebrows!  Granted, that hasn't stopped Viggo Mortenson, but Bettany would be better as one of the WASPy Red-Court twins or Rudolph than as someone as cool has Harry.

[Snowleopard]

After seeing Cowboys and Aliens I think Daniel Craig would make a great Kincaid.

[Griffyn612]

Since I have this link handy from posting it in another thread, I'll toss it in here.  Spencer Locke for Molly. 

My problem with casting is that all my folks would have been the perfect age for a series starting 5 or 6 years ago, rather than now.

[NeuroHeart]

I have had long discussions about this with many friends of mine, and cast a great many characters in my head over years of reading. Wish I'd gotten in on this thread a little earlier, but what the heck, here's my list:

Harry I've pictured as Nathan Fillion for several years, so I'm stoked that he leads the poll on this thread. I've seen him be deadly serious and total wiseass, so he for sure has the range, and he's tall (not close to seven feet, but certainly over six feet, I've met him) and I think he looks like Harry.
Now, I have heard Jim say Erica Cerra is Susan, and I'm not saying that would be a bad call, but I always picture Gina Torres, myself.
I like Renee O'Connor as Murphy. I kind of picture Melissa Rauch (if not her voice) as Murphy most of the time, because she is blond, and cute, and literally five feet tall. For fight scenes, though, Renee is doubtless the better choice.
I have an interesting choice for Marcone; Sean Maher. I keep thinking it doesn't work because he's rather young, but then when I read the books I keep picturing it. He has a certain skill for self-contained intensity that just resonates with my idea of Marcone.
I've pictured Michael as Alan Tudyk almost since he appeared, mostly because he's the only actor I can see delivering those lines without irritating me, but I also think he has the right structure for it, especially when he's been working out. (I have a very clear picture of Charity in my head, but I can't think of anyone who could play her, apart from maybe Carrie Fisher back in her heyday.)
Lea has always appeared as Christina Hendricks to me.
Molly is tricky, because she grows up over the course of the books. Grown Molly I kind of picture as (younger) Rose McGowan, though. I don't know who the heck I would cast if it were going to start filming today.
I have a lot of trouble casting Ebenezer. I can picture him just fine, but I can't really name anyone who looks like what I see in my head. I think the closest might be Rip Torn.
Just because he has proven himself so good at playing evil, I tend to picture David Boreanaz as Nicodemus.
Butters is totally David Krumholtz. He's even got the hair for it.
The Mab of my imagination kind of fluctuates between Juliet Landau and Oliva Wilde.
Many people seem to agree with me on Thomas. Always always pictured him as James Marsters. Difficult not to, really. For Justine I think Kat Dennings comes closest to what I see in my head. (Oh, and I totally agree on Cillian Murphy as Madrigal, that's a great call)
Enver Gjokaj as Ramirez.
D.B. Woodside as Sanja, though I kind of love the idea of Old Spice guy, as well.
I think Christina Ricci would come closest to my picture of Lasciel, though I suppose her appearance changes from time to time.
I think I see Elaine as Claire Danes. Or Amy Acker. I know, they're quite different.
Gard I see as Katee Sackhoff.
I've seen Angelina Jolie mentioned for Lara. I can't really disagree with that.
I only skimmed the thread, but I haven't seen many names put forward for Luccio. I would submit Patty Duke for pre-swap, and Shirley Yeung for post-swap (though, I'm not sure if she can speak English or not, but she's just exactly what I picture, and this is all fantasy casting anyway.)
I'll agree with Clancy Brown as Morgan.
I think I'd like to see Hugh Laurie as the Merlin. He does irritation so well.

I'm sure I'm missing a few, but it's getting late and I can't think of anyone else just now.

P.S.

After watching Leverage, I think Christian Kane would make an excellent Kincaid. I know people have already suggested him, based on Angel, but I've never seen it, so I had nothing to base that on.

Yes! I could totally see that. I think of Kincaid as a little taller, but I could still totally see that.
(If you didn't notice the pattern in my own casting picks, I kind of have a fondness for almost anyone who was on pretty much any Whedon show. What can I say? They tend to be cast fairly well in nearly all cases.)

[SometimesKate]

I see Christopher Lee as the Merlin.  He really is just perfect for the role.   Clancy Brown as Morgan?  I suppose he can do it, but he'd be a better Marcone, I think.  Then, in my mind he's still that really hot guy from Buckaroo Banzai and Highlander, which tells far too much of my age, I'm sure. 

The problem with blond actors playing Micheal and Thomas is that they're not blond.  They're both described as having black hair and, I'm sure Thomas does, and I think Micheal also does, have grey eyes.   At one point the books mention Alicia is the only exception to the boys with dark hair/girls with blonde theme the family has.  Sandahl Bergman would be an interesting choice for Gard, but she is a bit too old now.   Too many actresses nowadays fit into a very small mold, no pun intended.  The women in the DV range from tiny Murphy to six-foot Charity and Murphy, to Gard, who is even taller. 

And Mab is totally Tilda Swinton.

[NeuroHeart]

The problem with blond actors playing Micheal and Thomas is that they're not blond.  They're both described as having black hair and, I'm sure Thomas does, and I think Micheal also does, have grey eyes.

Hair dye exists, and James Marsters is a natural brunette. (Though by this point it's going gray, which is a sad story, but the man *is* pushing fifty, after all.) And he even has natural curl in his hair, which Thomas has as well.

I don't think that Tilda Swinton has the look to play Mab. She's rather androgynous. Famously so, actually. Mab is blatantly feminine and beautiful beyond the pale.

I wouldn't argue with Christopher Lee as the Merlin. He's not exactly what I picture, but I could see it.

I'll have to re-read the books (for a fourth or fifth time,) but it's interesting to me that so many casts of Marcone are older guys. I always thought he was near Harry's age. It said he was a young thug when the little girl got caught in the crossfire, right? And she's basically an adolescent when we see her in Death Masks, so he can't be that old, certainly not past middle age. I know I cast him a little young (though I do age the actor up a few years in my head) but he's certainly not in his fifties or sixties. Is he?

[SometimesKate]

I'll have to re-read the books (for a fourth or fifth time,) but it's interesting to me that so many casts of Marcone are older guys. I always thought he was near Harry's age. It said he was a young thug when the little girl got caught in the crossfire, right? And she's basically an adolescent when we see her in Death Masks, so he can't be that old, certainly not past middle age. I know I cast him a little young (though I do age the actor up a few years in my head) but he's certainly not in his fifties or sixties. Is he?

That's one of those 'who the heck knows' issues.  Seriously, at the risk of being critical, it really isn't well-described.  I keep picturing him in his 40's or 50's, but he couldn't have been a young punk less than a decade ago if he were.  But if he were Harry's age, I do not believe he could have taken control and done so as effectively as he has.  Someone like Torelli would never follow or obey someone he viewed as substantively younger, even in the very.. um... poor way Torelli has, given that he's always plotting to take over the organization. 

Someone mentioned Sean Maher as Marcone, and in a way he has the right look, but he's too slight, in my opinion. 

Yes, James Marsters isn't a natural blonde, but that hair colour wasn't natural -anything-.  He might be an interesting Marcone, now that I think of it. 

[Figging Mint]

Young actors look young.    It is difficult for young actors to look world-wise, and when they manage it they succeed mostly in fooling the younger viewership.

This is one of those things where how one tells a story on screen is not how one would do it in real life.

[SometimesKate]

I think the problem is that most young actors are tv or movie stars, or they want to be.  They're not actual actors.    A good actor, male or female, can convince you of almost anything.  Though, and I was a theatre major in college so I did take both stage and film acting classes, movies are vastly different from doing plays on the stage.  In some ways it's easier, but in others far more difficult. 

[NeuroHeart]

Someone mentioned Sean Maher as Marcone, and in a way he has the right look, but he's too slight, in my opinion.

That was me He is built fairly slightly (though he's hiding some muscle, actually) but I never saw Marcone as a big guy; I always saw him as the guy who is surrounded by big guys, but is more intimidating than any of them when he narrows his eyes a little bit. Sean Maher has a thunderous glare when he wants to. He also has very light eyes.
I always thought that one of the things that made Marcone so impressive was that he had built this crime empire up despite being rather young for it. Maybe I was imagining that.

Yes, James Marsters isn't a natural blonde, but that hair colour wasn't natural -anything-.

Heh, I am very aware.
If I were to cast Thomas based on hair, I'd cast Aiden Turner (the one from the BBC's Being Human) because he definitely has the perfect hair for it, and he's definitely handsome as well. He might be able to pull it off.

[bellmaker]

Clancy Brown who some have suggested for Morgan would also make a good Marcone he can go from creepy to nice in a blink I personality could see him more has Marcoen who is described as a scary High school coach.

[Ziggelly]

If I were to cast Thomas based on hair, I'd cast Aiden Turner (the one from the BBC's Being Human) because he definitely has the perfect hair for it, and he's definitely handsome as well. He might be able to pull it off.

Aiden's definitely good-looking, there's no denying that, but he's not attractive in the right way for Thomas, I don't think. He's not what I'd classify as a "pretty-boy" - like, say, Orlando Bloom, or Matt Bomer. And White Court vampires are supposed to be very pale. Aiden's very much not pale.
... Plus, obviously, there's the fact that he's Irish. Do we know if he can do a passable American accent? And removing the accent would probably take away at least 10% of his charm. But that's just me.

Other than that, he's perfect. He's got mad acting skills. His character in Being Human had a kind of Thomas-like (that is, a kind of self-hatred, "I'm a monster and a psychopath, and I'm going to brood about it 'cause I can't help it, and you should just kill me now because I'm such an awful person", mixed with a kind of acceptance of that same monster-side - "Why should I fight it? Hell, I'm just going to kill a train of people now because I'm angry. Why not?" - lackadaisical, sharp-witted, outwardly calm when everything's going to hell) personality.

[NeuroHeart]

So this occurred to me, what about Milla Jovovich as Lara?


I know I would lose the knack for coherent speech around her.

Aiden's definitely good-looking, there's no denying that, but he's not attractive in the right way for Thomas, I don't think. He's not what I'd classify as a "pretty-boy"

Fair point, though I think he'd have the potential for it if he didn't have the perma-stubble going on. I have certainly had a couple of "He's so pretty" moments watching that show.

And White Court vampires are supposed to be very pale. Aiden's very much not pale.

Also fair point. I'm sure something could be done about that, effects-wise, but it might be expensive.

... Plus, obviously, there's the fact that he's Irish. Do we know if he can do a passable American accent? And removing the accent would probably take away at least 10% of his charm. But that's just me.

I have no idea if he can, and I don't know if I would want him to, I am a fan of that accent. It's not terribly thick, though, so he might be able to learn an American accent fairly easily.
However, when Thomas does his haridresser thing, he has the French accent, which might be an equally important skill for an actor to have. I'm not saying Aiden Turner can do a French accent, but maybe he can just by virtue of living closer to France than a lot of American actors :p (I do know that James Marsters can do something resembling the French accent from his reading of the audiobooks.)

Other than that, he's perfect. He's got mad acting skills. His character in Being Human had a kind of Thomas-like (that is, a kind of self-hatred, "I'm a monster and a psychopath, and I'm going to brood about it 'cause I can't help it, and you should just kill me now because I'm such an awful person", mixed with a kind of acceptance of that same monster-side - "Why should I fight it? Hell, I'm just going to kill a train of people now because I'm angry. Why not?" - lackadaisical, sharp-witted, outwardly calm when everything's going to hell) personality.

Agreed.


...I am now on a quest to gather photos of my perfect cast, and alter them as necessary to make them look like the characters. I doubt I can do it all in a week, though, which is sad since the semester is starting on Monday.

[SometimesKate]

A young Elizabeth Hurley would have been an excellent Lara, or even Madeline.  The fellow who played Loki in the new Thor flick would be a good Madrigal.   

I don't see Sean Maher looking like a football coach at all. 

Since Ossie Davis is dead, it puts him out of the running as Rawlins, but Ron Glass would do the job nicely, I think. 

(Has anyone else noticed that we are stacking the deck a bit with Firefly actors?   Speaking of which, Morena Baccarin would do well as Lara.