By Lisa Malice
In the lead-up to the release of LEST SHE FORGET, my publisher (CamCat) peppered me with fun and thoughtful questions for use in marketing and promotion. This month’s Q & A has me yearning for a return to the Golden Age of Hollywood with movie stars that could really bring lead characters my psychological thriller to life.
QUESTION:
If your book were to be made into a movie, which actors would you cast to play your characters?
What
a fun question! I took to the Internet to cast Lest She Forget, scrutinizing
photos and film histories of actors who could bring Kay, Nick, and Felix to
life on the big screen. As a classic film buff (Turner Classic Movies is my
go-to channel for a fix) unfamiliar with the current crop of young stars and
their films, I decided to cast Lest She Forget as if I was a director
during Hollywood's Golden Age.
Grace Kelly would win the role of my heroine, Kay, hands down.
The 1950’s actress fits this troubled but determined young woman to a tee—beautiful, poised, intelligent, educated. Grace played a variety of dramatic roles, but won acclaim and awards, both in the U.S. and abroad, for her performances playing characters similar to Kay in two classic thrillers, Rear Window and Dial “M” for Murder.
Nick, the mysterious stranger who has come into Kay’s life, would be played by a ruggedly handsome actor who comes across as charming, caring, intelligent, as well as a man of decisive action when lives are at stake. William Holden fits that bill.
He played a wide range of roles, including reluctant romantic leads in Sabrina and Born Yesterday, as well as intelligent but tough characters in action-packed dramas.
As for Felix Jager, the ruthless villain, think Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear.
Strong, menacing in a cool and calculating way, using all his wits, wiles, and the evil inside him to kill his target. I can also see him petting a cat (as my villain does).
Pick your favorite book, perhaps if you are a fiction writer, one of your own. Who would you cast in your lead roles? Similarly, when you are writing or reading a book, do you envision the characters in your head as real-life people? If so, who do you see playing the main characters in the book you've chosen as your favorite?
This is always so much fun to think about. When I started writing the Zoe Chambers series, I pictured Zoe as Jenna Elfman in her Dharma and Greg days. If I had my pick of current actresses to play her now, it would be Beth Riesgraf. Pete, in my mind, will always be a younger (West Wing or first seasons of NCIS) Mark Harmon. As for the Detective Honeywell series, I want Christian Kane to play Matthias and Cassidy Freeman to play Emma.
ReplyDeleteBecause I rarely watch movies or television these days, I'm always at a loss to answer this question (and have no way of picturing other authors' characters based on the stars they'd choose). I always have to turn it around and ask readers who they would choose (and then hit the internet to see what they look like).
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! I have a vision of what the characters look like, and it's always interesting to read or hear how they picture them.
ReplyDeleteWhat an entertaining venture!
ReplyDeleteLike Jim, I so seldom watch movies or TV & have no feel at all for actors who might portray my characters, although if close my eyes, I can see the story come to life.
I am also a TCM fan! Your cast is absolutely fabulous! If I cast the main character of my ice cream shop mysteries, Reilly Rhodes would be played by Courtney Cox in her friends Incarnation.
ReplyDeleteYour casting is perfect. Rather than casting my Sarah Blair series, I'll share a story with you. When I was young, my parents would take my sister and me to Broadway shows on a regular basis. One night, we had perfect center seats in the orchestra in Row E. For some reason, the three seats next to my father were empty. As the theater lights began to dim, three people came quickly down the aisle and slid into the empty seats - Prince Rainer, Princess Grace, and a bodyguard. She was absolutely beautiful. Hair pulled back with a simple hairband effect, light make-up, gorgeous profile and straight on face look. Although we all watched the show, I spent time watching her, too. Only other time I stared in a theater like this was when I sat near Gregory Peck.
ReplyDeleteWow, Debra. Cool!
DeleteIf I had to choose an actor to play my forty-two year old main character, I would be out of luck. I just don't know actors in that age range. If I could choose actors from the Golden Age, it would be June Allyson, one of my favorite actors.
ReplyDelete