Killer Questions - Casting Call

Killer Questions - Casting Call!

Authors dream that their books will be made into movies or television shows. Sometimes, the hope is that the writer becomes so successful that a biographical documentary is filmed. WWK authors believe in being prepared; so, today, we’re telling you who we would choose to play our protagonists and us. Enjoy our casting call.

James M. Jackson - Matt Damon would play Seamus McCree. I'd have John Malkovich portray me.

Connie Berry - Everyone tells Kate Hamilton that she looks like a young Charlize Theron with dark hair—so I guess I’d choose a young Charlize Theron to play her. If my books were about me, I’d flatter myself wildly and choose Ashley Jensen (with dark hair).

Lori Roberts Herbst - I'd choose Evangeline Lilly to play Callie. Lilly comes across in her roles as self-sufficient, with an underlying longing for vulnerability. She portrays just the right amount of snarky humor, too. For me, it would be Valerie Bertinelli. When I was a teenager and she was on One Day at a Time, people always told me we looked alike. No other reason than that.

Molly MacRae - Emrys Lloyd, the ghost, is so Welsh that actor Gareth Rees would be perfect.

Sarah Burr - I think for any of my books, I would cast an unknown actress as the protagonist so that she could define the role for herself. But I would ask that Ben Barnes be cast as Lord Percival Pettraud in the Court of Mystery series.

Grace Topping - Jennifer Garner is so natural and likable. She would be perfect to play Laura. As for someone to play me in a bio, that’s a hard one. I would have to pick three actors to portray me at different ages. Perhaps Sally Fields at my current age. 

Annette Dashofy - Matthias Honeywell would have to be played by Christian Kane. No doubt about it.

Heather Weidner - My two cozy protagonists are both redheads, so I think Bryce Dallas Howard or Alicia Witt would be good choices for either of them. If I were to choose someone to play me, it would probably be Molly Ringwald. She’s still my favorite 80s gal. (Nicole Kidman is way too tall to play me.)  

Margaret S. Hamilton - My protagonist would be a younger version of Julianne Moore. As a bio of me, a younger Maggie Smith.

Marilyn Levinson - I think Natalie Portman would make a wonderful Carrie Singleton. As for me, I'd love to have Helen Mirren play me.

Debra H. Goldstein – Believe it or not, a young Carol Burnett would be a perfect Sarah Blair. From watching her on TV and in movies, I know Carol would have the chops to play the comedy and serious sides of Sarah. For me, not going to happen.

Mary Dutta - Given that every short story I write involves new characters, a movie would have to include the proverbial cast of thousands. As far as who I would choose to play me--one of the many talented Hollywood redheads. 

Martha Reed - I can easily see actor Katee Sackoff playing ex-detective Jane Byrne. She has presence and physicality. For me, I’d like to think we’d need to cast someone funny and optimistic who doesn’t take herself too seriously like Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, or Emma Stone.  

Lisa Malice - I’m a big classic movie buff, so Grace Kelly would be my ideal lead in the movie version of Lest She Forget, while William Holden and Robert Mitchum would be perfect for Nick and Felix, respectively. No explanation here; read the book and let me know if you agree. As for my bio pic, I’ve always liked Meg Ryan.

Kait Carson - Lili Reinhart would make a great Hayden Kent. 

Nancy Eady - I would love a 30-something Natalie Portman to play my female protagonist, because I think she could nail the dual vibe of "girl next door" and "super intelligent."  I'd like Sandra Bullock to play me, just because I like her as an actress.  

Shari Randall/Meri Allen - In my first series, the Lobster Shack mysteries, I've always thought that Dawn Atkins, a principal dancer with the Miami Ballet, would be absolutely perfect to play Allegra Larkin.  To play Riley Rhodes in my ice cream shop mysteries I've always pictured Courtenay Cox, the wonderful actress from the show Friends. 

K.M. Rockwood - Ah, no one comes to mind. I guess I just lack imagination. The Jesse character should be an ethnically ambiguous lean male in his thirties with long hair in wiry curls in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and dark eyes. Flannel shirt, blue jeans, steel-toed work boots, buffalo plaid jacket. 

Elaine Douts - I cast Shirley MacLaine as one of my characters, but I’m not familiar with many actors because I watch few TV shows or movies. For me—maybe Kathleen Turner or Cybil Shepard or Jamie Lee Curtis. Meg Ryan? I don’t know. It could be any old and seasoned actress.

Korina Moss - Ginnifer Goodwin, at the age she was when she played Snow White in the TV series Once Upon a Time. She’s about ten years older than Willa now, though. For my bio: I can’t compare myself to her, but I’d choose Sandra Bullock, because I admire her humor, strength, and vulnerability.   

Teresa Inge - Julianne Moore since she portrays strong, female, characters which is what I write. She is the same age as my protagonist Lainey Gentry who owns a wine shop in “Maid of Murder,” my story in First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder.

Paula Benson - My answer is based on my short story "Crossfire in the Crosshairs" from A Death in the Night. The protagonist, a single mom raising a preschool aged daughter supplements her support income by being a paid assassin. I see Amy Adams in that role with Ryan Gosling as her mysterious handler/facilitator/boss and Tom Cavanaugh as her ex-husband, who happens to be competing with her to slay the same target.