Hello All! Sephrenia has come through again by creating some wonderful banners for the cast of this story. I asked her to make banners for only new or “re-cast” characters. You can assume that everyone else has been “cast” as the actor who originated the role on True Blood!
I’ve “collected” all the character banners specifically for this story here. And I’ve included the actors’ names and some of my “casting” notes. Enjoy!
And be sure to share the love with Seph if you stumble upon this page! I couldn’t write as vividly without her.
Actress: Kate Winslet
Agnes is the Queen of California in this piece and is a member of the Vampire Council. This original character also appeared in the UN-iverse. I created her as a strong, resilient, and diplomatic leader. I think Winslet would be great playing her. Of course, I think she’s great in almost anything.
Actress: Amy Acker
I chose Acker for this version of Amelia because the actress has both strength and playfulness. I have love her in Person of Interest.
Actress: Linda Carter
I chose Carter to portray the A.P. in the UN-iverse too. I think that she is amazingly beautiful–becoming more and more lovely with age. And she’s a badass!
Actor: Justin Bartha
I first saw Bartha in National Treasure, and I felt that this actor could bring the charm and sensitivity to the role that I wanted. I needed to picture someone whom I felt could convey the ability to forgive Amelia despite everything.
Actor: Dermot Mulroney
When I was thinking about who to visualize as Calvin, I picked one of my “crush” actors, Mulroney. The Wedding Date might not be a great movie, but hubba, hubba! I always visualized Calvin as a little older and ruggedly handsome, so Mulroney was perfect for me.
Actor: Tom Welling
This will seem like an odd choice for my Claude. Usually, I see Welling as a “good guy,” but–here–I’m seeing him as physically beautifully and the opposite of that on the inside. When I think of beautiful men, Welling comes to mind. I actually think he’d make a good Claude.
Actor: Ryan Kwanten
So–this casting choice was a no-brainer. Charlaine Harris described Dermot very specifically as looking like Jason. In fact, it is the way he looks that makes Dermot’s “romantic” interest in Sookie even creepier than it already is.
Actor: Bill Murray
So I also chose Murray for my Mr. C. in the Gift Horse series. I’ve picked other actors before, but Murray has the right mixture of humor and sensitivity for the Desmond I’m picturing for this story. I was also wanting someone who looked to be in his 60s, so Murray was perfect.
Actress: Zooey Deschanel
For me, this actress just looks like a Supe. I’ve pictured her as my Diantha ever since I wrote the character into my stories for the first time. I’ve never imagined the character as someone different.
Actor: Álex González
This actor is Spanish. You might recognize him from X-Men: First Class, but I can’t think of any other American movies he’s been in. I figured he’d be perfect for Domingo, and he’s not bad to look at either. 🙂
Actress: Rachel Hurd
This actress caught my attention in a version of Peter Pan. I also thought she did great in Dorian Gray. She had the “other-worldy”/innocent/potentially dangerous mixture I wanted for Esmeralda.
Actor: Javier Bardem
Lately, I’ve been picturing Javier as my Felipe. This incarnation of the character can be as charming as he is brutal. And he’s grown overly confident–cocky even. Significantly, he has also evolved into an extremely selfish king. Bardem is sort of perfect for Felipe in many ways.
Actress: Elsa Hosk
This actress/model has the right look for this character: Just enough bitchiness and undeniable beauty.
Actor: Max Charles
Actress: Sonakshi Sinha
Sinha is an Indian actress and singer. I became aware of her when I was watching some Bollywood films at a friend’s house. She’s sort of known for action movies, so it was easy picturing her as a badass vampire.
Actress: Dina Meyer
In the books, Jannalynn always seemed like the kind of person who would stab someone in the back. But part of me wanted for her to be good for Sam–just to keep any ridiculous Sam/Sookie plots at bay. I obviously didn’t get my wish. In this piece, Jannalynn works with Sandra Pelt to plot against Sookie. She’s selfish, but lacks initiative herself. As for my casting, I think that Meyer has the right “look” for what I wanted to go for: someone who can pretend to be sweet. I also think she would be believable as manipulative and violent.
Actor: Garrett Hedlund
I chose Hedlund as my muse for Jock because he has the looks that could charm me. 😉 Plus, he’s got an edge to him that I was looking for. He’s a spy for Victor, after all.
Actress: Teresa Palmer
I chose this Karin based off of the description in the book. I first saw this actress in Warm Bodies, a cheesy zombie movie. Recently, she was in Hacksaw Ridge (I have issues with Mel Gibson, but this movie was moving, and she was good in it).
Actor: Colin Farrell
I chose Farrell because I think he would be the perfect “devil.” Alluring and undeniably handsome, yet you somehow feel “dirty” for thinking that. Of course, this “devil” is nothing like the one in Christian thinking, so we can “enjoy” him.
Actor: Ryan Eggold
This actor doesn’t quite match the little we know about Maxwell Lee from the books, but Eggold was who I saw in my head as I was writing about him. I picture him as being much more dangerous than he looks. He’s supposedly an investment banker in the books, but I think there’s more to him. If you have seen The Blacklist, you know that this actor is good at playing people who cover up things about themselves.
Actress: Jennifer Ehle
I couldn’t stop picturing Ehle when I wrote Michelina. Many of you might know her from Pride and Prejudice. If you haven’t seen it, check out Possession. I thought she would be perfect for the Queen of New York because she can play both “nice” and “bitchy.”
Actress: Alexa Davalos
I had just watched the television series The Man in the High Castle before I wrote this piece, and Davalos’s performance was just captivating. I figured that she had both the gravitas and strength to survive cancer and attract Pam. I think that she’d be a wonderful acting match for Kristin Bauer van Straten.
Actor: Dan Aykroyd
I will admit that I just love Bill Murray (my choice for Desmond) and Dan Aykroyd acting together. So fun!
Actress: Phylicia Rashad
I chose Rashad for my Octavia in the UN-iverse series. She’s who I have pictured as the character ever since.
Actress: Freida Pinto
Though Padma is a minor character in the story, I wanted to cast Padma. I have loved Pinto in many things, so it was not difficult to picture her as Indira’s younger vampire “sister.”
Actress: Gwen Stefani
An odd choice? Maybe. But this is whom I pictured as soon as I read Palomino’s description in C.H.’s work. I think she’d be able to pull off a vampire quite well actually!!!
Actor: Arjan Bajwa
Bajwa is an Indian actor and caught my eye a few years ago. I wanted the Rasul in this piece to ooze both strength and sex appeal. But I also wanted him to display a lot of intelligence. If you’ve seen this actor’s work, you know he could pull off all of this.
Actor: Patrick Wilson
I’ve liked this actor for a while. And he just seemed like Remy in this piece. I think that Wilson would have the ability to carry out the “misguided earnestness” that I was looking for.
Actor: Pierce Brosnan
Brosnan was my Russell in the Comfortably Numb series, and he’s who I saw again when penning this story.
Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
First of all, I know that seeing Lawrence as a villain might seem odd. But I think she could pull it off very well. I felt that she could also convey the “insanity” that I wanted to instill in my Sandra. She is still fixated on avenging her sister’s death–as is clear from the fact that Debbie (in werefox form) is the background of the banner Seph made for her. Debbie’s “animal-nature” is an intrinsic part of Sandra too.
Actress: Thandie Newton
The Sandy Sechrest in this piece is no-nonsense. And, since she’s come to believe that Felipe’s actions have become “nonsensical,” she has a big decision to make: stay loyal and watch her beloved Las Vegas suffer or betray her king. I have–for some reason–always pictured this actress as Sandy. In the books, she is described as smart, but not necessarily hungry for power. I think that Newton could pull that off.
Actress: Elisha Cuthbert
So, I was picturing an actress who could “look” the part of Sookie and also relay more overt sexuality than Anna Paquin, and Elisha Cuthbert came to mind. Actually, quite a few authors visualize her as their Sookie, but–to me–she lacks an undertone of innocence that I always picture in Sookie. But that just made Cuthbert perfect for Stacy in this piece. The character in this story is simply a minion of Victor’s brought in to distract and tempt Eric.
Actor: David Krumholtz
Stan is described as kind of nerdy in the books. I will admit to being a huge Numbers fan, and Krumholtz seemed perfect for Stan–at least in my mind.
Actress: Summer Glau
I’ve pictured Thalia as a variety of different actresses as I’ve written her. I decided to return to the “first” way I pictured her for this piece. The Thalia in Not without Action can be “funny,” but it’s not intentional. She’s a badass, of course. And she has zero apologies for her “foul” moods. I think Glau fits this idea of her well.
Actor: Jim Broadbent
I was thinking about an older man with “spry.” Broadbent came easily to mind.
Actor: Michael Pitt
I chose Pitt because he has–frankly–always has the ability to “creep me out” in his roles. Victor is definitely a “creeper.” I also wanted him to seem “younger” in this piece than I sometimes want him to.
Actor: Edgar Ramirez
This actor caught my eye in The Bourne Ultimatum. I thought he’d be perfect for Warren since Warren is a sniper. Ramirez can play “cold and calculated” in some things, but is alluring nonetheless. Plus, Mustapha deserves a hottie. 🙂
good choices all..
Excellent choices
I really enjoyed reading why you chose each actor/actress for this story.
what about Maxwell lee? I noticed he doesn’t fit the book description in chapter 37 ya know how you have the cast listed at the end?
I’d forgotten to add him here. No–he’s not quite the clean-shaven guy from the books, but I honestly sometimes forget how CH describes people (until Kleannhouse reminds me–lol). I’m using a bit of artistic license to change him up a bit. 🙂