Curiosity

In a now proud tradition (LOL – eg for the second time now, in honour of my second novel) I am posting about what my dream cast would be if they ever made a movie of my second novel Curiosity.

As I’ve blogged on before Curiosity is a satire about a benign(ish) sociopath who inadvertently becomes a media hero due to a totally misunderstood action on his part.

Curiosity has quite a few minor characters I won’t cast for purposes of brevity, but the following is an outline of some key characters and the actors I would love to have to bring these roles to life.

Peter: Peter is the protagonist. He’s a young man who thinks the world has already ended and he does things to appease what he sees as his essential remaining quality – his curiosity. This makes him do something that is mis-understood as heroism, and then his natural, cheeky charisma and appeal help solidify him as a hero in the world’s eyes. In one aside description of Peter someone says he looks like Robert Pattinson, but I will resist the cliché of casting to fulfil that. Instead, my ideal Peter is one of my favourite actors who I discovered by watching the TV series The Borgias – Francois Arnaud. He brought Cesare Borgia to life brilliantly (no mean feat!) and has the looks, charisma and capacity to play the morally ambiguous that is needed for the part.

Image credit: http://www.malecelebnews.com

Melanie: Melanie is Peter’s long suffering mother. She’s an extremely well to do woman who worries about her son’s nihilism. She needs to be very bright, very classy and very strong. My ideal actress for the role is Susan Sarandon, who I have loved in everything she has ever done. This – like many of my ideal castings is a major – and I realise unrealistic – dream, but like last time, I’m dreaming big for my dream cast!

Susan Sarandon at the premiere of Speed Racer at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Richard: Richard is a vain, somewhat dim-witted, lustful and politically incorrect television producer. He needs to ooze a kind of smarm and deviousness which takes a particular skill for an actor and one unafraid to be unlikeable on the screen. My ideal Richard is Rick Hoffman, who is so brilliant in a similarly morally suspect character in the TV series Suits. He is a very likeable actor who can still carry off unlikeable so very, very well.

Genevieve: Genevieve is a TV reporter: a glamorous, captivating and slightly carnivorous type who is out to find the best stories and exploit whoever is necessary to get them. She is darkly attractive, with strong features and stronger personality. I would love, love, LOVE Gina Bellman from the TV series Leverage to do this role. She could eat it for breakfast she would do it so perfectly!!

image credit: blogs.coventrytelegraph.net

Theresa: Theresa is Peter’s sweet, politically earnest, ‘sometimes girlfriend’. She is described as attractive but a bit moon-like in her eyes, pale face and attitude. Having recently watched the wonderful tv series Bates Motel, I think Olivia Cooke would be ideal as Theresa. True, the actress is perhaps a bit too luminously beautiful – quite angelic – but she managed to play someone insecure and sweet to perfection in Bates Motel, so would make an adorable Theresa I believe.

photo credit: batesmotel.wikia.com

Robert: Robert is Peter’s university tutor. He is a smart man, mellowing somewhat sadly into middle age. He does not know that Peter is having an affair with his wife. He’s very likable and you can’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. The role needs an actor strong enough to not make the character too morose and tragic, and one with a dry intelligence. I think Victor Garber has both the gravitas and the sensitivity to do this brilliantly.

Victor Garber (Photo credit: The Drama League)

Patricia: Patricia is Robert’s wife, and as noted is having an affair with Peter. She is described as being very strong-willed, sexually voracious and independent, and very like Genevieve in physical looks/impact. In a casting from Pretty Little Liars, I think Laura Leighton would be superb in this role.

Image credit: http://www.theplace2.ru

Patrick: Patrick is a corrupt politician who is not even half as smart as he thinks he is. He’s politically venal, and probably equally dark in most of the aspects of his life. He needs the charm and apparent elan of a politician – albeit a far right-wing one as he is – but also the under-current, close to the surface, of his morally questionable agendas. I’d LOVE Tim Robbins in this role…he’d do it so brilliantly. Just check out Tim’s brilliant Bob Roberts movie (one of the best satires I have EVER seen) and you will see what I mean. I’ve been known to say Tim Robbins is a god, so I’m saying it now, and one perfectly capable of portraying a god of a very dark hue!

Tim Robbins at the National Press Club (Photo credit: @mjb)

Trina: Trina is Patrick’s assistant. She is described as small, vicious and predatory. Peter thinks of her as a carnivore or even a cannibal type. She is kind of prim, but balances this with drug induced delirium and hangovers. Again I go to Pretty Little Liars for a perfect casting – Tammin Sursok has the requisite capacity to be scary and threatening and sulky all at once that is ideal for the part.

Image credit: www.heraldsun.com.au

Bridget: Bridget is Peter’s therapist. She is earnest but possibly not very effective. But what she lacks in insight she makes up for with self-belief. This role needs someone who can carry off intelligence and some charm, with some severity and impatience, but also humor. Like the part of Richard, it needs someone with the ability to appear a bit lost in the midst of their own earnestness. I think Vera Farmiga would acquit the role brilliantly.

English: Vera Ann Farmiga (born August 6, 1973) is an American actress. This photo was taken on November 6, 2008 during a Question & Answer session following a screening of the movie “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” in Morristown, New Jersey. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Eliot: Eliot is an enigmatic, super smart, super geek-cool business man. Peter thinks if any group controls the non-existent world now, Eliot is a member. This needs intelligence, mystery and an edge of sweetness as well. I think Michael Emerson does these type of roles wonderfully.

Greta: Greta is Eliot’s sexy, seductive, drug addicted but uber-clever assistant. She is described as very model like thin, very attractive and very confident. She is rather cat-like. I think Nina Dobrev from the Vampire Diaries would be wonderful as Greta.

Nina Dobrev at PaleyFest2010’s “The Vampire Diaries” night at the Saban Theatre, Los Angeles, on March 6th, 2010. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jennifer: Jennifer is a corrupt bureaucrat who is in league with Patrick. She is not as smart as she thinks she is, but makes up for this with a rapacious, ‘take no prisoners’ type of ambition. She is blonde and attractive and not above using that to her career advantage. I would love Kelly Rutherford, from Gossip Girl, in the role.

So there you have it, the main characters of the satirical world of Curiosity. Hope this was as fun to read as it was to write and that it might inspire some of you to read the book. If so, if you have any other ideas for the cast, feel free to let me know (though Francis Arnaud as Peter is non-negotiable!!  🙂  ).

Cheers

Helen V.