Monday, May 23, 2011

Lights, Camera...!

copyright 2011 Ron Adams



So a week or two ago I was thinking about casting the movie as a way to visualize your characters, to make the more real and to “see” the action as you write. There are certain characters that I associate with certain actors already, such as Spenser always being Robert Urich and Hawk always being Avery Brooks. I can’t imagine Philip Marlowe as anyone but Humphrey Bogard. I’m having a little trouble with Kathryn Heigl as Stephanie Plum, but I’m going in with an open mind.




I’ve thought about it, and I thought I would throw it out to you, Gentle Readers. Who are your favorite characters, and who would play them in the movie version of your favorite mysteries? Let me offer my humble suggestions as follows:



From Key Lime Squeeze, Donnie Wahlberg as Joe Banks, Vin Diesel as Solomon, and Joe Pantoliano as Paul Cantolino. I would cast Harrison Ford as David Baldacci’s Oliver Stone, and someone like Jeff Goldblum as Harlen Coben’s Myron Bolitar. I think you get the idea. Let your imaginations run wild. I can’t wait to see who everyone comes up with.



4 comments:

Aaron Paul Lazar said...

Hey, Ron! I love this exercise. I'm sure every author has fantasized about who'd play their protagonist in the movies! I like to picture Liam Neeson as Gus LeGarde, without the accent, of course. Rachel MacAdams as the younger version of Elsbeth. Maybe Harrison Ford could play Sam Moore, my hero from the Moore Mystery series. It's hard, though, because I picture them all as they "really" look in my head, and no stars actually match them! Ha. And you thought I knew the different between make believe and real. I wonder...

Anonymous said...

I think it's interesting that you both mentioned Harrison Ford as a prospect. Deservedly so. That man has mystery written all over him.

I would just have a hard time seperating him from the Clancy stuff. On the other hand, if you were to ask my wife, I can get an hour into a movie before I realize I've seen it before.

I'd like to see Travolta try Oliver Stone and Quaid (Dennis, not the other one) try Bolitar.
And I think Heigl would be PERFECT for Hank Phillippi Ryan's Charlotte McNally.

Ron Adams said...

Travolta would be interesting for Stone, though I picture him as older. But what do I know... I pictured Jesse Stone as somewhat younger and Tom Selleck plays him.

Kim Smith said...

I have done this for every book I think. I always see Shannon Wallace as Sandra Bullock, Dwayne has always been Eddie Murphy.