I'm back from the No Mercy book tour and sort of caught up -- with the exception of deadlines. I had to ask for an extension on everything; I wasn't nearly as productive on the road as I'd hoped.
I also had limited internet access the last 24 days, so I missed some news. But the big news that caught my eye? This:
Katherine Heigl To Play Stephanie Plum
Now, I get asked all the time if I had to cast my characters, which actress I'd choose. I never know how to answer that because the characters I write are just voices to me. I can tell you their hair color, eye color, how much they weigh, but I'm more concerned about what goes on inside their heads than who/what they look like. Sounds weird, but there it is. I'm not hedging, I've really never thought about it. Then again, I've never had any Hollywood Production company throwing potloads of money at me as incentive to give it more serious consideration.
The weird thing? When I was writing the Julie Collins books, I had several people tell me Katherine Heigl would be perfect for Julie Collins. Picture my "What the fuck?" look. Katherine is tall and blonde and that's about all they have in common. I've also had people tell me Mary McCormack from the TV show "In Plain Sight" would make an excellent Julie. Picture me scratching my head. I'm not familiar with the show or the actress. But it's another tall and blonde comparison. Still others have said Holly Hunter would make a great Julie Collins. Yeah, maybe Holly has the bad ass attitude Julie needs, but there is the issue of Holly being almost 20 years older than Julie, and about 6 inches shorter.
Now that I'm writing the Mercy Gunderson books, the question has come up again. Who would I see playing Mercy? Oddly enough? That Mary McCormack has been mentioned again. Methinks maybe there's a shortage of seriously kickass female characters of a certain age on TV and in film if she comes to mind for every single freakin' role. Others have said Evangeline Lilly from LOST would make a perfect Mercy -- I admit I get distracted thinking about Jack and Sawyer vying for Mercy's intimate attention at that point, which just proves it's not a good match. Ditto for the Kate Segal from Anarchy as Mercy.
See how easy it is to get sucked into the casting couch? When I start to picture people playing my lead characters...I think it'd be easy to lose how *I* see them -- I created them. I need to focus on everything but their physical attributes.
Don't get me started on who would play Martinez. Or Kevin. Or Dawson.
I'm not one of those authors who sees a famous person like Jude Law or Chris Pine or Jeff Bridges and then superimposes their image in my mind on one of my characters. And describing a character as a "dead ringer" for a celebrity within the pages of your novel? That's cheating in my mind. Although, I will admit to doing it in one Lorelei James book -- and yeah, a jackass reviewer was very snarky about it. So never again.
Let's play casting director. Since the Plum books have been so popular and Evanovich sold the movie rights long ago, there have been numerous actresses attached to the project, or at least mentioned as possible Stephanies:
Sandra Bullock
Reese Witherspoon
Debra Messing
Julia Roberts -- hey, with Doris Roberts and Grandma Mazur, huh?
Is any of them a better choice?
There have been more casting misses than hits in the mystery world. What about the vomit inducing choice of Kathleen Turner to play VI Warshawski? Was Robert Urich really good as Spenser? Personally, I think the cast of True Blood is top notch, although others will disagree.
Let's hear your thoughts FOFO's on anything and everything dealing with Hollywood casting of our favorite mystery series and characters.
Seriously, Katharine Heigl? In my imagination, Stephanie Plum is short and dark: Carla Gugino, Shiri Appleby, Laura San Giacomo.
Mary McCormick would be a good choice for Julie, but I actually see Mercy as looking more like a taller Frances McDormand. Or a younger Kelly McGillis.
Robert B. Parker reportedly hated Robert Urich as Spenser, though he loved Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone.
Posted by: Clair Lamb | February 11, 2010 at 09:23 AM
Tom Selleck is great as Jesse Stone. I hated Casey Affleck as Patrick Kenzie, and you're right about Kathleen Turner as VI. What were they thinking?
I can see Mary McCormack as Julie. (I watch that show if it's on while I work out and it's not bad, and she's not bad). Katharine Heigl as Stephanie Plum is absurd.
I was briefly approached by a TV director for Law & Order when my Annie series first came out...he was looking for something to set in New Haven and considered Annie although apparently was told that "reporter characters don't work on TV." Huh? Anyway, he suggested Parker Posey as Annie, and the minute he said it, I totally agreed. She'd be perfect.
But I'm like you, Lori, I don't write with an actress in mind. That just seems an exercise in futility.
Posted by: Karen Olson | February 11, 2010 at 09:34 AM
Clair, I thought the same thing -- and actress like Maura Tierney, who can do dramatic and comedic would be great as Stephanie, but they've gotta have a "name" -- although unknowns have worked well for Harry Potter :)
Posted by: Lori Armstrong | February 11, 2010 at 09:57 AM
Tom Selleck is a great Jesse Stone.
I'm trying to picture who would play Reacher. All I can see is Lee Child. Just like I see Michael Connelly when I think of Harry Bosch.
Years go, I thought if Kinsey Milhone ever made it to the screen, she should be played by Jodi Foster.
Mercy - man, she's got to be tough with a heart. ... How about the actress who played Aileen Wourmos in Monster? Charlize Theron - she'd have the chops.
Don't hit me, Lori!
Posted by: jake | February 11, 2010 at 11:42 AM
Sometimes it's interesting to know how Hollywood does the casting. Deaver said he always imagined Harrison Ford as Lincoln Rhyme (which I can totally see). However, when it came time to cast, it was down to who would do it for less money, between Nick Nolte and Denzel Washington. Denzel wanted to prove he could act well with only the use of his facial expressions and voice, so he underbid and got the part.
Which was weird, because I saw the movie before I had read any of the books, and I was about 60 pages into the first Rhyme book I ever read when I stopped and went, "Wait, he's WHITE?"
I actually didn't mind Casey Affleck as Patrick Kenzie, but the girl they got to play Helene in that film was PERFECT. Seriously wanted to kill her several times.
And Lori, for Julie Collins, I always pictured Maria Bello. Tall, blonde, and badass attitude to burn.
Posted by: Jake Nantz | February 11, 2010 at 01:46 PM
Nantz called it with Maria Bello - totally see her.
Posted by: Jeff Shelby | February 12, 2010 at 08:17 AM
Karen, didn't Parker write a series with Helen Hunt in mind?
J. Carson - now why would I hit you? I value your opinion...
Jake, I think Hollywood approached Craig Johnson with a black actor for Sheriff Walt Longmire, and I know we're supposed to look beyond skin color...but in come cases, it's beyond ridiculous.
Jeff - two votes for Maria Bello, huh?
Posted by: Lori Armstrong | February 12, 2010 at 08:34 AM
I think Helen Hunt was supposed to play Sunny Randall. I'm not sure I see that. And sadly, Helen Hunt is getting a little long in the tooth for it. Sort of like Sandra Bullock for Stephanie Plum.
We need more mystery series with older women.
There are now three votes for Maria Bello. Can definitely see it.
Posted by: Karen Olson | February 12, 2010 at 08:51 AM
Lori I think I was one of the people who told you I could see Katherine Heigl as Julie -- and I stand by that. I actually think Sandra Bullock would be great as Stephanie Plum -- and not too long in the tooth. The one I'm really having trouble seeing is Angelina Jolie as Kay Scarpetta.
Posted by: AlisonGaylin | February 12, 2010 at 12:20 PM
You're joking about Angelina playing Scarpetta, right?
Please tell me you're joking.
Posted by: Lori Armstrong | February 13, 2010 at 09:08 AM
No kidding whatsoever! She signed to do it a couple of months ago, and you can see on Imdb, she's working on "untitled Kay Scarpetta project."
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