Mental Casting: The Dresden Files

[jedibuttercup]

Since I wrote my first Michael Carpenter story a couple of years ago-- my first non-crossover bookfic ever, if I remember right-- I've started populating the Dresdenverse with actors' faces. (Prior to that, believe it or not, I didn't actually visualise the characters at all; I tend to think neither in pictures nor in words, but concept-strings). And something hit me today, when I was rereading the bit in "Dead Beat" where Harry explains what's going on to Mac, proprietor of McAnnally's.

Mac? On whom bald looks good, and doesn't talk much, but is clearly tough as nails? Is totally Bruce Willis as DH4's John McClane. And Luccio's original body? Is now Dame Judy Dench, to me. LOL. Those are new; I'd been picturing Neal McDonough as seen in Tin Man as Michael and George Clooney in his Ocean's 11 guise as Marcone for awhile now. And Jordan Hinson as Eureka's Zoe Carter has been creeping in to play Molly lately.

I still don't have a Harry, though, other than the miniseries' not-quite-right Paul Blackthorne, or a Murphy-- I'd pick SMG, but her Buffy's too sharp-edged in my mind to ever qualify as "cute". Anyone have any suggestions, for them or any other significant book characters?
~

Comments

[risha]

Completely off-topic, but I'm a concept-string thinker too! Well, more of a concept-bubble thinker, but it's the same sort of thing. We're a rare breed.

[jedibuttercup]

I know! I tried explaining to someone how my thought processes work once, and ended up seriously confusing the both of us. Nice to know I'm not alone. =)

[dharkapparition.livejournal.com]

The first time I read about Marcone, Douglas O'Keeffe came to mind. http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4156922368/nm0641505

But then, that image switched to Kincade and I haven't replaced Marcone's image.

[jedibuttercup]

Ooooo.... *appropriates as Kincaid*

Don't blame you. Thanks for the mental image. =)

[dharkapparition.livejournal.com]

I think I was watching Dark Angel at the time and he played a mobster goon. Great wide shoulders and nice athletic form. *gets caught up in the pretty...

[dharkapparition.livejournal.com]

Alexis D is an intriguing suggestion, but is he tall enough @ 6.1ish? How tall is Harry?

[jedibuttercup]

Pretty sure Harry's 6'9"; Marcone's about six foot or a bit taller, and Harry's a head above that. There aren't very many actors in that range. Basketball stars, maybe, but not actors. =)

[dharkapparition.livejournal.com]

I guess whomever they pick will have to wear lifts in their boots LOL! I thought Jared P would be a good choice until he bulked up last year. But then, I'm not sure if he would be ready to take on a role like Harry. He's improved but I'm not sure he could pull off Harry.

James Marsters isn't tall enough or young enough.

Damn the show anyway. I have Paul Blackthorne's face pop up when ever I try to think about it.

[booster17.livejournal.com]

Since I started watching Castle I see Murphy as Stana Katic (Kate Beckett) more often than not.

[jedibuttercup]

If she were shorter and blonde and blue-eyed, I would totally agree with you; she's definitely got the attitude going on. =)

[booster17.livejournal.com]

....it has been a while since I read the books. For some reason, I totally forgot Murphy is blonde.

Icon *love*.

[jedibuttercup]

Well, the TV series ignored the blonde thing, too; maybe I can imagine her with dyed hair and blue contacts? =)

(That's one of my fave S1 moments!)

[graycardinal]

Allison Mack (Chloe from Smallville) might do as Murphy (though Stana Katic is also a good suggestion).

Harry is trickier. Part of me wants to suggest Alexis Denisof, part of me wonders about James Marsters, and I can't help thinking that maybe Zachary Quinto might be worth considering.

[moryssa.livejournal.com]

Ooo... I like the idea of Allison Mack as Murph.

I think my brain pictures Murphy as SMG, because that's who the comics resemble... but I never saw her as that when I was reading. Murphy's more pixie-like, and SMG's just not that pixie-ish to me. Alyson Hannigan's more of a pixie.

There was a discussion on one of the Dresden communities where someone posted a video of... I think it was Ben Barnes... as Thomas. I think he's a little to *pretty* to be Harry, but I could definitely see him as Harry's pretty-boy brother who looks like him, only cleaned up and less battered. :)

I can't seem to find that discussion (and video) now, though, and it's driving me nuts. LOL!

(I think the only role I could see James Marsters doing is Marcone, actually. o_0 )

[jedibuttercup]

I totally agree with you on SMG's lack of pixie-ish-ness; otherwise, she'd be perfect.

*googles Ben Barnes* Oh, ooo, pretty. You're right; he'd make a very good Thomas.

Dark-haired James Marsters would make a pretty good Marcone, I agree, but he's very stuck in my head as Spike already. =)

[moryssa.livejournal.com]

A-ha! I found the post.
http://community.livejournal.com/dresden_files/126101.html

I agree that James Marsters=Spike (although, amazingly enough, I actually see him as Captain John from Torchwood more than as Spike, and he was only in 2 episodes of Torchwood!) but the comment I was referring to had mentioned him as a potential casting choice. I was just saying that the only role I could really see him in would be Marcone. I think he could definitely pull off that charming yet frightening smarmyness that Marcone has. ;)

[jedibuttercup]

*googles Allison Mack* Hmmm... possibilities there. Stana Katic has the attitude going on, but not the look at all, unfortunately.

Some great suggestions on Harry; none of them's exactly right for me, mostly because I can't picture them as anything other than their iconic characters, but Zachary Quinto is closest, I think.

[beachkid.livejournal.com]

Geroge Clooney (from Syriana/with the beard) actually tends to be my mental!Michael. mental!Marcone is trickier, but got pretty tightly lodged as Ray Liotta from his Smith days. mental!Murph has, lately, looked a lot like Kimberly Caldwell (http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/binzinmotion/kimberly-caldwell.jpg), and my mental!Harry gravitates towards a slightly rougher version of Andres Velencoso [http://niwde.blogspot.com/2008/11/catalan-model-andrs-velencoso-segura.html -- a whole bunch of images. some nsfw].

eta: that original!luccio looks like Emmylou Harris to me.

[jedibuttercup]

I haven't seen much of Ray Liotta's filmography, it looks like, but not bad.

Very good Murphy image, though! And, nice; I appreciate the suggestion for Harry. Actually goes fairly well with the above suggestion of Ben Barnes for Thomas, too. =)

[beachkid.livejournal.com]

Thomas i've always found super tricky, especially since he and Harry aren't supposed to really resemble each other, so he sort of bounces around from some overly-pretty models (i.e. Jon Kortajarena for when he's being wangsty) to Richard Armitage when he's being brotherly.

[beachkid.livejournal.com]

er, that was missing half of what I meant to say. apologies. I'm liking a little more... aggressive version of Kimberly Caldwell for Murphy mostly because of the nose. Cute, blond, cheerleader, upturned nose, yet sufficiently physical to have "gymnast legs" and be built for service is a surprisingly tricky combination!

For Harry, he has the skintone, nose, chin, cheekbones, skinny, height, and broody dark eyes going for him -- and the occasional GET A HAIRCUT hair. ;)

[jedibuttercup]

Yeah, I can see that, in both cases. =) There's not so many actors that fall into those descriptive ranges.

[jedibuttercup]

Hmmm. I'll have to look up the passage in Blood Rites where Harry mentally compares them again; but you may be right. I always imagined them as having similar basic bone structure; Harry's just taller, scruffier, a lot more battered, and minus the supernatural "pretty" factor. Plus he never looks in a mirror, so he might not notice. =)

Those sure are some pretty suggestions, though.

[beachkid.livejournal.com]

late reply to say that i've seen matthew bomer's name tossed around a lot as a thomas (he definitely has the ridiculously attractive thing going on), and that emily rose (er, actress not made-a-movie-aobut-her figure http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2448361/mediaindex) just jumped near the top of my mental!murphy list.

newbody!luccio tends to look rather like anna belknap to me; shorter, slightly curvier, not-supermodel-beautiful but sweet, and a bit of dimple. hendricks tends to be a slightly more redheaded version of lee reherman.

[bastardsnow.livejournal.com]

Is it bad that I can kind of see either Tahmoh Penikett as Michael (though he doesn't sound like him in my head) or Marc Blucas (though I don't think he has the chops for it). I dig Vanessa Marcil for Susan (she was supposed to be drop dead gorgeous, right?) My older Luccio is kind of Helen Mirren ish? With younger Luccio being kind of Anna-Paquin-in-True-Blood-y.

And for some reason, I kind of see Harry as Adrien Brody. Probably the fact that he's tall and really kind of lanky. Does that open up Adrien Grenier for Thomas? It might. I mean, how many casts have two Adriens?

And I think I can buy Clooney as Marcone. Yeah, that works for me.

I've probably got more in my head somewhere...

[jedibuttercup]

I'd have to see Marc Blucas in a much heavier role before I could buy him as Michael, yeah. That would be a good choice for Susan, though; Harry has a tendency to mostly just see the fabulous features of every woman he meets (lol) but yeah, she's supposed to be gorgeous. And I can definitely see that choice for the younger Luccio. =)

I just saw Predators.... maybe if Brody's hair was longer? *ponders on that one a minute*

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I was happy with Terrence Mann as Bob but I just love Terrence Mann. And the fact that Jacques d'Amboise from the movie Seven Brides For Seven Brothers is his rl father-in-law :D. He played Ephraim Pontipee.

[davegrs.livejournal.com]

Michael Ironside for Marcone.

[faithburke.livejournal.com]

You'll probably laugh at me, but I always pick Kristen Chenoweth as Murphy, Matthew Gray Gubler (Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds) as Harry (beginning of the series, when Harry is in his early 20's), and Orlando Bloom as Thomas. Mark Harmon as Mac, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Michael Carpenter, Michael T. Weiss as Marcone, Amanda Tapping as Charity Carpenter, Blake Lively as Molly Carpenter.

This is actually the game my roommate and I play on long car trips, since I get car-sick pretty easily if I'm not driving and need a distraction.

You should see the cast list for Codex Alera.

[jedibuttercup]

Orlando Bloom as Thomas? That's an... intriguing mental picture. I can see JDM as Michael; though it gives me fandom whiplash trying to mentally pair him with Amanda Tapping! And hmmm... yeah, I can see your Mac, too. He can do that taciturn steel-jawed thing well enough. (When does Human Target come back on, anyway?)