Meet the Cast

I write cinematically. Or at least I think I do. When I write I can see it projected onto the cinema screen in my head. It's a great theatre - no-one talks, eats popcorn or chews iceblocks. I thought it would be fun to cast the film of my book...

Alan Tudyk as the voice of Trypp Elan
Chi McBride as Will Stoops
Christian Bale as Sir Edgar Worsley
David Hyde White as the voice of Kappo
David Wenham as Gerriod Blake
Eric Schweig as Tawhawki Fall
Gene Hackman as Gamelyn Blake
Grace Park as Sumi Kimura
Helena Bonham Carter as Arinna Brine
Hugh Jackman as Boramus Cole
Jet Li as Trojanu Sato
Jewel Staite as Lara Brand
Josh Hartnett as Pylos Castalia
Karl Urban as Pedaeus Rhodes
Katie Sackhoff as Lokasenna Hagen
Kelsey Grammar as the voice of Mulupo
Kevin Spacey as Cephalus Silenus
Liam Neesan as the voice of Akampa Lodd
Patrick Stewart as Chamberlain Tiberius Llyr
Sam Neill as Captain Simeon Baffin
Samuel L Jackson as Samuel Melkin
Sean Maher as Maeldune Canna
Summer Glau as Lilith Cortese
Viggo Mortenson as Wade Grayson/Caliban Grayson
Vinnie Jones as Gunther Ross
Wes Studi as Lokota Fall

The novel has many more characters but these were the ones that came to mind. I'll do another one of these cast lists in a few months. I'll briefly comments on a few of the inclusions here. Obviously, many of the actors come from films and TV series I like and in a few cases, I have snaffled a number of cast members from certain shows.

Trypp was an easy one to cast. If you've seen the movie 'I, Robot' you will have heard Alan Tudyk. He voicied the robot Sonny. The vocal qualities he brought to this are much like how I hear Trypp in my head. If Tudyk asked me, "How do you want me to play Trypp?" I'd say, just like you played Sonny.

Now, why David Wenham as Gerriod? I was a little disappointed when I heard Peter Jackson had cast him for the role of Faramir, then I saw Return of the King. Watching Wenham's portrayal of Denethor's tortured son was incredibly moving. The character of Gerriod requires an actor who can similarly evoke feelings of pathos.

Sumi Kimura - this was a tough one to cast. Originally I had cast Zhang Ziyi (from Hero, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, Memoirs of a Geisha) but the more I watch Battlestar Galactica the more I enjoy Grace Park's portrayal of Boomer. If Park isn't available I'll go for Zhang Ziyi. Even if I weren't casting the film, I'd go for Zhang Ziyi.

The last one I'll briefly comment on is Jewel Stait (Firefly, Serenity) as Lara Brand. I think she'd be perfect. There is a humourous aspect to this character (which Stait can do brilliantly) but she also needs to be played with a certain amount of vulnerability which - again - is Stait's forte. Lastly, I really like Lara and there is something totally endearing about Jewel Stait.

I'll comment upon the others another time, but hopefully that will give readers a sense of how I see this characters in a cinematic sense.

Cheers, Paul