The Casting Question

[Barb Jacobs]

I'm really having fun reading these, because it's given me an interesting insight on how readers are perceiving the characters. What is surprising to me is how Claude seems to be coming across as a rather classy austere Brit from some of the choices to play him. This was never really my intention for him, at least this early in the story.

Okay, So what do I see? (Not that it really matters that much!)
First the easy ones.

Tychia was always Pink to me.

Attitude, hair, clothes, etc. They aren't identical, but I could still see Pink playing Tychia in a movie.

Ambrosia? Uh....

Like I've always said... the similarity is all coincidence. ^_^

Now the more difficult ones...

Originally I used -of all people- Avril Lavigne as my inspiration for Xylia.

(You always start with an inspiration...and it usually changes!) In the very first storyline Xylia was going to be a college student, and much sassier and spunkier than the etheral, timeless being she has become. She's changed a lot in my mind.

Today, I can see Anne Hathaway as Xylia, although her physical proportions are a bit off. (Anne is quite curvy) But she has the big eyes, and mouth, and even nose.

I have heard "Angela Lansbury" as the voice of Livy more than once, too. To me, Angela's voice is too sweet, and perhaps not upper class enough to pull of Livy. I love Julie Andrews' voice and her pronunciation, but her voice is too pretty. I think it would need to be Dame Judy Dench, or perhaps Helen Mirren doing her Queen E II voice. A commanding woman's voice. Fear this Corgi.

Claude. This was the hardest character for me to design originally. I had the name, I knew he would be skinny (after three years of ridiculously ripped Ollie, Tim, Colin and Reggie I wanted a change of physique... I actually asthetically prefer slim men) but designing him was a real challenge. When I look at the early drawings of him, I'm always surprised at how much shorter his face was. In my mind from the very beginning, 'Claude' was to have a very long face and nose, and a tall, angular gangly body. As he becomes more aware of who he is, he would become more confident and perhaps more elegant, but at first, he's gawkish and clumsy.

Jake Weber (a British character actor who currently appears in the TV show, The Medium) was one actor that sort of looked like what I saw for Claude at first. At least his face.

Then very recently I saw Adrien Brody in King Kong. Even my kid called it. "That guy is Claude." He's not British. He's got that ethnic Jewish look that's not quite right either, but it's all about the nose, people. ^_^

He has the right kind of lanky body, and there's something sort of haunted in his eyes, too. Like, "Didn't I do this life thing already? Like TEN TIMES?"

Thank goodness Im not a casting director! This is hard!

[Strange Ian]

I've always imagined Judy Dench for Livys voice, but Helen Mirren would work very well!
One question: How do you imagine Xylias voice? British, or some sort of faerie accent? I have trouble imagining it, and neither Avril Lavigne or Anne Hathaway seem right in that way...

As for Adrien Brody: He can also look pretty tasty with a scruffy beard...
Oh, my computer is just acting up today! Found a good pic, it won't show and neither would the comment for a while there. -.-

[Barb Jacobs]

I found a few other pics of Adrien Brody that I don't mind looking at like - every five minutes.

I always imagined Xylia having a softly exotic accent- something not 'real'- slightly tinged with Greek.

Phanessa would have a similar accent.

Avril Lavigne is not what I would see as Xyila now- she was just my original inspiration.
~B

[Molly]

Like that accent Angelina Jolie does in fantasy movies? (What was the one she did recently that was all CG and she was serpent-y?)

[Aesairas]

The movie your thinking of Molly is Beowulf. :)

[lisabond]

Barb, you nailed it with Dame Judi Dench as Livy. Her depiction of "M" in the newer James Bond movies with that controlled voice of icy steel, yet still at times showing the protective mother hen side would be perfect.

I like the Christopher Lee angle. He could pull off the kindly mentor role. At first I was thinking Ian MacKellen, but he's getting a bit over-used as the old wise sage.

I'd take Adam Brody. OH, you mean to play Claude. Sorry ;o)

Claudius...howabout Oliver Phelps? Of course he'd have to be less...ginger. Livy might object.

[lisabond]

Sorry, didn't mean that to be so huge.

[Barb Jacobs]

Oh, he is a good one. I think those twins are just adorable. The last movie HP is going to be...
well, I can't say anythign now, can I? if everyone hasnt read the book...quite spoilery

ANYWAY, yeah- get the ginger out of his hair, although I don't know if he'd be so cute then!

~B

[Kasti]

I second Ian's question: What type of voice does Xylia have?

I was sort of leaning towards Kate Winslet when it comes to the purple lady. Of course, she's maybe too old but her elegance is...sort of fitting, yes?

I think you nailed Claude with Adrien Brody. This game is fun! =]

[Barb Jacobs]

Kate Winslet would be a possibility except she is so beautifully curvy, and the Azloeans are very slender.

This is kind of fun- it gets me thinking big, you know! ^_^
~B

[Lindsey]

I love the idea of using Judy Dench as Livy. I also want to know how you imagine Xylia's voice, and who would you use as young Claude?

[Barb Jacobs]

Young Claude would naturally have to be some unknown child, but if this was a movie, I'm sure the whole cast would be unknown essentially.

Haley Osment was an AMAZING child actor (SIxth Sense) who would have been a perfect Baby Charlie.

Like I mentioned above, I think Xylia and the Azloeans would have a strange accent that is a combination of French and Greek. Something made up.

~B

[Chaldy]

What about the guy from New Amsterdam as Claude? Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm819305216/nm0182666

He's so pretty, in that manly way. :D