Friday, September 27, 2013

Cupid's Arrow: Dream Cast for DEFY!

Hey everyone, Sara B. Larson here!

Today for my cupid's arrow, I took a shot from our very own Sara Raasch to dream cast my book, if it were turned into a movie.

Here's the thing, I LOVE movies. Well, let me rephrase: I love WELL DONE movies. And when I write, I totally envision my book like a movie in my head. That's why I love using soundtracks while I'm writing, probably. But the trick is that I always have a really hard time finding the right actor to match the characters I see in my head. I have a REALLY hard time when I go see a movie based on a book and the actors don't fit the parts. And DEFY is particularly hard because all of my main characters are a blend of different ethnicities from the world of DEFY. So I guess what I'm trying to say is none of these are perfect, but if you kind of mash them together, you might get the perfect combo. Kind of.

So without further ado, I give you the main characters of DEFY!

For Alexa:

She's born and raised in Antion, the main setting of DEFY. It's a jungle kingdom that is kind of a melting pot of different peoples. Alexa and her twin brother Marcel, are half-Blevonese, another one of the kingdoms in DEFY. The people of Blevon have a sort-of Asian look about them, in my mind. So Alexa is supposed to have olive skin, hazel eyes, and dark hair. These actresses are close to how I see her, but if you combine them with the drawings I found below, then you'd be right on.
 Adelaide Kane - possible Alexa
 Crystal Reed - possible Alexa. 
 I do really like Crystal's look and think she could be a great fit. 
 Ignore the background stuff and the metal armor, and this could be Alexa. Also, she'd be in pants. And this would obviously be BEFORE she chopped off her hair. ;-)
 Or this, but in the uniform of the prince's guard, instead of this outfit and pretty feminine hairdo. 

So that gives you an idea of Alexa. But again, none of them are PERFECT. So feel free to imagine these characters however you want when you read DEFY. 

Now on to Damian! Again, he is a mix of two ethnicities, so he is supposed to have olive skin and dark hair, but piercing, deep blue eyes. So if you could mix any one of these actors with Godfrey Gao (at the bottom) you'd have the perfect combo. ;-)
 Don't know who this is, but he could be a pretty good Damian. His eyes need to be a bit darker blue...but I'm not complaining! 
 Henry Cavill - He could definitely be a great Damian as far as his acting goes and he has the dark hair and the blue eyes. And he looks dang good in boots, breeches, tunic and holding a sword! 
 Someone suggested Ian Somerholder for Damian, and I have to admit, he would be really good at the part. He definitely has the piercing stare down, and his blue eyes and dark hair are perfect. Not sure why the color went wonky with this picture, but you all know what he really looks like. ;)
 But again, none of them have the olive skin or the slightly Asian influence that I imagine in Damian's look. So take one of them and blend them with Godfrey, and you'd have a perfect Damian! Is that too much to ask? 
 See? Really good piercing stare. Love it.

Oh, oh... I found another possible Prince Damian:
Behold Brant Daughterty. Still no Asian influence, but dang. He's got the rest going for him!

And finally, Alexa's closest friend in the guard (beside her twin brother), Rylan! He's the hardest one of all, because he's supposed to have skin the "color of cream with a hint of melted chocolate stirred in" and deep brown eyes with gold flecks. Basically, I need to find the male version of Alicia Keys. But I can't find anyone that fits the bill! Do you know of anyone? In the meantime, these guys are as good a match as I can find. 
 Sara Raasch (who has read DEFY) suggested Dean Geyer, and I agree that he's a good fit (besides his skin and the fact that he would need brown contacts!). But other than that, he'd be a great Rylan!
Don't know who he is, but he's pretty close to how I see Rylan, especially the eyes. 

Sorry for the late update, but Jesse Williams could totally be Rylan. Wrong color eyes, but hey, what are contacts for? ;-) Thanks for the suggestion!

So that concludes my (probably rather confusing) attempt to dream cast my book! Again, none of them are perfect, so feel free to imagine my characters however you wish while reading. But it's always fun to look, right?? 

And if you have any suggestions, let me know! Thanks for the Cupid's Arrow, Sara, it's been fun! And if you wish to see all the pictures I've found (or will continue to find), be sure to follow THIS BOARD on  pinterest. :-)

14 comments:

  1. I got distracted by all the pretty men... :) Great post! I'm getting so excited to read DEFY!!

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  2. I would think Alexa would have to have a very androgynous face to be a convincing boy. But I do like that sideways pic of Crystal.

    Ian Somerholder. Yes. Yes. (But look up Jessie Williams)

    Avan Jogia is my Kush, but he might work well for your Rylan :0)

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    1. I think Crystal would be the best fit, without makeup and a severe haircut, she could pass for a "pretty boy" which is kind of what Alexa/Alex is taken for.

      Jesse Williams and Avan are both great fits for Rylan, thanks for the suggestions!!

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  3. Great choices!

    Ian Somerhalder is going to still be getting cast in YA books when he's 50, I bet :-) #ThoseEyes

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  4. Well, I've already found some new people, but I don't want to keep updating this post, so you will all have to check out my pinterest board I guess. ;-)

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  5. All I can say is, WHEN IS THIS DEFY ARC GETTING TO ME ALREADY? I'll now be able to picture everybody that much more clearly, in all their hot glory. ;)

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    1. Haha! You should check out the pinterest board, there's even more to ogle.;-) And hopefully you get it soon! I think maybe you're only one or two away...?

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  6. Crystal is definitely your Alexa--definitely. Just as I envisioned her. And while I do loves me some Damian Salvator, I gotta say...Cavill wins every time. The only reason I watched The Tudors was because of him! And Dean definitely has the friend/could-there-be-more? factor. GREAT casting, my dear!

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    1. Crystal is totally perfect, right? I really think so, too. And yes, I do love me some Henry Cavill. Ian just does that intense stare so well. ;-)

      You should check out my pinterest board, because I'm thinking Jesse Williams might be the even better fit for Rylan. What do you think? And I found another possible Damian, too. This is too much fun. ;-)

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    2. Oh...HELLO, Mr. Williams. *swipes drool from chin*

      I love this game.

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  7. Wow. I was totally detracted by the cute guys and had to reread the article. I've tried to envision actors who could play the character in the book I'm currently writing and couldn't. Perhaps, I'll just steal your guys. They are so cute!!!

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  8. Hi Sara! I'm an editor with National Geographic Children's Publishing and I just finished your book! When are you coming out with a second one??

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