I have a confession.
OK, I probably have a lot of them. For the sake of this blog post though, we’re focusing on the fact that I’m an utter moron when it comes to movies and television. I lack the attention span for either one, so when I’m asked the inevitable, “which actors and actresses do you imagine playing your characters in the movie version of your book?” I freeze.
I was asked to blog about this a few weeks ago at The Debutante Ball, and spent hours browsing online so I wouldn’t look like a complete idiot. I eventually came up with a photo of a younger, curly-haired Meg Ryan and another shot of Pierce Brosnan. It was as close as I could come to my mental picture of my heroine and hero from MAKING WAVES.
Meg Ryan
Pierce Brosnan
A friend emailed right away to remark on my choices. “Um, have you actually seen any movies in the last ten years?”
Define “seen.” Does falling asleep halfway through count?
So my friend helped me assemble a cast list I must grudgingly admit is much better than mine. Here are the ideas…
Juli, my plucky, spunky, smart-as-a-whip heroine:
Kate Hudson.
Kate Hudson
This actually makes sense to me, and I support the choice. Alternatives include Uma Thurman, Isla Fisher, Anna Faris, Katherine Heigl, Elizabeth Banks. I’ll admit I don’t know who half those actresses are, but I’m assuming they share Juli’s quirky nature and humorous approach to pretty much everything.
Alex, my brooding, seafaring, dark-haired hero:
George Clooney
My friend suggested Luke Wilson, but I’m not so sure about that. The second choice was George Clooney, which is such a ridiculously great idea I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself. I swear that’s not just because I’m madly in love with George. Rob Lowe was another runner-up, as were Hugh Jackman and Gerard Butler. Like Juli, Alex has a great sense of humor and an offbeat approach to life. He’s also a little older, so he needs to be someone with a little life experience and some pleasant crow’s feet around his eyes.
Cody/Cookie, a former NFL tight end turned cross-dressing gourmet chef who’s part of Alex’s dysfunctional pirate crew in MAKING WAVES:
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. My friend was so adamant on this one, it seems there’s no need for an alternative. Cookie is dopey and sensitive, but the most kind, loyal person you’d ever hope to meet. Plus his crème brûlée is outstanding.
Jake, the doughy, balding, slightly crabby accounting supervisor who worked with Alex for nearly 20 years before joining him on a revenge fueled diamond heist:
Paul Giamatti
Jason Alexander
Oliver Platt
This one was a three-way tie between Paul Giamatti, Jason Alexander, and Oliver Platt. Any of these guys could surely capture Jake’s grumbly yet charming personality.
Phyllis, the socially awkward, fifty-something former steeplechase Olympian who has the hots for Jake:
Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch. Hands down. There were no alternatives. Jane captures the steely, socially awkward personality I tried to create for Phyllis, plus the actress is a spitting image of my mental picture for the character.
So there you have it — I can’t take credit for most of them, but I have to agree it’s a much better cast than I could have come up with on my own.
Have you read MAKING WAVES? If so, how do you think that casting list stacks up? If not, I’m eager to hear how those ideas for actors and actresses shape your perception of the book. Please share!
MAKING WAVES BY TAWNA FENSKE — IN STORES AUGUST 2011
She always wanted to belong… Just not to a dysfunctional pirate crew…
Juli has trouble fitting in, though she’d prefer to keep the reasons to herself. But when she mistakenly stows away on a ship of misfit corporate castoffs, her own secrets become the least of her concerns…
He knows plotting a diamond heist may be considered unusual behavior…
But Alex isn’t feeling very normal when his unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb. Meeting Juli doesn’t do much to restore normalcy to Alex’s life either, but it sure is exhilarating!
As Alex and Juli bare their secrets–and a whole lot more–they find that while normal is nice, weird can be wonderful…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tawna Fenske traveled a career path that took her from newspaper reporter to English teacher in Venezuela to marketing geek. An avid globetrotter with a fondness for the sea, she shares her heroine’s violent allergy to seasickness medication (though, sadly, has never stowed away on a pirate ship).Tawna is the author of the popular daily blog “Don’t Pet Me, I’m Writing” and lives in Central Oregon, where she is working on her next novel, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, in stores March 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.tawnafenske.com/ or follow her on Twitter @tawnafenske
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