Posted in Breaking News, Casting, Geekdom, Movies on January 30, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Henry Cavill
Actor Henry Cavill, best known for his role in the cable TV series The Tudors has been chosen as the man of steel. That’s right he will appear in the upcoming Superman movie to be directed Zack Snyder, playing the legendary dual role of Clark Kent and Superman.
This news broke this morning and comes courtesy of The Wrap (among many other outlets).
Congrats to Henry!!
Posted in Breaking News, Casting, Geekdom, Television on January 27, 2011| 4 Comments »
Klaus has been cast, folks, and it’s a new face for American TV. Here are the details from Michael Ausiello at TV Line.
And, here is the follow up item by Vampire Diaries Net.
Thoughts?!
UPDATE: For those who watched the British series Hex, Joseph appeared in several episodes of the first season playing the role of Troy and he will be seen in the made-for-TV movie Ben Hur that will be out sometime this year, starring alongside Kristin Kreuk of Smallville fame and Emily VanCamp of Everwood and Brother & Sisters fame.
ANOTHER UPDATE: A CW insider tells E! Entertainment Online the report is “just speculation at this point.”
ME: Interesting, no?!
Posted in Breaking News, Casting, Geekdom, Television on January 24, 2011| 19 Comments »
News broke today that the Wonder Woman project for which David E. Kelley has been overseeing for TV was picked up as a pilot by NBC. That news, of course, set off a maelstrom of comments; namely, why does a remake need to be made of yet another 70’s classic not to mention who would play the legendary character.
A number of articles went up today, proclaiming the news and speculating on various actresses who could play the part. To be honest of all the names being thrown around by bloggers and fans alike very few really FIT the part. When you visualize Wonder Woman, you see Lynda Carter who personified the character in the 70’s TV series.
But is there an actress who can fit the bill now? I say there are actually several who could pull off this monumental role. First and foremost, the actress who lands this part must be TALL after all Wonder Woman is an Amazon. She must be beautiful; that is a given. And, she has to have a terrific body. That is a “tall” order, but there are woman in the industry that fit these descriptions.
My choices appear below in no particular order:
Miracle Laurie
Miracle Laurie – Back in April of 2010, I wrote a column at NiceGirlsTV called “If I Were a Casting Agent” where I talked about who I would cast in the much-anticipated Wonder Woman movie that kept being shipped around. Miracle Laurie was my number one choice for the role in that column, and I stand behind that decision. Miracle had a recurring role in the FOX series Dollhouse.
Erica Durance
Erica Durance – Erica has consistently made the dream list of bloggers all over the net for this role simply because she is tall, beautiful and strong. She has proven that she can handle an iconic role and make it her own, playing the legendary Lois Lane in the CW series Smallville for the past 7 seasons.
Nadia Bjorlin
Nadia Bjorlin – This Days of Our Lives beauty has been counted among the many names touted for this role since her early days of the soap opera. Considering Nadia has 12-years’ experience working in soaps she can handle any type of storyline that comes her way and she has the beauty and physique to pull of this role.
Bridget Regan
Bridget Regan – This stunning beauty from the syndicated series Legend of the Seeker has the allure and charm to play this role effortlessly. The experience she gained from working on this series in terms of filming battles, wielding weapons and dealing with costumes would come in handy for portraying Wonder Woman.
So, there you have my top four choices for the legendary role of Wonder Woman. Which actresses would you like to see play this part. Please share.
Posted in Breaking News, Casting, Contest/Sweepstakes, Geekdom, Music, Television on January 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »
The executive producers for Glee – Ryan Murphy and Dante Di Loreto – have signed on to oversee the new reality competition series called The Glee Project for Oxygen. In this reality series one lucky winner will win a coveted 7-episode guest starring role on the third season of the hit FOX series Glee.
The 10-episode reality series will premiere in June and will break new ground as the first time an unscripted reality series on one network awards a winner a role on another network.
The Glee Project recently concluded a nationwide casting search, which featured Glee newcomers Chord Overstreet and Darren Criss and drew over 40,000 applicants through open casting calls in both Chicago and Dallas and online submissions via MySpace.
Additionally, Oxygen will air a GLEEKEND marathon of fan favorite episodes from seasons one and two of Glee include fan favorites from seasons one and two (including The Power of Madonna, The Rocky Horror Glee Show and Britney/Brittany episodes) on Saturday, February 5, premiering at 11 AM through 11 PM.
During the marathon, viewers can log-on here for a chat with cast and crew from the series, exclusive content such as fan blogs, photo galleries and video from the auditions.
Thanks to The Futon Critic for all the details!
Posted in Casting, Television on January 13, 2011| 1 Comment »
With the news that broke today about ABC giving the green light to the reboot of the classic 70’s series Charlie’s Angels, I did some brainstorming with some good blogger friends of mine and the following are the results of our casting for this remake.
Regardless of how you feel about remakes of classic TV shows, I hope you will enjoy the following casting choices. But first, here are the short details on the angels – if the network sticks with the descriptions of the characters from this past fall, that is:
Marisa Valdez – Ambiguously Latina Angel is an orphan, an immigrant and a former U.S. Marine.
Abby Sampson – Abby is the daughter of a notorious Wall Street crook, is an expert thief and con artist. She is also trained in the deadly art of Krav Maga.
Kate Prince – Gorgeous black Angel, who’s a former cop, the smarty of the trio and somewhat straight-laced, though she also knows how to let her hair down.
Of course, there will be the Angels’ boss Charlie, who I would imagine, much like the original, will only be heard and not seen so that actor will need a great voice to distinguish himself.
And, the announcement was made last week that John Bosley has been reimagined into the following: He is in his late-20s to mid-30s, he has “GQ looks” and a “Peter Pan smile” He is a detective with savvy hacking skills, but a killer six-pack hides under his designer suits.
So, with all of those descriptions in mind, let’s get started on the trio of angels that could be cast in the coveted roles. And, since it is hard to tell what ages the powers that be at the network will want for the angels, I have broken it down into three different age categories.
Charlie’s Angels (Mid 20’s):
Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera – Best known for her role as Santana in the FOX hit series Glee, Naya has also appeared in the TV shows The Royal Family and The Bernie Mac Show and has made guest appearances in Baywatch, Even Stevens, 8 Simple Rules, CSI: Miami and Family Matters.
Katie Cassidy
Katie Cassidy – Known to audiences for her role in the short-lived remake of Melrose Place and most recently in Gossip Girl, Katie also made audiences take note with her recurring role as Ruby in Supernatural. She has also appeared in 7th Heaven and Harper’s Island. She also appeared in the box office movies Taken and the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Jennifer Freeman
Jennifer Freeman – Best known for her role in the popular comedy My Wife and Kids, Jennifer has also guest starred in 7th Heaven, Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire (the TV series). She was also seen in the movies You Got Served and Johnson Family Vacation.
Charlie’s Angels (Late 20’s):
America Ferrera
America Ferrera – While best known for the title role in the popular series Ugly Betty, she also starred in the box office films The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (and its sequel). But she was first discovered in the independent film Real Women Have Curves. She has also appeared in episodes of Touched By An Angel and CSI as well as being one of the voices featured in the animated film How To Train Your Dragon.
Adrianne Palicki
Adrianne Palicki – She first got attention for her one-time appearance in an episode of Smallville, which was followed up by her guest appearances in Supernatural. But it was her work in Friday Night Lights (the TV series) that really got her noticed. She has also appeared in the short-lived shows South Beach and Lone Star. She was also part of the cast of the box office film Legion.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – While she was introduced to the American audience through her role in the short-lived series Undercovers, she has appeared in the British shows MI-5, Doctor Who and Bonekickers.
Charlie’s Angels (Early 30s):
Dania Ramirez
Dania Ramirez – Best known for her character in the second season of Heroes, she has also appeared in Entourage, The Sopranos and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her movie roles include Quarantine, X-Men: The Last Stand and Fat Albert.
Katee Sackhoff
Katee Sackhoff – While she is infamous for her role as Starbuck in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, she has also appeared in the short-lived remake of Bionic Woman and the final season of 24. She got her first big break, though, in the short-lived series The Education of Max Bickford and guest starred in ER, Boomtown, Cold Case, Law & Order, Nip/Tuck and The Big Bang Theory. She can currently be seen in a recurring role on CSI.
Kandyse McClure
Kandyse McClure – She is also a veteran of Battlestar Galactica, but she got her first big break in the series Higher Ground and followed that up with guest appearances in The Outer Limits, Dark Angel, Black Sash, Jake 2.0, Smallville, Sanctuary and Reaper. She also appeared in the short-lived shows Jeremiah, Whistler and Persons Unknown. And, her made-for-TV movie roles include Santa Baby, The Client List and Children of the Corn.
As for the eloquent Charlie, you have your choice of the following:
(NOTE: It was announced at several outlets this afternoon that perennial Hart to Hart actor Robert Wagner has already been cast as Charlie, but since it is early in the casting process, actors with recognizable voices were chosen)
Michael T. Weiss
Michael T. Weiss – Best known for his role in the cult-favorite The Pretender, he has been seen in Crossing Jordan, Days of our Lives and has done voice work for The Legend of Tarzan and Justice League. Most recently in appeared in an episode of Blue Bloods.
George Clooney
George Clooney – Best known for his work on the TV series ER, he is obviously a household name for his movie career, covering movies such as Ocean’s Eleven (and its sequels), Michael Clayton, Up in the Air, The American, Leatherheads, The Perfect Storm and Out of Sight [among many others].
Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Haysbert – Best known for his roles in the TV series The Unit and 24 as well as being the national spokesperson for [correction) Allstate Insurance, he has appeared in the films Jarhead, Love & Basketball, Random Hearts, Waiting to Exhale and Heat [among others]. He also appeared in the short-lived series Now and Again and the made-for-TV movie Queen alongside relative unknown (at the time) Halle Berry.
And, lastly, here are the choices for John Bosley, as written by me (with help from my blogger friends) and posted last week:
Justin Hartley
Justin Hartley – Best known for his role as Oliver Queen aka The Green Arrow on the long-running series Smallville, Justin also appeared on the daytime soap Passions, appeared in the online series Gemini Division and guest starred in Cold Case and CSI: NY.
Victor Webster
Victor Webster – Victor appeared in the syndicated series Mutant X as Brennan Mulwray, but he has also been seen in the short-lived series Related, he was Coop on Charmed during the final season of the show and had recurring roles in the remake of Melrose Place and the ABC Family Channel series Lincoln Heights. He has also most recently been seen in Castle as Detective Kate Beckett’s latest boyfriend.
Misha Collins
Misha Collins – He plays the angel Castiel in the popular series Supernatural, but he also appeared in numerous episodes of 24 and several episodes of ER among guest appearances in NCIS, Nip/Tuck, CSI, Monk, Without a Trace, CSI: NY and Close to Home. He also appeared in the Syfy movie Stonehenge Apocalypse.
What actors and actresses would you like to see play these parts. Please share.
NOTE: Please also check out this post from last June, featuring a slightly different take on the Charlie’s Angels format as well as some other fun pilots that you won’t be seeing on TV.
Posted in Casting, Geekdom, Television on January 8, 2011| 3 Comments »
On Thursday, there were two casting announcements made at TV Guide that caught my attention. The first was for the new Charlie’s Angels pilot for which ABC is currently working on for pilot season. While the second was for the upcoming Syfy prequel pilot to Battlestar Galactica, which is being called Blood & Chrome.
Regardless of where you stand on remakes of classic TV shows or yet another prequel to an acclaimed series, I wish to present to you some casting considerations for the parts for each of these pilots.
For Charlie’s Angels, the role of John Bosley has been redesigned by the powers that be at ABC with the following being the description for this character: John Bosley is in his late-20s to mid-30s, he has “GQ looks” and a “Peter Pan smile” He is a detective with savvy hacking skills, but a killer six-pack hides under his designer suits.
With that description in mind, I scanned my data banks to find just the right actor to fit the mold and the following are the actors I would submit if I were the casting agent for this pilot:
Justin Hartley
Justin Hartley – Best known for his role as Oliver Queen aka The Green Arrow on the long-running series Smallville, Justin also appeared on the daytime soap Passions, appeared in the online series Gemini Division and guest starred in Cold Case and CSI: NY.
Victor Webster
Victor Webster – Victor appeared in the syndicated series Mutant X as Brennan Mulwray, but he has also been seen in the short-lived series Related, he was Coop on Charmed during the final season of the show and had recurring roles in the remake of Melrose Place and the ABC Family Channel series Lincoln Heights. He has also most recently been seen in Castle as Detective Kate Beckett’s latest boyfriend.
Misha Collins
Misha Collins – He plays the angel Castiel in the popular series Supernatural, but he also appeared in numerous episodes of 24 and several episodes of ER among guest appearances in NCIS, Nip/Tuck, CSI, Monk, Without a Trace, CSI: NY and Close to Home. He also appeared in the Syfy movie Stonehenge Apocalypse.
Whereas, there are three roles for Blood & Chrome: those of the legendary William Adama, but as a young man; an experienced officer serving on Adama’s first ship and a mysterious woman. Here are the descriptions:
William Adama is in his early-to-mid 20s and is a cocky, fearless jock, his experience as a fighter pilot has been limited to simulations, but he can’t wait to duke it out with the Cylons.
For young William Adama:
Justin Baldoni
Justin Baldoni – Viewers of Everwood will remember him as Ephram’s college roommate and temporary boyfriend to Amy Abbott; but he has appeared in the daytime soaps The Young & the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful as well as appearing in a couple episodes of Heroes and guest starring in Charmed, CSI: NY and CSI Miami.
Nico Cortez
Nico Cortez – Nico already has experience in this role, as he played the young William Adama in both the Battlestar Galactica film Razor as well as the Razor Flashbacks mini-series. He is actually currently listed for this role for the pilot episode, but since the pilot is in pre-production it is a little too early to tell if that will hold true.
Matt Cohen
Matt Cohen – Any viewer of Supernatural will recognize Matt’s face if not his name, as he appeared as the younger version of John Winchester (the dad of Sam and Dean). Matt has also appeared in the series South of Nowhere and the online series Rockville, CA.
Officer Coker Fasjovik is in his late 20s to mid 30s, who is weary after a long mission on the less-than-impressive Raptor called the Weasel. He is homebound after just 45 days of the fighting; but he is none too happy when what was to be a routine final assignment turns out to be a dangerous task.
For Officer Fasjovik:
Michael Pena
Michael Pena – Michael has appeared in the shows Felicity, ER, The Shield and Eastbound & Down, but has also been seen in the box office films Shooter, World Trade Center, Babel and Million Dollar Baby.
Kevin Alejandro
Kevin Alejandro – Best known for his current roles in both Southland and True Blood, Kevin has also appeared in Ugly Betty, Sleeper Cell, Weeds, Parenthood, Shark, the short-lived series Drive and the online series Gemini Division.
Daniel Sunjata
Daniel Sunjata – Known for his work in the FX series Rescue Me, Daniel has also appeared in the made-for-TV movies At Risk and The Front (both based on Sandra Brown novels) and has had roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the short-lived series Love Monkey and has guest starred in 30 Rock, Lie to Me and Grey’s Anatomy.
Beka is a beautiful female officer, who has been assigned to the ship but isn’t what she appears; she has a treasonous agenda that could cost lives.
For Beka:
Bridget Regan
Bridget Regan – As the beautiful confessor Kahlan Amnell on the syndicated series Legend of the Seeker, Bridget quickly became known the world over, but she has also appeared in the short-lived series The Black Donnellys and made appearances in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Six Degrees and New Amsterdam.
Sarah Gadon
Sarah Gadon – For those who have seen the Canadian series Being Erica, you will remember Sarah as Katie, a former friend of title character Erica Strange; but she has appeared in the shows Total Drama Island, Ruby Gloom, Friends and Heroes, The Border and Happy Town.
Emily Foxler
Emily Foxler – Viewers of the aforementioned Legend of the Seeker will recognize Emily for her recurring role of Sister Nicci, but she has guest starred in CSI: NY, Burn Notice, NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, Without a Trace, Bones, Three Rivers and The Mentalist as well as appearing in the made-for-TV movie Deadly Honeymoon.
If you were a casting agent, who would you choose for these roles. Please share.
Posted in Casting, Television, tagged Being Erica on December 20, 2010| 2 Comments »
Much has been discussed by fans and bloggers alike regarding the recent news that ABC is working on an American version of the popular Canadian series Being Erica that will air its third season on the soon-to-be-defunct SOAPnet starting on January 26 at 11 PM.
The discussions have ranged from: Is it really necessary to fix what isn’t broken? Do we really need two versions of the same show in Canada and America when the original is wonderful as it is? Can’t the network simply air the past two seasons and arrange for the third season to be aired on ABC? Who in the world could “replace” Erin Karpluk as Erica Strange, the title character in the series?
The last question is the key issue that most fans and bloggers all share. Who would play Erica? Various names have been thrown around – especially on Twitter – and even some articles have been written where casting choices were made for not only Erica but most of the primary and secondary cast.
That is where the purpose of the following lists comes into play. After much discussion with a fellow blogger, I would like to present my choices for the American cast of Being Erica based on three very different leading ladies.
Once you peruse the choices and check out the photos, please share your thoughts on whether you agree and please feel free to make your own suggestions.
Enjoy!
PS: Please note that I did research each actor and actress, making sure (as much as possible) that each one is the right age for their respective roles. Also note that there is no way to know if any of these actors would be interested in the American version of the show, whether any of them would be available for the show or if they would even be offered a role in the show. These are simply SUGGESTIONS on who I would like to see play the parts. Nothing more.
Erica Durance
Suggestion 1: Erica Strange as played by Erica Durance (Lois Lane on Smallville) – Much has been made that she would be a shoo-in just because her name is Erica, but Durance would easily be able to adapt to the ever changing life of Erica Strange and her unusual forays into the past.
Autumn Reeser
Suggestion 2: Erica Strange as played by Autumn Reeser (Katie on No Ordinary Family) – Autumn was suggested by a fellow blogger for the lead role in the American version of this series and she would make a delightful Erica because she has charm and that much sought after attribute: likeability.
Shiri Appleby
Suggestion 3: Erica Strange as played by Shiri Appleby (Cate from Life Unexpected and formerly Liz on Roswell) – Shiri was also suggested by a fellow blogger and she would make a terrific Erica because she has experience working with teen angst stories, allowing for believability for the time travel trips and she is so expressive, making the viewers’ feel every emotion for which she feels.
The remainder of the cast would be virtually the same regardless of which talented actress is chosen for the lead role (more on that shortly), except the actor who would play Erica’s boyfriend Ethan would change depending on the leading lady. Those suggestions are as follows:
Adam Kaufman
Suggestion 1: Ethan as played by Adam Kaufman (to be paired with Erica Durance) – Adam is recognizable to viewers of Without A Trace, the Lifetime made-for-TV movie Lying to be Perfect (both with his off-screen love Poppy Montgomery) and the TV mini-series Taken [among many others]. Durance is statuesque and requires a tall, dark and handsome leading man; all qualities that Kaufman has in spades.
Eyal Podell
Suggestion 2: Ethan as played by Eyal Podell (to be paired with Autumn Reeser) – Eyal is known to TV viewers through his roles in the short-lived TV shows Defying Gravity and Commander in Chief; but he also appeared in 24, Everwood and Charmed [among many others]. He is also known in the soap world for his work on The Young and the Restless. To play alongside Reeser, this Ethan would need to be the strong, somewhat silent type and Eyal could pull that off easily while being the voice of reason to Autumn’s Erica.
Max Greenfield
Suggestion 3: Ethan as played by Max Greenfield (to be paired with Shiri Appleby) – Max is best known to the TV audience for his recurring role as Deputy Leo in Veronica Mars, but he has also appeared in Greek, Ugly Betty and Raising the Bar. To play alongside Shiri as Erica Strange, this Ethan would need to be able to handle her well-played-out emotions with aplomb and compassion.
Patrick Fabian
As for the remainder of the primary cast, they would be as follows:
Dr. Tom would be played by Patrick Fabian, who is known for his work in Joan of Arcadia, Veronica Mars, the short-lived series Valentine and most recently the Teen Nick series Gigantic (among many others). Patrick is an extremely versatile actor who could easily delve into the complex and mysterious character of Dr. Tom, making him an easy to like (and fear) character who could roll quips and quotes off to Erica with power and authority.
Mark Sheppard
Brenda Strong
Gary and Barbara Strange (Erica’ parents) would be portrayed by Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives and Everwood) and Mark Sheppard (Battlestar Galactica). Brenda has a history of playing tragic mother roles so this role would be a welcome change for her and she would shine as Erica’s mom. Meanwhile, Mark is best known for playing the “heavy” or villain in most of his roles, but to see him portray a gentle father would be a treat and he could pull this off as easily as his past roles. He would have to hide his accent, of course.
Marley Shelton
Julianne (Erica’s boss) would be played by Marley Shelton, who really made an impression – short though it may have been – in the US version of Eleventh Hour and has experience playing the not-so-pleasant (nee bitchy) type such as her role in the box office movie Never Been Kissed. Movie goers will also remember Marley from her work in Pleasantville alongside Tobey Maguire and Bubble Boy with Jake Gyllenhaal.
NOTE: And here is the remainder of the secondary cast:
Nora Zehetner
Christine Adams
Jenny and Judith (Erica’s best friends) would be played by Nora Zehetner and Christine Adams respectively. Nora is best known for her roles in the TV shows on Everwood, Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy and Mad Men while Christine had a recurring role in Pushing Daisies and appeared in the short-lived series The Whole Truth.
Mercedes McNab
Michael Cassidy
Samantha and Leo Strange (Erica’s younger sister and younger brother) would be portrayed by Mercedes McNab and Michael Cassidy respectively. Most TV viewers will remember Mercedes from her days on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer while Michael got his start on The O.C. and then moved on to roles in Smallville and Privileged.
Kavan Smith
Brent (Erica’s co-worker) would be played by Kavan Smith, who is best known for his roles in the TV shows Stargate Atlantis and Eureka. NOTE: He has played a member of the military or police force in these shows so it would be a real treat to see him play a metrosexual character and, for once, not be carrying a gun.
Geoff Stults
Josh (Erica’s brother-in-law) would be played by Geoff Stults, who has appeared in 7th Heaven, the short-lived shows Reunion and Happy Town as well as the series October Road.
Chris Olivero
Kai (Erica’s friend and fellow time traveler) would be portrayed by Chris Olivero, who is best known to TV viewers from the ABC Family Channel series Kyle XY.
Lindy Booth
Katie (Erica’s former best friend) would be played by Lindy Booth, who appeared in the syndicated series Relic Hunter as well as Odyssey 5, The 4400 and The Philanthropist. She is probably best known for her recurring role in October Road.
Now that you’ve read my choices, please make your own.
Rueben's Ramblings 