By Pat Cunningham
‘Fess up: we all want to see our novels made into movies, right? Who wouldn’t love to see their stories up on the big screen? This gets tricky when you’re telling shapeshifter tales. Which actors best embody your character’s animal side?
Coyote – Brad Pitt’s got all the qualities that make a coyote dangerous: looks, brains, and charm. He even looks good as a blond. An ‘80s-era Bruce Willis would have made a perfect coyote. For us older gals, I go with Clint Eastwood. When I was writing COYOTE MOON, I pictured Clint as the patriarch of the Gray clan, the wily old coyote with a dash of wolf. Check out his Man With No Name flicks if you don’t believe me.
Wolf – Just about any alpha male actor could pull off a convincing wolf. I’m going to go for Christian Bale here. Batman, my ass – he’s a wolf man. Daniel Craig’s the ruthless lone wolf out for enemy blood. As stated above, Clint Eastwood’s a wolf/coyote hybrid. Harrison Ford’s another aspect of wolfhood, the rugged protector/family man type. Farther down the pack hierarchy we’ve got Tom Hanks, who looks like he should have a tail wagging behind him. The alpha’s beta buddy, perhaps.
Bear – John Goodman and Jack Black, no contest. Ford might also pass as a bear. James Earl Jones would make a helluva bear. But then, James Earl Jones would make a helluvan anything.
Cat – Everything we need is on display in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Oded Fehr is the sinuous leopard, Arnold Vosloo the ruthless, majestic lion, and Brendan Fraser the canny American cougar who kicks their Old World tails. I don’t know about the Rock. His wrestling nickname was the Brahma Bull. Jaguar, maybe? Tiger?
Hyena – Jack Nicholson. He’s in a class by himself.
Your turn to play casting director. Who would you pick to play your shapeshifter and why? TV actors are okay. Just not Michael J. Fox; that’s practically a giveaway. And – action!
8 comments:
I think rock stars when I'm writing characters.
Axel Rose - Rhys, my black elf prince who always means well but usually screws things up.
Sebastian Bach- Does he not have "bad-ass Shifter Lord" written all over him???
Twisted Sister, as a group, looks like a rogue pack of werewolves! They kind of act like one, too.
Kittie- a pride of seductive but deadly panthers!
Okay, per usual, I have to go with Adrian Paul. He could definitely do wolf and he makes one helluva sexy romantic vampire, especially in Relic Hunter. In The Breed he was whole other kind of vampire. Much spookier.
Yep, I'm going with TV actors. Don Johnson can play my coyote any day. His sexy hot partner in Miami Vice is a Big Cat type definitely.
Truthfully, I rarely think of any star, celebrity, or rock star as my heroes. They may embody some of the looks and some of the characteristics of said celebs... but, in my mind's eyes they are themselves, unique in looks and character.
The actor who played Spike... I'm not the best with names... talk about coyote... and David Boreanz could play a werewolf...
So, what about my big cat heroes? Hmmmm... maybe Kevin Sorbo could do a lion?
Like you said John Goodman would make an incredible Bear.
James Earl Jones... I say lion.
Now Bruce Campbell played a demon in the X-Files. He could definitely play a shifter role.
Oh, heck, now I'll be thinking about this.
Maybe, we need an official SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS list...
Don Johnson as a coyote! Of course! And Kevin Sorbo as a lion. I'm with you. As for James Earl Jones, didn't he do the voice of Simba's dad in The Lion King? I remember him turning into a snake in Conan the Barbarian.
Rock stars, sure. What would Kid Rock be? I like him. Neil Young would have to be a bear. He always looks like he just crawled out of a cave.
That's a very good question. I love his singing but he's so creepy looking. Vampire maybe? Or a dark fae?
David Draiman from Disturbed looks and sings like hell spawn.
Ooh, what fun! Let's see...
Cat - Definitely Christian Slater and I agree, Pat, Brenden Fraiser as a cougar extrodinare! Woot.
Bear - Patrick Warburton, the big guy on Rules of Engagement. He screams big and burly to me.
Wolf and/or falcon - Adrian Paul and yep, Savanna, he'd make a heck of a vamp ~sigh, now those would be some awesome bites!~
Coyote - Charlie Sheen! LOL
Oh Rebecca, Twisted Sister as werewolves...Absolutely! hehehe
Hmmmm, Charlie Sheen... he might just be a hybrid coyote wolf.
And, dang! Neil Young, he does look like a woken up bear.
I'm kinda out of the loop on the rock stars. Love the music, most of it... but, I never got into some of the drama looks stuff, even though it is great theater.
Tina!!! Now there's a lioness.
Axel Rose - hoary marmet (cause he makes alot of noise, thinks way too much of himself and is late to everything)
Gee, I wonder if we should let Axel know his true nature... but then, maybe it's no shapeshifting surprise.
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