JACK'S BLOG
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WritingPEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING about the actors I mentioned in an interview that has been appearing around the blogosphere. Why did I choose them to portray the characters from my novel, Rebels on the Mountain? It's a good question. Although there isn't any movie deal for Rebels on the Mountain in the works (someday hopefully), I liked the question because I think it helps potential readers get a feel for the characters they will meet when they read the story. I don't waste words in the novel describing the characters. Indeed, as a reader, I have been annoyed when authors try to describe theirs overmuch. I have a story to tell and would prefer that readers collaborate by supplying their own images. It is such a partnership between storytellers and their audiences that led Orson Welles to remark that, of all the productions he had participated in – stage, film, and radio drama – radio drama was his favorite. However, with so many book choices facing readers, maybe using the images of known actors will help them anticipate reading Rebels on the Mountain. Thus, I decided to go even further in this blog posting and explain my choices. Fictional CharactersNick Andrews: A U.S. Army Ranger and Korean War Veteran who has made a career of reconnaissance patrols behind the Iron Curtain – possibly portrayed by Stephen Amell I became familiar with Stephen Amell in his role as Oliver Queen on the CW TV production of Arrow. Like Oliver Queen, Nick Andrews is an exceptionally skilled warrior who must mask his capacity for mayhem while navigating the camps of his enemies. Amell has mastered this role magnificently in just the first few episodes of the series. Also, like Queen, Andrews is bedeviled by his past. My hero is the child of an abusive father and he is forever courting approval from the men in his life, his surrogate fathers, seeking their approval even if he must voluntarily submit to extraordinary risks if he thinks they expect it of him. Lucia Comas: An American-educated, island-born mulata, daughter of the second wife of don Carlos Comas, a Cuban sugar plantation owner, and love interest of Nick Andrews – possibly portrayed by Christina Milian No doubt about it. I was primarily driven by the obvious in selecting Christina Milian for the role of Lucia Comas. She is Cuban and she certainly looks the part. Any good singer has to be able to act to perform a song. She proved this in several films in which she has appeared. Although none of them is a serious action/adventure/romance like Rebels on the Mountain, I think she has the talent to play Lucia Comas if she is properly directed. Also, inasmuch as she appeared in one with Michael Douglas and Matthew McConaughy, she has proven that she can keep up with experienced actors. Emma Regan: An American socialite whose husband, a retired pediatrician operates a free clinic on the sugar plantation she inherited from her grandfather. Sigourney Weaver is a logical choice. Emma Regan, who acts as the surrogate mother of Nick Andrews, is a strong woman. She manipulates the men in her life with guile and intelligence. The highest ranking politicians and corporate executives accept her calls, and she can demand any favor. Her only visible flaw is that she is a high functioning alcoholic, which makes her fit company for Ernest Hemingway whose acquaintance she made by virtue of the fact that his first wife was her classmate at Bryn Mawr. There is no doubt that Sigourney Weaver can portray a strong, well-educated woman. I believe that she would actually enjoy playing the scene wherein she dresses down the American Ambassador to Cuba. Real CharactersFidel Castro: The charismatic leader of the revolution that overthrew the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista – possibly portrayed by Jsu Garcia Fidel Castro the young, fiery revolutionary, is vastly different than the belligerent dictator. Unfortunately, his contemporary persona and image are so well known, that it may get in the way of readers accepting the character as I portray him in Rebels on the Mountain. Indeed, the man I observed on television and in the newspapers in the 1950s transformed almost Jekyll and Hyde-like when he chased Fulgencio Batista from Cuba's Presidential Palace. Most people are not aware that Castro installed another as President and only came to the office through public acclamation after Batista's successor failed to address their grievances. The story of Rebels on the Mountains ends before the transformation takes place. I'll probably return one day to tell that story, too. If Jsu Garcia were to play Castro in my story, he wouldn't have to deliver tirades lasting many hours as Castro does. Film audiences wouldn't tolerate it. No, although I extracted most of Castro's dialog from actual quotes, I selected short ones that advanced the story. Che Guevara: The Argentinian doctor who became one of Castro's most notorious lieutenants and his executioner following Fidel's rise to power – possibly portrayed by Guillermo Diaz Readers of Rebels on the Mountain who know Che only through his carefully crafted public image are in for a shock. He was a murderous henchman who had no tolerance for people who thought or acted differently. This makes the famous Apple billboard – Think Different – wonderfully ironic. Furthermore, those who idolize Che are in for a rude awakening. Che hated most the very kinds of people who sing his praises the loudest: the rich and famous and homosexuals. Young people probably will be surprised the most. He distrusted the youth, and frequently complained that they were lazy and lacking direction. Guillermo Diaz will need courage to portray him as I envision Che in Rebels on the Mountain. A lot of people are going to be upset. Guillermo's portrayal of murderer, Bobby Sabo, on an episode of Law & Order particularly caught my attention. Anyone who attempts to play Che must be able to portray an almost superhuman amount of intensity. I think Guillermo can pull this off. Ernest Hemingway: Nobel Prize winning author and Havana resident who mingled freely in the halls of power in Havana and purportedly supported Castro's revolution – possibly portrayed by Kevin Spacey. I had mentioned William Hurt for this role in my interview. However, after watching Kevin Spacey perform in the Netflix series, House of Cards, there is no question that he is the man for the job. Hemingway had a peculiar lust for life that belied an underlying tragedy in the making, one that culminated in his suicide. Such a complex personality is difficult to adopt. Although Hurt is up for the job, Kevin Spacey already has it mastered.
Play casting director and let me know if you have any better ideas.
8 Comments
2/20/2013 12:53:18 pm
Okay, now I want to read your book. I'm intrigued more by the story described, than by your choice of actors
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Jack Durish
2/20/2013 01:26:00 pm
Hurrah! I hope you enjoy
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2/20/2013 12:54:11 pm
PS I, too, would like to see my books as movies one day
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Jack Durish
2/20/2013 01:26:44 pm
Wouldn't we all. I think that's the only way writers can make any real money these days
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2/20/2013 09:27:59 pm
Wow, you did that post quickly, right off the bat, I can see you have very clear ideas of who should play who. Good choices! Now that I'm reading your book (up on the Granma for the moment) and enjoying it immensely, this helps visualize it the way you intended. Kind of fun really!
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Jack Durish
2/21/2013 02:06:47 am
I like characters to develop in my mind when I read a book. If the author becomes too explicit, dwelling on everything they're wearing in every scene as well as facial features, height, weight, etc, it gets too distracting from the story. Also, it prevents me from visualizing the character in a way that is more believable to me. That's why, even in this posting, I was more concerned with the traits that the actor had portrayed rather than their appearance. However, it is a fun exercise putting faces on them as they might appear in a movie. Glad you're enjoying the book. I'm sure now that everyone else is wondering who "Granma" is.
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2/21/2013 02:42:16 am
Ha ha! Do you think I mean the characters are straddling Granma? Hilarious! No, no, I'm sure people have a solid grounding in History. I've been twice to Cuba (once in 1979, the second time in 1996) and I can tell you that "Granma" is very present everywhere in the minds of Cubans...
Jack Durish
2/21/2013 03:09:45 am
Cubans may be very familiar with "Granma" but I doubt they will ever see this website or be allowed to read my book. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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