While completing my first draft of The Fifteenth of June, I was introduced to writing software called Scrivener.
It’s popular among indie authors, and for good reason. Among a whole host of plotting, editing, and publishing features, it was designed with the functionality to add notes and images to different chapters, parts, and character bios.
I thought it might be fun to go on a hunt for celebrities who resemble how I envisioned and described each character. A few Google searches later, I had celebrity lookalikes for each character imported into Scrivener.
From John Goodman to Emily Blunt, this is what I came up with:
(Jonah Hill)
(Andrew Garfield)
(John Goodman)
(Natalie Portman)
(Lucas Grabeel)
(Ashley Greene)
(Emily Blunt)
Perhaps you read The Fifteenth of June and pictured each character differently. If so, that’s cool. That’s one of the wonderful things about reading—there’s no limit to our imaginations.
If you were casting Hollywood celebrities to play these seven characters, who would you choose? Let me know in the comments.
I imagine Neil as a flamboyant Neil Patrick Harris. ha ha John Goodman, good choice!
Hi Alicia,
John Goodman is a little older than 56, of course, but Russell is characterized in the novel as looking aged well beyond his years. Goodman is an excellent actor, and I think he could pull off the narrow-minded, introverted shut-in quite well. Looks the part as described in the novel, too, for the most part.
Now, Neil Patrick Harris to play Neil I had never thought of. Harris just looks so… soft, no? Happy? It isn’t that Garfield looks like a tough guy or anything, but I feel that Garfield has a face you could more easily mistrust. Interesting thought, however. Thanks for the idea!
What did you think of Jonah Hill for Drew?
Before ever seeing this blog post, my mother-in-law read The Fifteenth of June and told my wife, “The whole time I was reading about Drew, I kept imagining Jonah Hill in my head.” So it was nice to know I wasn’t the only one Hill came to mind for.
—Brent
Not sure why he popped in my head, but look up Blake Clark. I think he would make a good Russell also. Everything I’ve ever seen him in he plays closed-minded well. 😉
I actually had a brain fart and meant Neil Patrick Harris for Logan. (I think my brain just got stuck on “Neil”. haha) I’ve heard of Andrew Garfield, but not sure I’ve seen him in anything?
Honestly, I would have never thought of Jonah Hill for Drew…But it could be because I don’t care for him much. I pictured someone more along the lines of Topher Grace, like a little scrawny guy no one pays much attention to. ha ha
Oh, jeez—Blake Clark could definitely work for Russell.
Ah! Harris for Logan makes much more sense. A bit old to play someone 26, I think, but then again, Harris never seems to age much.
Garfield has been in a bunch of recent stuff, like The Amazing Spider-Man and Hacksaw Ridge. But perhaps it was his role in The Social Network—one of my all-time favorite movies—that really convinced me he could play Neil. He was the victim in The Social Network, of course, but he had the cocky demeanor at times to pull off Neil Galloway. Not to mention, he looks eerily similar to how I described Neil in the book.
Topher Grace! He was the dude from That ’70s Show, right? Reminds me a bit of Michael Cera, too. Both of those guys do a great job of playing “a little scrawny guy no one pays much attention to.” Cera—forever George Michael Bluth to me—just happens to be the Canadian version. That’s all.
Thanks for your feedback!
—Brent