When I published The Fifteenth of June, I had some fun by creating a blog post outlining which Hollywood celebrities I’d cast as each of the main characters.
I decided to do the same thing for Fender, which is now available for purchase on Amazon in print and Kindle eBook format.
After scouring the internet for ideas, here is the best fit I came up with based on how I envisioned and described each character in the book:
(John Gallagher Jr.)
(Gbenga Akinnagbe)
(Herbert Russell)
(Mary Elizabeth Winstead)
(John C. McGinley)
(Christine Baranski)
Picking actors to play the characters in Fender was a bit tricky.
For instance, we see Brennan and Rosie in their early twenties and early thirties. We see Carter and Eleanor in their late fifties and late sixties.
So it was important to choose actors who not only looked the part, but who I felt were adaptable enough to portray a character over the span of a decade.
From John Gallagher Jr. to John C. McGinley, here are six celebrities who resemble the characters in 'Fender' by Brent Jones.Click To TweetPerhaps you read Fender 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 six characters, who would you choose? Let me know in the comments.
way cool! I was going to ask that question in my interview, but then I was afraid it was getting overly long. of course I love Christine Baranski. I have to admit i’m not familiar with the others, but see where they’d fit perfectly. good choice!
Hi Gin,
Thanks for stopping by!
Sometimes when I’m writing a character, I already have a visual in mind for them, whether it’s someone famous or someone I know personally.
But sometimes I see the character in my head, and I have no idea how I came up with their outward appearance. So I have to take a little time to dig in, search for actors who get close to the character I’m envisioning in terms of age, sound, and appearance. I’ll then look up some clips from movies and shows they’ve been in to get an idea if I think s/he could pull off the character traits I have in mind.
It’s just for fun, of course. It’s not as though a movie is in the works for either of my titles at the moment. But if you happen to have Spielberg on speed dial, let him know I’d love to chat…
—Brent
I am so glad you have this blog! How FUN!
My picks would be:
Brennan – Brad Pitt or Ashton Kutcher ( I know they are a little old for the character- but I feel like Brennans character looks old/scruffy because of his stress/loss.)
Rocco – Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali or Michael B. Jordan
Franky – Jack Black or Kenan Thompson
Rosalie – Rashida Jones, Alyssa Milano, or Ginnifer Goodwin
Mr Hutchins – J.K. Simmons or Michael Caine
Mrs Hutchins – Patricia Clarkson
Cant wait to see what others pick! 🙂
Hi Karley,
Thanks! I did a similar post for The Fifteenth of June, too. There are no immediate plans (that I’m aware of) to turn Fender into a movie, of course. But I thought it would be fun to give a face (and a voice) to each of the characters.
I love some of the picks you’ve got here.
Kutcher and Pitt might both be a little too old to play Brennan at ages 22 or 32, but that’s the wonderful thing about Hollywood. They can make anything look believable, right?
Jack Black for Franky, Alyssa Milano for Rosie… they would’ve been good choices, too! Nice work.
Funny enough, I thought of Michael Caine to play Carter, but again, a little too old and the accent would be a struggle, I think. But he definitely has the style, look, and personality for it. Very talented actor. He could be a condescending prick if he wanted to, couldn’t he?
Thanks for sharing this with me. It’s nice to know I’ve got readers who are giving my characters so much consideration.
—Brent
I love John C. McGinley, but would never have thought about him playing Carter. Christine Baranski, however, always plays a good snob. 😉
I think McGinley could pull off an excellent Carter. I can just imagine him calling Brennan girl names, the way Dr. Cox used to do to JD.
Baranski can pull off a good snob, just as you said, but she’s also classy, and that’s important to portray Eleanor. At first I was thinking Jessica Walter, but Eleanor needs to be a bit less sharp and sarcastic. A little younger, too, and slightly more subtle in how she voices her discontentment.
Thanks for commenting, Alicia! I appreciate it.
—Brent
Very true about McGinley! I miss that show…