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AfterElton Fantasy Casting: Who should play Showtime's gay "Hero"?
Since we're so excited about Showtime's development of Perry Moore's gay superhero adventure Hero, we figured we'd try to make the wait go faster with our picks for who we think should be cast for the lead roles. So, after scouring the cast lists of various teen dramas, here are a few thoughts on who I see as Thom Creed and pals...
Thom Creed: Our hero, Thom, is a teen who should have it all (he's athletic, smart and attractive) but whose easy road to adulthood faces the hurdles of coming to terms with his gayness and figuring out how to deal with his newly awakened superpowers. Thom needs an actor with a good amount of charisma but who can underplay it with Thom's introspective and insecure side. I think I saw a bit of that potential in Twilight hottie Kellan Lutz in his guest-spots on 90210. However, I think we saw a lot of Thom's qualities — great talent mixed with a little bit of doubt — in Mitch Hewers' Skins performance.
Goran: Thom's mysterious crush requires someone who can bring the kind of brooding and sense of mystery that David Boreanaz brought to the early days of Buffy. While JD Pardo's most famous role was playing Gwen Arajuo in a Lifetime movie, I really liked him on the short-lived Drive and he certainly showed an ability to play a character with a dark side as Hidden Palms' dead teen Eddie Nolan. I also was impressed with the way Argiris Karras played up Degrassi's closeted gay jock, Riley: take out Riley's jerky side and you're getting pretty close to Goran.
Hal Creed: Thom's father is also the brooding type. A former powerless superhero, he bitterly left that world behind and now holds a grudge against superheroes. Hal is a man of few words, the kind who doesn't express his feelings easily. At some point when I was looking for inspiration, I came upon Dan Futterman (of Will & Grace and The Birdcage) and I just suddenly saw him in the role — maybe it was the intensity he played in Urbania. However, another possibility that comes to mind is Neil Flynn, who is probably best known as "Janitor" on Scrubs. On Scrubs, he plays his emotionally-distant side well and he has the physical presence to suggest someone who could have once been (essentially) Batman.
Ruth: A sharp-tongued, older Southern woman Ruth is an important mentor to Thom. That description has my mind racing to Desperate Housewives' Mrs. McCluskey, Kathryn Joosten. On the other hand, thinking of Joosten also gets me thinking of gay icon Lily Tomlin, who is currently playing Joosten's sister on Desperate Housewives ... and I can't get past the "squee" thoughts that Tomlin inspires.
Scarlet: Another one of Thom's teammates, Scarlet is a pyrokinetic who hides her vulnerable side with an hostile exterior. One person I can mentally put in that role is Veronica Mars' Tina Majorino, who certainly demonstrated some of Scarlet's angry side with the anti-social tendencies of her character. However, that mix of firey temper and vulnerability was something we saw Stacey Farber play as Ellie on Degrassi.
Typhoid Larry: The thing about Thom's last teammate, Typhoid Larry, is that his powers are ... well, honestly underwhelming. (Unless you're that rare fan of the "Legion on the run" era of The Legion of Super-Heroes.) However, he's incredibly earnest about his desire to be a hero and definitely makes up for his powers' lack of dazzle with an E for effort. Larry is a character who requires a performer who makes you want to give him a hug and an encouraging pat on the back after repeated failures. As much as I'd hesitate to dip into the Degrassi well again (which, admittedly, is a great showcase for young actors) I think out actor Adamo Ruggiero would be great in the role. Ruggiero often played his Degrassi role of Marco with a lot of energy that would play to Larry's eager-to-do-well nature. I could also see Dan Byrd of the short lived Aliens in America, who played a great lovable outcast on the critically praised comedy.
Golden Boy: Golden Boy is the leader/chaperon of Thom's team, an experienced sidekick who is demoted into watching over a crew of d-listers. He's bitter at the demotion, but still longs for the approval of the established heroes. Michael Rady has been picking up the gay fans lately thanks to roles on Swingtown and Greek and I can't shake the feeling that under his nice guy roles, there's the bitchy, snapish Golden Boy waiting to come out. However, I also remember the quiet intensity Matt Long brought to the short-lived Greg Berlanti drama Jack & Bobby. Honestly, I don't miss the show, but I do miss having Long to look at. Submitted by on Fri, 2008-11-14 13:35. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media
Dan Futterman
Trying to remember
I'm a little tipsy @ the moment but was Thom British? I mean I LOVE Mitch Hewer (God damn it he's fine) but he'd have to affect a pretty convincing American accent. As for Kellen Lutz, he's got a great body but I wasn't that impressed w/ him on 90210. As soon as I read the book I actually thought about Randy Harrison but I seriously doubt he'd want to play another teenager (even though he still looks the same). What about Van Hansis for Thom? If he could tone down the overacting...he might be a choice. Plus, he's known to some of the gay community.
But I'm also drunk so....
I had thought about
I had thought about this after I read the book.
Tom Creed: Henry Hall- Who is the right age and the son of Julia Louis Dreyfuss.
Goran: Sean Faris of SLEEPOVER and FIGHT DOWN.
Hal Creed: Mark Valley of FRINGE and BOSTON LEGAL.
Ruth: Harriet Sansom Harris of FRASIER and DESPARATE HOUSEWIVES.
Scarlett: Anna Paquin of THE PIANO and X-MEN (Though she's on TRU BLOOD currently.)
Typhoid Larry: Michael Angarano of WILL AND GRACE and SKY HIGH.
Golden Boy: Kellan Lutz or Mtich Hewer would be best in this role.
INSIDEGUY
Thom: No real preference,
Goran: How about someone who looks the part, Dominic Zamprogna from BSG.
Hal Creed: Connor Trinneer, he's recently free.
Ruth: Betty White or Phyllis Diller, but if we go for the fact of Ruth's mispent youth, can't go wrong with Rue McClanahan.
Scarlett: Someone new and unheard, because I don't think there is a young actress (and I use the term loosely given the mediocrity) out there that can portray this character.
Typhoid Larry: Kyle Sullivan from 'The War At Home'.
Golden Boy: Michael Cassidy from Zoom and The OC
My Cast
Thom Creed=Chace Crawford
Hal Creed=Robert Estes
Golden Boy=Lucas Grabeel
Goran=Jesse Metcalfe
Miss Scarlett=Bre Schullark
Uberman=Levi Poulter
Justice=Hugh Jackman
Silver Bullet=Jason Omara
Transvision Vamp= Carmit Bachar
The Spectrum= Jonny Lee Miller
Here are some of the good ones that I cast In my head as I read the book.
I haven't really thought
I haven't really thought about who would play most of the cast but while I was reading the book I pictured these 2 guys for these roles. Douglas Smith as Thom and Jake Richardson as Goran. First of all they are both tall: Douglas is 6'3 while Jake is 5'11 so they would fit the basketball player type. Secondly: The description for the characters do sort of match them.
Thom Creed: Douglas Smith
One of the things I used to look for an actor who could play Thom Creed is height since he is a high school basketball player and was even described as being the tallest person in a game surpassed only by Goran. That means this kid has to be tall. And with Thom being at the point of wanting to explore his sexuality in the face of so many insecurities I thought that this actor should be able to look awkward and unsure very well without looking like an annoying klutz.
Now I was able to watch a small part of 1 episode of Big Love in HBO. It was the scene where Bill's eldest son, Ben, has sex with his girlfriend for the first time. In that scene Ben was unsure of what to do and had to be directed by his girlfriend through most of the event.
Douglas Smith, the actor who plays Ben, pulled off that scene so well. He looked so heart breakingly unsure but eager at the same time. In that one scene he totally convinced me that he has the chops to pull of the more dramatic scenes required to play Thom. Douglas' face and mannerisms don't scream gay but he's not the All-American dreamboat either. His baby face makes it easier for me to be convinced that he's an innocent kid who wants to explore his sexuality. Not to mention the fact that he's 6'3 so he also fills the height requirement.
Goran/Dark Hero: Jake Richardson
Goran, like Thom, is tall. Actually he should be taller than Thom. Goran is also from Eastern Europe that means no All-American looking boys. And with Goran's alter-ego being described as the anti-hero, the actor should be brooding and most likely brunette. Basically as far opposite of any guy you would cast as Captain America.
To be honest I am not sure what the typical look of Eastern Europeans is. So what I did was use Goran Visnjic as a reference in terms of looks. This then got me thinking of this episode of House M.D. when they had a Gypsy kid as a patient. I tracked down the actor who played that guest patient and came up Jake Richardson.
Jake Richardson is 5'11, shorter than Douglas but with so many angles a director can shoot from, a small difference in height of who plays Thom and Goran may not matter so much. His pictures show that he can pull off the brooding bad-ass look. Acting wise, I don't have a lot to go on but at least didn't suck during his stint at House M.D.
Hal Creed/Major Might: Nelson Craig or Terence Knox
Major Might, though his age was never mentioned, struck me as man who began a family later in life like when he's in his 40's. I basically got this from the back story of Thom's mother on how she had a crush on him, a well established hero who was probably in his late 20's or early thirties, when she was a teenager and finally got to marry him when she got older and was able to join the team. So 40's plus 17 or 18 years that would make Hal Creed a man in his 60's. And since Major Might was a hero with no super powers, I figured that he would be a big man and that he exudes a very solid presence.
Admittedly, when reading the book, I was picturing Nelson Craig as Hal Creed because he was the voice of Mr. Incredible in the movie The Incredibles. But when I think about it, he actually fits. And there is no question that he can act.
However if some would think that Nelson Craig is a very obvious choice and ergo boring, then I would like to offer up the possibility of having Terence Knox, a man I sort of grew up watching in the T.V. series Nam Tour of Duty, to play the role since he also pretty much fits the bill and is capable to play the part.
Justice: Chris Noth
Justice is Superman's counterpart in the book so it would follow that he fits certain descriptions of Superman. That means that he would have black hair and blue eyes. He is also the leader of the league and is an expert in PR relations. So this guy is no yuppie. This told me that he is also an older man. Not older than Hal Creed since Justice is Hal Creed's former side-kick. I figured him to be about 10 years younger than Hal Creed making him to be in his late 40's or early 50's.
Chris Noth fits the description and the age bracket. And his portrayal of Big in Sex and the City certainly shows us that he can be a very smooth guy who can convince you to believe in him even when something at the back of your head tells you that he's up to something.
Francis/Uberman: Robert Gant
Uberman is the opposite of Goran. He is the All-American hero. He is what most boys want to be and who girls and gay boys want to date. He is also described as the approachable hero, who always made time for the fans.
Robert Gant so fits this role. He has the face. He has the body. THE BODY!!!!!! And as for acting abilities, Gant is no slouch. Not that so much complicated acting would be required for role. But just in case this character's role in the book is expanded beyond the cliché super hero role, he would be able to handle it.
Kevin/Golden Boy: Jay Hernandez
Golden boy is described as a guy whose race is not all that easy to discern. He's a man who could be mistaken as being half-black or Latino or of Arab descent. He's also said to have curly black hair and has matinee good looks.
Jay Hernandez is a great looking guy. Sure he's easily identifiable as Latin but it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that he's half black or is of Arab descent. Acting-wise, his performance in Crazy/Beautiful makes me think that he can hack it as a gentleman trying woo a very temperamental woman which is basically what the relationship of Golden Boy and Scarlett is.
Miss Scarlett: Christina Cole
Scarlett is the resident bitchy girl with a sad story in the background. She's a described as a pretty girl with a tough exterior.
I watched Christina Cole in Hex and she passes on the looks department. The character she played there, Cassie, has had a fairly diverse emotional range in that show and she didn't look fake while executing those scenes. This makes me think that she can carry off the role of the complicated Scarlett.
Larry/Typhoid Larry: Michael Welch
Typhoid Larry is supposed to be a sickly guy. Other than that I don't have much to go on in terms of what he looks like. So I'll go with what sickly kids usually look like or are perceived. The usual caricature of a sickly kid is someone who is skinny, with poor eyesight and may have asthma.
Michael Welch from Joan of Arcadia made a good nerd. But he's certainly made some changes or had some growth to himself these past few years and those changes may make his portrayal of Larry better. Michael would certainly play certain clichés of a sickly guy but he could also play it so that he is not so physically inept that the character of Larry would always look like he would never ever have a chance at getting into the League.
Ruth/Old Enough To Know Better: Rue McClanahan
Ruth's age was never mentioned definitively but clues were given. She was a young and beautiful southern woman during a time when a girl like her was not allowed to date a young black man. That would be around the 50's to the 60's. She had her turn as bad girl when she was young and she calls things as she sees it. She's not one to be polite when it gets her nowhere.
Someone in AfterElton mentioned that Rue McClanahan was their pick for Ruth and I couldn't agree more. She's sassy and has great comedic timing. Age wise she fits the age range hinted Ruth was at.
Warrior Woman: Rebecca Romijn - O'Connell
Warrior Woman is Wonder Woman's counterpart in this book. She's described as being an Amazon.
Now, for me, when you say Amazon I think of very tall, fit and maybe even mannish looking women. And even before I read this book, whenever I catch a rerun episode of Ugly Betty when Rebecca Romijn was there I kept on thinking how much she looked like an Amazon to me. So I think it would be fitting if she got this role. And as an added bonus, Rebecca Romijn is a friend of Perry Moore after working with him in one of the films he produced.
Silver Bullet: James Marsters
Silver Bullet is the counterpart of Flash in the book. Flash is supposed to be a witty guy so I think that should be the same with Silver Bullet. And with that kind of name, I envision this guy to have something silver or something close to it.
James Marsters, when his hair is dyed platinum blonde, pretty much fit what I pictured while reading the book. Plus he certainly knows how to deliver witty lines. His years as Spike have certainly showed us that.