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Ever since HBO and Alan Ball announced their intentions to adapt Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire novels into a drama series, casting speculation has raged fierce all across the internet. As huge fans of Six Feet Under, we have no doubt that Ball and co. will come up with a wicked awesome cast that we will love both up and down. Even so, we were compelled to piece together a dream team of acting prodigies, dynamos, and bombshells that shall henceforth be referred to as the Dream Cast, not to be confused with the Sega Dreamcast.
So here it is. We've focused on the main players in the first novel, Dead Until Dark, assuming that the first season of the TV show will largly center on the plot of this book. We decided to come up with a first and second team of relatively realistic choices, and then just for shiggles we put together a third group comprised entirely of well known celebrities. (Ultimately we use the term "A-List" rather loosely, but you get the point.) In any case, enjoy.
Tell us who you'd cast on the messageboard.
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| This role essentially makes or breaks the show. It has to be someone pretty much everyone can like. Not too ditzy. Not too pretentious. We actually expect an amazing unknown to be pulled out of a nook and/or cranny to fill the spot, but if it was up to us: |
1st Choice
Kristen Bell |
The Understudy
January Jones |
The A-List
Michelle Williams |
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| Primarily known as Veronica Mars and for a notable stint on Deadwood, Bell is an up and comer that has the talent to find that line that Sookie walks somewhere between a bubbly, Southern charm and an understated reserve. |
Aside from having blond hair, she is from South Dakota, which some consider to be part of the South... mostly people that live in North Dakota. |
Williams has a genuinely innocent quality that'd translate well to a universally likable character like Sookie. |
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| Casting this role hinges on finding an actor that can achieve the genteel yet detached personality of Vampire Bill. Brooding experience optional. Darkness is a must. |
1st Choice
Justin Theroux |
The Understudy
Glenn Fitzgerald |
The A-List
Guy Pearce |
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| Theroux has made a career of mostly offbeat roles, and Vampire Bill Compton would surely fit that description. His best quality: he can pull off "mysterious" without seeming smug. |
Fitzgerald has played his share of angsty roles, but we think he's capable of a more subtle part like Bill. |
Pearce is an actor that uses silence and pauses as effectively as dialogue. That'd make for a great asset in playing the solemn Bill. |
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| Sam is Sookie's attractive, older boss. This is one of the more complex and mysterious characters in the series. |
1st Choice
Mark Fueurstein |
The Understudy
Ron Eldard |
The A-List
Steven Weber |
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| Fueurstein had a recurring guest role on the West Wing and does a lot of voice-over work. He has the range to portray the many sides of Sam. |
Eldard has that wholesome, clean manner that Sam requires. He is the anti-Bill in a lot of ways. |
Weber has plenty of supernatural experience. In just the past two years, the Wings alum starred in two Stephen King projects and wrote and starred in an episode of Showtime's Masters of Horror. |
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| Eric provides a casting challenge as he is essentially a bonafide Viking. We were torn between finding someone that really looked the part and someone capable of actually playing the part. |
1st Choice
Michael Wincott |
The Understudy
Chris Jericho |
The A-List
Fabio |
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| After an exhaustive search, we finally found the guy that can nail this role. Wincott passes the eyeball test and brings a lot of life to his characters (though Eric is technically undead). |
Jericho was one of few "actors" we looked over that was capable of crippling a man with a vicious figure four leg lock. If our Dream Cast had a Royal Rumble, he'd clearly be the favorite. |
Fun Fabio Fact: This picture is from the cover of Wizards and Warriors II for the Nintendo Entertainment System, not to be confused with the Sega Dreamcast. |
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| Pam is Eric's no-nonsense sidekick who looks like a soccer mom and expresses about as much emotion as a bran muffin. |
1st Choice
Tricia Helfer |
The Understudy
Nancy Walls
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The A-List
Portia de Rossi |
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| Not only does she have the look, Helfer has played the iciest role of all: a robot largely responsible for the destruction of the human race on Battlestar Gallactica. |
Most may know her through over the top performances on Saturday Night Live and the Daily Show, but a recurring guest spot on the Office proved Walls can be subtle and funny at the same time. |
De Rossi is another actress that would bring imagination and humor to Pam's deadpan persona. |
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| Gran is your classic grandmother with her Danielle Steele novels and love of gardening. |
1st Choice
Ellen Albertini Dow |
The Understudy
Frances Bay |
The A-List
Lauren Bacall |
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| We went to the Adam Sandler grandma well on this one. Dow paid Sandler meatballs for voice lessons in the Wedding Singer. |
Right back to the well. Ben Stiller offered Bay a "warm glass of shut the hell up" in Happy Gilmore. |
Bacall would bring an extra dollop of class to the role. Plus we'd like to hear her do a twangy southern accent. |
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| Sookie's brother is a small but key role. He loves the ladies... and the ladies love him. |
1st Choice
Michael Muhney |
The Understudy
Neil Hopkins |
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| Muhney's work as Sherriff Don Lamb on Veronica Mars is hilarious and underappreciated. He has valuable experience playing a somewhat dim character. (Sorry, Jas.) |
Hopkins, known to us through small roles on Lost and Big Love, looks the part well enough. Sometimes that's all it takes. |
Gosling is developing into one of the most distinguished actors of his generation. Weirdly enough, that may actually make him overqualified for this role. |
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| Andy is the pesky Bon Temps detective. The actor would have to bring the Bellefleur sense of entitlement and self-proclaimed aristocracy. |
1st Choice
Paul Adelstein |
The Understudy
Garret Dillahunt
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The A-List
Josh Lucas |
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| Adelstein's work has ranged from pleasantly funny in Intolerable Cruelty to thoroughly villainous in Prison Break. |
Dillahunt had two diverse and equally great performances on Deadwood, so we know he has the goods. The beard is optional. |
Lucas, a Little Rock native, would bring an authentic Southern presence to the cast. Plus he had cool sideburns in Undertow. |
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| Rene is a regular at Merlotte's. To be blunt: this actor has to be able to pull off redneck. |
1st Choice
James Parks |
The Understudy
Michael Massee |
The A-List
Gary Oldman |
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Parks is pretty much unknown. In fact, we are only familiar with him through a memorable performance in the first episode of Deadwood, and a guest spot on CSI. He has the demeanor and voice, however, to play Rene.
FUN FACT! Parks is cast in the pilot episode of True Blood as Mark Rattray! Score one for the SV staff! |
Massee is an accomplished character actor that'd bring the right blend of flavors to this dish. Just look at him! You can almost taste the weird! |
Oldman has played about every kind of role known to man and has appeared regularly in major movies for over 20 years now. It'd be interesting to see what an actor of his caliber would do with Rene. |
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| Arlene is Sookie's co-worker and one of her closest friends. |
1st Choice
Joanna Cassidy |
The Understudy
NiCole Robinson |
The A-List
Sharon Stone |
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| Cassidy has worked with Alan Ball before, playing the insane Margaret Chenowith on Six Feet Under. Arlene's social and financial status are quite different than Margaret's, but the underlying attitude is similar. |
Robinson stood out as a quirky assitant on the West Wing. She'd likely take Arlene in a little different direction than most, but we're certain the final product would be excellent. |
Sharon Stone could easily play a "wild" older woman that is chasing dudes and not tied down. In fact, we're not sure if it'd even technically qualify as acting. |
Tell us what you think on the messageboard. |
