Honour's Debt's Dream Cast by J Vincent

Honour’s Debt is a movie!  Who’s in the dream cast?  I thought this topic would be a snap to write up—until I sat down to do just that. When I write a book I create character sheets and I always pick a picture to represent what that character looks like.  I chose these from a thick file I have of photos cut from magazines, newspapers, ads etc. As I considered which movie stars might work best I at first drew blanks except for one.  It puzzled me for at time and then I realized that while I recognize a lot of names and faces of today’s “stars” it is another generation of movie stars that I really know. Throughout my high school years I feasted on World War II movies. The stars of the 1940’s I know, well, personally--John Payne, Van Johnson, John Wayne, Gregory Peck. Follow the link to go down memory lane with that era’s stars.  Which present day stars to play my characters?  I thought of the ‘40’s. But a movie by stars of the past isn’t the thing, especially since Honour’s Debt is a historical and not a vampire movie. Today’s crop of actors is less, much less, well known so names didn’t come to mind except, as I said, one.

But let’s start with a blurb of Honour’s Debt.  

         Maddie Vincouer conceals her father’s death in 1809 after promising to save her family from Cousin Sanford’s greed. A Riding Officer's persistence endangers this pretense with his demands to meet her father. Chance reveals her secret to the cruel French spy Donatien.
       Matters go completely awry when Maddie aids a wounded "free trader." Unknown to her, the free trader is Major Quentin Bellaport. He has accepted an assignment to pursue a spy in order to meet and repay the debt owed for his life to Maddie's cousin Jamey by wedding her. Sanford's appearance and demand Maddie marry him, the Riding Officer's hunt for the free trader, Bellaport’s pursuit of the French spy, and he and Maddie falling in love hasten a final confrontation between all. Maddie faces a funeral, a wedding, kidnappings, and a deadly encounter on a moonlit beach. In a desperate attempt to save her Bellaport enlists the help of Baron de la Croix and rolls the dice on the fate of all their lives as he pays HONOUR'S DEBT.

In the Honour series I have a villain that runs through all the books. His name is Donatien.   Johnny Depp came to mind at once. He becomes the characters he plays and would do well with the constant alterations in looks and body language that are necessary for Donatien to be successful.  He is a master spy who constantly changes his identity. Donatien’s brother Petit wasn’t hard to cast.  Peter Dinklage from Game of Thrones is perfect.

The other characters who run through all of the Honour books is the English spy André Ribeymon, Baron De la Croix and Quentin Bellaport’s fellow cavalry officers.  Anthony Andrews who played the Scarlet Pimpernel eons ago immediately came to mind for André but he’s far too old now. After conferring with my sister and daughters and much searching I finally settled on Dean O’Gorman who plays Fili in the current Hobbit movies. The Hobbit and Lord of the Ring books/movies are favorites of mine.  I do have to admit I didn’t realize from “reading” the books that dwarfs could be quite so good looking.
 

Then there’s the dashing Lt. James Vincouer.  Matt Boomer (right) who stars on White Collar has Jamey's look and his adventurous spirit.

The other characters took quite a while to find amid much internet searching of young actors. For Major Quentin Bellaport I chose Thor Oakenshield or Richard Armitage to go by his real name. The Hobbit is a favorite of mine. I never knew until I saw the first one that the dwarfs in that book looked so good.

Bellaport’s batman Jenks plays a major part in the movie.  Martin Freeman, PBS’s Sherlock Holmes’ Dr. Watson and also Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit movies is perfect for that part.  

For Bellaport’s father, the Earl of Margonaut, I cast LiamNeesom (left)—why not with a dream cast.

My heroine, Maddie Vincouer who did what had to be done to protect her family needs a strong woman to play her.  Gemma Arterton who was in Quantum of Solace and Prince of Persia The Sands of Time, fits the bill.

Someone I find difficult to cast is Maddie’s Aunt Pricilla. I considered Meryl Streep but she isn’t quite right for my sixty-something pleasantly conniving aunt. Any suggestions?

Captain Merristorm, my dark brooding character would be played by Matthew Rhys.  Rhys, a relatively unknown Welsh actor is, I read, best known for his part as Kevin Walker in Brothers & Sisters (a show I never did see).

The hunt for someone to play Lt. Samuel Goodchurch seemed to go on forever. I thought of Robert Pattinson but wasn’t completely happy with him. One person did persistently come to mind.  Matthew Gray Gubler, Criminal Mind’s Dr. Spencer Reid. If you go through his photos on Bing you will see he is a chameleon of sorts. He has the tall gangliness of Goodchurch and for me, a strength of spirit that my character needs.

Captain Medworth, the Riding Officer is almost too small a part for Ioan Gruffudd to the right.  But what moviewouldn’t be better with him in it?

Sanford Vincouer the villain would be Shia Lebeiuf. Something about his attitude made me pick him for the greedy, bully that is Sanford.
  
 For Sanford's rude demanding mother Eliminda Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond came to mind.

The last cast was Lord Blake Major Danbury. Lord Blake, the third son of a duke, is known to be an excellent cavalry officer but also plagued by ennui.  Leonardo DiCaprio has the looks as well as the acting ability to play the man.  The sword scar on Danbury’s right cheek would only make the actor more interesting.  Lord Blake is utterly bored with life or so it seems. I'm working on his book at the present time and have a new inspiration.

So what do you think, especially you who have read Honour's Debt?  If any of you have other suggestions I'd like to hear them.