I am neck-deep in the sort-of-final draft of my new historical novel, The Deserter. As I spend more and more time with Gil, who is a pain in the ass, and not the most charming character I’ve ever written, I find myself writing the action scenes like a movie. Since every movie needs a star, I often imagine a certain actor as that character. Here are some of the actors who have inspired my work (and if any of them want to actually make the movies, operators are standing by!)
First, of course, was The Count of the Sahara. Byron de Prorok was a real person, so I had to choose the right person for the job. Here’s the real Byron, looking very, well, Byronic.
So who do I get who has that early 20-th Century, mid-Atlanic look?
How’s Benedict Cumberbatch sound?
Then there is the Lucca Le Peu stories, Acre’s Bastard and Acre’s Orphans. Kids are tough because they age quickly, and Lucca is of mixed Syrian/French heritage. But the one character I was obsessed with was the leprous spy master and member of the Knights of St Lazar, Brother Marco. Nobody says tortured, doomed and brooding like Clive Owen. Then there’s the equally tragic Sister Pilar. Rachel Weisz is perfect, although to mar that visage with Leprosy would be a horrible crime, but maybe an Emmy nomination would be reward enough?
Then there’s Johnny Lycan, the Werewolf PI. A normal Chicago suburban white boy with a monstrous secret. He’s physically big but vulnerable… “Reacher with Claws.” I bounced around a lot on this one, but if you’ve seen The Night Agent, Gabriel Basso rocks it. Plus my wife thinks he’s adorable. Not for nothing, the script for this movie exists if anyone with money wants to see it.
Finally, there’s the tragic Gil Hawkins, whose anonymat is Gil Vincente. Once he was the Lion of Marseille’s underground and now a Legionnaire with a deep secret. One face kept popping up. Charlie Hunnam is physically perfect, if a bit old for the job but that’s what make-up’s for, right? And he’d rock a kepi.
Hey, a guy can dream. Who do you imagine when you read books? Do you picture actors or are you normal? Let’s see your comments.