Tom Cruise as Holt Fasner

[Rigel]

I just finished reading a scene with Holt, and I have to say that Cruise could really play the part. Something about his self-assured nature, his megalomaniacal character, or his infernal plotting... wait, am I talking about Cruise or Fasner here?

Anyway, I'm having more trouble figuring out who a good choice for the others would be. Morn is proving especially problematic, since she's in her early twenties... most of the great actresses I know of are just too old for the part

James Cromwell could definitely play the part of Vector, or alternatively The Bill.

[Savor Dam]

My vision of Vector places him at a younger age than Cromwell would be able to play.

How about casting him as Captain Vertigus?

[wayfriend]

I've always kinda thought that Cruise would be an interesting Nick, for the reasons that you've mentioned.

[Mind/Union]

I'm halfway through Season 2 of Battlestar Galactica and I'm thinking Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) could make a great Morn.

I agree that Cromwell is too old to play Vector; conversely, he seems too young for Vertigus who I believe is in his nineties. Ernest Borgnine, perhaps? Cromwell might actually make a good Holt.

[Vraith]

I always thought Cruise would be interesting as a has-been recluse, one I never have to see in a movie want to watch.

[StevieG]

I've always kinda thought that Cruise would be an interesting Nick, for the reasons that you've mentioned.

Yeah I think Cruise would be a good Nick - kind of like his character in Magnolia - slimy, self-assured, thinks he's gods gift - but just under the surface is nothing...

Cromwell as Holt could work.

[CovenantJr]

I've always kinda thought that Cruise would be an interesting Nick, for the reasons that you've mentioned.

Yeah I think Cruise would be a good Nick - kind of like his character in Magnolia - slimy, self-assured, thinks he's gods gift - but just under the surface is nothing...

Nooooo! Beneath the surface is Nick's best stuff! Admittedly, the Nick Succorso who always wins is quite engaging and magnetic, but I think he really comes into his own when everything falls apart. Nick on Trumpet; Nick boarding Soar; the desperate wild animal Nick that claws desperately for a foothold on the very lip of survival.

Cruise can do the smooth arrogance of frigate captain Nick, but I'm not convinced he's capable of manic, unhinged, lurching-from-disaster-to-disaster-by-the-skin-of-his-teeth, post-Captain's Fancy Nick.

I can maybe see Christian Bale in the role. Maybe. Not sure.

Anyway, this thread is about Holt. For Holt, we need an older gentleman who is slightly reptilian, I think; serpentine and yet clearly powerful. I know for a fact that he's been suggested elsewhere by someone else, but perhaps Jon Voight.

EDIT: I suppose another possibility is Dennis Hopper. He has the look, but I'm not convinced by his acting skills. I've seen him do some ropey work. Possibly the best performance I've seen him give was in the 'Eating Pattern' episode of Lexx.

Here's a slightly off the wall suggestion: Dean Stockwell. Photo 1, Photo 2.

[Zarathustra]

Interesting. After his minor role in Tropic Thunder, I can actually see this.

[Mind/Union]

Interesting. After his minor role in Tropic Thunder, I can actually see this.

That was my first thought when I saw the thread title. To me he was the best of that movie, even more than RD Jr.

Dennis Hopper is an awesome actor, and I'd thought of him as Holt before. Check out Blue Velvet or Paris Trout to see just how good (and scary) he can be.

[Rigel]

It's interesting that people have this idea in their heads that older actors should play Holt... sure, he's 150, but thanks to the rejuvenation technology he has access to, he's described as being just past his prime

My idea of Vector keeps shimmering... sometimes I see him younger, almost like Matt Damon or Leonardo DiCaprio, sometimes older like Cromwell.

I don't think Katee Sackhoff would be a good Morn... again, she looks too mature to play the part. Although, she would make a great Mikka.

Jim Carey, playing it straight (a la Eternal Sunshine), could pull off Milos Taverner.

What about Warden Dios and Minn Donner? Angelina Jolie would be fun to see (when isn't she? ), but I don't think she fits the part quite right... As for Dios, if Jon Voight lost a little weight he could pull it off (or we could wait 20 years for Guy Pearce to age into it).

[CovenantJr]

It's interesting that people have this idea in their heads that older actors should play Holt... sure, he's 150, but thanks to the rejuvenation technology he has access to, he's described as being just past his prime

Yes, he is at first. That initially put him in my head as younger than the actors I've suggested, but a physical description later puts him at least in his 60s.

[Rigel]

OK; since I started from the beginning again when I bought the last two, I haven't gotten to them yet, so I must not have seen that description.

I'm about 5 pages from the end of Dark and Hung, so I'll definitely get to start Chaos & Order today

Edit:
I just read another scene with Holt, and Jon Voight would definitely deliver the lines well
And he is described as being 150 years old, with his treatments taking off 80 or 90 years... so appearing to be 60 or 70 years old.

[Mind/Union]

Here's my revised cast list:

Morn - Katee Sackhoff
Angus - Vincent D'Onofrio
Nick - Christian Bale
Min - Anjelica Huston
Holt - Jon Voight
Warden - Ed Harris
Vector - Chris Cooper
Mikka - Sarah Clarke
Hashi - Jeffrey Combs
Dolph - Yaphet Kotto
The Bill - Bruce Spence
Vertigus - Max von Sydow
Milos - Phillip Seymour Hoffman

I have NO CLUE who could play Davies, nor Koina.

[ItisWritten]

The problem with Cruise is that he's too well preserved. He's just not aged enough. When I think of Holt, I imagine someone who everyone knows has been around a long time, but they just don't think of him as old until they get a good look at one of those tell-tales (think of the turkey neck on Harrison Ford).

I have NO CLUE who could play Davies, nor Koina.

Well, Koina would probably be cast from the latest group of female "it" actors, whenever the casting actually happens.

Davies' casting depends totally on the casting of Morn and Angus. But how do you cast someone as Angus' son and Morn's brother (at least as a way of defining the difference between them)?

Morn - Katee Sackhoff
Angus - Vincent D'Onofrio

I don't know if you can cast this way, but thinking in terms of body type and mannerisms, you start with who you've already cast. Of course, this is why casting Davies now is so hard.

[CovenantJr]

I've said several times in the past that, to me, the real person who comes closest to my mental image of Morn is Jennifer Connelly. That doesn't mean I think she'd be right for the role, though. For one thing, she's too old now. For another, her acting is pretty patchy; at best, she's adequate, and at worst, wooden.

Another alternative I've seen, whose acting skills I don't think have really been tested and who is closer to the right age (though not for much longer), is Morena Baccarin.

Not that I've thought about it.

[amanibhavam]

Vector? Kevin Spacey for me.

[Vraith]

Vector? Kevin Spacey for me.

Now THAT is nice casting.
I thought Kate Beckinsale for Mikka (spelling? from "underworld") for a while...not so sure after seeing a couple other things she did.

[StevieG]

Yeah I think Cruise would be a good Nick - kind of like his character in Magnolia - slimy, self-assured, thinks he's gods gift - but just under the surface is nothing...

Nooooo! Beneath the surface is Nick's best stuff! Admittedly, the Nick Succorso who always wins is quite engaging and magnetic, but I think he really comes into his own when everything falls apart. Nick on Trumpet; Nick boarding Soar; the desperate wild animal Nick that claws desperately for a foothold on the very lip of survival.

Cruise can do the smooth arrogance of frigate captain Nick, but I'm not convinced he's capable of manic, unhinged, lurching-from-disaster-to-disaster-by-the-skin-of-his-teeth, post-Captain's Fancy Nick.

Since this thread is going off on a tangent I feel I can comment on Cruise as Nick... I think Cruise could do an adequate portrayal of manic, unhinged, post-Captain's Fancy Nick - he just needs to grit his teeth, widen his eyes - he does that in a few movies. He's attractive, yet severely unattractive, which I see as an accurate representation of Nick. And I have to reluctantly admit, he's not that bad an actor. Christian Bale could possibly do it too.

Kevin Spacey as Vector? I love it!

[sluggo]

For Nick how about 'The Dude'? You know...Jeff Bridges? Not bad as a bad guy in "Iron Man", and if you want to see how slimey he can play, checkout "Vanished". For Morn I kind of look at younger actresses and think of Mila Kunis.

For Captian Vertigous think about Frank Langella

Any thoughts?

[Loredoctor]

Welcome to the Watch and the Gap Forum, Sluggo.