Dozens
of you responded to our request for casting suggestions for
the new WB Dark Shadows pilot. Thanks to everyone who
took the time to write in with ideas. So, from the inspired
to the outlandish (David Spade, anyone?), here's the best of
your choices for a new Collins clan!
Barnabas
Collins:
"Crispin
Glover (Back to the Future and Charlie's
Angels) would make a good Barnabas. He resembles a young
Jonathan Frid, and has displayed a talent for being able to
play a wide variety of different characters, while remaining
somewhat unknown to the masses." Bob
Issel
"Johnny
Depp (Sleepy Hollow) - of course, I'm sure it's
out of the question, but wouldn't he make a wonderful Barnabas,
dashing and romantic, eye-liner and all?" Kathryn
Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans)
"Michael
Nader (ex-Dimitri from All My Children) would be
an excellent Barnabas. Definitely a 'count' and a tragic character."
Marie Lacey
"Ian
Somerhalder (The Rules of Attraction) - He kind
of looks like a vampire in a way... and he's got those piercing
eyes that could make him appealing to females or males, regardless
of sexuality... and he's one of those rare talents who is
good looking and can act. And that is why he's Barnabas -
it's a perfect fit!" Craig Byrne
"Jonathan
Rhys Meyers (Bend it Like Beckham, Velvet Goldmine)
has a ready-made audition piece for Barnabas from his role
as Steerpike in the BBC's adaptation of Gormenghast.
With his sharp features, intense presence and an ability to
switch from benevolent to sinister in a flash, he's instantly
acceptable!" Stuart, site editor
Robert
Kelker-Kelly (Stavros on General Hospital) - a
great actor who was the scariest bad guy you ever saw... but
you rooted for him anyway because he was so good at being
bad! He doesn't have to say a word to send a chill down your
spine, he can do it with facial expressions alone!" Nathan
Humbard
"All
My Children's Aiden Turner - the British accent
lends a lot, we think... he's got the sex appeal and he seems
to be a good actor." Peter Mac
and John Schaefer
Victoria
Winters:
"Katie
Holmes (Dawson's Creek) - both are soft spoken
and sometimes timid. Katie, much like Vicki can draw sympathy
from the audience and often takes on roles like Victoria Winters.
She would be the perfect fit because she would remind the
audience of Alexandra Moltke." Justin
Riley
"Jordan
Bayne (Poltergeist: The Legacy) - has got the look
of Vicki, and the range to play innocent as well as spitfire.
She can give the 'oomph' Vicki had had in the beginning of
the series during the black and white episodes, and somehow
lost as the show progressed." JoelCrothersOnline"
Natalie
Portman (Star Wars) - I think she could do the
strong heroine thing very well, and she'd be awfully sexy
with fangs! Let's bring Victoria to the evil side for a change...
hehe." Nathan Humbard
Elizabeth
Collins Stoddard:
"Kathryn Leigh Scott (original series Maggie Evans)
- casting an original cast member would be smart, to draw
the original fans, and she's just great no matter what."
Nathan Humbard
Kathryn
Leigh Scott for Elizabeth was clearly a popular choice amongst
many of you, though the lady herself has a slightly different
take on the Collinwood matriarch...
"Kathleen
Turner (Romancing the Stone, Peggy Sue Got Married)
- she's far from my favourite actress, but I think she would
be a fascinating choice as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, bringing
sexual heat and a whiff of substance abuse to the role!"
Kathryn Leigh Scott
"Nancy
Barrett's (original series Carolyn Stoddard) take on an
older Carolyn in last summer's Return to Collinwood play
showed authority and grace to be the matriarch of Collinwood
full-time! She's an outstanding actress and it'd be a nice
long-term link with the show's heritage which wouldn't detract."
Stuart, site editor
Julia
Hoffman:
"Bebe Neuwirth (Cheers)
- she can be very steely... but sensual as well, something
that will be an interesting dynamic as Barnabas should be
younger [this time around]." Peter
Mac and John Schaefer
"Finola
Hughes (General Hospital) is the perfect Julia!
Her British accent, great looks and unbelievable chemistry
would make the Barnabas and Julia relationship better than
ever. I say make Julia a hottie this time around, and give
Barnabas a partner in crime who can hit the ball back as hard
as he can serve it!" Nathan Humbard
Willie
Loomis:
"Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) would be
a great choice for Willie - he's got a real flair for playing
likeable oddballs, with much of John Karlen's manic intensity
and unhinged menace." Stuart, site
editor
"I'd
like to suggest Buffy's Tom Lenk to play Willie
Loomis. While nothing like John Karlen or Jim Fyfe, Tom would
add a goofiness to the character that I think could bring
the show a lot of fun. Plus, he's a familiar face to WB viewers."
Craig Byrne
"Johnny
Depp - after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean, he
just reminded me a little of Jim Fyfe's Willie in the 1991
series… he needs a bath,
but he's loveable anyway." Nathan
Humbard
Angelique:
"Cynthia
Preston (General Hospital) can do the evil witch
thing with more sex appeal than words can describe...and make
you actually want her character to get away with what she
does to people. She has perfect diction, perfect facial expressions,
and the perfect little sigh in her voice to be Angelique!"
Nathan Humbard
"Kate
Bosworth (The Rules of Attraction) has the perfect
look - beauty and innocence, which could be used to deceive
many." Michelle Hoff
"Sarah
Alexander (UK Coupling) - alluring with great timing
and archness. Plus, literally, the eyes have it!" Stuart,
site editor
"Glenn
Close (Fatal Attraction) - the B...witchy one!"
Jadene Felina Stevens
"Angelique
should be a Halle Berry type. Casting an African American
actress in the role would be more realistic, as the character
comes from the 18th century and is supposed to be a servant."
Peter
Mac and John Schaefer
Joe
Haskell:
"Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley) - besides
his handsome physique, his quiet, strong delivery is a match
for the part of Joe Haskell or even Peter Bradford."
Vera Marano
Quentin
Collins:
"Mark-Paul
Gosselaar (NYPD Blue) - I remember when he played
Zack on Saved by the Bell. The character was a womanizer
and schemed to get what he wanted, however, we all still found
ourselves cheering him on. Quentin is a fun character with
sarcasm and one-liners that Mark-Paul could pull off!"
Justin Riley
"Ashton
Kutcher (That 70s Show, Mr Demi Moore) has
the same wide eyed, irreverent attitude as David Selby. He'd
also be good at seducing all the ladies!" Judy
Fisher
And
the best of the rest...
"I
hope that there will be new scripts, and storylines, moving
ahead 30 years in time, and incorporating many of the original
Dark Shadows actors as they are today - there was a
hint of that in the radio script we did at the last festival.
There
should also be new young actors playing important, pivotal
roles, related to, or somehow connected to the original characters.
As to the casting of the new young characters, I think they
should all be unknowns. That way they don't bring to the show
any image that they've created in former roles. Each actor
should be free to create an image that is new and unique.
The only known faces should be on the original actors. That's
what I think, and now let's see what happens!" Marie
Wallace (Eve)
"I
think it would be a mistake to choose well-known actors for
the pilot or the new series. I think we need fresh 'blood'
so that we don't start with any preconceived notions or ideas
from seeing the actors in other projects." J.
C. Millard
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