Casting Calls

WHO TO CAST: THE INFERNAL DEVICES

Hello bookworms! We are back (again) to the wonderful world of Shadowhunters created by Cassandra Clare; only this time, I would like to ponder about the perfect cast for the trilogy's characters. The Infernal Devices is the prequel to Clare's successful series, The Mortal Instruments (TMI). Personally, I love The Infernal Devices even more than TMI and that's saying a lot (I'm an avid fan of TMI as you can see from my previous posts that highlights the series a few times). It's touching and heartbreaking; you will sigh contentedly once you finish The Infernal Devices I assure you.

The main characters of TID (short for The Infernal Devices) are Tessa Gray, Will Herondale, and Jem Carstairs. Being the feminist that I am, I'm gonna start with Tessa first. See, choosing Tessa might be a fickle because her height has been mentioned a lot of times during the course of TID. Although, I don't think that will be much problem since the actress can wear high heels or the director can play with some angle shoots that gives an illusion of height. I've heard a few people favouring Astrid Berges Frisbey, Emilia Clarke, Sarah Bolger, and Kaya Scodelario as front runners so I'll be dissecting (not literally!) each of this four amazing actress for the part.

A close-up look to Kaya Scodelario

Tessa Gray was described as very pretty but not breathtakingly beautiful with a serious face and a slightly pointed chin. She has grey- blue eyes and brown hair. While Astrid Berges-Frisbey is quite matching for Tessa's calm serene face, English is not her first language. In fact, it's not even her second or third language so I'm afraid if Frisbey is cast as Tessa, she will have difficulty to portray Tessa's American accent. Emilia Clarke is a wonderful actress that will go far and I absolutely love her in Game of Thrones. She has this powerful yet vulnerable side that captivates the audience but personally, she's a little tad too mature to portray a 16 year old. Now, it's easy to imagine Sarah Bolger as Tessa as she was well known for her part in Tudors. She also has this vulnerable side that makes people want to protect her. Unfortunately, I don't feel that Bolger is the right choice for Tessa. In fact, I prefer her to portray Sophie Collins. Last, I have to say that Kaya Scodelario is currently my favourite as Tessa. She has a pointy chin and a serious, solemn face with a slender frame. Then, most importantly she can actually pass for a teenage girl in the Victorian era, though she has to practice American accent as Scodelario is British.

Not hard to imagine Scodelario as Tessa in this pic

Then there's the sarcastic yet extremely handsome Will Herondale. Quick-witted and often makes his own (very bad, although sometimes purposefully) poetry, Will has black hair and deep violet- blue eyes. Cue swoon. Anyways, it might not be as hard to find an actor for Will unlike Tessa. I've thought hard about this and finally came to conclusion that there are two actors that come close to what I had in mind. First, there's Douglas Booth. I've seen him act in Great Expectations and Romeo & Juliet so it's quite easy to imagine him as a charter from the Victorian era. Plus a bit of dye to darken his hair and contacts to give a bluer shade to his eyes, I think he pretty much sums up Will Herondale physically. Also he's British so he's accent is also guaranteed. Second, a lot of people seems to prefer Aaron Taylor Johnson. He's famous for his lead role in Kick Ass and has this witty vibe that matches Will's persona. It's true though, I can imagine him doing a few of Will's infamous sarcastic lines so Johnson may pull off the part.

Douglas Booth in Great Expectations

Aaron Taylor Johnson looks charming, right?!

Eiji Wentz

Last but not least, Jem Carstairs is another pivotal character in TID. Sender and tall, Jem has silver hair and silver coloured eyes with a slight curve that hints his Asian parentage. His face is described as angular with high cheekbones. Jem is gentle and intelligent although he is an excellent fighter when it comes to it. Many people suggest either Eiji Wentz or Anthony Neely can fit for the role. Both are Eurasians. In fact, Wentz reminds me of Jem on the cover of The Clockwork Prince. Then, I was watching Lemonade Mouth when I saw Nick Roux and it hits me; Roux has this angular face structure and his eyes can pass for Asian at certain lighting angle. I don't think Jem necessarily has to be portrayed by a Chinese actor as the book described him as having a gentle curve to his eyes to be the only thing that tells us he is part Asian. Right now, I'm leaning towards Nick Roux for Jem's casting although I won't mind with Wentz casted as well.

Anthony Neely

Nick Roux

What do you think?! These are just my personal musings and I would love to hear what the rest of you think. Sounds off at the comment box!