“Vin Diesel IS… Matthew Swift!”
These were the words spoken by the gentleman known as ‘TLC’ whenever he wanted to infuriate me.
There’s been a lot of discussion on the blog lately about who, if anyone, would play Matthew Swift – or indeed, any of my characters – should someone get their finger out and make a movie. (The option’s been bought, but that is NEVER the same as actual progress…) The answer I have given before, and will give again, is I don’t know. Not because I don’t have opinions, but because I go out of my way NOT to have opinions on the subject. As a writer, the last thing anyone wants is for me to be involved in this conversation, since writers aren’t casting directors. And on my own part, I try hard not to give a character – let alone a first person character – the face of anyone I know, or a big movie star or anything like that, as I feel that once you have that face in mind, you also start acquiring the mannerisms and voice of that face, and lose a certain flexibility. Sure, I can give a very good physical description of Matthew Swift, or Horatio Lyle, or indeed anyone else you care to name, and I can tell you who they’re not, but I tend to avoid making absolute commitments unless I really, really have to.
Which doesn’t stop speculation, of course. Take the character of Horatio Lyle. I initially did take an actor’s face as a starting point – albeit a very distant starting point – simply because in the case of third person characters it’s good to have a basic template from which to begin work. The unlucky dude in question is called David Wenham, and I started there only because he had the misfortune to play both Faramir in Lord the Rings, and a cowardly monk in Van Helsing (not the world’s greatest movie) within a few months of each other and frankly, the fusion of hero + science nerd was exactly what I was looking for. Anyone could have played those parts and I might well have started with their faces when the revelation of what I was looking for clicked – it just so happened to be him. Which isn’t the same as saying he looks like Horatio Lyle, merely that it was the starting point I referred back to while finding a feel for the character on the page. A lot of people have suggested an actor called Paul Bettany, and I can think of far worse fates for Lyle. Is he what I pictured? No, of course not. Is he not what I pictured, is he that great floating category of ‘not in a million years jimbo’ into which most of the world falls? Absolutely not. A film is not the book from which it spawned; a book need not be dictated to by a film.
A lot of people tend to make links, as well, between whoever happens to be playing Doctor Who at the time, and the characters in both my Lyle and Swift books. I suspect this is more about the writing of the character of the Doctor, than the actors in question, as more than a few similarities (unconsciously, I swear!) crop up between the styles of writing between the writers on Dr Who, and what I write. What does this tell us? Very little, except that the BBC should really, really hire me to write Dr Who one day, oh yes, pretty please…?
The various producers I’ve talked to down the years, all tend to have very strong opinions. These fall into two categories – those actors who the producers want, and those who they know the studios will expect. Ten years ago, the only possible candidates to play Horatio Lyle were figures like Jude Law and Clive Owen (ticking your Male + British boxes) and I think we can probably all agree it would have been a bad idea. These days, the ONLY candidate it appears currently in the Male/British contention to play someone like Swift, is Robert Pattinson, and on this theme I shall say no more. Judiciously.
For my part, I will maintain, if you will forgive me, a firm policy of neither confirming nor denying, unless it’s something as blazingly obvious as ‘Vin Diesel is Matthew Swift’ in which case expect a firm glare and kick up the behind. If nothing else, I dislike the fact that I even know who half these actors are, since I can’t shake the feeling that a small part of my brain is being wasted on this information, and within that part of my mind perhaps lies untapped the ability to understand simple harmonic motion, or get to grips with Spanish, or other such wonders of cognition yet unknown and unexplored, and now wasted, on things I do not need to process. Then again, if my few experiences with simple harmonic motion are anything to judge by, perhaps this was simply never meant to be…
12 comments
Sane says:
July 29, 2012 at 3:35 am (UTC 1 )
I hadn’t thought of Robert as Swift, a marvelous idead. Such a talented actor. No man could better portray a witty, powerful, non-sparkly sorceror. Maybe Kristen Stewart can play Oda?
Thistle says:
July 29, 2012 at 7:24 am (UTC 1 )
What about Arthur Darvill? I think he could play Matthew.
Catherine Woodberry says:
July 29, 2012 at 9:16 am (UTC 1 )
I hope you get to write an ep of Dr Who! That would be A.W.E.S.O.M.E!! On people who could possibly play Mattew Swift – If it were done now, I could see Luke Evans (played Aramis in the Three Musketeers) – tall, dark, very goodlooking.
MidwestJoe says:
July 29, 2012 at 5:50 pm (UTC 1 )
….to be honest….when I first heard the description of matthew….I instantly thought of Neil Gaiman….not sure how well he can act but the sense of humor and sense of reality seems to fit…
David Brider says:
August 4, 2012 at 11:36 pm (UTC 1 )
…erm, yes, where’s the petition??!
Actually, I can kind of see David Tennant as kind of right for Swift. At least, one of the novel covers has Swift looking a little Tennant-ish. I can’t remember which one off hand. Will probably turn out to be one which had its cover designed over that Christmas in 2009 when Tennant was inescapable. COVER ARTIST: “What shall I do for inspiration? Oh, I know, I’ll bung on the telly…”
*checks* No, strike that, must be my memory playing tricks with me. I’ll tell you what, though; if you want to take inspiration from cover artists, the Swift on the cover of A Madness of Angels looks a bit like Andrew Garfield. Just saying…
Betty says:
August 9, 2012 at 9:56 pm (UTC 1 )
I’ve been thinking about this. The cover art is different, but I think I could imagine Tom Hiddleston as Matthew Swift.
Betty says:
August 24, 2012 at 10:33 pm (UTC 1 )
I rarely do this but I must take my word back. In the past month when I went through the books like a tornado, I had a dream about Misha Collins, and when I woke up I realized he is what I imagine Matthew could look like. He even got the blue eyes…
Thistle says:
August 25, 2012 at 9:39 am (UTC 1 )
Betty, I agree that Misha Collins might look like Matthew, but he is American.
Kitsune says:
August 28, 2012 at 2:02 am (UTC 1 )
What about James McAvoy? You’ve said in the books that Matthew is ‘average’ looking, and I get the sense that he’s not tall or imposing. While I’d hate to call Mr. McAvoy average-looking, he manages to be attractive without being classically handsome. Anyway, if they do make the movie it will be very interesting to see who ends up playing him.
Leor says:
August 28, 2012 at 4:03 pm (UTC 1 )
James Macavoy, Mischa Collins (As either Matthew or John Taylor of the nightshade) or David Tennant would be perfect
Alex says:
September 9, 2012 at 7:27 pm (UTC 1 )
To be honest, James Phelps seemed to me to be a possible candidate for Swift. Sure he’s a little young now, like 27 or so, but he is completely average looking, brown haired and is now exactly who I picture while reading the books,
Or David Tennant because, well, he’s David Tennant
Benikala says:
September 21, 2012 at 5:41 am (UTC 1 )
I nominate Richard Coyle for the role of Matthew Swift. And Jack Davenport can play Mister Pinner.