choosing a lead actor

to play a homeless ex-cop who must solve the murder of his good friend, another homeless guy.

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Wow, I'm shooting a feature about the murder of homeless people later this year as well. Small world.

Knowing my luck you're calling yours "Deadbeats" as well.

Clive,

No worries, mate. The title of my feature is "Lost Causes". Also includes warring Mexican drug cartels and international terrorists.

Is this a union shoot? Our Director lived in Dallas for a number of years so he might know some "local talent."

Low budget SAG. Was hoping for modified low budget, but shooting a cop/thriller isn't cheap. Have to use low budget teamsters, too (Arghh!)

As a matter of fact, I have a LOT of day players. Wish we had the old "under five" set up. Paying $504/day for one or two lines/actor is a pain. I'm sure my co-producer will want a say in the re-writes during pre-production in order to cut down on the number of speaking actors.

I anticipate going to L.A. to cast the two leads.

No worries, mate. The title of my feature is "Lost Causes". Also includes warring Mexican drug cartels and international terrorists.

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Thanks goodness for that, mine has neither and is a horror

I'll think about the casting issue, sounds like you need a recognisable name, but someone who would appreciate the work. There was a time in the 1990'a when Rutger Hauger seemed to turn up in every low budget film made. I'll have a think about it. So it's either someone who had a good TV role which now no longer exists or an film actor who ahs fallen out of favor.

Actually I do have a suggestion, have you considered Adam Baldwin. He played Jayne in Joss Whedon's Serenity. The guy is an action hero actor waiting for the right role.

Scuze me whilst I just IMDBpro him ... be right back.

Just looked. Appears to be working but not on anything outstanding.

do you mean Adam, not Alan?

One of the Baldwin boys? Steven was great in "The Usual Suspects". Lot's of talent in that family.

Not sure how it works in the US but in teh Uk it's a lot easier to do non-union films (they don't break your legs here) but most actors will listern to offers and you'd be suprised how many named actors (and don't forget it's not so much A list as Named... picking the right actor for the genre yoru working in is as important) listern.

We have just cast a well known US actor , who is a legend in martial arts film, for our next film. He's just finsihed a film with Nicole Kidman which should be the big hit of next year.

The point is many famous actors, for the right script and if it fits in with their scedule, will consider the role.

Look on IMDB Pro, look at actors you would like to work with, see if it lists their last salary (a certain major actor (whose name I forget) recently worked on a film for under $35k when his usual salary is over $1 million) or teh budget rnage of films they have worked in and do it that way.

You'd be suprised how many films Michale Madsen has made with budgets lower than you would think (although not if you looked at them I guess!!!)

do you mean Adam, not Alan?

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Yeap, that's what I meant, sorry was having a "I" and "d" moment. Gollam lysdexia!

Anyhow, I was watching the series of Firefly over the holidays and I was just knocked out by Adam's performance. I have a tendancy to watch off the action, to see what the actors are doing that takes the script further than just getting the lines out; if you watch him work, his attention to detail is superb. I think the guy is solid gold as a performer and he got a rounded performance out of what could have been a fairly two dimensional side kick role.

The other thing I noticed about him is just how good he is at the physical work. I think if you're looking for someone with physical presense, who is also a detailed and thoughtful actor, he's got to be worth a phone call.

I can hook you up to someone who can hook you up to Bruno Kirby. He's very New York for Dallas but he's fairly well-known and in the right age bracket.

Bruno Kirby

Alphie,

Bruno Kirby is a very good actor. I loved him in City Slickers, and he has a great resume.

He does have a pretty heavy NY accent, but he should be considered anyway.

Thanks,

Randy

A little more information.

Dave Larson was a good cop. He was even recruited to teach new rookies in the Dallas Police Academy. He worked his way up to being a gold shield in the Homicide Division as a veteran.

He married above his station. She was a beauty from a wealthy family in Highland Park, but Dave's long hours made her look for other ways of diversion, and she was able to keep her coke habit hidden successfully from Dave, until one night on a binge, she overdosed. Her family blamed Dave, and drove him to crawl inside the bottle with great remorse. They didn't have to make him feel guilty about not seeing her spiral downward, but they did anyway.

The drinking continued on the job, and one night he had to back up his rookie partner on an investigation. Dave couldn't keep up in his drunken state, and as he rounded the corner running after to the rookie, he stumbled over his partner's dead body. He had failed at the most basic of rules being a cop...he'd let his partner down, and it resulted in his partner's death.

Too much to bear, he crawled back into the bottle and under a bridge tressle where no one could find him. One other homeless guy, Rusty, befriended him and showed him how to survive on the streets. Now three years later, Rusty is murdered...two .22 cal. shots to the head, assassination style. Dave Larson, now known as "Jack" on the streets, will help another rookie gold shield, Samantha Taylor (white female, mid 30's) find out who murdered Rusty. He never imagined warring Mexican drug cartels and and an international terrorist plot to smuggle a WMD into Texas, and a way home.