Dear Insiders,
One of the most rewarding parts of being an independent author is watching characters leap off the page and take up residence in the minds of readers. Recently, a close friend and avid reader of the Black Camelot series called me up with her definitive Hollywood casting choices for the saga — and I have to admit, she hit the nail on the head.
The Artist Hitman: Jefferson Painter
I had an incredible amount of fun creating Jefferson Painter. Yes, he's a contract killer and a dangerous adversary for Chief Teddy Walker — but he possesses a sensitive, artistic side that gives him an unexpected depth. This reader has become so emotionally attached to him that she's been actively pleading with me not to kill him off.
In her mind's eye, she sees him played on the big screen by Oscar Isaac.
I can see it perfectly. Isaac has that rare, brooding intensity where he can play someone ruthlessly lethal, yet his eyes communicate a profound, fractured humanity and artistic soul.
To the reader's relief, I haven't killed Painter off yet — and I may not. As it stands, he may remain tucked away in Rio, safe from arrest, entirely clear of Walker's global manhunt. There is something incredibly cinematic about a brilliant villain enjoying a beautiful exile, always just out of reach. The door is never truly closed.
The Chief Antagonist: Digby Yates
The casting game didn't stop there. For our chief antagonist — the despicable Digby Yates, the Pork King of the South — she immediately envisioned Alec Baldwin.
Talk about inspired casting. Baldwin has a masterclass ability to play wealthy, entitled arrogance mixed with sharp, biting charisma. He would bring a terrifyingly fun energy to Yates's brand of Southern corporate corruption.
Seeing these characters through a cinematic lens is a great reminder of why we fall in love with thrillers — it's the larger-than-life personalities that drive the plot forward.
Join the Debate
Does Oscar Isaac capture the quiet danger of the Artist Hitman for you? And how do we feel about Painter hiding out in Rio — should Walker keep hunting him, or should we let him enjoy the sun?
Get Book 6: Assassins & Conspirators to see what's happening in Rio. Like all of the series, you won't be able to put it down.
Let's talk in the comments.
See you around the Black Camelot world,
Darius Myers
Darius Myers is an independent fiction author and former media executive with a professional history at Time Inc. (Fortune) and USA Today. He is the creator of the seven-book Black Camelot thriller series.
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