With Buffyverse ringmaster Joss Whedon at its helm and Eliza Dushku as its star, Fox's sci-fried Bourne series, Dollhouse, is pretty much required to have a cast that redefines the term "top-notch." And since a top-secret list of the show's principal characters just landed on my desk, the dynamic duo have us to help them. Below you'll find our (read: me and TVGuide.com contributor Ben Katner) casting suggestions for all of the major roles. But feel free to add your own. You know you want to.
ADELLE DEWITT The fortyish iceberg who runs the Dollhouse where the human Etch-a-Sketches reside • If the part is cast from within the Buffyverse: Juliet Landau, so creepily heartbreaking as ubervamp Drusilla. They don't come any cooler, or hotter, than her. • If the part is cast from outside the Buffyverse: Shohreh Aghdashloo. The onetime 24 Mommie Dearest is the scariest thing we've ever seen that didn't have fangs.
PAUL BALLARD The thirtysomething G-man who is slated to become an offbeat love interest for Dushku's "impressionable" Echo • If the part is cast from within the Buffyverse: J. August Richards, whose long run as Angel's sidekick, Gunn, only hinted at the dark side we have zero doubt he would bring to this conflicted character. • If the part is cast from outside the Buffyverse: Hands down, Ben Browder. The Stargate SG-1 heartthrob has proven a million times over — or at least in every single episode of Farscape — that he was born to speak Whedon's zippy dialogue.
BOYD LANGTON Echo's handler and father figure • If the part is cast from within the Buffyverse: Duh. With its Watcher overtones, Boyd is a character tailor-made for Anthony Stewart Head, aka Buffy's surrogate dad, Giles. • If the part is cast from outside the Buffyverse: Mitch Pileggi, who brought unexpected heart to what could have been the one-note role of The X-Files' gruff taskmaster, Skinner.
TOPHER BRINK The technogeek who enjoys his job as a Doll programmer maybe a little too much • If the part is cast from within the Buffyverse: Tom Lenk, who made such an indelible impression as Andrew, the amoral, ambiguously gay member of the Trio, Buffy's dorky "archnemeses." • If the part is cast from outside the Buffyverse: Jason Yachanin, the adorkable Troma action hero who deserves so much better than Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead. (Hey, don't judge him based on his résumé!)
SIERRA The knockout Doll who is as close to a friend as Echo has • If the part is cast from within the Buffyverse: Bianca Lawson, if only so we can finally see alterna-Slayer Kendra play a part without the Jar Jar Binks patois. • If the part is cast from outside the Buffyverse: Die Hard 4 butt-kicker Maggie Q. Too bad, what with her busy film career and all, she's probably gonna be a little too busy for the gig.
VICTOR The distractingly handsome Doll who is called upon to play everyone from Errol Flynn to Robert DeNiro • If the part is cast from within the Buffyverse: Charlie Weber, who had the thankless role of bubbleheaded goddess Glory's male alter ego, Ben, during Season 5 of Buffy. • If the part is cast from outside the Buffyverse: Matthew Bomer. The Tru Calling/Traveler alum is as versatile as he is pretty.
NOVEMBER The Tracy Turnblad of the Dolls • If the part is cast from within the Buffyverse: How about giving a second chance to Riff Regan, the plus-sized actress who played Willow in the Buffy pilot? • If the part is cast from outside the Buffyverse: Well, we did describe the character as the show's resident Tracy Turnblad, so who better than that Hairspray hoofer's portrayer, Nikki Blonsky?
DR. CLAIRE SANDERS The beautiful older woman with whom Topher is smitten • If the part is cast from within the Buffyverse: Angel and Firefly's Gina Torres, who is as adept at throwing a punch as she is at landing a punch line. • If the part is cast from outside the Buffyverse: Try Battlestar Galactica's sublime Michelle Forbes. She seems so like Whedon's kind of actress, it's a wonder they haven't collaborated before. — Additional reporting by Ben Katner
OK, your turn. Put on your casting-director hats and start throwing out some names.
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ADELLE DEWITT - Amy Acker is too young, so Gina Torres or Lucy Lawless PAUL BALLARD - Ben Browder BOYD LANGTON - to me the ultimate such father-figure was Victor Garber on Alias TOPHER BRINK - Absolutely Kevin Weisman! SIERRA - Gabrielle Union VICTOR - I agree on Matthew Bomer NOVEMBER - Sherri Shepperd ?? DR. CLAIRE SANDERS - Gina Torres or Heather Locklear
Originally posted by Jonathan: NOVEMBER Sara Rue (best known from the WB's Popular & ABC's Less than Perfect)
YES times 100! I loved Popular. Sara would be perfect. Plus she was in the FOX pilot Nurses with Eliza before. Nikki Blonsky would make Eliza look old since their's about a 8 year age difference.
Leslie Bibb, has the look, but I'm not sure of. All I've seen her on was Popular and The Skulls and I don't think that she's the strongest actress.
And you've got to be an Alias fan since four of your choices have either stared on or guested on on Alias before.
Originally posted by Jonathan: ADELLE DEWITT I'm torn either Gina Torres (Firefly, Cleopatra 2525, Standoff) or Xen...er Lucy Lawless
PAUL BALLARD Ben Browder (he's not stranger to sci-fi with Farsacpe & Star Gate under his belt)
BOYD LANGTON Victor Garbor (who played a lawyer in Legally Blond/Eli Stone/Justice... yeah you get the picture, but he shined as Jack on Alias)
TOPHER BRINK Really is there a more perfect choice than Kevin Weisman (Alias)?
SIERRA Leslie Bibb (from the WB's Popular, ABC's Line of Fire, and NBC's Crossing Jordan)
VICTOR Robert Buckley (currently Kirby on NBC's Lipstick Jungle & a dead ringer for Scott Speedman AKA Ben on the WB's Felicity)
NOVEMBER Sara Rue (best known from the WB's Popular & ABC's Less than Perfect)
DR. CLAIRE SANDERS Merrin Dungey (Francie on Alias & the real Naomi Bennett from Grey's Anatomy / Private Practice)
I agree with all of these -- I almost said Sara Rue as well, but hadn't really seen her on a drama: only known her from Less Than Perfect!
The only one I'm not 100% about is Merrin Dungey for Dr. Sanders -- I love her, but don't know if this role fits her. I think between Gina Torres and Lucy Lawless, whoever isn't Adelle should be Dr. Sanders.
Originally posted by Jonathan: ADELLE DEWITT I'm torn either Gina Torres (Firefly, Cleopatra 2525, Standoff) or Xen...er Lucy Lawless
PAUL BALLARD Ben Browder (he's not stranger to sci-fi with Farsacpe & Star Gate under his belt)
BOYD LANGTON Victor Garbor (who played a lawyer in Legally Blond/Eli Stone/Justice... yeah you get the picture, but he shined as Jack on Alias)
TOPHER BRINK Really is there a more perfect choice than Kevin Weisman (Alias)?
SIERRA Leslie Bibb (from the WB's Popular, ABC's Line of Fire, and NBC's Crossing Jordan)
VICTOR Robert Buckley (currently Kirby on NBC's Lipstick Jungle & a dead ringer for Scott Speedman AKA Ben on the WB's Felicity)
NOVEMBER Sara Rue (best known from the WB's Popular & ABC's Less than Perfect)
DR. CLAIRE SANDERS Merrin Dungey (Francie on Alias & the real Naomi Bennett from Grey's Anatomy / Private Practice)
I agree with all of these -- I almost said Sara Rue as well, but hadn't really seen her on a drama: only known her from Less Than Perfect!
The only one I'm not 100% about is Merrin Dungey for Dr. Sanders -- I love her, but don't know if this role fits her. I think between Gina Torres and Lucy Lawless, whoever isn't Adelle should be Dr. Sanders.
Now, how do we get these picks to the producers?
If the casting is anywhere near our wish list here, I'll definitely be watching.
And on a somewhat related tangent, does anyone know why Merrin Dungey was replaced on Private Practice? I liked her so much better than whoever replaced her -- she does such a great job as the best friend...
About 4 of these people were in roles on ABC shows, mainly Alias in the past 5 years. Looks pretty decent in terms of cast, but what is this about again?
Originally posted by mushu_jj: About 4 of these people were in roles on ABC shows, mainly Alias in the past 5 years. Looks pretty decent in terms of cast, but what is this about again?
Casting for Joss Whedon's DollHouse, starring Eliza Dushku. Dollhouse is a drama that follows a top-secret world of agents programmed with different personalities, abilities and memories depending on their mission.
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“DOLLHOUSE” Series / FOX TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035 PHONE - 310-369-1000 STATUS - Early April 2008 LOCATION - Los Angeles PRODUCER: Elizabeth Craft - Sarah Fain WRITER/DIRECTOR: Joss Whedon CAST: Eliza Dushku The drama, stars Dushku as Echo, a member of a group of men and women who are imprinted with different personalities for different assignments. In between tasks they are mind-wiped, living like children in Dollhouse, a futuristic dorm/lab. A group of people, known as "Actives" (or "Dolls"), have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas and hired out for particular jobs, crimes, fantasies and occasional good deeds. When not imprinted, the Actives live, childlike and unremembering, in a hidden facility nicknamed "The Dollhouse". Although the Actives are ostensibly volunteers, the operation is highly illegal, and under constant threat from a determined federal agent on one end and an insane rogue Active on the other. The story hinges around a greater and more subtle threat: Echo, a female Active, begins, in her mind-wiped state, to become self-aware.
The producers credits seem to include Women's Murder Club, Angel, and The Shield, so so far things are looking good.
Originally posted by mushu_jj: About 4 of these people were in roles on ABC shows, mainly Alias in the past 5 years. Looks pretty decent in terms of cast, but what is this about again?
Casting for Joss Whedon's DollHouse, starring Eliza Dushku. Dollhouse is a drama that follows a top-secret world of agents programmed with different personalities, abilities and memories depending on their mission.
Ooo, maybe I'll get promos of her in the shower like we did for Tru Calling, which honestly was a good show laid out to die on Thursdays. Sounds like a good show. Perhaps if SCC isn't renewed, it can go on Mondays or wait til midseason to find a timeslot for it. Doesn't sound compatible with either House or Bones.
Ooo, maybe I'll get promos of her in the shower like we did for Tru Calling, which honestly was a good show laid out to die on Thursdays. Sounds like a good show. Perhaps if SCC isn't renewed, it can go on Mondays or wait til midseason to find a timeslot for it. Doesn't sound compatible with either House or Bones.
Yes, I could easily see it on Mondays paired with 24, or on Wednesdays paired with AI.
But to clarify, aside from Eliza Dushku, the rest of the "cast" are currently a wish list of Ausiello, Ginger, myself and others. Although it looks like we have a lot of the same cast in mind... Like I said, if the cast is even close to what we're talking about here, I'll be watching...
Originally posted by Jonathan: How about Jane Kaczmarek (the mom from Malcolm in the Middle and various lawyer roles) as ADELLE DEWITT? She's no stranger to FOX?
She was wonderful in Malcolm week after week. Talk about a show that was also laid out to dry. Part of the problem there was that Malcolm simply got too old and Fox renewed it one too many seasons.
This may not mean anything, but Brennan Elliot, Ian Anthony Dale, and Paul Campbell are said to have auditioned for roles on the show according to Dollverse.com
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