Fantasy Cast #1: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

So, in my obsession with blog reading I've come across several blogs that fantasy cast books that they love. I truly enjoy these fantasy cast because they encompass a variety of actors, actresses and let me get to know the book to see if I want to read it or to compel me to want to read it again.

Fantasty casting takes three hobbies I love (reading, writing and cinema) and puts them together in one neat little package of happiness. It let's me take actors from different time periods and mesh them all together into one perfect cast. I'm sure this is why guys enjoy Fantasty Football Leagues so much, they get to have the ultimate team that encompasses the best of the sport!

The Fountainhead Plot Description from Wikipedia
(Taken from Wikipedia because I always botch the description)
The Fountainhead's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an individualistic young architect who chooses to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise his artistic and personal vision. The book follows his battle to practice what the public sees as modern architecture, which he believes to be superior, despite an establishment centered on tradition-worship. How others in the novel relate to Roark demonstrates Rand's various archetypes of human character, all of which are variants between Roark, the author's ideal man of independent-mindedness and integrity, and what she described as the "second-handers." The complex relationships between Roark and the various kinds of individuals who assist or hinder his progress, or both, allow the novel to be at once a romantic drama and a philosophical work. Roark is Rand's embodiment of the human spirit, and his struggle represents the triumph of individualism over collectivism.

My fantasty cast for The Fountainhead
I decided to do this novel because it is one of my favorites of all time and has such rich characters even if there is a 70 page speech where Ayn Rand goes on a philosophical rant through her character, Howard Roark.

Howard Roark
I've always thought of Roark as being that SEXY guy that looks good and comfortable in the boardroom, the bedroom, wielding an ax or sketch pencil. Clive Owen fits the bill in the sense that he can be a cold blooded killer, father, ex-con turn gardener and still ooze confidence.

Source: Clive Owen

Ellsworth Toohey
I picked Haley for one reason, he looks like the scrawny little nothing guy, but rub him the wrong way and POW sucker punch in the kidney. He can be cold or weak and sniveling on command.

Source: Jackie Earle Haley

Dominique Francon
Not only is Ms. Theron friggin' gorgeous and (because we are the same age) makes me wonder what I've been doing with my time, she has the knack of being ultra feminine and ultra powerful at the same time. Not very many women can go from being Roark's submissive to Roark's equal and we need an actress who can stand up for herself, in heels, no less.

Source: Charlize Theron

Peter Keating
Suave, debonair and fake...this is Peter Keating. He has to be your Frat boy next door and look the part of the man who can accomplish anything while being the man who will also fall for anything and the man who is too caught up in the system to think for himself and to think outside the box.

Source: Matt Bomer

Gail Wynand
Gail Wynand is a sleeze only because he is willing to give up his soul to be considered the man on top. Although, he has the mind to be better than the rest and in some ways superior to even Roark, he lacks the ambition to live outside his comfort zone and he lacks the drive to be anything except for what society wants him to be.

Source: Alec Baldwin

Henry Cameron
Broken, but goes down fighting...who better to play this role than a man who, even older, could give you a run for your money?

Source: Henry Fonda

Catherine Halsey

The person who plays Catherine has to be someone who is willing to stand by her man no matter what and who is unhappy if her man is unhappy and who, truly, has no clue who she is if she isn't with her man. She also has to be able to play a character who knows that all of this is farce.

Source: Elisabeth Moss

Guy Francon
Naive and genteel. Mr. Francon's redeeming qualities, he loves his daughter and would do anything for her and he comes by his trade honestly. It isn't his fault that society is numb and blind.

Source: Alan Rickman

Stephen Mallory
Needs Howard Roark to understand that to be a creator means to be the life force for all mankind. Lives in his head and in his heart and would be destroyed by the world if not for Howard.

Source: Emile Hirsch

Mrs. Keating
Cold, hard woman who drives her son to risk his soul to achieve what she considers to be 'greatness' and this woman below, well, she can take no prisoners. None. And, she will grind your bones to make her bread.

Source: Cristine Rose

Mike

A man who seems a little too simple, but actually knows more than you think because he thinks with his own heart and his own mind and ignores all else.

Source: Tom Sizemore

Alvah Scarret

Campell has that smile that can be charming or sycophantic. And, he'll need to use that smile to be this butt-kissing character.

Source: Christian Campbell

The Dean

His Judge in The Crucible left me trembling and angry. I think that same character will work here. Myopic and always right and will not hear reason is the role of this man.

Source: Paul Scofield

John Eric Snyte
A character who steps on anyone to make it to the top, Snyte uses people with a smile and frankly, Brosnan just has to talk and I wouldn't mind giving him a kidney. He doesn't look like he would do anything wrong and would lie to your face with a smile and you'd believe it, even if you knew the truth.

Source: Pierce Brosnan

What do you think? Who would you cast?
Here are some fantasty cast that I've enjoyed reading
The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny
Fragile Eternity
Fantasty Casting (also has a lovely post about The Amber Chronicles here and here)
Fantasty Casting Movie Posters
The Justice League
AfterEllen's take on "Charlie's Angels"
The Great Gatsby