The Secret History fancast with explanation (DETAILED!!!!!!!!)

Introduction

• ​Introduction
• Why did I write this
• Henry Marchbanks Winter
• Bunny / Edmund Corcoran
• Charles Macauley
• Camilla Macauley
• Francis Abernathy
• Richard Papen
• Conclusion
• The End

Why did I write this?

I wanted a clear vision on how I saw the characters as I read the book, but when I looked on the internet; I was unsatisfied with the fan casts I saw on, for example, pinterest. It was all conventionally attractive people and it never embodied the personality of the character.​ 

So, in this presentation I will show my fancasts & ideas for the main characters of the book.​

 TW: My opinion.​

Henry Marchbanks Winter

He's tall, broad shouldered and broody. Of course. But his face? I can't imagine it. Genuinely. I see him as an almost faceless character. When he reads a book, he never looks up, not even once. And a reading lamp could easily shadow his face (in film) when he keeps his head down. Also with the fact he has terrible headaches, you could show him rubbing his forehead and his face just to cover his features.​ 

His charisma makes him handsome, he doesn't necessarily have to be handsome, there just has to be something classic about him. So, I thought Callum Turner would be perfect for the role due to his stature. Or someone else similar to my descriptions.​ 

He has to have the strength, the broad shoulders but the quiet edge to him. I also thought Bradley James would be a good cast because of his stature, the way his expressions sit on his features- just imagine him with dark hair and glasses.​

Bunny/ Edmund Corcoran

I can't imagine Bunny as a young adult. I genuinely only see him as a middle-aged man.​ 

My mum helped with this one, because we both agree he isn't considered handsome, exactly. There's something less classical about him, he's got the observant look, but you never know if he's going to do something weird or not.​ 

Anyways, invision with me for a moment. Philip Seymour Hoffman. Young Philip.​

Charles Macauley

He's just kind of there, you know.​ 

I imagine him with a skinny face, small chin, blonde hair, heart-like face shape. Sort of- angelic, quiet. My mother helped with this one, but young Cary Elwes. In The Princess Bride, there was just something so- perfect about the lad. ​

There has to be the observant eyes in all of these characters (except for Richard but we'll get to that).​

Camilla Macauley

Blonde bob hair, obviously.​ 

I imagine her with, of course, a classic face. And for her and Charles to be twins, she'd have to look like she could be related to Cary Elwes. So again, It's this sort of pale angelic look, yet with the quiet expression, small smiles, stuck inside yourself sort of thing. And I thought Mia Wasikowska would be perfect for the role- but then I remembered the film Atonement. The actress of young-adult Briony Tallis; Romola Garai, she looks much more like Cary Elwes, I think. And she has that perfect stare that I imagine Camilla with. I think someone Polish is just objectively a good idea.​ 

All of my fancasts have to be people with un- conventionally attractive features. They have to be human, they have to be classic, or it simply doesn't work. Someone like Henry Cavill wouldn't work, Anne Hathaway wouldn't work, Timothee fucking Chalamet wouldn't work, Tom Holland wouldn't work, Matt Damon wouldn't work, ultra- famous actors wouldn't work (fuck you, Christopher Nolan).​

Francis Abernathy

Sharp features, red hair, a sort of skinniness to him. But he's classically handsome, like, you could see him as both a king and a peasant during the Tudor ages. Donna Tartt feels the most connected to his character, so I see something similar to her (Francis is my favourite character by the way) in his features- something female about him but manly. He's strong to his self-expression. ​ 

I don't want a well-known actor, but I do think Tom Hiddleston could do an accurate impression of Francis, he has the smile I imagine Francis with. I see Francis as less broody, he's more confident but he's not arrogant, he's just polite and mannered. Young Jude Law is also how I see him a bit, but either way, his eyes have to be prominent. His eyes need to be noticeable, his smile needs to be noticeable, his personality needs to be shown. Domhnall Gleeson could do a really good impression aswell, in my opinion. His smile and the way he carries himself could really work.​ 

It was really difficult to find someone perfect for him- because the models people show on pinterest just don't work.​ 

"Cubitum Eamus?" "What" "Nothing."​​

Richard Papen

Now- the main character.​

I so often see these conventionally attractive fan casts, these stunning men- but that's just not Richard. He blends into the background, he is not, exactly eye catching compared to the others. He's not much of an interest to the others, he's not confident like they are. ​ 

Richard has to blend into the background- and the hot guy from Little Women can't do that. So- and by the way, I love Eddie Redmayne, he's my hear me out- but he's perfect for the role of Richard. He can easily blend in through a crowd. In Fantastic Beasts, the way he autistically avoids eye contact with people during conversation, the way he sneaks past people, etc. It's perfect for Richard. The little eyes darting about like a deer, yet he's hesitant to stare. He's exactly how I imagine Richard.​ 

When watching Like Minds, you also see how wide eyed he is, the way he can stare and look yet not completely observe. He's perfect for the role of a man who embodies a deer not realizing a gun is pointed at them.​

Conclusion

All of my fan-casts are people in very different age groups, so I think people just need to get UNKNOWN actors similar to the people I've shown and the descriptions I've told, so that means; NO MODELS. ​ 

Everyone has to have classical features, like, if you made a rennaisance painting of them, they'd completely blend in. But they have to stand out, you have to shine their personality through their looks as well. ​ 

I don't think a movie should be made, I really don't. Reading the book is much better and It's a much more clear experience. You could make a theatre production of this, but you simply can't make it a film. Donna Tartt is complex and literate, every detail counts and that's difficult through film, especially in these days where creativity is at a minimum.​

The End. 

Cubitum Eamus?