
Here Kennedy dreamcasts an adaptation of The Artist of Blackberry Grange:
Although none of my books have been optioned for film, I’ve had some interest, and it’s always fun to consider who might play my characters in a film adaptation. With my latest novel, The Artist of Blackberry Grange, which is set in the 1920s and centers on the experiences of a young caregiver who encounters a series of haunted paintings in her great-aunt’s mansion, I had some very strong ideas about who I would cast as I was crafting the novel.Visit Paulette Kennedy's website.
Sadie Halloran, my main character, is a down-on-her-luck former flapper seeking a fresh start and financial security as her great-aunt’s caregiver. I picture Saoirse Ronan as Sadie, because she has the emotional range, appearance, and Irish heritage to embody my heroine, just as I imagined her. Plus, Saoirse just looks like she walked out of the 1920s, and I’ve admired her acting ever since she played Briony Tallis in Atonement.
For Marguerite Thorne, Sadie’s great-aunt, an acclaimed artist now suffering from dementia, whose story in the novel exists in two different time periods—the Gilded Age and the 1920s—I would cast Sadie Sink as young Marguerite. With her long red hair, expressive eyes, and her youthful, rebellious spirit, she would be perfect in the role. For the elder version of Marguerite, I picture Patricia Clarkson, who is the embodiment of worldly elegance and sophistication—but with a playful side that speaks to Marguerite’s passionate and spirited youth.
For Beckett Hill, Marguerite’s gardener and chauffeur, I’d cast Jeremy Allen White. I love him as Carmy in The Bear, and since Beckett can also cook, it would be fitting. Plus, White has the edge and emotional pathos to portray a man who hasn’t always had an easy way of things in life. With his muscular build, his gorgeous curls and soulful eyes, he fits Beckett’s description in the novel perfectly.
For Weston Chase, the main ghost haunting Blackberry Grange, I’d cast Matthew Goode. He has the refined charisma and morally gray appeal to embody my novel’s seductive, restless spirit. Debonair, charming, and darkly handsome, he’s the perfect gothic hero.
The Page 69 Test: Parting the Veil.
The Page 69 Test: The Devil and Mrs. Davenport.
--Marshal Zeringue