Casting Characters (9): Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Casting Characters is a feature hosted at Erika Breathes Books that gives potential casts for books.

One of the last books I read in 2010 was Clockwork Angel, and let me just say, it was a very good book. Not only was it very adventurous and did it have an amazing setting (Victorian England!), I was also able to vividly "cast" all the characters practically at the very beginning of the book. That hardly ever happens (me envisioning almost the whole cast from the very beginning, I mean), so it's only right that I make a Casting Characters post to share my ideas and to kickstart the new year. I'm also pretty pleased that majority of the actors and actresses featured here are English like most of the characters in the book, because at least I'm staying true to the characters' natures. Let me know what you guys think of my cast, and if you've read Clockwork Angel and have other people in mind, don't forget to share your ideas!

Tessa Gray - Rooney Mara

She's exactly how I imagine Tessa! She's got a charming quality about her that I can't exactly put my finger on, but at the same time she looks clever and spirited. Plus she's got that old-world beauty that makes her a convincing young lady from the Victorian era. I know she's a little older, but I saw her in the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street where she played a highschooler, and she was a very believable teenager.

Will Herondale - Henry Cavill

Unfortunately, Henry Cavill does not look like he does in this picture all the time, but if he did, he'd be a perfect Will. Classically handsome with fair skin, black hair and striking blue eyes, he's got looks that could make him get away with being a downright jerk. Irresistible jerk, that is.

Jem Carstairs - Mitch Hewer

Looks-wise, he's Jem, at least for me. I'm not entirely sure about Mitch's ethnicity, but he could pass as someone half-Chinese, and he's got the right hair and skin coloring to be Jem. His most notable performance is on Skins as Maxxie who's a flamboyant, openly-gay dancer which could not be any further from the way Jem is described, but I still think it could work.

Jessamine - Kimberley Nixon

I've only seen Kimberley in two movies, but she looks like a proper turn-of-the-century British lady to me. She's pretty much how I imagined Jessamine to look like (just add green contact lenses), and I'm pretty sure she can bring on the snark (Has anyone seen her in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging? Come on.) but ultimately comes through as a pretty likable person (like she did in Wild Child).

Charlotte - Anna Friel

She's such a darling! I loved her as Chuck on Pushing Daisies, and she's the quirky kind of pretty, which is how Charlotte came across to me. She also looks pretty versatile and seems like she can be rocking leather Shadowhunter gear one moment and looking after reckless teenagers the next.

Henry - Alan Tudyk

Yeah, I think a lot of people will agree with me on this one. Something about him just screams eccentric inventor, and it doesn't hurt that he's got that head of ginger hair!

Camille - Gemma Arterton

She's so stunning! I imagined Camille to be this striking, voluptuous, pale-skinned woman who looks delicate and menacing at the same time, and I think Gemma fits that description. I also think she looks like someone who could pass as a scorned lover, like Camille is in Clockwork Angel.

DeQuincey - Gavin Rossdale

I've got to be frank with you guys. The only time I've ever seen this guy is in People magazine with his wife, Gwen Stefani, when I'm bored in the salon or something. Basically, I don't really know anything about him. But for some reason, I always thought he'd be a great vampire character in a movie. Hence, the moment I read about DeQuincey's character, his face almost instantly popped into my head. It's not a bad sudden idea, though- now I can't imagine anyone else for the role!

Mortmain - Ralph Fiennes

I am such a fangirl for this guy, it's embarassing. But as much as I love him, I prefer him in darker, more sinister roles. They just showcase how brilliant an actor he is! Other than that, I honestly don't have a logical reason for casting him as Mortmain, but he fits the bill for me!