Reader Question: Is it advisable to ‘star-cast’ the script I’m writing?

Karley, this is a practice commonly known as “star casting” and as with almost all aspects of the craft, there’s no right or wrong answer, except for one instance: It’s generally accepted to be a faux pas when a writer does something like this in a script:

A sassy, brassy blonde in her mid-30s (think Amy Schumer)…

Now in fact, I seem to recall reading a handful of scripts by industry professionals who have done this, but I don’t recommend it for one big reason: The chances of your script landing Amy Schumer to star are slim to none. Maybe worse, as soon as a reader reads the description, they can be immediately pulled out of your story, their minds (A) drifting to the most recent clip from Amy Schumer’s TV series, (B) wondering how much money Schumer gets for a movie, © hoping they can score tickets to Schumer’s upcoming comedy tour, etc.

But if you are simply imagining an actor playing a role you’re writing, I know lots of writers who do that. It often comes up in interviews I conduct when I ask this question: How do you go about hearing a character’s dialogue? I’ve had several writers mention they pick an actor to hear their voice to help them find the character’s voice.

I knew one writer who got head shots of a bunch of actors and tacked them up on his wall to use as inspiration for the characters he ‘cast’ them as.

So if imagining an actor as a character in your story helps you zero in on who they are and how they sound when they talk, what’s the downside? As long as you don’t drop in a line of scene description — “Think Chris Pratt” or “Think Jennifer Lawrence”.

That can distract a reader and make you come across as an amateur.

For kicks, check out this script page, created as a joke several years ago by screenwriter Jerry Rapp. Note all the star-casting, an example of really coming off as a non-pro.

Readers, have any thoughts on the matter? Click Reply and head to comments.

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