My Dream Cast: The Night Huntress Series

Collage by the lovely Olga Daniels

"Get stuffed, don't you have more publicity stunts to pull?" Bones shot back. "How about chatting with another writer who can smear your name into greater popularity?" 

"What, did Anne Rice not return your calls, mate?" Vlad asked scathingly. "Jealousy is such an ugly trait."

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

As regular readers know, Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series is one of our very top favorite series' around here. So, imagine our heartbreak when we learned that Up from the Grave was to be the last in the series. Upon hearing that, I promptly started a series re-read. My re-read reminded me of how much I adore that world and especially Cat and Bones. They are one of my favorite couples of all time. So, in preparation for the final release, I decided to finally put my thoughts on who I think should play these characters into words. I've come to love doing these pieces. It would be a dream come true to have a movie or TV show based on this series. It's such an amazing series that I want everyone to experience it. But, most people turn up their nose when they hear the words vampire book. Clearly, they don't know what they're missing. So, grab a drink, settle in and keep reading after the jump. This post is going to be a long one. I present to you, my dream cast of Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress Series!

Warning, some mild spoilers ahead!

​Cat's Team

Cat's specialized vampire hunting team that slowly becomes vampires or ghouls themselves.

First, the most reluctant member of the team, Cooper.

I'm half Sicilian and half African. One Foot in the Grave

My choice for Cat's hesitant friend, Cooper, is Jesse Williams.

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Cooper is later described as having mocha-colored skin, but other than that there is very little to go on. But, I think Jesse is a great choice. His skin is a beautiful color and he definitely has the militaristic air to him that I think the majority of the team has. Plus, he's gorgeous, which I think is essential for the type of work that Cat and her team do.

Next up, the human turned ghoul, Dave.

Dave had been a fireman...Dave was a soldier before he met you, Cat. One Foot in the Grave

My choice for Cat's resurrected team mate, Dave, is Bradley Cooper.

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As you can see, there is no actual physical description of Dave. So, when one of the Wenches mentioned that we had a large lack of Bradley Cooper on our blog, I decided to cast him as Dave. But, I think he actually fits the bill quite well. I can definitely believe him as a veteran and a fireman. And, he is definitely charming enough to act as bait on jobs when necessary.

Then, we have, the unashamed flirt, Juan.

Juan was a penal code graduate who chose working for Don over twenty years behind bars. One Foot in the Grave

My choice for the king of innuendo, Juan, is Kevin Alejandro.

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Again, there is very little physical description of Juan. But, we do get to see more of his personality. Which is where my choice of Kevin Alejandro comes from. He can be flirty and has a great leer that manages to not be creepy, just like I imagine Juan. Plus, he's got the physicality and persona of someone who did (or should have) done time.

Next up, the leader of the pack, Tate.

His companion who closed the door after him was considerably younger, perhaps his late twenties. He had short brown hair in a buzz cut, and something about the way he carried himself screamed military to me. His eyes were navy blue and fixed on me with steadfast intensity. Halfway to the Grave

My choice for Cat's team leader and not-so-secret admirer, Tate, is Jensen Ackles.

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I know that quote just said that Tate's eyes are blue, but Jensen was perfect in every other aspect. He can have the intensity and bearing of a career military man. But, he also has perfected the looks of longing and adoration that I think Tate would be giving Cat, even if she's oblivious to them. Besides, Jensen's green eyes have the same intensity and vivid color that are the most important part of the frequent mentions of Tate's eyes. And, god damn, does that man look good in uniform and/or with a weapon in his hand. Sorry, my obsession with this man necessitates two pictures.

Finally, the man behind the scenes, Don.

A man entered. He was about fifty, of average height, with thinning charcoal hair overrun with gray. His eyes were about the same medium gray as his hair, but they weren't sedate like their shade. They were crackling with intelligence. Halfway to the Grave

My choice for Cat's uncle, Don, is William H. Macy.

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William H. Macy is extraordinarily versatile as an actor. You may know him as the drunk, useless father on Shameless. But, he's also played an admiral in the Navy and a 1950s TV father. All qualities that I think Don needs. He becomes a surrogate father to Cat, and so needs some paternal tendencies. But, he is also a top ranking official in a government organization, so he needs a tough, gruff side. And, his eyes absolutely have the intelligence in them that Don is described as having. And, most importantly, he's got eyebrows he can tug on. A signature Don trait. But, they aren't totally unruly, like Peter Gallagher.

Cat & Bones's Family and Friends

The friends and family that Bones and, eventually, Cat come to consider their family....and Vlad and Leila who are Cat's friends, much to Bones's chagrin.

First up, the ghostly member of Cat's family, Fabian.

Then that outline of fogginess settled into a slim man with brown hair and early twentieth century sideburns. This Side of the Grave

My choice for the friendly ghost, Fabian, is David Tennant.

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For some reason, I always picture Fabian as a sort of nerdy looking guy. Nerdy, but with a certain charm to him. Cat has a soft spot for loners, but Bones took to Fabian as well. So, he needs to have a certain something to him to win Bones over as well. Plus, he needs to be at least somewhat attractive to snag Elizabeth. I think David Tennant is perfect for all of those things. He's definitely nerdy looking, but still attractive. And, he's got a certain kind of charm to back up his nerdiness. And, he can be a little scary when he wants to be. Which, I think is something Fabian has in him too, even though we really haven't seen it. Really, several of the Doctors would have fit the bill, but something about David caught my eye.

Next, the thorn in Cat's side, Annette.

Her hair was shoulder-length and pale strawberry-blonde, just lovely next to her peaches and cream skin. She was far more voluptuous than I, and about three inches shorter than my five-eight height. If she were human, I'd judge her to be in her mid-forties. One Foot in the Grave

My choice for Bones' oldest friend, Annette, is Nicole Kidman.

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Nicole Kidman is the embodiment of Annette. She's drop-dead, knockout gorgeous. She's Australian, and therefore, can slip into an English accent quite easily. She's got the right complexion for Annette. And, most importantly, she can easily pull off Annette's biting wit and upper crust demeanor. How can Cat help but be jealous of Annette when she walks into the room and drapes herself all over Bones? I don't think I could bring myself to not be jealous, regardless of the security I had in Bones. That's how gorgeous Nicole Kidman is. There's no one more perfect than her for Annette.

Then, we have my personal favorite character, Ian.

His pale crystal flesh almost shimmered against the tan color of his shirt....Liam's eyes were a clear turquoise, and his chestnut hair fell past his collar. Yep, he was pretty. One Foot in the Grave

My choice for Bones' long lost cousin, Ian, is Joseph Morgan.

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Joseph Morgan is devilishly handsome and devilishly charming, which just so happen to be Ian's defining traits. He's got those bright baby blues, like Ian. And, he's got that brown hair with just a hint of red in it. Ian's hair, in my mind anyway, is a little more red. But, since he's already got those red tones in it, dying it a little more red wouldn't look wrong on him. And, it's got some wave to it, so it'd look spectacular at a longer length. The most important and deciding factor in choosing Joseph Morgan was his ability to go from devastatingly charming to utterly lethal in a heartbeat. Something that Ian does quite frequently.

Next, we have the newest addition to Cat's circle, Leila

Full lips, ice blue eyes, long black hair, and a strong, shapely body. Beautiful isn't she? Once Burned

My choice for Vlad's wife, Leila, is Genevieve Padalecki.

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While Genevieve doesn't have blue eyes, she has everything else I'd expect of former gymnast, Leila. She's on the shorter side. She's got an athletic build without being bulky. And, she's got strength, both physical and emotional. She was outstanding in Supernatural as a take no shit from anyone demon. And, could hold her own against anyone both with words and in a fight. Plus, she is absolutely beautiful. She'd definitely have Maximus and Vlad falling head over heels for her. Though, of course, Vlad would never admit it. 

Next up, the world's most famous vampire, Vlad.

He was about six feet, with an angular face framed by long brown hair and a tight beard. A wide, pale forehead set off deep-set eyes. He wasn't handsome in the classic sense, but his looks were striking. I would have remembered him if we'd met before. At Grave's End

My choice for Bones' favorite person in the whole world, Vlad, is Michael Fassbender.

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Michael Fassbender is Vlad. That description fits him perfectly, though, he doesn't have long hair. He's not classically handsome like, say George Clooney, but he is definitely striking. And attractive, in an enigmatic, scary kind of way. Just as I imagine Vlad. And, he's got the personality for Vlad as well. He can be utterly charming, but he can also be cold and calculating. His performance in X-Men: First Class is what initially drew him to me as Vlad. He was a great young Magneto and I know he'd be the absolute perfect Vlad. I can just picture him getting into it with my choice for Bones. (You didn't think I'd give you a name for Bones already did you?)

Next, we have former PI turned Law Guardian in Training, Kira.

Her appearance fit both meanings of her name--her face was delicate and beautiful, except for the strong jaw that warned of stubbornness. Kira's eyes were pale green, but her brows were dark, matching the dark hue of her hair before it lightened to gold at the tips. Her hair was short for Mencheres's taste, falling to just above her shoulders, but it was so lush, thick and curly, it practically invited him to twine it around his fingers. Eternal Kiss of Darkness

She's about five-five, dirty blond hair, pretty. Eternal Kiss of Darkness

My choice for Mencheres' wife, Kira, is Elisabeth Harnois.

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I had a little bit of a hard time with this choice. We haven't seen much of Kira to get to know her personality better, like Leila or Denise. Leila's had two books and Denise has her own book, plus she's been in almost every book in the series. So, by comparison, we don't know too much about Kira, even after her own book. But, while watching CSI, I came across Elisabeth. She fits the physical description and I've seen her be both a bad ass and a care giver and she excelled at both. She's also got a maturity to her that I think Kira needs, after all she's been through. Plus, she'd have to be mature to catch Mencheres' eye.

Then, we have the most powerful vampire of them all, Mencheres.

Mencheres looked no older than thirty. He had long dark hair, charcoal colored eyes, and a hawkishness to his nose that, combined with his finely tinted skin, suggested Middle Eastern ethnicity. One Foot in the Grave

My choice for Bones' grandsire, Mencheres, is Oded Fehr.

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I know, I know. Oded is much older than thirty. But, I couldn't think of anyone better to play Mencheres. Don't get me wrong, I found plenty of actors of Middle Eastern descent or that looked like they could be of Middle Eastern descent. But, I didn't find anyone I thought was better than Oded. He is a total bad ass. He's extremely attractive. He has a sort of depth of knowledge to his eyes that would have me convinced that he's several thousand years old. He also has a sort of other worldly quality to him that conveys the same things. I could absolutely see him walking around ancient Egypt as a pharaoh. So, yes, he's too old. I understand. But, in every other respect, I think he's perfect. So, I am willing to over look his age.

Next, we have Cat's best friend, Denise.

Spade walked in, and the first thing he noticed had been a dark-haired woman, her head thrown back in laughter over something Cat said. The woman glanced in his direction a moment later, as if she'd felt him watching her. Her full mouth was still open in mirth, but it was her direct gaze that snared his attention. First Drop of Crimson

My choice for Spade's wife, Denise, is Danneel Ackles.

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I had a tough time with Denise as well, I felt that my choice for Denise really depended on my choice for Cat. So, I went through several pairings before I decided on this one. Danneel jumped out at me while "researching" her husband, Jensen, as Tate. They starred in a movie together, with Elizabeth Harnois actually, called Ten Inch Hero. Danneel's character struck me as a little bit like Denise. Tough as nails, but with a hidden sensitive side. Pre-Randy's death, I wouldn't have said Denise was like this. But, Randy's death changed Denise and I think this new Denise would be perfectly played by Danneel. She's sassy, she's tough, but, she can be caring and sweet too.

Then, we have Denise's husband, Spade.

Next to Bones, Spade looked two inches taller, which made him about six-four. He had lean attractive features, a straight nose, and inky hair that spiked up from his crown before hanging past his shoulders. Halfway to the Grave

My choice for Bones' best friend, Spade, is Henry Cavill.

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Besides his hair not being long, Henry Cavill is a near match to Spade. He's not quite as tall, but my Bones isn't overly tall either, so it works out. He's British, he's extraordinarily attractive and he's got the chops to pull off Spade's aristocratic air. He's currently a little more bulky than I picture Spade, but that's just for Superman. I'm sure if he laid off the workouts a little bit, he'd slim right down and be just right. Plus, he's Superman. So, he's a master of the hero, swooping in to save the day vibe down pat. As much as some of the others make fun of him, chivalry is a defining quality of Spade's and that is absolutely something Henry Cavill can play, and play well.

And finally, we have Cat's mother, Justina.

Her brown hair was free of gray and had new lighter highlights. Whether it was makeup or a chemical peel that seemed to have taken ten years off of her in less than three week's was anyone's guess. Her dark amethyst velvet dress was tighter than mine, and cut high on one leg before draping down to her ankle on her other side. One shoulder was bared in a Grecian style, and her hair was swept halfway up with stray pieces trailing. Her blue eyes were the only thing familiar about her. At Grave's End

My choice for Bones' mother-in-law, Justina, is Mariska Hargitay.

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I had a tough time with Justina as well. She hinged on my choice of Cat as well. So, I had a bunch of people on my list of choices that I kept narrowing down as I crossed off people from the Cat list. Oddly, Mariska wasn't even on my radar. But, when I thought of her, I knew she was perfect. She's definitely got the looks, she's gorgeous. But, she's also got the acting ability to pull off Justina too. She can be the bitchiest bitch that ever lived, but even while doing that, there's a vulnerability to her that Justina needs. Regardless of the front she puts up, Justina was a victim of Cat's father once. I'd like to be able to see that scared 18 year old girl every once in a while. Even if it is quickly replaced by a desire to never be that girl again. Especially after her forced changing by Gregor. Mariska also has the toughness to be believable as the newest member of Cat's former team.

The Red Reaper and Her Husband

First, Cat's husband and the series's leading man, Bones.

Those high cheekbones, dark brows framing eyes that turned to emerald, a curving mouth, straight nose, and etched jawline. Crystal skin stretched over those features and tightly wrapped around a lean, rippled frame. His elegant hands and their long, tapered fingers. My God, he was beautiful. Absolutely, incredibly beautiful, and now that I'd finally allowed myself to notice, I couldn't stop staring. Halfway to the Grave

My choice for Crispin Phillip Arthur Russell III, aka, Bones, is Colin O'Donoghue.

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To me, this is a no brainer. Colin IS Bones. He's unbelievably, utterly beautiful. He's got the wink and eyebrow raise down pat. He just oozes sex appeal and charm. And, he's got charisma in spades. There's no one else in my mind who is more perfect for Colin than Bones. Especially, when Colin is playing Captain Hook on Once Upon A Time. He's got the swagger and the lethal under-current that Bones needs too. Colin isn't as tall as Bones is supposed to be. But, he is so amazingly perfect that I can overlook that. I will say, that when I first read this series, I thought Heath Ledger would be a good Bones. I stand by that actually, but since he is no longer with us, and Colin has come into my life, Heath has been surpassed for Colin. There's no one better to play the Wenches' beloved Bones.

And, finally, the star of our series, Cat.

The Red Reaper is said to have hair as red as blood, gray eyes like smoke, and your skin...mmm, now there's the real distinction. I've never seen such beautiful flesh on a human before. One Foot in the Grave

My choice for Bones' wife, Catherine (Crawfield) Russell, is Jennifer Morrison.

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Again, yes, Jennifer Morrison is a little older than Cat is supposed to be. But, I didn't think that anyone who was in their mid-2os, but looked younger, had the maturity and other qualities necessary to play Cat. As always, Cat, the heroine of the series, was the hardest choice I had to make. Some of the characters came extremely easy to me, like Bones and Tate and Mencheres. But, Cat was a tough call to make. Though, I will say that my husband, who has an affinity for red-heads, was extremely excited to do some "research" for me. And, he had several very good suggestions, but, in the end, I had to go with Jennifer Morrison. She can definitely play the vulnerability that Book 1 Cat has. And, while she is drop dead gorgeous and can play the sex kitten vibe just fine, she can also come across as awkward. She can also shed the awkwardness and vulnerability and transform herself into a force to be reckoned with. She's also got the same sarcastic sense of humor that Cat does and it definitely suits her.

So, Saucy Readers, what do you think of my choices? Do you agree or disagree? Do you see someone else as one of the characters? Do you have a picture in your head of someone I didn't cover, like Gregor or Marie Laveau? Let me know in the comments!!

PS: Our regular readers may have noticed I got through an entire casting post without using Joe Manganiello. I was very proud of myself!