I’d
rather Pillars of Avalon be a miniseries, shown in Canada, England & the
USA. It will get a larger viewing audience, since these days, it seems fewer
people go to the movies.
With
that in mind, Jude and I had a lot of fun coming up with the following to play
the character parts. Here is the cast:
Sir
David Kirke
Lady
Sara Kirke
Frances
Kirke, Sara’s sister
William
Hopkins, Frances’ husband
King
Charles I
William
Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury
Samuel
de Champlain
 |
| Russell Crowe as Sir David Kirke |
Sir David Kirke. I wracked
my brain on this one and Jude came up with Russell Crowe. While I’ve never joined
his fan club, I do consider him a marvelous actor. He could play the part of
David from his younger years in 1628—slathered with makeup—to his death—not so
slathered—in 1654.
 |
| Catherine Zeta-Jones as Lady Sara Kirke |
Lady Sara Kirke.
Another near fatal wrack of brains but Jude thought Catherine Zeta-Jones was a
good pick. She always comes across as a strong character and Sara Kirke was a
strong woman. We’d probably have to have someone else in Sara’s early years,
since Catherine is climbing up in age and when Pillars begins, Sara is 18.
 |
| Oliver Chris as King Charles I |
 |
| Jude Law as King Charles I |
King Charles I. After
much discussion between Oliver Chris or Jude Law, we decided on Jude Law as a
good choice. He doesn’t look much like Charles, but they do wonders with makeup
these days. Jude also has the acting skill to make a truly despicable King
Charles, who was the bane to poor David for many years. I don't think I've seen Oliver Chris in anything, but Jude has, and said he can belly up to the mark, make a wonderful king.
 |
| Sir Derek Jacobi as William Laud |
William Laud. A
lot of historians and people of the time hated this guy. He was eventually
assassinated but David Kirke admired Laud, and from Newfoundland had struck up a
bounteous correspondence with him. He was an older man when we meet him, so I
considered Sir Derek Jacobi would make a wonderful Laud.
 |
| Joan Fontaine as Frances Kirke |
Frances Kirke,
later Lady Frances Hopkins. I thought Joan Fontaine would do well here since
Frances is not as dominant as Sara, the younger sister, but she had character
and was loyal.
 |
| Anthony Hopkins as William Hopkins (Ha! Same last name) |
William Hopkins. He was
a school teacher and cerebral, thrust into Parliament then eventually became a
Colonel in the Royal army. The historical texts never said why he left the
army, but I had him wounded. He and his family lived in Newport, Isle of Wight
until it became too dangerous after his support of King Charles I. The records
don’t show him alighting in Newfoundland, so .... well, you’ll have to read the
story to find out what happened. In the meantime, I thought a younger Anthony
Hopkins would do. He’s a wonderful actor.
 |
| Dougray Scott as Samuel de Champlain |
Samuel de
Champlain.
Even though Dougray Scott is not French, and though he’s looking a bit crusty
in his older age, he would fit the bill of Champlain who struggled to stay
alive during the harsh winters and wet summers of early Quebec.
When my dad served in the navy during WWII, his fiancée (my mom) used to
send him care packages of his favorite foods: stuff that would survive weeks—if
not months—of travel from The Bronx until reaching the SS Virgo, his ship, somewhere in the South Pacific. She’d send him edibles
such as salamis, crackers, and nuts in their shells. My father loved sweets: chocolates, chocolate pudding,
Boston cream pie…you name it. Brownies were one of his particular weaknesses. My mother’s
brownies especially. They were cakey but not dry, satisfyingly chocolatey, and
chock full of walnuts.
