Now that Fire in the Hole, the untitled Rayland Givens FX series to be, is going to pilot.  Who should play Raylan?

Michael Ontkean.

A combo of Clint Eastwood and Harry Dean Stanton, 35 years younger.

Who fits that description?

It’s television so there’s a limitation to who would be available.

One thing, the press release mentions Rayland having a rough edge. Does he? I don’t remember him that way. I checked out Riding the Rap today from the library, going to go through the Givens story again. I thought he was one of Mr. L’s weakest characters. I’ve avoided rereading Rap and Pronto for a long time because of that. We’ll see.

The guy plays Nathan on Heroes is the kind of guy I see as Givens. He will be available soon more than likely. Adrian Pasdar.

Clooney would be good, but even though his movies bomb/suck I don’t see him coming back to television. You’d have to put in a Marxist theme to lure him.

Then again, I can’t see Georgie in a cowboy hat, not without laughing my arse off.

Dylan Bruno from Number3 would be good, too. Young, baby faced.

mksmithwriter - 11 February 2009 04:14 PM

I’ve avoided rereading Rap and Pronto for a long time because of that. We’ll see.

Both worth reading, Pronto is probably a better look at Raylen Givens and I like all that stuff in Italy.

All the best writing is on TV now. There hasn’t been a movie that comes close to The Wire, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Deadwood and so on for years.

Graham Yost is an interesting guy (not just because he’s from Toronto). His father hosted a Saturday night at the movies show on our public access TV here for years and was extremely knowledgeable about all movies. Graham picked up a lot of that, so there’s a lot more to him than the movie Speed, which he wrote years ago.

As for who should play Raylen Givens, what about Guy Pearce who played the “other” cop in LA Confidential? Kind of straightlaced but with an edge.

Also a guy named Nathan Fillion who was in a weird sci-fi-western show a few years ago called Firefly.

And what about the guy who played Jimmy McNulty on The Wire, he’d be pretty good.

Of course, like Gregg says, it’s really all about the writers….

Charlie Wilson’s War was well written.

The McNulty guy is a goof, IMO. Besides, he’s Australian.

LACrimAtty - 11 February 2009 06:06 PM

Charlie Wilson’s War was well written.

The McNulty guy is a goof, IMO. Besides, he’s Australian.

Actually he’s a Brit (so’s the guy who played Stringer Bell) who trained in Ireland. The LA Confidential guy is Australian.

Haven’t seen Charlie Wilson’s War, but I’ll check it out.

Pearce would be fine, but he’s another movie guy. Would he leave film for TV? Doubtable. And I’m not sure he would be able to pull off the humor needed.

Fillion is one of those guys ready to “break out”. Nothing he’s done as succeeded ratings-wise, but he is really good and has his own charisma that makes anything he does watchable. Kind of tall and lanky, not sure that fits.

Didn’t Yost do Boomtown? Worked with Markie Mark’s brother Donnie on that, I believed. Donnie would be a good choice, too.

Whoever it is, gotta’ be able to pull off the look in a cowboy hat. Pearce did an Aussie Western, don’t think he wore a hat more than one scene. I think some actors look at hats like kids and dogs, ‘fraid they’ll steal the scene.

JohnMcFetridge - 11 February 2009 04:28 PM

mksmithwriter - 11 February 2009 04:14 PM

I’ve avoided rereading Rap and Pronto for a long time because of that. We’ll see.

Both worth reading, Pronto is probably a better look at Raylen Givens and I like all that stuff in Italy.

I thought Pronto was the sequel because it was set in Italy. Didn’t that have the shoot out in a Florida hotel restaurant? That’s why I went with Rap first.

Think Rap’s shoot out is at a pool.

Oh well, reading Mr. L out of sequence, no big deal.

LACrimAtty - 11 February 2009 06:06 PM

Besides, he’s Australian.

John pointed out that he’s in fact British. But that’s beside the point…
God forbid that an actor, not born in the US, could play the part of an American. Good Lord.
Christian Bale (of Wales, UK) must be hanging his head in shame.

Thomas Haden Church

UnknownCes#89 - 16 February 2009 04:34 AM

Thomas Haden Church

Not a bad choice. That could work.

Church.  Yes.
Excellent in Sideways.

Rap followed Pronto.
Both excellent.

Pearce is another fine chocie.

Anybody seen the film RocknRolla?
Guy Ritchie’s foray into crime cinema.
Planned trilogy.
Excellent writing.
Guy who plays the rocker could fill Raylan’s shoes and hat with a flair and swagger that makes Clooney’s Foley look like Reynolds’ Stick.
Just sayin’.
Too bad he’s a brit, eh Jade?
;-D

Scrum - 16 February 2009 02:47 PM

Too bad he’s a brit, eh Jade?
;-D

A shame indeed - using him would be utter madness, akin to blasphemy.

just a sticklers note
look at Pronto the movie again
of all the adaptations of EL’s stories
best most accurate verbatim translation
so much so that the minor inconsistencies
stand out in contrast sequentially speaking
look at it as a literal translation acted in a style
that does not speak naturally to us today but pure

Josh Brolin.

Think of that weathered, cowboy look in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. He’s got the look and the acting chops for it. Too bad he’s too big of a “movie star” now to do television on a regular basis.