Module 3 – Lesson 2: Roles that Sell Actors

[Carole Avila]

Carole Avila – Actor attractors

My vision: My writing skills are in demand by the writing industry, because I provide exceptionally crafted, well-loved and inspirational stories enjoyed by all ages that compel professionals to produce my work onscreen and in print.

What I learned from doing this assignment is how important it is to decipher the roles of my characters that contribute to their individuality and actions in the script.

Lead Character Name: Mandy Ruhe
Role: (Protagonist)
1. What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
Mandy is irresponsible and immature. She wants to be a better person but doesn’t know where to start. She is impulsive and for this reason doesn’t always make good decisions.

2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
Mandy travels back in time to Texas, 1845 and assumes the identity of Carmena Luebber. She feels strongly for two men in her life, her feelings very different from how the ‘real’ Carmena felt about them. Mandy, as Carmena, doesn’t want to do the work that Carmena does on the ranch.

3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?
Carmena discovers an injured man on her ranch and learns he is the famous Mexican dictator, Santa Anna. He is in exile and is the father of Carmena’s housekeeper, Angela. The captain makes a surprise visit and Carmena jumps in bed with the dictator to hide him from the captain. Angela makes excuses, saying Carmena has chicken pox and the captain can’t go near her. She coughs to hide Santa Anna’s humph when she kicks him for grabbing her and has to convince the captain to leave. In another scene, Carmena and her men are stealing guns from army storage after Santa Anna has blackmailed her, stealing her amulet and only giving it back if she gives him guns. The guards catch her men robbing the armory. A gunfight ensues, and Carmena has to ride into the heart of the fight to protect one of her men who is about to get shot by a guard.

4. How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?
An irresponsible woman travels back in time and assumes the identity of a struggling ranch owner. She must save the ranch from financial ruin and avoid falling in love with the men who love the original owner.

5. What could be this character's emotional range?
From apathetic to learning to care for her ranch employees, to taking on the responsibility of saving the ranch.

6. What subtext can the actor play?
Mandy, as Carmena, must pretend she knows what she’s doing in order to run the ranch efficiently. She uses her knowledge of the future to try to create positive changes for her employees. Mandy learns if she stays in the past, she can change the course of history.

7. What's the most interesting relationships this character can have?
Mandy, as Carmena, must keep her real identity a secret, but her ranch manager suspects something isn’t right about Carmena. She knows that the real Carmena doesn’t love the captain, but Mandy is crazy about him. Still, she can’t stay in the past with either man. She also has a run in with the notorious Mexican dictator, Santa Anna, when he's found injured on her ranch. A crooked lieutenant causes trouble for Carmena when he assaults her for not turning over her prized stock to him, and later he shows up drunk at the ranch demanding his ex-wife, Violet, the new housekeeper, be returned to him.

8. How will this character's unique voice be presented?
Mandy uses terms from the future unheard of in the past. She has ideas that they don’t relate to in the past, like retirement.

9. What could make this character special and unique?
Mandy, as Carmena, grows into a responsible adult and is willing to see her own life with a new perspective. She grows a “can do” attitude.

Lead Character Name: Carlos Solis
Role: (Protagonist)
1. What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
Carlos is fiercely loyal to the ranch and protective of Carmena. Although Mandy, as the new Carmena, knows that Carlos is in love with Carmena, Mandy knows Carmena doesn’t feel the same.

2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
Carlos suspects something is off about Carmena and is determined to find out what it is. He doesn’t tell Mandy, as Carmena, that he is directing his men in gunrunning activities.

3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?
In one scene, Carlos wants to keep an eye on the captain and the new Carmena when the captain accepts an invitation to lunch. Carlos runs from one part of the villa to another, looking out windows and through open doors watching their every move. He sees the captain kiss Carmena, and Carlos becomes more volatile and calls the captain out on his behavior. In another scene, after realizing Carmena is in love with the captain, Carlos now protects his new love interest, Violet, who is also the new housekeeper, when her drunk and violent husband shows up at the ranch. A gunfight ensues, and Carlos is shot in the thigh.

4. How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?
A protective ranch manager suspects the owner of the ranch is acting suspiciously. Carlos is determined to find out what’s going on. Although he loves Carmena, he has to learn to accept how she feels about him.

5. What could be this character's emotional range?
Carlos is level headed, succumbs to his emotional desires, becomes emotionally upset seeing her interact with the captain over lunch.

6. What subtext can the actor play?
He doesn’t want to relinquish control of the ranch to Mandy, after learning her new identity. He likes that she physically responds to him when they’re alone. Carlos doesn’t want Mandy to return to her own time.

7. What's the most interesting relationships this character can have?
He loves Carmena, and then learns it’s not the kind of love he expected to have with her. He tries to convince Mandy not to return to her own time, though he knows that doing so will change the course of history.

8. How will this character's unique voice be presented?
Carlos is normally soft spoken and in control. He has a perfect command of English as the original owner of the ranch, Carmena’s father, Heinrich Luebber, raised Carlos like his own son.

9. What could make this character special and unique?
His kindness, loyalty to the ranch and its employees, his passionate devotion to Carmena, and his desire to do right for the ranch, even if it means doing something illegal.

Lead Character Name: Captain Charles Sanders
Role: (Protagonist or Antagonist)
1. What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
Captain Sanders is in love with Carmena though she doesn’t feel she can devote time to him and her ranch. When Mandy inhabits her body, she can’t control her feelings and the captain is all the more in love. He is loyal and responsible, but the ‘new’ Carmena doesn’t know what he plans to do once he learns she and her men are the outlaws who have been stealing weapons from the army.

2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
He is gorgeous, but highly devoted only to Carmena and no other women. He gave up a life with his wealthy family to be an officer in the army. Captain Sanders knows he has charisma and tries to make the women who are attracted to him feel comfortable without encouraging any inappropriate action. He’s a true gentleman.

3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?
The captain catches the ‘new’ Carmena in the act when she steals weapons from the armory. He doesn’t know what to make of it, torn between stopping her and keeping her from being punished by the government. In another scene, he is found in a drunken stupor after getting court martialed for dereliction of duty when some of his men are killed the night Carmena and her men stole the weapons.

4. How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?
Captain Sanders has to see where his loyalties lie—with Carmena or the army, after discovering she’s stolen military weapons on his watch.

5. What could be this character's emotional range?
Interested in Carmena to wildly passionate to extremely serious.

6. What subtext can the actor play?
Captain Sanders is trying to find out who is stealing guns from the army, not knowing he’s falling in love with the culprit.

7. What's the most interesting relationships this character can have?
Captain Sanders and the new Carmena have a strong connection. He senses Carlos is a competitor, although Carmena assures him otherwise. The captain is a father-figure to his men in the army.

8. How will this character's unique voice be presented?
The captain is generally reserved and in control but has a tendency to let that slip around Carmena.

9. What could make this character special and unique?
His great love for Carmena, he knows how to say the right thing to put people at ease. He is charismatic and well liked and well respected by the townspeople.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by  Carole Avila.

[Susan]

Module 3 Lesson 2 Roles That Sell Actors

My Vision: I am an amazing writer who has fun every day, is recognized by the industry for my ability to take audiences who love me through surprising experiences, and who has multiple successful movies produced while being highly paid.

What I learned from doing this assignment is:

That I have a long way to go to get deeper into all these characters.

Today is about applying the Actor Attractors to your lead characters.

1. Start this assignment by empowering yourself using our State-To-Activity empowerment process.

State: I just love…

Activity: …creating Actor Attractors for my characters!

Done.

2. Once you’ve done that, answer the Actor Attractor questions for your 2 or 3 lead characters. Consider this a first draft.

ACTOR ATTRACTOR TEMPLATE

Lead Character 1 Name: BRENDI

Role: (Protagonist)

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

She is in fantastic shape as a trapeze deva in the Russian circus. Lots of action and power role for a woman-female actress, Lead role, character is charming and gorgeous but at the same time highly intelligent and even though new at it – takes her spy-intelligence role in the Russian secret service completely seriously. She is a Russian patriot and loves her country and her people (as well as family) so she has very strong motivation to stop the terrorists. She uses her ingenuity to solve problems and doesn’t just go with the flow of kill everyone to get rid of them, but uses the pawns to get to the bottom of the plots.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She is a spy who is also a trapeze artist. She is a new spy who is thrown into the deep end of the water and MUST acclimate or die and fail. She uses her wits as well as her beauty, agility and strength to get what she wants.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

She keeps Filipp prisoner instead of killing him. She teams up with the American agent. She goes with her gut instead of listening to her superiors. She drives like a maniac. She uses all the technology at her disposal to help her. She is amazing on the Trapeze and saves herself from falling! She goes along with fake set-up arrest to see what Filipp is up to.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

Introduction: her trapeze partner tries to drop her during the circus performance, she manages to stay up. She goes along with the police raid to see what Filipp is up to, she follows Filipp and finds out he is an undercover Ukrainian terrorist agent in league with others to bring Russia to its knees.

What could be this character’s emotional range

She can use her feminine sexuality to control men, while she also hates doing it at the same time. She is fiercely patriotic. She is disgusted when fellow agents are killed and it throws her off, but she has no problem shooting and killing the terrorist agents. She is intense, and at the same time emotionally fragile in the sense that she needs to prove herself and not just be a pretty “star” on the trapeze. She is new to the spy game and is innocent as well as superior at figuring things out.

What subtext can the actor play?

She can play her need to prove herself as something other than a pretty trapeze star (what in her history makes this important?). She can seduce CHAZ up until a point to get him more on her side, but then stops when she realizes he really is trying to help her, and she falls for him.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

BRENDI and FILIPP, BRENDI and HANDLER, BRENDI and CHAZ, BRENDI and CHAZ, BRENDI and the MONSTR, BRENDI and person from her history.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

BRENDI’S unique voice will be represented through her deep patriotism and her ability to use her physical agility from Trapeze to move through areas, hide, and attack.

What could make this character special and unique?

Her physical abilities, Her fierce patriotism, her ability to use her beauty to seduce men on to her side. Her quick wits. Her need to prove herself as a superior agent.

Lead Character 2 Name: CHAZ

Role: (Protagonist or Antagonist) He is both a possible problem and a help.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

He is very fit and strong. He is unexpectedly compassionate. He has Russian roots but is patriot to USA. He doesn’t want innocent people to die. He hates being a clown. He disobeys his superiors. He helps save the day.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

He has subtext around his disdain for his undercover role as a clown. He has Russian roots. He is patriot to USA, yet refuses to allow millions of innocents to be murdered. High morals.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

He gives up on releasing Filipp. He decides to help BRENDI save millions of Russian innocents against CIA orders. He makes sure he is on “stage” all the time as one of the main clowns who need to bounce in and out before, during and after each circus act. He helps take down the MONSTR.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

We find CHAZ interrogating Filipp and about to let him go, but instead becomes partners with BRENDI to help stop the terror.

What could be this character’s emotional range

He is determined, yet flexible. He is angry yet compassionate. He is falling for BRENDI yet keeps his head for the sake of the mission.

What subtext can the actor play?

CHAZ can play up how pissed off he is about being made a clown in the circus ans his cover. He can play off of his Russian ancestry. He can play off of his falling for BRENDI. He can vacillate between USA patriotism and stopping millions of innocent Russians from being murdered and destroying the balance of power in the area.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

His relationship with BRENDI, his relationship with his superior, his relationship with Russia.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through his contrast with the Russians – he is so American. His high moral, and ethical beliefs and actions.

What could make this character special and unique?

His fully encompassing “clownness” even though he hates doing it. His highly ethical and moral behavior contrasted with his superiors.

Lead Character Name: THE MONSTR

Role: (Antagonist)

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

Playing someone who is literally insane as well as a psychopath and has NPD. Being in excellent physical condition and doing stunts.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

He is in the shadows, un “unknown” quantity for part of the screenplay we only see parts of him, but never all of him. He is literally insane. He is devious, highly intelligent, and a superb planner.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

He is planning to blow up Moscow-other city-ies with a large nuclear weapon-s.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

I have to figure this out, but it will include him speaking to his immediate contact (the only person who knows who he is) and we only see part of him. He also gets angry when he is sarcastic and his contact laughs.

What could be this character’s emotional range

He is always sarcastic and yet gets furious when anyone thinks he is funny

What subtext can the actor play?

I have to figure this out, but he is not Ukrainian (he has another beef with Russia) it could have something to do with the Russian President and some past relationship they had.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

His relationship with the Russian President, his relationship with himself, his relationships with those hunting him: BRENDI, CHAZ. His relationship with the person he is actually working for who is using him and his insanity to perpetrate this heinous terrorist crime.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

He will be full out insane, a psychopath, npd, totally determined, angry, sarcastic, gets furious when people think his sarcasm is funny.

What could make this character special and unique?

He thinks he is working for himself even though he is being used by someone else for their ends.

Lead Character Name: Will BRENDI’s Supervisor be a main character? Will Filipp become a main character? Will one of CHAZ’s cohorts become a main character-antagonist?