WIM+AI – Module 3 – Lesson 2: Roles that Sell Actors

[Frank Gaide]

FRANK’S ACTOR ATTRACTORS

I see myself writing two great, marketable screenplays every year going forward and teaming up with a manager/friend. Short term, I imagine a very difficult but valuable and rewarding six months going balls to the wall in this class.
Completing this assignment, I discovered myself adding and subtracting important elements to the original concept. Spending much time searching deeply into each character, new ideas popped into my mind that drastically changed almost everything going forward. You promised we would have new revelations in each exercise, and this was the most dramatic for me. I am even considering a change in Genre! Fascinating process using AI: we developed characterizations together. Lol.
MOVIE TITLE: Hell of a wedding

Lead Character Name: Lily
Role: Protagonist bride
What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
The range of emotion needed to be convincing. Playing straight in a black comedy. An anti-hero demonstrating naïve vulnerability and cunning mischief.
What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
The transformational journey from sweet underdog bride to diabolical manipulator, transform from a peace-seeking bride to an instigator in her own family’s chaos offers an intriguing arc that could steal the show.
What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?
Constructing a “very” green wedding. Attempting to quiet her divorced parents’ hatred. Enacting/manipulating pranks that contribute to her parents’ destruction, like replacing family heirlooms with fake, explosive replicas or “accidentally” pitting her parents against each other through mixed-up wedding arrangements.
How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?
She is an environmental activist in the truest sense willing to upset the traditional wedding norms by creating an over-the-top green wedding and willing to do anything to defend her opinion.
What could be this character’s emotional range?
A sweet subservient apologetic female underdog to a shrewd scheming aggressive protector and top dog. From innocence to dark thrills.
What subtext can the actor play?
Using the defense of her “green wedding” as a metaphor for her wanting to live a simple clean life without all the trappings of wealth and greed. Beneath her bridal bliss is a desire for revenge on her controlling parents. Her calm demeanor masks deep resentment, allowing the actress to show subtle expressions that hint at her manipulative intentions.
What’re the most interesting relationships this character can have?
Her relationship with Izzy and Frankie, the parents, is a perfect mix of love and hate. Her groom/husband (Coop) with whom she shares the same world view and decisions: her dynamic with him grows subtly darker as she becomes more aware of his strange tendencies. Her grandfather (Nico), who is the only person she can turn to for advice.
How will this character’s unique voice be presented?
By planning her green wedding and defending it to the death, her dialogue balances politeness and biting sarcasm, with under-the-breath comments and asides that show her growing disillusionment and newfound thirst for vengeance.
What could make this character special and unique?
Her contemporary vision for a perfect environmentally protected world is championed by her need for perfection in everything she does, including the perfect pranks to drive her parents over the edge.

Lead Character Name: Isabella (Izzy) Capizzi
Role: Antagonist mom – one half of Lily’s bitterly divorced parents
What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
The opportunity to represent a modern woman at the top of her game who has no need for a man in her life and welcomes the challenge to humiliate and defeat her ex-husband to prove the point. Each parent is a comedic powerhouse in their own right, carrying unresolved grievances and aiming to sabotage the wedding in the pettiest, most hilarious ways possible. They’re both unapologetically flawed and outrageous, making them scene-stealers.
What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
She projects herself as a concerned affluent professional but beneath that shell she’s: diabolical, jealous, vengeful, deadly, and a waiting heir to a pizza restaurant empire whose dad reluctantly wants to leave her.
What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?
Creating traditional wedding obstacles to Lily’s green wedding plans. Exchanging cutting dialogue with her ex-husband. Instigating pranks, some dangerous, to outshine and humiliate her ex. Some funny related pizza scenes (pizza queen).
How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?
Forlorn woman who seizes control of her own future by 1. Spray painting her cheating husband’s prized car, and 2. Running a successful hair salon, and 3. Fending off her connection to Capizzi Pizzeria.
What could be this character’s emotional range?
Measured cautious and cold to reckless hysterical, impassioned and deadly.
What subtext can the actor play?
She uses her professionalism and tact as control devices. Both parents project their past disappointments onto their child’s wedding, reliving their marital issues and wielding subtle, venomous digs, while feeling a mix of love and resentment towards the bride.
What’re the most interesting relationships this character can have?
Her dominance over Lily (daughter). Her war with Frankie (the ex). Her battle over the Capizzi Pizzeria empire with Nico (grandad). Her approval of Coop (groom).
How will this character’s unique voice be presented?
By overshadowing Lily’s wishes, Nico’s wishes, and going to physical war with Frankie. Blunt and loud.
What could make this character special and unique?
Making her tomboyish, yet comically cultured. Her need for control. Her deadly pranks against Frankie that get out of control. A nightmare parent and wife.

Lead Character Name: Frankie
Role: Antagonist dad – other half of bitterly divorced parents
What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
He plays a lowly hood/absent dad who gets to fix everything he broke in life. He also gets to take a swipe at the family responsible for his absence by going to war with his ex.
What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
He’s a part of the dysfunction in the family: always the target of hate by Nico the pizza empire owner and the inherited hate by Izzy, his ex/Nico’s daughter. He’s been absent for 25 years, so expect anything from him. He is the enemy of Izzy (ex-wife) in their war. Each parent is a comedic powerhouse in their own right, carrying unresolved grievances and aiming to sabotage the wedding in the pettiest, most hilarious ways possible. They’re both unapologetically flawed and outrageous, making them scene-stealers.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?
Robbing banks and giving the money to Lily (daughter). Returning home after 25-year absence. Sabotaging Izzy (ex-wife) with running pranks. Attempting to create “green” decorations for the green wedding. Dancing with Izzy before they murder each other.
How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?
Aging lowly hood pulling bank jobs to feel needed: he saves the cash for his estranged daughter out of guilt. He complains about all the physical ailments of growing old and poor and alone, seeking happiness.
What could be this character’s emotional range?
Sad and lonely and guilty, caring with a robin hood mentality, very patient to joyous, repentant, sinister and violent and quick tempered with uncontrollable vengeance.
What subtext can the actor play?
He projects his guilt outwardly to disguise his buried anger at life and past disappointments onto their child’s wedding, reliving their marital issues and wielding subtle, venomous digs, while feeling a mix of love and resentment towards the bride.
What’re the most interesting relationships this character can have?
Compensating Lily (daughter) for his neglect. His ongoing feud and payback with Nico (his ex-father-in-law). Going to war with Izzy (his ex). Leaning into Coop (groom) for information.
How will this character’s unique voice be presented?
A product of the streets: Irish heritage versus Italian heritage. Always looking for an angle to succeed instead of good old fashion work. Passive-aggressive.
What could make this character special and unique?
Uncultured on the outside but highly intellectual and clever on the inside: could hold his own against any Ivy Leaguer. He believes in the law of the land. A nightmare parent and husband!

Lead Character Name: Coop(er)
Role: Groom/husband – Romantic partner
What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
Mysterious profile: a man with a secret history and no family to speak of. He walks a fine line between truth and fiction: could be a closet serial killer or just an opportunist seeking riches. Enjoys harming/torturing animals. Intriguingly villainous.
What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
Every action he takes points to a hidden agenda and secrecy. He adds an eerie tension to every scene.
What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?
His pretentious affection and support for Lily. His torture of animals. His sadistic ideas used to trick Frankie and Izzy into harming each other. His personal care for Nico (the pizza empire owner). Spiking drinks. Displaying dead/injured animals.
How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?
Introduced late to the action, but from then on, he becomes the audience target of suspicion, disgust, and overall threat to the characters in the story. Wearing a smirk.
What could be this character’s emotional range?
Loving, caring, charming, and amusing to deceitful, harmful, dangerous, and detached.
What subtext can the actor play?
His shifting duplicity between charm and torment belies a dark hidden agenda from his past. Underneath his gentle smiles, he relishes every chaotic moment, revealing his secret pleasure in watching others’ misfortunes—a twisted view that grows more pronounced as the story progresses.
What’re the most interesting relationships this character can have?
His bride-to-be, Lily, who he leads, or misleads, depending on his secret motives. The parents, Frankie and Izzy, who he scapegoats into murdering each other. Nico (rich grandfather) who he charms with superficiality. Layers of manipulation.
How will this character’s unique voice be presented?
Like the charming snake he is– soft spoken and seducing. Too perfect and saccharine.
What could make this character special and unique?
If he was a closet serial killer, or at least a serial killer in the making. His twisted fascination with harm.

Lead Character Name: Nico
Role: Foil – Rich Grandfather and dad to Izzy (pizza empire owner)
What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
This role offers an actor the chance to play a jaded, wealthy patriarch who views the entire wedding as a joke and exerts his influence in dry, comedic ways, ultimately serving as a wry observer of the family’s collapse.
What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
As a character who has seen it all and cares little for convention, his blunt honesty and quick wit make him one of the funniest and most unfiltered characters, a foil for everyone else’s pretensions.
What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?
The grandfather might bribe the parents to keep quiet, send the groom disapproving “pep talks,” or even drop deadpan one-liners that deflate tense situations.
How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?
He could enter in a grand, unapologetically extravagant manner, like arriving in a luxury car while dismissing the wedding theme as “quaint,” setting the stage for his unapologetically detached attitude.
What could be this character’s emotional range?
The grandfather ranges from indifference to mild amusement to, perhaps, a begrudging fondness for his granddaughter, allowing for hints of warmth amid his cynicism.
What subtext can the actor play?
His nonchalance masks his frustration with his family’s ineptitude, making him an intriguing mix of arrogance and apathy. His comments often contain veiled critiques of his daughter and ex-son-in-law.
What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?
His relationship with the bride is unique—part supportive, part dismissive, but ultimately loyal in his own way. He’s more parental towards her than either of her parents, seeing her as the only “sane” one.
How will this character’s unique voice be presented?
He speaks with a blend of sarcasm and deadpan humor, unfiltered and often shockingly honest, making him a character who speaks what everyone else is thinking. And very Italian!
What could make this character special and unique?
As a blunt, wealthy eccentric with little care for social norms, the grandfather stands out as a no-nonsense voice, grounding the story’s chaos with his wry observations who doesn’t like the Irish.

[Demethress Davis]

Deme’s Actor Attractors

Deme’s MY VISION: I am a EGOT writer who is very successful and revered by the industry for writing amazing stories that will live on in history.

What I learned from doing this assignment is picking my brain to find the most intriguing traits that will attract A-List actors gets better and better each time I work on my characters and it is more empowering to know that even though it may not always be easy it still brings me joy to know I CAN DO IT!

My Move: The Devil’s PunchBowl
Lead Character Name: Henry Carpenter (Protagonist)
1. KNOWN FOR ROLE: A man struggling with inner guilt; deeply complex as he is challenged with race identity and shame. On his journey he must confront this guilt and inner demons, deal with life-threatening pressure which offers an actor an opportunity to showcase his layers to give an unforgettable performance.
2. MOST INTERESTING CHARACTER: Henry deals with moral and psychological intrigue. He fights to remain hidden while dealing with hostile town members, some good some bad which creates high tension keeping the viewers engaged at every turn until the final reveal.
3. INTERESTING ACTIONS: Henry’s interactions with Lillian, each trying to hide the identity, Henry discovers Lillian’s birth certificate and other documents that reveal who she really is; Henry has confrontations with Lillian’s henchman. Henry’s decision to reveal Lillian’s heritage is high stakes that may lead to either life or death.
4. INTRODUCTION: Henry journey is introduced as a crushed and haunted man struggling with quilt of causing the death of his wife, son in a coma. after a big promotion. We see his vulnerability and eventually his strength as he is challenged with Lillian’s seemingly good nature and discovering her true nature.
5. EMOTIONAL RANGE: Henry moves in and out of guilt and despair to fear, determination and then resolution. We see him in a range of emotion:desperation, hope, anger and finally acceptance.
6. SUBTEXT: Henry’s inner conflict with his identity and low self -esteem are a constant as he interacts with the town; and especially with Lillian…slowly revealing his fear of being “discovered” and the shame of what he has done in his past.
7. INTERESTING RELATIONSHIPS: The relationship with the Lillian is the most intense and complex. The audience is taken on a journey of uneasiness, grudging gratitude, hatred and manipulations as Henry uncovers her secrets. His relationship with Jewel ties him to reality, a possible reminder of his lost innocence.
8. UNIQUE VOICE: Henry’s voice is wroth with grudging humility with an undertone of bitterness. He is calculated , pausing at times which show his struggle to stay hidden.
9. SPECIAL: Henry is both an insider and an outsider, passing as someone he is not in a town that welcomes and endangers him. In order to survive Henry must embrace his identity and outwit those who may see through his facade.

Lead Character Name: Lillian Whitehead (Antagonist)
1. KNOWN FOR ROLE: Lillian’s character is one of twisted moral complexity. She comes off as compassionate (The town’s “Good Samaritan”) yet she is a ruthless antagonist. She is clearly a power figure in the film. She manipulates everyone with calculated charm.
2. MOST INTERESTING CHARACTER: Lillian role as the town secret oppressor hiding under the guise of being the “Good Samaritan” coupled with her Black heritage makes her very appealing. Her ability to conceal her true heritage and be the head of a White supremacist fraction makes her a symbol of self-hatred turned towards others.
3. INTERESTING ACTIONS: Lillian enlists her followers to enact brutal “cleansing” of anyone in town who rejects her biddings,; she secretly searches Henry’s background and heritage; she maims him in order to make him obey her and sets out to kill him because of his repeated rejections.
4. INTRODUCTION: Introduced as “The Good Samaritan of the town; she takes Henry in with an air of mystery that subtly suggests control. The intro scene reveals her as being kind and seemingly conceals her cruelness, giving question to her true motives.
5. EMOTIONAL RANGE: Lillian’s emotions mutates between calculated calm, insincere empathy, anger and sadistic enjoyment of her control over others. Her emotional breakdown/ climax is when Henry confronts her with her true heritage.
6. SUBTEXT: Lillian is always trying to discover and eliminated any threats to her control: perceived or not. Her mannerisms show her hidden racial shame and her obsession with preserving her place in the hierarchy.
7. INTERESTING RELATIONSHIPS: Her relationship w/ Henry is most compelling, she see him as a threat and a twisted mirror of her own hidden Blackness. Her relationship with her loyal but terrified followers is telling as she manipulates them with both fear and charm.
8. UNIQUE VOICE: She speaks with a calming cadence, especially when delivering menacing lines. Her voice is a facade of warmth with an undertone of menace that keeps others on edge.
9. SPECIAL: Lillian is special because of her intense secrecy she holds over her own identity which showcases her psychological need to erase any trace of her true heritage. She is powerful and tragically divided; absorbing the extremes of self-denial.

Lead Character Name: Jewel Stillwater (Supporting Actor)

1. KNOWN FOR ROLE: Jewel is a morally ambiguous character- her survival instincts and quiet intelligence make her a potential ally and a wildcard- she has a backstory filled with past trauma and hidden depth. Any actor would find this appealing.
2. MOST INTERESTING CHARACTER: She moves between loyalty to Lillian and the town and her concealed disdain for its dark leanings. Her role as an uneasy confidant to Henry gives her unique insight into both the town’s secret and Henry’s hidden true identity.
3. INTERESTING ACTIONS: Jewel leads Henry to forbidden areas in town, unwillingly helps him uncover evidence and lastly makes a choice to betray or save Henry based on her moral compass.
4. INTRODUCTION: Jewel is set up as a shadowy and reluctant yet observant character. She is seen watching Henry from a distance, she knows more than she lets on. Her subtle defiance against the town’s norms makes her memorable.
5. EMOTIONAL RANGE: Jewel’s range goes from suspicion, cautious empathy, fear, defiance and finally courage. She has a slow emotional unmasking that makes her a deeply layered supporting character.
6. SUBTEXT: She is filled with it. She is cautiously gauging Henry’s intentions and her own potential risk. Her silence speaks volumes, conveying loyalty laced with/ inner conflict about her role in the town.
7. INTERESTING RELATIONSHIPS: Her relationship with/ Henry is compelling as it goes between mutual respect and mistrust. Her relationship w/ Lillian is equally tense, she knows her true nature and fears crossing her.
8. UNIQUE VOICE: Jewel speaks in short, leaving clipped sentences, leaving thoughts incomplete or hinted at. Her tone speaks to both wariness and hidden intelligence, making her words feel like a maze.
9. SPECIAL: Jewel operates on the edge, both morally and socially. She’s more than a simple accomplice or informant, she’s someone who has learned to survive by blending in while subtly undermining the structures around her.

• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by  Demethress Davis.

[Brian Bull]

BRIAN BULL – TOM WALKER / EL JEFE / SARAH WALKER / MARIA – ACTOR ATTRACTORS

My Vision: I’m a writer that producers want to work with and can’t wait for my next script!!!

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…?” My characters are taking shape with the Actor Attractors, and that shape is much more dynamic and interesting

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

4. Use this prompt to brainstorm Actor Attractors for each of your lead characters.

ACTOR ATTRACTORS
Movie Title: SHADOW ISLAND

Lead Character Name: TOM WALKER
Known for Role: Tom’s transformation from a quiet, withdrawn Prop Master to a resilient survivalist and protector offers an actor a gritty journey of inner strength, loyalty, and sacrifice. This role provides a chance to portray an unexpected hero.
He goes from just a regular guy who works in the movie industry to being a hero like the ones in the movies he works on.

Most Interesting Character: Tom's evolution is one of the most compelling in the story. His struggle between his technical skills as a Prop Master and the intense, real-life survival situation creates a contrast that makes him dynamic and deeply human.
His ability to continue pushing forward in order to rescue his wife and the other hostages, remaining calm in the face of danger, and reflecting and emulating heroes from movies he’s worked on.

Interesting Actions: He ingeniously uses his Prop Master skills to craft traps, improvise weapons, and navigate the terrain. His protective instincts kick in as he risks everything to shield Sarah and others from the cartel’s violent enforcers.
He faces off with the antagonist, El Jefe, and uses his wits, skills and expertise in Prop Mastering to defeat him.

Introduction: Tom is introduced meticulously observing his surroundings, an expert eye for detail, setting up a layered introduction that foreshadows his hidden skills and resourcefulness.
Tom has worked on some of the biggest movies in Hollywood, but he
Emotional Range: Tom goes from reserved and conflicted about his marriage to a raw, desperate survivalist, experiencing love, fear, anger, and determination as he fights for survival.
Introverted to courageous to heroic to deadly.

Subtext: Tom grapples with his fear of inadequacy and doubts about whether he can protect Sarah, yet he fights to redeem himself through each decision.
He always has a Plan B, C, D, E, F and G. There’s a several ways of doing most everything so if one doesn’t work, another one will.

Interesting Relationships: Tom’s relationship with Sarah is pivotal as they confront their issues amidst life-threatening danger, pushing them toward vulnerability, honesty, and unity. His dynamic with El Jefe serves as a powerful clash of wills and tactics.
His relationship with his wife. Though their marriage has reached a rocky point, they know each other so well and how the other thinks.

Unique Voice: Tom speaks with careful precision, a technical vocabulary laced with hesitant affection toward Sarah. As he faces danger, his tone hardens, and his words become more assertive and urgent.
Oftentimes, he is referencing movies he’s worked on.

Special: Tom’s uniqueness comes from his unlikely skill set, his calm precision under pressure, and his personal arc from self-doubt to assertiveness, making him a hero grounded in realism.
He has a lot of different skills and he’s very creative.

Lead Character Name: EL JEFE
Known for Role: El Jefe’s role as a calculating, imposing cartel leader offers an actor the chance to embody controlled ruthlessness and power. His character is a chance to portray a memorable, menacing antagonist.
He is in charge from the get-go, commanding his cronies and his assassin, Marie. He’s a take-no-prisoners type of leader.

Most Interesting Character: El Jefe’s mix of ruthless intelligence and charisma makes him one of the most intriguing characters. His control over his men and his twisted code of honor provide an interesting depth to his villainy.
He’s calm and calculating, ruthless and intelligent, does what needs to be done to finish the job.

Interesting Actions: El Jefe conducts brutal “tests” of loyalty with his men, devises intricate traps for the couple, and manipulates Sarah’s fear to throw her off balance emotionally.
Kills when necessary, is in a constant game of cat-and-mouse with Tom.

Introduction: El Jefe is introduced with an act of calculated brutality, emphasizing his power and setting a chilling tone for the danger he presents to Tom and Sarah.
Kills the Guide of the excursion.

Emotional Range: El Jefe’s emotional range includes controlled fury, cunning manipulation, and the rare flicker of respect for adversaries who survive his games.
Calm to rage.

Subtext: His ambition and desire for control are tinged with insecurity, as he questions his own morality while taking pride in his dominance.
Constantly scheming, looking for an edge.

Interesting Relationships: His interactions with Tom and Sarah reveal his twisted respect for resilience, especially as they defy his power. His mentorship of Marie shows a complex dynamic of control and manipulation.
The relationship with Marie, he fully trusts, but she is plotting to kill him (though he already knows this – one step ahead of her).

Unique Voice: El Jefe’s tone is calm, deliberate, and commanding, with a veneer of sophistication masking his cruelty.
Conning, sounds sincere, but knows it’s only a set-up.

Special: His magnetic charm combined with his brutality makes him a unique villain who respects a worthy adversary, creating a layered antagonist who sees himself as morally complex.
Though abandoned as a child, he has managed to overcome tremendous odds to be the boss.

Lead Character Name: Sarah Walker
Known for Role: Sarah’s journey from a conflicted wife to a fierce survivor grappling with a life-changing revelation offers a layered, emotional role. This character would attract an actor looking to explore resilience under extreme pressure.
Most Interesting Character: Sarah’s inner turmoil over her pregnancy and her evolving determination make her one of the most dynamic characters, as she pushes beyond her previous boundaries.
Interesting Actions: Sarah channels her resolve, devising plans to outwit their captors, putting her life on the line, and using her high school drama skills in surprising ways to manipulate the cartel members.
Introduction: Sarah is introduced in a moment of quiet tension with Tom, highlighting the strain in their marriage while hinting at her untapped strength and resilience.
Emotional Range: Sarah experiences frustration, fear, resilience, and maternal protectiveness as she grows from a conflicted partner into a steadfast fighter.
Subtext: Sarah’s determination to survive is layered with her inner struggle over the pregnancy, feeling the need to protect her unborn child while doubting her ability to endure.
Interesting Relationships: Her evolving relationship with Tom is central, reflecting both tension and rekindling love. Her interactions with Marie bring out her steely resolve, contrasting Sarah's empathy with Marie's ruthlessness.
Unique Voice: Sarah’s voice begins with restrained, reserved tones that evolve into confident, assertive expressions of strength. She speaks with conviction as she embraces her resilience.
Special: Sarah’s internal conflict over her unexpected pregnancy in a life-threatening situation sets her apart, adding depth to her character and making her uniquely strong and vulnerable.

Lead Character Name: Maria (El Jefe's Assassin)
Known for Role: Maria offers an actor the chance to play a formidable, ruthless female assassin, balancing deadly efficiency with a touch of vulnerability. This is a rare, nuanced antagonist role.
Most Interesting Character: Maria is intriguing as she grapples with her loyalty to El Jefe while sensing a kinship with Sarah’s inner strength, making her torn and unpredictable.
Interesting Actions: She ruthlessly tracks Tom and Sarah, takes part in high-stakes cat-and-mouse games, and faces Sarah in a brutal, personal confrontation where her own values are challenged.
Introduction: Maria is introduced in shadow, her movement silent but lethal, establishing her as a deadly force while building a mystique around her character.
Emotional Range: Maria moves between cold professionalism, frustration, and a hint of conflicted emotion as she questions her loyalty and the path she’s chosen.
Subtext: Her assassin’s composure masks an underlying discontent and suppressed empathy, particularly when she sees herself mirrored in Sarah.
Interesting Relationships: Maria’s relationship with El Jefe is a complex one, marked by loyalty, resentment, and unspoken tensions. Her interactions with Sarah reveal unexpected respect, making their confrontation both physical and emotional.
Unique Voice: Maria’s voice is minimalistic and sharp, each word purposeful and often dripping with subtle menace or wry acknowledgment of her situation.
Special: Maria’s internal conflict and subtle respect for Sarah set her apart, creating an antagonist who is more than just a ruthless assassin—she’s a character whose motivations are deeply conflicted and ultimately tragic.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Brian Bull.

[David Mailman]

What I learned from doing this assignment. The previous assignments made sense to me, and they were a learning experience that I could process, develop, and make meaningful contributions to the script. When I hit “Actor Roles”, I drew a blank. I realized the way I see movies and scripts is as actions that actors follow. I did not view actors as having their own traits that actions would follow. It turned out these assignments were very difficult for me. I was not satisfied with my descriptions of the roles and how the actor’s traits related to them.

GENRE: Feature – Dramatic Triangle.
TITLE: Greenvale Plantation.
LOGLINE: Two children, one a Black slave and the other the White plantation owner’s son, are raised together until the Civil War separates them. Decades later, the now-successful Black businessman reunites with the White son, but their past rekindles a deadly rivalry.

HOOK: History isn’t past, it’s waiting for revenge.

PROTAGONIST: Plato, a slave bought as a child to be the companion and protector of the Greenvale Plantation owners’ young son, Leon, is freed after the Civil War. He returns to Greenvale decades later to resolve secret issues between them.
ANTAGONIST: Leon, now the owner of the failing Greenvale plantation, resents Plato’s success but needs him to save the plantation. That resentment of Plato drives Leon insane.
TRIANGLE CHARACTER: Sybelle , a voodoo priestess, is raped by Leon and Plato as teenagers. to reaffirm their feelings of manhood after they became lovers.

MAILMAN’S ACTOR ATTRACTORS

Lead Character Name: PLATO

Role: Protagonist

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

Plato changes from innocent and tolerant to experienced and vengeful.

Plato wrestles with his philosophy of life as he changes from New Testament excuser to Old Testament destroyer.

It represents the destructive effect that living in an authoritarian society has on everybody, Master and Slave.

A Black actor would have a cultural and personal connection.

Plato delivers a monologue describing the effects of slavery on Master and Slave.

Plato struggles with his conflicted feelings toward Leon, vacillating between attraction and resentment.

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

A strong character arc.

The transformational journey of slave to free.

His flawed character – misusing another Black and then helping a White who owned him.

Complex relationship with Leon; protector, lover, avenger.

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

Violent or homosexual sexual behavior.

Hallucinating.

Fighting with his conflicting desire to stay or return to the plantation.

Fighting a duel (shooting, strength, cut cards) with Leon.

Returning to the plantation. Arriving feeling successful, then scorned by Whites in town, greeted reluctantly by Leon, coldly treated by freedmen.

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

Because Plato first enters as a child, the adult entry is delayed. Plato could be introduced as a flashback adult in one difficult situation.

 What could be this character’s emotional range

Breakdown after confronting Leon.

Sadness while leaving Greenvale.

Violence during rape.

Sex with Leon.

Fear of Sybelle and Leon’s sister’s advances.

Revert to powerlessness when returning South.

Catharsis destroying remnant of his slave days.

Zombie.

 What subtext can the actor play?

Frequent praise of his slave days with irony.

Tricking enemies with cleverness.

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

With Leon as his one-time slave, then as a memory, then as a savior, then as a slave again.

With ex-slaves remaining at Greenvale.

 How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

As someone conditioned at an early age to be subservient.

 What could make this character special and unique?

Attempts at forgiveness that are thwarted.

Lead Character Name: LEON

Role: Antagonist

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

Character arc from proud and entitled but inadequate to insecure and unraveling.

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

Slow disintegration makes him unpredictable and tragic.

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

Rape of Sybelle.

Sex with Plato.

Sadness at the auction of Greenvale stock.

Flashback to father giving him Master lessons.

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

Brutal to a female slave.

 What could be this character’s emotional range

Pride, anger, fear, shame, failure, and loss.

 What subtext can the actor play?

Envy of Plato while asking him for help.

Insecurity at his Master’s role.

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

With Plato once being his Master but now his slave.

 How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Sharp dialogue, self-defensive wit, and hostility.

 What could make this character special and unique?

Never sympathetic to slavery but needed to live up to tradition.

Lead Character Name: SYBELLE

Role: Dramatic Triangle

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

Vengeful character against Slavery.

Character arc from innocent to vengeful.

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

Operates in the shadows.

Seems supernatural but acts through real mechanisms.

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

Being attacked scene.

Revenge scene.

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

She first appears to Plato and Leon in a storm with thunder and lightning illuminating her.

 What could be this character’s emotional range?

Quiet hatred, innocence, love of a daughter.

 What subtext can the actor play?

Hatred at the back of all her interactions with Leon and Plato.

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

As a victim of and then avenger to Leon and Plato.

 How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

As an unschooled child of swamp and voodoo.

 What could make this character special and unique?

Guessing if she works through magic or not.