Lee Stephen

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the next big thing

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TNBT Cast: Mishael Morgan (Esther Brooking)

 

Her eyes were large and brown, and they followed Scott with heightened timidity. She was tiny, and slender to match. She looked like a scout.
Her eyes were large and brown, and they followed Scott with heightened timidity. She was tiny, and slender to match. She looked like a scout.

Want to know what this is about? Check out this blog entry! For those who want to cut to the chase and get right to the podcast, scroll all the way down. For the rest of you (and we hope all of you!), read on about Mishael’s role with Epic’s The Next Big Thing cast.

Admit it. You’ve been waiting for this one.

There are hundreds of named characters in Epic. It has more than its fair share of stars. But if you had to break everything down, if you had to name one – just one – character who transcended all of that…one superstar…you’d be hard-pressed not to consider our next entry. Yes, this is Scott Remington’s series. Yes, characters like David Jurgan, Becan McCrae, and Jayden Timmons have been there since day-one. Yes, Svetlana Voronova came onto the scene as a stalwart. But to put it simply, there is no character, in any series, in any medium, in any anything, like Esther Brooking.

If you wanted to define Esther by the book, you’d say she was a tactical observations specialist from Cambridge, England. But if you’ve read Epic, you know that nothing about Esther could remotely be described as “by the book.” Just the same, tactical observations is her role. She’s a Type-2 scout; that’s what Type-2 scouts do. While the rest of the squad is laying down suppression fire in the city streets, Esther’s the one scaling the rooftops and slinking behind enemy lines to slit a few throats and tell her sniper where to shoot. She’s black ops. And do fans love that? Absolutely. But that’s not why they love Esther.

They love Esther because of the other things she brings to the table. Attitude. Unpredictability. An insane amount of cleverness and wit. She’s biting sarcasm with a side of romantic drama and a pinch of slapstick comedy. She’s entertainment and intensity. Epic’s official little spitfire.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]The American was on Esther’s side of the corner. He shouted between bursts of gunfire. “There’s no way all twenty Bakma took the same hall! I’m guessing there’s six down there, tops. We can take six if we charge.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“I’m never wrong.”

Esther looked at his nametag. When she read it, her mouth fell. “Custer? Your last name is Custer?”

The soldier fired again. “Yeah, so what?”

Esther fell back to the wall. “We’re all going to die.”[/stextbox]

It’s no secret that Esther is one of my favorite characters. Heck, I made her Epic’s official character ambassador. She’s also, by far, the most inspired character in the series. She’s the only one with whom I regularly argue. I have planned out more scenes that you could possibly imagine, only to have Ms. Brooking show up and say, “You know that plan you thought you had? Yeah, I’m going this way instead.” She challenges me as a writer, which makes her incredibly fun to write.

I have to watch how much I say about Esther, because I know a lot of people reading this will be unfamiliar with the Epic series. The most entertaining aspects of her would definitely fall into “major spoiler” territory. But for the purpose of this entry, I can give you the basics. Esther makes her debut in the second installment of Epic, Outlaw Trigger, as a rookie scout straight out of EDEN Academy. She joins Scott Remington’s unit with high marks from her combat courses and a skill-set that ranges from extraterrestrial culture to world-class swimming, eager to prove herself a battlefield game-changer. She’s highly ambitious. She’s also never seen live combat. And that’s the best way to introduce Esther without giving away too much. But trust me when I say that her story alone is worth the price of admission. There’s a reason she’s known (by fans) as Epic’s most complex character. Some characters are scene-stealers. If it was up to Esther, she’d steal the whole series.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]“For whatever reason,” Esther went on, “their captain is choosing not to respond. If there were any outward signs of a fight, not only would we have heard it on the ground, but it would have been seen from the Vindies in orbit. Even if he’s under duress from hostiles outside his transport, he should be able to relay that to us.” She paused. “I think he has a gun to his head.”

That was much more in-depth than Scott had ventured to think. He’d simply reached the conclusion that something was wrong.

The scout continued. “That tells me there are Noboats on the ground, which in turn tells me they’re waiting for something—possibly for us to approach. I think it’s an ambush. If I may make a prediction, I believe we will continue to have no communication until we’ve drawn close, literally in the Bakmas’ sights. The Bakma are extraordinarily cautious, particularly in ambush situations. They play things remarkably safe, when they can muster up the courage to gamble at all.”

Scott stared at her in silence. He had no idea how to respond.

“Bakmanese Tactics and Customs.” The scout smirked. “It’s a 300 course.”

Scott looked ahead once again. “Well, there we go.”[/stextbox]

Esther grabbed Svetlana’s pistol from the floor and jammed it hard into her hand. “Do you know what this is?” “Of course—” “Then next time, use it.”
“This is like my dream role.” – Mishael Morgan on Esther.

Normally, this is the part where I’d tell you something interesting about Mishael Morgan, the actress cast for Esther’s role in The Next Big Thing. But I don’t need to. Not this time. We’re upping the stakes here at Epic HQ, brazenly going where no series has gone before!

Get ready for fifty minutes of awesome. That’s right. Fifty minutes. It’s like Inside the Actors’ Studio meets Late Night, as Mishael joined me in cyberspace to talk about everything from her life as an actress to whether or not a dwarf planet still counts as a planet (for the record, I say no), the latter of which became a topic for debate in the Lightning Round, where Mishael experiened the joy of trying to answer ten random trivia questions in sixty seconds. Trust me – this alone is worth the listen. I won’t tell you what she scored, but, well…let’s just say her law background came in handy. Needless to say, Mishael Morgan is currently #1 on the Lightning Round leader board. By default. Will anyone top her? You’ll just have to wait and see.

Enough of this sodding chin-wagging!

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE.
Be sure to follow Mishael on Twitter! You can also check out her official site and her profile on IMDb. Also, if you’re a working actor in the Toronto area, be sure to check out Mishael’s page for TAG!

Want to be a guest on this podcast? Send me an email or tweet me on Twitter!

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The Next Big Thing Cast: William Sadler (Brent Lilan)

It was a train wreck. A total train wreck.

Nine words, simple and direct. The beginning of an epic. It is with those nine words that Dawn of Destiny, the first book in the Epic series, sets the stage for Scott Remington’s journey of faith and fury. But the words don’t belong to Scott. They belong to his first commanding officer.

Colonel Brent Lilan of Falcon Platoon is the first character introduced in Epic. It is only appropriate that he be the first character introduced in this “The Next Big Thing” casting series. For those wondering what this is about, you’ll want to check out my blog entry explaining the “what’s” and “why’s” of this unique little Epic event. For those already initiated, strap yourselves in. We’re landing in a hot zone.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]Plasma bolts whizzed past Lilan’s head as he retreated around the corner of an alleyway. He flung himself against the brick and muttered a string of obscenities. It was time to pull out. It was time to salvage whatever was left of Falcon Platoon and return to base. The fate of Cleveland would rest in the hands of whoever else Richmond could muster up on a whim.[/stextbox]

Brent Lilan is the embodiment of a realist. Wifeless and childless, he’s known but one thing in his life: the chain of command. Following and issuing orders. Being all he can be at the cost of what most would consider “life.” A colonel at the Earth Defense Network (EDEN) base of Richmond, Virginia, he is the unfortunate heir of a tragic circumstance and a mission gone to hell. It is through that circumstance and that mission that Lilan becomes the new commanding officer for Scott Remington and his comrades as they fill the ranks of his decimated unit.

For as bluntly matter-of-fact as Lilan comes across, he’s a character dealing with deeply complex personal issues. He’s a man in his fifties still serving on the battlefield, reaching the point in his career when younger blood is being chosen for more critical operations. As capable as he knows he still is, he consistently finds himself being relegated more to a role of “rookie trainer” than front-line difference-maker. He’s given his life to the military, and he’s seeing that military slowly leave him behind. Without this career path—without war—what does he have? For as much as men fight to preserve peace, Lilan fights to hold on to the only purpose he’s ever known.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]

Lilan stared at the comm in his hand, then surveyed his room. His eyes, fully adjusted to the darkness, settled on his oak dresser. How many times had he climbed out of bed and opened those drawers to dress for the day? He’d built that dresser fifty-some-odd years ago, with his father. It had traveled with him to every house he’d owned. It was made strong—made to last. Things weren’t made like that anymore. People weren’t made like that.

Pressing his hand against his forehead, Lilan gritted his teeth. Rolling out of bed and onto his feet, he shook his head and lifted his comm again. He called up General Hutchin.

“You awake now?” Hutchin asked.

“Yeah,” Lilan answered. “What’s the op?”

[/stextbox]

 

The casting of Brent Lilan, to put it simply, was easy. Let’s be honest. All authors, be they great or small, cast their books in their minds. When you visualize scenes in your head—when you imagine how your words would look enacted on the silver screen—how can you not see certain people acting them out? There’s always “that someone” who you think would be perfect for certain roles. And I can honestly say, for the role of Colonel Lilan, that person has always been William Sadler. He was the first of any character in Epic that I ever cast in my head, before Dawn of Destiny ever became tangible in late 2006. I knew he’d be the first actor I’d approach for this “The Next Big Thing” journey.

 

 

“A military colonel in a sci-fi setting, eh?  I think I’d be okay in a role like that.” – Sadler on playing Lilan

William’s film career spans 35 years and over a hundred roles, from the zany creepiness of the Grim Reaper in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, to one of his best-known roles as Heywood in Shawshank Redemption, to more recent appearances on 666 Park Avenue and the impending Iron Man 3. The man stays busy, so I consider it an amazing privilege that he was so quick to respond to me in regards to The Next Big Thing to accept this hypothetical role.

There’s something that must be said for William. He is living proof that if you work hard, and if you do things the right way, you can find success. He’s a natural entertainer – but being a natural at something won’t get a person to the grocery store if they don’t start taking steps, let alone to any kind of decent future. You have to put forth effort. You have to earn your stripes. Reading William’s back-story puts into perspective just how arduous the road can be. Keep in mind, now, that arduous doesn’t mean “bad.” But just the same, it means there are a lot of steps in the journey. William started in a 60’s garage band. Then he MC-ed a variety show (with a banjo, which is just the coolest thing in the world). Then he did stand-up, then he pursued acting in college, then he moved up to shows on “off-off-Broadway,” as he put it. By the time he got his first actual film role, he had already been doing entertainment for most of his adult life.

Here’s what you can glean from that: you have to work. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a curmudgeon at age thirty-one, but it seems that all too often people expect to make it to the top immediately on pure talent and little to no effort. It’s that whole “entitlement generation” thing. It doesn’t apply to everyone, obviously, but just the same, I could come up with countless examples in just about every creative avenue from writing, to acting, to visual arts, where the general attitude is, “the reason I haven’t made it is because my genius hasn’t been recognized.” That’s wrong. The reason you haven’t made it – if that’s your attitude – is because you aren’t committed to making it. It goes beyond just pumping out material day after day. You have to look inside you and say, “what do I have to do to be better?” Are you willing to bust your tail for no gain except personal fulfillment? If the answer is no, you don’t want it enough. William wasn’t sitting back with a silver spoon living the life of luxury when he woke up one day and said, “I think I’ll try acting.” He committed to entertainment at a very young age, and he’s spent his life working incredibly hard to better his talents and advance his career. You need only look at his body of work to see how that’s paid off.

Work hard, folks. Whatever your profession. Don’t root around looking for shortcuts. Put your boots on the ground and get muddy. It can take you exceedingly far.

There are a lot of ways to keep up with William’s current projects. In addition to his website, he’s an active member of the Twittersphere and Facebook, where he promises to be your best friend EVER. And if you have an extra five hours, you can read over the massive amount of work he has listed on IMDb.

Thank you so much, Bill, for being a part of this. It may seem like a small thing, but for this small author and his series, it truly is a privilege. And if this small author ever gets big someday, have a phone handy. We’re goin’ to war!

Thus concludes the first entry of this The Next Big Thing casting endeavor! We’ll be picking up with a new character next week. To pass the time, break out your telescopes and look for that bright morning star. It might just be our next one.

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Casting The Next Big Thing

So those of you who keep up with this blog know that I recently participated in The Next Big Thing, a circulating survey among authors on the internet. The survey consists of ten questions, all of which – with the exception of one – I was able to answer. But yes, I left one out, didn’t I? I ducked and ran. I passed the buck. I tactically retreated.

Not exactly!

So one of the questions in The Next Big Thing is, “If your books were being made into a movie, who would you cast as its characters?” And let’s be honest, that’s probably one of the funner questions in the whole lot. You’re hearing this from the author. The guy whose stuff you’re reading – this is who he’d cast. Kind of puts things in an interesting perspective. But there’s always been a problem with that question, at least to me. There’s always been a reason why I’ve avoided it like the plague. It has nothing to do with how I think my selections would be perceived, rather, it has to do with the selections themselves. You see, when someone casts their characters, they’re putting up photos of living, breathing human beings. People who could very well be wandering the world wide web and suddenly find pictures of themselves on someone else’s website. Maybe I’m just playing the part of hypersensitive INFP, but it’s always felt to me as if actors’ privacy rights are regarded as completely unimportant. Yes, I understand that these are actors. Public figures. Etc., etc. But for me, that kind of thing still matters. They may be actors, they may be public figures, but they’re still people, and I don’t want to use their image without their knowing about it.

So I decided not to do it.

BOMP! Wrong.

Come on, guys. You know me. Battering ram, balls to the wall, “Break, Centurion!” I don’t slink away; I make things EPIC. So while my The Next Big Thing blog entry’s been sitting there, harmlessly bypassing that one little question, the author has been busy. Busy doing what? Why, casting Epic, of course. The right way.

Over the past month, I have been in contact with numerous actors, explaining what The Next Big Thing is about, talking about that particular question, and asking their permission to use them as my cast characters. Yes, these are real live actors that you’ve seen on television. I’ve just been extending to them the courtesy that I’d want extended to me. So far, the response has been incredibly positive. I cannot wait to introduce you guys to this “cast,” as they’re not only exceptional talent, they’re genuinely nice people who are excited to be part of this. They’re going to be introduced, not in one big blog post, but one-by-one over an extended period of time. I want this to last. I want it to be special.

I won’t say that there will a certain timeline for this, such as one actor per week posted, as sometimes reaching an actor takes time (and I will not, under any circumstance, post an actor who hasn’t given express permission). I’ll just say that as permissions come, the cast will go up. At the time of this entry, there are several actors lined up already. I will also be creating a master list, so anyone who wants to see all the actors who have been cast will be able to do so with ease. Over time, that list will fill up.

So get ready, Epic faithful! You wanted an answer to the Next Big Thing casting question? You’re fixing to get one.

Stay tuned!

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The Next Big Thing

Big thanks to Patrick Todoroff for tagging me to answer ten questions in “The Next Big Thing.” No beating around the bush, let’s get right to it.

 

1) What is the title of your next book/work?

I’m actually working on three things at the moment. The first, deadline-wise, is Crimson Dagger, a novella I’m writing for the indie video game Xenonauts, currently in production by Goldhawk Interactive. The second project, which is also my most ambitious to date, is an audio adaptation of the first book in Epic, Dawn of Destiny. The trailer for this project was actually just released and can be viewed here:

 

And the third project is the fifth installment of Epic, Enemy One, which has gone through a bit of pre-planning and is “in the queue.”

 

2) Where did the idea come from for the book/work?

I was always inspired by science-fiction. I grew up watching Star Trek and wasted countless hours of my life playing video games such as X-Com: UFO Defense. Military Sci-Fi was just a natural fit. The human condition has always fascinated me. It’s definitely something that drives me forward, fiction-wise. The imperfection of man is an incredible canvas.

 

3) What genre does your book/work fall under?

All of the above fall under military science-fiction.

 

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

EDIT: This question has been addressed in future blog entries! Check out the explanation here.

 

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Epic is the story of man who sacrifices everything to follow what he believes is a calling from God to enlist in a war against hostile extraterrestrial forces.

 

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I publish my material independently.

 

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

The first installment of Epic took six years to write. Right now I’m averaging a book every 2-3 years.I’d love to be a bit quicker, I just have an incredibly busy life.

 

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

In terms of overall feel, I’d probably say Black Hawk Down, even though that doesn’t fall under science-fiction. But I think the general feel of being in the trenches of an interspecies war is very similar to the raw brutality of BHD.

 

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I get inspired by things that happen in life. I know that’s a very general answer, but it’s the truth. So much more important than unexpected twists and gimmicky story elements is just writing about real things that happen to real people. It doesn’t matter if they’re soldiers in an alien war or neighbors down the street – everyone is going through something that other people can relate to. If you can tap into that, and if you can make people have an emotional connection to it, then it doesn’t matter what you’re writing. If people care, they’ll come along for the ride. So in that way, life inspires me.

I’m also inspired greatly by my religious faith. As a Christian, I find that most “Christian-themed” fiction often sugarcoats what a life of faith truly is, which is very, very hard. We fail more often than we succeed. I try to have that represented in my protagonists.

 

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

It’s just fun. It’s a series that’s four books and counting. It’s doing things few other series do and going places few other series go, both plot-wise and in tangible areas, such as the audio adaptation of Dawn of Destiny. Military Sci-Fi with a touch of faith. You don’t come across that often!

 

The writers I’m tagging next are Robert Fanney and Raphyel Jordan.