Stephanie Plum
Stephanie lives with her hamster Rex in an apartment in Trenton, New Jersey, just blocks from her parents. Stephanie is a curly-haired brunette (part Hungarian, part Italian). After losing her job as a lingerie buyer she gets a job working as a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinnie. A Rangers hockey fan with a steady diet of junk food and extreme dislike for exercise, she gets herself into unpredictable and hilarious situations. Cobie Smulders is the actress I would most like to see play this role. Cobie currently plays Robin on How I Met Your Mother and I think she is a great comedic actress. My second choice is Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love).
Ranger
The Cuban-American Ranger is an intimidating bounty hunter who takes Stephanie under his wing. Stephanie is unsure about his age (anywhere from 25 to 35). Just his presence in a room makes women's hearts beat faster. My choice is Adam Rodriguez (CSI: NY, I Can Do Bad All By Myself) because he has an intense yet seductive quality about him. My second pick is Alex Meraz (Paul in New Moon); he's a couple years too young for the role, but other than that, he'd be perfect.
Joe Morelli
Morelli, a cop, is the guy Stephanie is supposed to bring in on a charge of murder; he also shows up in subsequent novels. Morelli grew up in the same neighborhood as Stephanie and they have a history together. He is Italian and very attractive. My top choice to play Morelli is Henry Cavill (Charles Brandon on The Tudors television series) because he has the ability to smolder on screen. He just better have a believeable American accent. If he is unable to hide his British accent, my top choice is Eddie Cahill (CSI: NY). Other possibilities: Antonio Cupo (Elegy) or Alex O'Loughlin (The Back-Up Plan).
Grandma Mazur
Grandma Mazur lives with Stephanie's parents in the Burg. A fan of attending wakes, she also hilariously speaks her mind and likes to get in on the bounty-hunter action. Because of the character's unflinching honesty Cloris Leachman immediately popped into my mind.
Lulu
In One for the Money Lulu is a hooker who helps Stephanie by providing her with information about the boxer Ramirez. In subsequent installments of the series Lulu is a partner to Stephanie in her outrageous schemes, to hilarious effect. Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe is my choice for this role. She definitely has a light and comedic side to her, which she displayed in TV and press interviews when she was promoting Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire.
Other roles to cast:
Stephanie's Mom
She would prefer Stephanie had a regular job where she didn't have to worry about being shot. She always sends Stephanie home with leftovers, and each dinner is followed by homemade dessert.
Stephanie's Dad
An Italian man of very few words, he prefers to watch TV, read the paper, or concentrate on eating; as long as he is able to refrain from joining in on the conversations of the women in his life, he is happy.
Benito Ramirez
A boxer who abuses women and does not take kindly to Stephanie's meddling in his life.
What are your ideas on casting these characters? Do you think Katherine Heigl is a good fit as Stephanie Plum?
Interested in starting to read this series? Find it in the catalog!
