Celebrities

‘The Infernal Devices’: Dream Casting the ‘Mortal Instruments’ Prequel (PHOTOS)

THERESA “TESSA” GRAY

The protagonist of “The Infernal Devices” trilogy, set in Victorian England, is Tessa Gray, a 16-year-old American orphan who travels to England to be with her older brother, only to discover she’s part of a sinister paranormal conspiracy, and worst of all, that she’s a supernatural being herself. She has slightly unruly brown hair, blue-gray eyes, and a slender, taller-than-average figure. In the absence of friends, Tessa finds solace in books; she is at her happiest in a well-stocked library.

Hailee Steinfeld

Age: 16 | Nationality: American Why Her: The Academy Award nominee possesses most of the physical characteristics (brunette, tall, willowy) and has proven she’s got the skills to tackle both tough action sequences (“True Grit”) and sweeping teen romance (she’s Juliet in the latest adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet”). Plus, she’s actually a teenager and actually American (the majority of the characters are English). Why Not: She already has a full slate of upcoming films, including two other YA projects: “Ender’s Game” (out Nov. 1) and a rumored starring role in Daniel Handler’s bittersweet tale of first love gone sour, “Why We Broke Up” (in development).

Alice Englert

Age: 18 | Nationality: Australian Why Her: She’s almost exactly as Clare described Tessa – with the flowing brown locks, serious face, and piercing eyes that make her look alternately fierce or vulnerable. Although she’s not American, Englert has an excellent command of an American accent, and has plenty of experience with pulse-quickening kisses (“Beautiful Creatures”) and complicated love triangles (“Ginger and Rosa”). Why Not: Despite the award-winning cast, “Beautiful Creatures” fell flat at the box office, so Alice may not be ready to follow another young adult franchise down the rabbit hole. The daughter of Oscar-nominated director Jane Campion, Englert seems more interested in independent projects.

Eleanor Tomlinson

Age: 20 | Nationality: English Why Her: Not only is Eleanor gorgeous (and can easily pull off 16), but the “Jack the Giant Slayer” star is also seriously skilled with action sequences, which she’s need as Tessa eventually faces off with demons, trains with Shadowhunters, and kicks her share of paranormal butt. Even though “Jack and the Giant Slayer” wasn’t a huge money maker, she’s got enough charm to deserve a starring role. Why Not: Tomlinson isn’t American, and she’s yet to take on an American role, but given how easily Brits take to Yank accents, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Willa Holland

Age: 21 | Nationality: American Why Her: Holland, a regular on the CW’s hit superhero show “Arrow,” is another lovely brunette with the ability to handle humor, action, drama, and romance. She stars in her first leading role in director Lawrence Blume’s adaptation of his mother Judy’s emotional coming-of-age novel “Tiger Eyes” (out June 7). Since she’s 21, she could star opposite older leading men and like Steinfeld, she’s American. Why Not: After doing “Tiger Eyes,” Willa may want to start aging up her roles so she’s not pigeonholed as a teenager for too long.

WILLIAM “WILL” HERONDALE

One of two young men who vie for Tessa’s heart, Will is a 17-year-old Shadowhunter. Hailing from Wales, Will is the Shadowhunter Institute’s resident bad boy. He’s a fierce fighter skilled with an array of demon-slaying weapons, but he’s also a book lover (like Tessa) and a charming ladies’ man. Physically, Will is gorgeous with jet-black hair, deep blue eyes and a broad-shouldered, muscular body. Before meeting Tessa, the only person he’s completely connected to is his best friend Jem.

Douglas Booth

Age: 20 | Nationality: English Why Him: Booth is a pro with costume dramas (“Great Expectations,” Romeo opposite Hailee Steinfeld in “Romeo and Juliet”) and if he can nail Romeo’s swoony lines, he can definitely handle Will’s swings from acid-tongued to hilarious to sweet. Plus, he’s as ridiculously handsome as Will is described. Why Not: A rising star, Booth has several high-profile projects lined up, including Darren Aronofky’s “Noah” opposite Russell Crowe and Logan Lerman; Andy and Lana Wachoswki’s sci-fi thriller “Jupiter Rising” and “Life at These Speeds,” a coming-of-age running drama with AnnaSophia Robb and Billy Crudup.

Nicholas Hoult

Age: 23 | Nationality: English Why Him: Black hair and blue eyes? Check. Ability to play funny, cocky, intense, romantic and fierce? Check. Looks good with a sword? Check. Clare’s followers frequently brought up Hoult’s name to play Alec Lightwood in “City of Bones” (Kevin Zegers snagged the part), and now many fans are hoping he’ll play Will. We can see why. Why Not: Hoult might have YA or fantasy franchise fatigue after roles in “Warm Bodies,” “Jack the Giant Slayer,” “X-Men: First Class,” and the upcoming “Mad Max” reboot. Not to mention that he’s already got a half dozen movies coming up.

Colton Haynes

Age: 24 | Nationality: American Why Him: Another fan favorite for the role, Haynes certainly has the chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes that make Will irresistible to every female (and some males) – mortal and immortal alike. From his work on “Teen Wolf” and “Arrow,” it’s clear Haynes would have no problem wielding his Shadowhunter seraph blades and giving knee-buckling, swoon-worthy kisses. Why Not: As beautiful as he might be, Haynes is American, and it’s far easier for Brits to master American accents than vice versa. Otherwise, we could definitely see him as the brooding, sarcastic Will.

Jeremy Irvine

Age: 23 | Nationality: English Why Him: Irvine burst onto the scene with his critically acclaimed performance in “War Horse,” and then starred in “Now Is Good,” a small independent drama with Dakota Fanning as his cancer-stricken love. He’s good with angst (whether over his beloved horse or his dying girlfriend), but also with lovable characters. And since some of his upcoming roles are set in America — Appalachia (“The World Made Straight”) and Texas (“A Night in Old Mexico”) – he’d probably welcome the return to his native accent. Why Not: So far Irvine has exhibited a touching vulnerability but not necessarily the arrogant, rough-around-the-edges style that typifies Will’s persona.

JAMES “JEM” CARSTAIRS

Jem is, like Will, an orphaned 17-year-old Shadowhunter who lives at the London Institute. Will’s best friend and blood brother, he also has a romantic interest in Tessa. Half Chinese, half English, Jem is slowly dying from demon poisoning but is kept alive by continued use of a drug made from demon blood (it’s complicated). The drug has turned Jem’s hair and eyes silver. Gentle and intelligent he’s tall, slender, and plays the violin. Despite his illness, he’s a skilled fighter.

Jordan Rodrigues

Age: 20 | Nationality: Australian Why Him: The Malaysian-Australian actor is impressive as a dancing bad boy in the popular teen show “Dance Academy” (<a href=”http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Dance_Academy/70221084?locale=en-US” target=”_hplink”>available on Netflix</a>), and his moves should make it easy to sling blades and fight demons as a graceful Shadowhunter. Attractive and charming, Rodrigues should easily play the kind and funny Jem. And as a bonus, it shouldn’t take any effort for Jordan – like most Australian actors — to master an English accent. Why Not: Physically, he’s not exactly as Jem from the books, but that’s never stopped casting directors before, nor should it.

Anthony Neely

Age: 26 | Nationality: American Why Him: Like Jem, Neely, a Mandopop singer-songwriter, is half Chinese (his mother is Taiwanese and his father is of European descent), is fluent in Mandarin (bilingual Jem says certain phrases in Mandarin), and is quite handsome. As a multi-instrumentalist, Anthony who plays guitar and piano, could totally rock those key violin scenes, like when Jem and Tessa first meet. Why Not: Although he’s appeared in a couple of Chinese movies, he hasn’t been in anything big enough for us to evaluate his acting skills.

Ki Hong Lee

Age: 20s | Nationality: American Why Him: Lee was adorkable as the comic-book-loving best friend (and superhero sidekick) in ABC Family’s short-lived but compelling “The Nine Lives of Chloe King.” In just 10 episodes, he was funny, cute and a good boyfriend. He also scored a significant part in another young adult novel turned film – James Dashner’s “The Maze Runner,” which recently started filming. Why Not: He’s not English, so he’d obviously have to brush up on his accent, and he might be too busy with “The Maze Runner” sequels if it does well at the box office.

Nick Roux

Age: 22 | Nationality: American Why Him: Fans have suggested the television actor (ABC Family’s “Jane by Design” and Disney’s “Lemonade Mouth”) on blogs and Twitter, even though the California boy is clearly not Asian. One fan even pointed out that he has almond-shaped eyes that could “pass” for Jem. Why Not: Because he’s not even part Asian, and author Cassandra Clare has expressed the importance of not “whitewashing” her characters. Jem is written as half-Chinese, and the actor who plays him should be at least that as well.