Jim’s comments, from the McAnally’s list:
I’m sure that many have already heard this one, but it’s official: Paul Blackthorne is Dresden. 🙂
James would have loved to do the part, but he was unwilling to head to Toronto for five years: he has family growing up in and around LA, and he didn’t want to relocate away from them. It takes a great deal of personal integrity (and considerable wisdom) to realize which things in life are /really/ important. A lot of men wouldn’t have made the same decision when offered the temptation of a feature role, quite possibly leading to an ongoing, starring role as the absolute, uncontested core star of a show.
Ironically, James’ decision in this makes him, at least in my eyes, more Harry-like than ever, and kicks my respect for him up several notches. I’m disappointed–not that he made that decision, which I think is the right one–but that things just didn’t work out. That’s how business goes sometimes. There are no hard feelings on anyone’s side. If the movie goes to a series, though, maybe he could be talked into a guest spot. I can think of several characters, who, if used, James would be great for.
Mr. Blackthorne, according to all reports I’ve heard, is an extremely skilled actor with great presence, and able to do “dark” sorts of scenes and emotions very well. I think he looks remarkably like Connery when he was in “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” You could do worse than a quasi-Connery for a lead actor. 🙂 With luck, I’ll get a chance to visit the set and meet some of the people working on the movie, and give you guys some inside skinny when I return. 🙂
