I hate to be one of those authors who thinks success in publishing is easy. Believe me, I’m not. But, when a number of people have asked me “If Not Famous were made into a movie, who would be your dream cast?” it definitely makes you think. For the most part, I didn’t really have actors/actresses in mind while writing the novel, but I know other writers who often consider who might play the role of the character to help visualize the action of their story. In retrospect I wish I’d done that, mostly because creating this page would not have been so difficult! So, here it is, my dream cast for the main roles in Not Famous!

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Kaitlyn Dever as Alli Conwell

If there was anyone I pictured in my head as Alli while writing Not Famous, it was Kaitlyn Dever, best known for playing Eve Baxter on the sitcom Last Man Standing. In addition to being an actress, she is also a singer/songwriter, performing in the acoustic duo buelahbelle with her sister.

Nicholas Hoult as Nick Forrester

I never had anyone specific in mind when picturing Nick as I wrote him, so I really had to think about this one. Eventually I realized that Nicholas Hoult was spot on. One thing I like about him is that he played Marcus in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s About a Boy.He’s British, but if he can do an American accent, he could totally play Nick.

Peyton Kennedy as Lacy Walker

Nick’s half-sister Lacy was another role I had a hard time envisioning an actress playing… perhaps because I’m not really aware of many age-appropriate actresses. But, when I first watch Everything Sucks on Netflix and discovered Peyton Kennedy playing the role of Kate Messner, I was like “There’s Lacy!”

Halston Sage as Devon O’Connell

I was completely unaware of Halston Sage until I was told to check out the show The Orville. When I checked her out on IMDB, seeing roles she’s played without alien makeup on, I knew she’d be a perfect fit for Devon.

Rami Malek as Jay Wright

Rami Malek is getting a lot of praise for his performance in Bohemian Rhapsody — which I haven’t seen yet, but I’ve seen clips, and he’s clearly a talented actor, and when he’s not being made up to look like Freddie Mercury he’s a spitting image of what I pictured Jay to look like.

Bradley Cooper as Blake Kelly

I always had a clear picture of what I thought Blake would look like, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized I was picturing Bradley Cooper. If you’ve read Not Famous, I suspect he might have popped in your head, too.

Olivia Cooke as Lauren Petrakis

The character of Nick’s ex-girlfriend Lauren is not a character I really considered what she looked like in my head since she only has three scenes in the novel. But, while thinking up my dream cast, Olivia Cooke was the first actress to come to mind. Her most recent notable role is that of Art3mis in the film adaptation of Ready Player One… her dramatic moments in that movie really made me think about Lauren’s scenes and the book, and so I’m convinced this is the right pick.

Daisy Ridley as Emma Burke

I could have easily overlooked Daisy Ridley as the perfect actress to play Emma Burke, Nick’s one-night-stand in the first chapter because I see her as Rey from Star Wars. But, when she’s not a Jedi-in-training, she looks exactly like how I saw Emma from the beginning.

Saoirse Ronan as Nava Ackerman

This was a tough casting for me, she’s perhaps a bit younger than I envisioned Nava to be, but there’s perhaps something a bit old-fashioned in her look that I think makes her a great choice for this role.

What do you think? If you haven’t read Not Famous yet, grab it now and let me know if you think these actors and actresses fit!