By Peter Johnson

Some years ago an aspiring actor sat across from me and, with unquestionable sincerity said, “I have received strong personal inspiration that I’m to play Joseph Smith in the movie you’re casting.”

As I looked into his eager eyes and pleading countenance, I tried to think of words to gently let him know that I could not cast him. Sitting before me was a hopeful young man with no acting experience. To make matters worse, he had jet black hair, dark brown eyes, heavy beard, and dark complexion. Admittedly, he was attractive enough and he may have even had talent, but most Church members know that the physical characteristics of the Prophet Joseph were exactly the opposite: light brown to blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, fair complexion, and hardly any beard. To take the time and effort to attempt to transform this young man’s physical attributes to match those of the Prophet would have been prohibitive and impractical.

During the course of my career, I have cast the Savior six times, Joseph Smith four times, and have populated two films with Book of Mormon characters. I have poured through thousands of resumes and listened to hundreds upon hundreds of actors audition for parts. Over the years, I have chosen actors to portray characters from Benjamin Franklin to Brigham Young.

Once again, I am about to face the daunting task of casting beloved iconic characters for a major motion picture: A Voice from the Dust: Journey to the Promised Land. This movie, which recounts the events taken from Nephi’s writings in the Book of Mormon, will recreate that remarkable voyage of faith that proved the beginning of two great nations. The names themselves-Lehi, Sariah, Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi-the names themselves conjure heroic images in the minds of almost every member of the Church. Faithful members the world over have already cast the movie in their own minds. They have a mental image of how Nephi and those who accompanied him looked, talked, and walked.

In every film, casting is critical. But in films such as this, where beloved and revered characters are portrayed, the task becomes more daunting by a factor of ten, twenty, even a hundred. In many films the audience may not bring too much into the theater in the way of expectations. As a result, the director can take chances, sometimes casting an actor who, at first glance, doesn’t appear right for the role. In such a motion picture, the audience may forgive or even agree with the director and even applaud his creativity.

But experiment with characters such as those portrayed in Holy Scripture, however, and you could soon have a riot on your hands. Let’s face it, this is tricky ground. For each foot of safe terrain, there are a dozen around you brimming with landmines and razor wire.

I’ve known from the beginning that much of the success of A Voice from the Dust would be determined by how well the audience responds to the actors and actresses on the screen. So how does a director navigate the minefield? How do you satisfy both the demands of the story and the preconceived expectations of the audience?

Whenever I cast a film with iconic characters, the following considerations are always given careful thought: (1) physical appearance, (2) the actor’s spiritual essence, (3) acting ability, and (4) any “baggage” that may come with the actor. These may each receive a different weight of importance depending on the nature of any given film.

Since Meridian readers are fairly representative of those who will most likely see a film based upon The Book of Mormon, I would be interested in discussing these criteria with you. Perhaps you may even want to try your hand in ranking the above criteria or make modifications to the list. In addition, I would be most interested in your thoughts about each of the specific criterion.

My team and I have actually been working on the development and preparations for filming A Voice from the Dust: Journey to the Promised Land for about three years. We feel an exhilarating excitement as well as white-knuckle apprehension as we start the casting process. As part of our “homework” we had a professional survey done by Dan Jones & Associates, one of the most highly regarded opinion research providers in Utah. I’ll include some of the comments from this survey as we discuss the criteria.

Physical Appearance

A Voice from the Dust: Journey to the Promised Land is an epic film on the Book of Mormon with such characters as Mormon, Moroni, Lehi, Nephi, and many others who are fixed images in the mind’s eye of most LDS Church members. As one colleague recently said to me, “Don’t mess with my Nephi!”

“My Nephi.” Therein lays one of the most critical aspects of casting. We each have our own perceptions of how these revered characters looked. Very probably, no two people have exactly the same mental image. So how does the director not only satisfy a broad audience, but cause them to set aside their own pre-conceived notions of appearance and fully accept-even love-the actor who is cast to play the role?

One of the first things directors look for in casting historical roles is to match as closely as possible their known physical attributes (with fictional characters, such as in The Lord of the Rings, the director takes his cues from the novel). The Book of Mormon story, for example, begins in Jerusalem. We are working closely with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies at BYU to assure the very best scholarly findings. After consultation with many of the scholars on this subject, their research indicates that the general population in Jerusalem at 600 B. C. would have had dark hair, while skin tones would have been copper colored, light reddish-brown, or olive.

Eye color would have been mostly brown. Males would likely have moderate facial hair, but not vast bushy beards, as explained by Book of Mormon scholar, Dr. John Sorenson. Given the diet and calorie intake, there would likely not be obesity such as we are used to seeing as a commonplace today – the average weight around 130 pounds. Almost everyone would have been of slender build tending toward the limber and gracile look, not laden by heavy, sculpted muscles or fat. Men would typically be 5’6″ tall and women, 5′. Sorenson believes a very tall Nephi would have not been over 5’9″; other scholars give him an additional one or two inches.

Later on in the Book of Mormon story, additional considerations must be made based on the best historical research and clues from the source record itself for those time periods. With this information, the casting can now be targeted to fit this general description. And since the average height for men today isn’t 5’6″ we’ll adjust the relative heights to fit our modern talent pool. It’s understood that some directors’ creative vision for a particular treatment of a story may cause them to purposely cast against these criteria for effect but, in the case of A Voice from the Dust, we have made a conscious choice to adhere as close to reality and truth as we possibly can.

The Book of Mormon occasionally offers additional clues specific to the character, such as Nephi’s own description of himself, as “being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature.” What does “exceedingly young” mean? Scholars suggest that when the story begins, Nephi is probably around 16 or 17 years of age. So casting an actor who looks 30 would simply be wrong. But if the story ends at the arrival in the New World, as mine does, then casting an actor who could play and look young enough while at the same time be aged to a believable 24 year-old might work. That puts us at finding an actor around 20 years old. OK, that’s what we’ll look for.

But wait. Arnold Friberg’s wonderful and iconic paintings show Nephi as looking older than mid to late teens. These images are so fixed in the LDS culture that we might lose our audience right from the start. However with this movie, there is an unparalleled opportunity to take advantage of wonderful discoveries and insights made from recent research-research that Friberg did not have-to produce a new vision, one that is more likely to approximate what the Book of Mormon people and places actually looked like.

That feels right, doesn’t it? To create a more accurate representation of the story than has ever been done before? Entertain, but also educate the audience to the best thinking and latest research? I like that, so let’s target our casting of Nephi to an actor who, in physical characteristics, has dark hair, brown eyes, with nice, light-brown skin, a larger-than-average stature and strong build, but not overdone, and who can believably play from 16 to 24 years old.

These physical attributes should at least approach the iconic character Nephi. If we are thorough in our search, we should be able to find an actor who will lend credibility and believability to the character of Nephi and to the film itself.

How important are the physical attributes of the actors in this film to you? Also critical to me are your thoughts on WHAT those physical attributes should be.

Here are a few of the Dan Jones survey responses:

“Portray characters in the right way.”
“Use Native American people as characters – need to be believable. Don’t use Italian people dressed up as Native Americans.”
“Get the proper people to do the acting.”

The Actor’s Spiritual Essence

Casting actors for LDS Church members who honor and love the iconic characters in the Book of Mormon is a serious responsibility. Given the challenge to not “mess with my Nephi,” what else can a director do to find the right actor? This takes us into a very fascinating aspect of casting-less tangible, more difficult to define, and of utmost importance. This is a critical step in winning over the audience and helping them accept and love this actor’s portrayal. Perhaps even more critical than the physical attributes. It will cause pre-conceptions to melt and allow them to embrace a new vision of the character. It has to do with the actor’s inner spiritual reality.

What is the actor really like inside? What virtues govern his countenance? Does he have charismatic qualities that draw us closer to the perceived personality and nature of our historical character? Experienced directors develop their own techniques to discern what the actor can bring from deep within him to a given role. If successful, if the actor can bring that indefinable essence into his portrayal of the character, there is a good chance the film could be something special.

Shaping the actor’s own inner nature to create the persona of a beloved character is a major part of the director’s job. The collaboration between actor and the director in developing this character is one of the most exciting and fulfilling parts of the director’s work.

So, taking Nephi as an example, what are the inner characteristics that Nephi possessed that must be present in the actor we choose to portray him? Some of the critical traits that come to mind are: obedient, virtuous, pure of heart, faithful, loyal, courageous, industrious, humble, long-suffering, and loving. Admittedly, finding an actor who possesses all these characteristics naturally may be a long shot. Frankly, there aren’t too many true Nephi’s out there. Or are there? I’ve been happily surprised many times in the casting process. The key is to find qualities in the actor that can be channeled to portray the characteristics you want in the character. Finding that charismatic factor is an intangible, but very important part of casting. Remember, we don’t actually have Nephi on the screen, we have an actor, and he must have qualities that we accept and love as we do our beloved Nephi in the scripture.

What are some qualities you would want to see in the “inner nature” of the actor that would draw you to him in a way that would deliver a believable and satisfying portrayal?

More comments from our survey reflecting concerns for this inner spiritual quality:

“Are the main actors LDS?”
“Get good actors who will show sacredness.”
“Make sure you get a very influential person to play Nephi and a tender person to play Lehi.”

Acting Ability

Sometimes it’s a delight to choose an actor who has little or no experience but seems to be a natural talent when it comes to acting. It usually is more work for the director, but when the performance is excellent, it can truly be exciting. Talent is not something you learn; it is a gift from God. But if you have the gift, it must be developed so it can be utilized. One may have been given a wonderful gift of music, but if this person never learns HOW to play an instrument, say the piano, his or her talent will never be expressed. The same with acting. Like any discipline, it must be constantly learned and practiced to rise to a level of excellence. We’ve all admired fine acting. Disciplined, concise, restrained, intelligent, truthful, and captivating. A performance that is so truthful and honest-one that causes you to really believe-is a wonderful experience that can stay with you for days to come. A fine actor knows how to use his body, his voice, and all of his senses to create a character that truly comes to life in the world of the story.

My young aspiring actor who wanted to play Joseph Smith had never acted before. Though he was filled with desire, no doubt borne from his great love for the Prophet, he simply didn’t have the experience to take on such a challenging role.

An actor who has developed his skill and craft to be able to fully use the talent he has been given is a director’s dream. I have faith that as we search throughout the Church, we will find skilled and rich talent.

What are your thoughts on this?
There were strong feelings from the survey expressing member’s desire for top-notch performances:

“Get a really big star to play in it even if it is expensive.”
“Do it professionally.” (Many variations on this.)
“Good acting…a class act.”
“Concern that “they would choose bad actors.”

Baggage

At its most fundamental and idealistic level, making a motion picture is about creating an artistic illusion. This illusion isn’t real of course, but it must appear so-especially if the film’s style is realism, and the creator strives to make a world that is consistently believable so the audience will allow themselves to “suspend disbelief” and enter the world of story without distractions.

Have you ever been in a movie theater near someone who incessantly talks? It’s nearly impossible to get lost in the experience of the film. You try to concentrate but you keep hearing that voice. And, as a result, the movie is often ruined. The distraction ruptures that fine veil of “belief” and takes you out of the story.

The “baggage” that an actor may bring to a film can also be a distraction that lessens or destroys the believability of the story. Occasionally famous directors, who could have their pick of top stars, will cast even major films with relatively unknown actors. They do this often out of a conscious choice to tell a particular story without possible distraction that could come with a major star. For most films, this is not a serious or even necessary consideration, but for some, it is the critically essential factor that overshadows all others. Sometimes the life-style or notoriety of an actor is simply too difficult to separate from their screen presence.

For example, an actress with tattoos over much of her body, multiple piercings in her nose, ears and tongue who has been heavily exposed in the tabloids may be perfect for some roles, but I would have a very hard time suspending my disbelief if she were cast as Emma in the Joseph Smith story.

When it comes to Church or scriptural characters, this consideration is even more important. Any distracting element that an actor may bring-frivolous or serious-that takes away from the esteemed characters of Church history or scripture diminishes or negates the effectiveness of the story and may serve groups or agendas that have an axe to grind against the Church. This is one of the reasons that films produced officially by the Church are carefully cast, to assure that the integrity of the film will be produced in a positive and successful way.

Once again, the director must create a story world so compelling and believable that the audience enjoys, is inspired by, and ultimately suspends their disbelief and vicariously joins in the illusion. Any element that distracts from this takes away from the effectiveness of the film and must be avoided.

How important do you believe considerations for “baggage” is for this film?

Here are some final Dan Jones comments. Please give me yours.

“Pick wholesome actors.”
“I worry about who the actors would be. I do not want them to ridicule the story or the religion.”
“Get realistic actors and not porn stars.”

A Voice from the Dust: Journey to the Promised Land will bring to the theaters for the first time an epic, world-class motion picture. Our approach to telling the story is stunning and our desire to have the perfect cast is a top priority. We plan on casting a broad net in search for the right actors. Where possible, I would prefer to use LDS actors, those who have immersed themselves in the word of God and who have a deep and abiding love for the characters and events of The Book of Mormon. Our plan is to search carefully and take our time until we have just the right people who will bring life to these legendary characters. We are committed to cast each character as perfectly as is humanly possible. All things being equal, the LDS actor will have the edge!

Having said that, however, I have had some wonderful success with actors who are not LDS but have played key LDS figures. A very popular Church film is The Mountain of the Lord, and in that film the majority of actors, including the actor who portrayed Wilford Woodruff, was not of our faith. Even though he did not share our beliefs, this actor worked diligently to bring from his soul those spiritual characteristics that embodied the character he was portraying. Many who have seen this performance have told me they were moved by the believability and sincerity of his portrayal.

In an interview for the Director’s Guild of America Magazine, Peter Jackson said of his casting challenge for The Lord of the Rings, “You have all of these iconic characters, such as Gandalf and Frodo. These are icons of popular culture, yet they’ve never been played on-screen before in a live-action film. It was a fun task sitting around and dreaming up your favorite actors to play some of your favorite roles.” There are similarities between the task Jackson had and we now have with our film from the Book of Mormon.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on casting; let your imagination go and let me know what actors you think have the look for our characters from the Book of Mormon. Even listing big stars gives me an idea of the “look” and “persona” you have in your mind’s eye. And if you know of any actors who might be right for this film, tell them to contact me. Here is a list of some of the characters we will be casting in our first film:

Mormon, age 74
Moroni, age 32
Nephi, must be able to play 16 through 24
Lehi, 45
Laman, 23
Lemuel, 21
Sariah, 41
Sam, 19
Laban, 40
Zoram, 30
Ishmael, 50