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4860
Cast of Characters
Several people have asked me who I had in mind when I created the characters that inhabit the Ben and Phil Saga. Here then are the actors/actresses that I built the characters around and why. If there are any other characters you would like to know about, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll add them to my cast.
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Constable Benton Fraser.......... Paul Gross Canada can export this commodity any time at all!!!
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Diefenbaker...........Lincoln More than a pet--Ben's best friend and companion. Half wolf, half philosopher, Dief is a reflection of Ben's inner self. |
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Detective Ray Vecchio.......... David Marciano The Italian Ray--street wise, befriender of lost Mounties. |
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Francesca Vecchio.......... Ramona Milano Ray's exuberant sister. Will try anything to catch her Mountie. |
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Detective Ray Kowalski.......... Callum Keith Rennie Experimental hair and an attitude--what a combination! |
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Detective Jack Huey........Tony Craig |
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Detective Louis Gardino.......... Daniel Kash Huey's wise-cracking partner. Lost in the line of duty. |
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Sylvia Vecchio........Kaye Ballard Matriach of the Vecchio clan. |
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Inspector Margaret Thatcher..... Camilla Scott |
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Constable Renfield Turnbull.... Dean McDermott
The other Mountie. |
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Phil McKenzie..........Janine Turner Janine's character, Jessie, in Cliffhanger was the inspiration for Phil McKenzie. |
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TJ McKenzie..........Adrian Paul Adrian's portrayal of the immortal, Duncan McLeod, in Highlander inspired TJ McKenzie. What more need I say? <sigh> |
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Rob McKenzie..........Scott Bakula I've been a fan of Quantum Leap for many years and it was natural that Phil's doctor brother should resemble Dr. Sam Beckett. |
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Beth McKenzie..........Michelle Pfieffer The wonderful love story, Ladyhawke, and Michelle's portrayal of Isabeau provided the perfect wife for Rob. |
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Casey Sinclair..........Rene Russo I first made Rene's acquaintance when she joined Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon 3. She seemed the natural foil for Ray. |
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Trevor Sinclair..........River Phoenix I realize that River is no longer with us, however, the character of Casey's son was based on River's portrayal of the young Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade. |
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Joseph Hope..........Sean Connery Sean Connery, IMHO, is an actor that has improved with age. I based Joseph on Sean's leading role in Medicine Man. |
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Emily Hope..........Tina Keeper Tina's role of Michelle Kenidi on Alliance's North of 6o is the inspiration for Emily. Naturally, Tina would need to be about 20 years older. |
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Lloyd Hope..........Michael Horse Carol Trendall is responsible for adding depth and personality to Lloyd. Lloyd is remarkably like Michael's role of Andrew One Sky in North of 60. |
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Becka Fraser..........Jessica Steen When I created the character of Becka I essentially imagined a female version of Ben. It wasn't until I saw the episode "Hunting Season" that Becka's image sharpened. So, as either Maggie MacKenzie (got to love that name) or Becka Fraser, Jessica is the hands-down choice. |
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Sgt. Cathy (Cat) Madden.......... Holly Hunter Carol modeled her character of Cat Madden on Holly. I especially enjoyed Holly's role in Always. |
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Const. Will Marchand.......... Noah Wylie Whether as an intern on ER or a constable, Noah seemed the perfect choice for this eager young officer. |
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Dr. Martin Stevenson.......... George Clooney Guess I've been watching too much ER. George's darkly handsome features just seemed natural for Martin. |
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Jeff Bowers..........Geraint Wyn Davies Ger's role in Black Harbor was the inspiration for Jeff. |
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Mark Kehr..........Don Franklin Mark is actually based on a friend from college. Don is the closest actor I could find who resembled my friend. |
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Jason Weller..........Kiefer Sutherland Based on another friend from college, I chose Kiefer (particularly his role in The Three Musketeers) for Jason. |
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Travis Hunter..........Richard Dean Anderson I loved McGuyver and Richard's role in that program. I am now a follower of Stargate SG-1. Travis is a combination of Mac and Jack O'Neil. |
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Terry Hunter..........Patrick Swayze Patrick has portrayed a variety of roles that ranged from the sappy to the downright vicious. Terry is based on the role of Sam in Ghost. |
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Carol Hunter..........Andie McDowell Carol is modeled after my writng cohort and Andie could pass as Carol's twin (IMHO). |
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Josie Hunter..........Meg Ryan Josie is based on Meg's role in You've Got Mail. |
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Mara Taylor..........Melissa Gilbert Melissa was suggested as a possible model for Mara. After seeing this photo, I have to agree. Mara's interaction with Ben and Ray should prove interesting.
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