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AfterElton Fantasy Casting: Who should play Showtime's gay "Hero"?

Since we're so excited about Showtime's development of Perry Moore's gay superhero adventure Hero, we figured we'd try to make the wait go faster with our picks for who we think should be cast for the lead roles. So, after scouring the cast lists of various teen dramas, here are a few thoughts on who I see as Thom Creed and pals...

Thom Creed:

Kellan Lutz or Mitch Hewer

Our hero, Thom, is a teen who should have it all (he's athletic, smart and attractive) but whose easy road to adulthood faces the hurdles of coming to terms with his gayness and figuring out how to deal with his newly awakened superpowers. Thom needs an actor with a good amount of charisma but who can underplay it with Thom's introspective and insecure side. I think I saw a bit of that potential in Twilight hottie Kellan Lutz in his guest-spots on 90210. However, I think we saw a lot of Thom's qualities — great talent mixed with a little bit of doubt — in Mitch Hewers' Skins performance.

Goran:

JD Pardo or Argiris Karras

Thom's mysterious crush requires someone who can bring the kind of brooding and sense of mystery that David Boreanaz brought to the early days of Buffy. While JD Pardo's most famous role was playing Gwen Arajuo in a Lifetime movie, I really liked him on the short-lived Drive and he certainly showed an ability to play a character with a dark side as Hidden Palms' dead teen Eddie Nolan. I also was impressed with the way Argiris Karras played up Degrassi's closeted gay jock, Riley: take out Riley's jerky side and you're getting pretty close to Goran.

Hal Creed:

Neil Flynn or Dan Futterman

Thom's father is also the brooding type. A former powerless superhero, he bitterly left that world behind and now holds a grudge against superheroes. Hal is a man of few words, the kind who doesn't express his feelings easily. At some point when I was looking for inspiration, I came upon Dan Futterman (of Will & Grace and The Birdcage) and I just suddenly saw him in the role — maybe it was the intensity he played in Urbania. However, another possibility that comes to mind is Neil Flynn, who is probably best known as "Janitor" on Scrubs. On Scrubs, he plays his emotionally-distant side well and he has the physical presence to suggest someone who could have once been (essentially) Batman.

Ruth:

Kathryn Joosten or Lily Tomlin

A sharp-tongued, older Southern woman Ruth is an important mentor to Thom. That description has my mind racing to Desperate Housewives' Mrs. McCluskey, Kathryn Joosten. On the other hand, thinking of Joosten also gets me thinking of gay icon Lily Tomlin, who is currently playing Joosten's sister on Desperate Housewives ... and I can't get past the "squee" thoughts that Tomlin inspires.

Scarlet:

Tina Majorino or Stacey Farber

Another one of Thom's teammates, Scarlet is a pyrokinetic who hides her vulnerable side with an hostile exterior. One person I can mentally put in that role is Veronica Mars' Tina Majorino, who certainly demonstrated some of Scarlet's angry side with the anti-social tendencies of her character. However, that mix of firey temper and vulnerability was something we saw Stacey Farber play as Ellie on Degrassi.

Typhoid Larry:

Adamo Ruggiero or Dan Byrd

The thing about Thom's last teammate, Typhoid Larry, is that his powers are ... well, honestly underwhelming. (Unless you're that rare fan of the "Legion on the run" era of The Legion of Super-Heroes.) However, he's incredibly earnest about his desire to be a hero and definitely makes up for his powers' lack of dazzle with an E for effort.

Larry is a character who requires a performer who makes you want to give him a hug and an encouraging pat on the back after repeated failures. As much as I'd hesitate to dip into the Degrassi well again (which, admittedly, is a great showcase for young actors) I think out actor Adamo Ruggiero would be great in the role. Ruggiero often played his Degrassi role of Marco with a lot of energy that would play to Larry's eager-to-do-well nature. I could also see Dan Byrd of the short lived Aliens in America, who played a great lovable outcast on the critically praised comedy.

Golden Boy:

Michael Rady or Matt Long

Golden Boy is the leader/chaperon of Thom's team, an experienced sidekick who is demoted into watching over a crew of d-listers. He's bitter at the demotion, but still longs for the approval of the established heroes. Michael Rady has been picking up the gay fans lately thanks to roles on Swingtown and Greek and I can't shake the feeling that under his nice guy roles, there's the bitchy, snapish Golden Boy waiting to come out. However, I also remember the quiet intensity Matt Long brought to the short-lived Greg Berlanti drama Jack & Bobby. Honestly, I don't miss the show, but I do miss having Long to look at.

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