Cast the Novel

Maria (Natalie Wood)

"[Maria] was [Matt's] size and she didn't make [Matt] feel bad" (Farmer 32) "A cheerful little girl with black hair" (Farmer 45) "She had dark hair and olive skin like Celia." (Farmer 9). 

In The House of the Scorpion Maria is portrayed as a young girl and a somewhat naïve character who is often tricked by Tom. Natalie Wood's expression in the picture shown is almost exactly what I had in mind whenever Maria would express unamusement or disapproval towards Matt's childish actions.

Image from: http://jackmblogs.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/natalie-wood-in-miracle-on-34th-street.jpg?w=273

Matt (Jake T. Austin)

Jake T. Austin was chosen also because of his Hispanic background. He is of Puerto Rican and Spanish decent and definitely has a Spanish look to him. Although Jake is 17 years old, we managed to find a much younger picture of him as he started acting at the age of 7.

Image from: http://img.poptower.com/pic-49780/jake-t-austin.jpg?d=600

Rosa (Terry Hatcher)

"Rosa paused, she looked distinctly unfriendly", "Rosa was also tall and very strong... her face was set to a permanent scowl, although she occasionally smiled when the doctor told one of his bad jokes. Matt found Rosa's smile even more horrid than her scowl."(Farmer 37) "[Rosa's] cheekbones stood out against her taut skin. Her eyes were wide, and Matt could see the white all around the edges. She looked like a demon in one of the comic books Celia got from church."(Farmer 39)

Image from: http://www.idolimage.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/52412_Celebutopia-Teri_Hatcher-Green_Inaugural_Ball-Artists_And_Athletes_Alliance_red_carpet_event-03_122_973lo.jpg

Celia (Justina Machado) 

Most of our chosen cast are based on the Spanish background to the characters in the book. Justina Machado is not only Spanish-looking, but she speaks Spanish as well. We thought she would be the ideal character for Celia, because in her previous work in the TV series Six Feet Under, she acts as a very loving and motherly character, which struck our attention when choosing an actress for Celia. “She had black hair and olive skin like Celia” (Farmer 9). Although Justina Machado may not have completely black hair, her hair is extremely dark and she has a darker, olive-y skin tone. Also, (not to be rude) Steven says “It’s the fat old cook - what’s her name?” (Farmer 10). Justina Machado is not the skinniest of actresses and definitely has a little bit of meat on her which we thought fit perfectly.


Image from: http://i2.listal.com/image/1324689/600full-justina-machado.jpg