Gemma Ward as Renee

Renee is first described as a girl from Denmark wearing a revealing dress, and as Gallimard says in Act 2, Scene 6: "Renee was picture perfect. With a body like those girls in the magazines. If I put a tissue paper over my eyes, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference." Model-turned-actress Gemma Ward would be fitting for the role due to her charm in her recent films and also that she is conventionally attractive.

Zhang Ziyi as Comrade Chin

Comrade Chin is a strong, Chinese woman whom Song Liling tells secrets about the Americans to. Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, a huge superstar in China and definitely one of the more well-known Chinese actresses for her role in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is fitting for the role. She has a versatile acting style and would be able to play a believable important Chinese woman.

Alan Dale as Manuel Toulon

Manuel Toulon is described by Gallimard in Act 1, Scene 12 as: “French ambassador to China. He likes to think of us all as his children. Rather like God.” Given this description, Alan Dale as the ambassador Toulon is a good match. Dale usually plays the stern, rich, important and powerful role. He is often good at being authoritative, and even at times, patronizing.

Talia Shire as Helga

Casting the role of Helga, Gallimard's wife, is tricky because there is no particular description of Helga. But this fact allows me to be more creative with my casting. Talia Shire, famous for her role in “Rocky” would work well as the character Helga. She is modest, can be seen as an average sort of beauty that is not particularly memorable.

Richard Gere as Marc

Marc is Gallimard's best friend: the better-looking, more charming and overall more confident version of him. Marc remarks: “[Girls are] probably lookin' at me and thinking, “What a dangerous guy.” Thus, a younger Richard Gere is perfect for the role. Gere plays the charmer, playboy types, such as his role in “Pretty Woman.” Also, he is conventionally attractive and would be believable as being able to charm so many women. Also, Steve Buscemi amd Richard Gere have never acted closely in a film or play together, so it would be interesting to see the dynamic between the opposite characters that they play.

James Pax as Song Liling

For the role of Song Liling, James Pax, a Chinese actor famous for his role in “Big Trouble in Little China” works for the role. He has a “pretty boy” look, which with good makeup, clothing and wig could transform him into a believable feminine-looking Song Liling. Gallimard thinks Song Liling is the perfect Chinese woman—beautiful and obidient—and due to Song Liling's ability to keep his sex a secret so flawlessly, Gallimard does not discover that Mr. Song is a man until Gallimard is indicted.

Steve Buscemi as Rene Gallimard

For the role of Rene Gallimard, Steve Buscemi is perfect for the role because he is not particularly handsome and in some of his roles is often seen as somewhat pathetic (such as his role in “Ghost World”) and not a man to be looked up to. In Gallimard's opening monologue, Gallimard describes himself as voted least likely to be invited to a party in grammar school and assures the audience that he still meets that description. Even though Buscemi has often played roles as a mobster tough guy, he can easily adapt to act in Gallimard's role due to his superb acting abilities.