TV Feature
Heartland Mysteries: Winnipeg Casting
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Details
Union:
Union
Area of media:
TV Feature
Network:
Hallmark
Paid?:
Yes
Rates:
ACTRA scale + 105% Advance
Deadline:
May 15, 2022
Shooting starts:
May 30, 2022
Shooting finishes:
June 17, 2022
Shooting locations:
Winnipeg & environs
Cities for response:
Winnipeg
Comments
We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to physical ability, race, age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, unless otherwise specifically indicated. No in-person auditions will be scheduled; self-tapes are preferred. Documentation of COVID-19 vaccination may be required. Please approach all dialogue with Standard American English.
Storyline
A murder has taken place in St. Bendict, Minnesota. The dead man is novelist CARL WISEMAN, the fiancé of private investigator FRANCESCA “FRANKIE” QUINN. And Frankie is the one who found the body. The detective assigned to the case is WYNTON ROUSSEAU, who happens to be Frankie’s ex. At first glance, Frankie and Wyn would seem as different as two people can be. On the surface, Frankie is sweet, approachable, easy to talk to — the last person anyone would think of being a private investigator. People underestimate her, which she uses to her advantage. By contrast, Wyn at first seems stoic and stolid — as you would expect a cop to be. But within this straight-faced exterior, he hides a quizzical mind. A powerful intellect is something Frankie and Wyn have very much in common. So it’s no surprise that they were once a couple and very much in love. But things ended badly. She left her forensics job with the St. Benedict PD. Became a private investigator. And eventually got engaged to Carl. Frankie is letting Wyn handle Carl’s murder investigation. But after a week of no progress, Carl’s sister SHERYL hires Frankie to find out who killed her brother. Suspects include Carl’s rich heiress of an ex-wife, the agent he was going to fire, and the protegé who may have taken hero worship too far. Ultimately, circumstances force Frankie and Wyn to join forces to unravel a serpentine plot and unmask a sinister killer — that strikes at the heart of Frankie and Wyn.
Roles
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Lead | Wyn Rousseau | Male 34 - 39 Years old |
Description It was Wyn who arrested Frankie’s stepmother Megan for a series of murders, and Frankie who led that investigation. Wyn and Frankie had a secret relationship they tried to keep under wraps at work. But during Megan’s trial, that relationship was exposed - possibly jeopardizing a conviction. Their budding romance could not withstand that stress, so they went their separate ways. A couple years later, Frankie’s fiancé Carl Wiseman is murdered and Wyn is part of the investigative team. Frankie, now a private investigator, joins the effort to find Carl’s murderer ...Wyn never stopped caring for Frankie. On the same team again, their deep feelings slowly re-emerge over the course of the investigation. Please only suggest artists with lead or supporting Hallmark credits. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Supporting | Detective Beatrice Tallbear | Female 36 - 51 Years old |
Description A capable, highly intuitive police officer, Detective Beatrice Tallbear is leading the murder investigation of Carl Wiseman with co-investigator Detective Wyn Rousseau. Beatrice knows Wyn and Frankie have a history, and she knows Wiseman was Frankie’s fiancé, so naturally she is a little wary of including Frankie on their team in a quasi-official capacity as a private investigator. Once Beatrice eliminates Frankie as a suspect, she values her contribution to the investigation. Beatrice and Frankie are not strangers to each other, and they share a mutual respect. ANY RACE | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Supporting | Ray Quinn | Male 59 - 67 Years old |
Description A veteran cop, Frankie’s father Ray used to be the police chief for the town of Saint Benedict, Minnesota. Everyone in town knows him, particularly those still active in law enforcement. His career came crashing down after his wife Megan was convicted in a series of bizarre murders as the ‘Saint Benedict Killer’ - Megan was Ray’s second wife, not Frankie’s mother. Although his career did not survive, nothing could destroy the close bond with his daughter. He consoles Frankie after the murder of his son-in-law-to be, Carl, and Frankie leans on her Dad for professional support, as imperfect as he may be. CAUCASIAN. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Supporting | Detective Ella Huntsman | Female 45 - 56 Years old |
Description A detective from Minneapolis, Ella is a veteran cop with a forthright personality and a firm handshake. She’s a good buddy of Wyn’s and knows Frankie well - Ella always thought they made a great couple, and does not hide that opinion. Ella is leading the Minneapolis investigation into Carl’s murder, where she interviews various suspects including wealthy socialite Lara McRae, her father Lucian and a wannabe writer Christopher Bishop. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Supporting | Megan Quinn | Female 46 - 54 Years old |
Description Formerly married to Ray and step-mother to Frankie, Megan Quinn became known as the ‘St. Benedict Killer’ when convicted for a series bizarre murders that took place in St. Benedict, a semi-rural community in central Minnesota. Before her arrest, Megan was a well-liked high-school teacher, and as wife of the Chief of Police, enjoyed a respected position in the community. In fact, Frankie, Wyn and Carl are all her former students - she has an intimate background with them all. Frankie and Wyn were instrumental in convicting Megan. Now in prison for the rest of her life, Megan wields whatever influence she can to take vengeance upon her captors. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Supporting | Pam Lockwood | Female 49 - 64 Years old |
Description Pam is Carl’s former high-profile literary agent. He fired her shortly before his murder, so Pam is a suspect at first. She is quite innocent of any crime, other than being a cut-throat agent who enjoys the lifestyle that affords. With a quick smile and inviting personality, Pam is open and forth-right with Frankie and the investigation and turns out to be a great source of information...She knows a lot, and has nothing to hide. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Large Principal | Sally Gibson | Female 27 - 34 Years old |
Description A woman of striking beauty, Sally runs a very popular café in Saint Benedict, Minnesota, and is well-liked by the community. Wyn and Sally have been going out lately and she very much hopes their relationship deepens. She knows about his past with Frankie. When she becomes aware that they are working on a case together, Sally adeptly hides her jealousy. We discover she is Carl’s murderer, all under the complicit guidance of Megan Quinn. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Large Principal | Bill Duncan | Male 49 - 62 Years old |
Description A former cop, Bill was Ray’s second in command and good buddy when he was the Police Chief before Megan’s murder trial. He was so close to the Quinn family, he was known as ‘Uncle Bill’. He was fired from the force in disgrace for unwittingly feeding confidential information to Megan, while Frankie and Wyn were establishing their case against her for the Saint Benedict murders. Now he serves as a rent-a-cop of sorts as head of security to wealthy Minneapolis socialite Kara McRae. As Carl’s ex-wife, Kara is a prime suspect in his murder. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Large Principal | Kara McRae | Female 32 - 38 Years old |
Description A wealthy woman of leisure, Kara McRae is head of a foundation that bears her family’s good name, pillars of Minneapolis society. As Carl’s ex-wife, she is a prime suspect for his murder, and her alibi has a hole in it which further drives Wyn, Beatrice and Ella’s suspicions. They discover all is not perfect in the Kara’s world of privilege - father Lucian has had enough of her extravagant lifestyle and makes a move to cut her off. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Large Principal | Christopher Bishop | Male 34 - 44 Years old |
Description A wannabe crime writer and charlatan, Christopher Bishop is always trying to advance his lack-lustre writing career. He interviews Megan Quinn in prison and asks for her notes about his latest crime novel. Much to his disappointment, former teacher Megan gives Christopher’s poor attempt at fiction a failing grade. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Large Principal | Sheryl Wiseman | Female 35 - 40 Years old |
Description Carl Wiseman’s sister Sheryl is still reeling from her brother’s murder. She implores former cop Frankie to serve as a private investigator in Carl’s murder. Although she is aware that their engagement was under some duress, Sheryl does not suspect Frankie for a moment and offers her full trust. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Large Principal | Carl Wiseman | Male 36 - 44 Years old |
Description A well-known and successful writer of crime fiction, Carl’s latest novel is based upon the St. Benedict Killer, Megan Quinn. At the time of his death, he was engaged to Frankie, but there relationship was under duress - she felt betrayed by Carl for using such a personal trauma in her life to write a book. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Large Principal | Officer Tommy Yen | Male 25 - 34 Years old |
Description A more junior officer on Wyn and Beatrice’s team of investigators, Tommy is searching Wyn’s apartment after it was burglarized by the suspected ‘Sandman’, a serial burglar whose M.O. is breaking into victims homes while they sleep. Tommy finds evidence that suggests Wyn may be a suspect in Carl’s murder - planted evidence that actually leads to Wyn himself being framed. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Principal | Ronda Harper | Female 74 - 81 Years old |
Description Ronda fell victim to the ‘Sandman’, a serial burglar in St. Benedict who breaks-into folks’ homes while they sleep. Beatrice goes to interview Ronda as part of her investigation, and she is eager to help law enforcement any way she can. ...Ronda is a huge fan of Sally and her special coffee blends. She had some of Sally’s de-caf the night the Sandman broke into her home. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Principal | Harlan Trent | Male 36 - 45 Years old |
Description A prison guard at the penitentiary Megan is housed, he becomes her unwitting accomplice as she plots vengeance from her cell. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Principal | Dave Lisher | Male 36 - 47 Years old |
Description A victim of the ‘Sandman’ burglar, Dave was robbed in his own home while he slept. Beatrice interviews him as part of her investigation. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Principal | Lucian McRae | Male 64 - 73 Years old |
Description Kara’s father Lucian is a wealthy titan of industry and pillar of Minneapolis society. He has grown weary of his daughter’s lifestyle of empty extravagance, and taken moves to cut off Kara’s deep allowance. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Principal | Assistant | Female 48 - 55 Years old |
Description Kara McRae’s personal executive assistant, she interfaces with Frankie, Wyn and Ella when they attend Kara’s stately home as part of their investigation. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Actor | New Correspondent | All 30 - 43 Years old |
Description Seen in a flashback from 2017, this news correspondent is reporting upon the investigation of the St. Benedict Killer. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Actor | Allison Depew | Female 42 - 49 Years old |
Description After Frankie’s departure from the Saint Benedict police force, she now works as a private investigator. Allison is a client who suspects her husband is having an affair, and Frankie presents the damning truth. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Actor | Clerk | Female 29 - 41 Years old |
Description This Minneapolis hotel clerk comments to Wyn that he’s not the first guest from St. Benedict she’s checked-in that day. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Actor | Female Guard | Female 29 - 48 Years old |
Description A prison guard at the penitentiary that is Megan’s new home. Although she does not show it, she is wary of Megan’s enquiry about the absence of another guard, Harlan Trent. ANY RACE. | ||
Role type | Role | Gender & Age range |
Actor | Mickey Cole | Male 39 - 54 Years old |
Description After Wyn is framed and arrested for the murder of Carl Wiseman, Mickey serves as his very capable, assertive defence attorney. ANY RACE. |