Casting Society (CSA) on Tuesday announced its nominations in the television, theatre, commercials, short film and short form series for its 2023 Artios Awards.
Netflix led the nominations in the TV categories with eight nods, while HBO/Max, Apple TV+ and Prime Video each received five nominations.
The winners will be announced at a gala on March 7, 2024. Submissions for feature film nominees will open on Nov. 10 and nominees for that category will be announced in February. Honorees for The Hoyt Bowers Award For Excellence In Casting, Lynn Stalmaster Award For Career Achievement, Marion Dougherty New York Apple Award and the Associate Casting Director/ Casting Producer Spotlight Award will be announced at a later date.
“Each year, the Artios Awards celebrates the work of the casting community to represent a diverse range of fascinating stories authentically, and this collection of nominees underscores that commitment,” said Destiny Lilly, CSA president. “We look forward...
Netflix led the nominations in the TV categories with eight nods, while HBO/Max, Apple TV+ and Prime Video each received five nominations.
The winners will be announced at a gala on March 7, 2024. Submissions for feature film nominees will open on Nov. 10 and nominees for that category will be announced in February. Honorees for The Hoyt Bowers Award For Excellence In Casting, Lynn Stalmaster Award For Career Achievement, Marion Dougherty New York Apple Award and the Associate Casting Director/ Casting Producer Spotlight Award will be announced at a later date.
“Each year, the Artios Awards celebrates the work of the casting community to represent a diverse range of fascinating stories authentically, and this collection of nominees underscores that commitment,” said Destiny Lilly, CSA president. “We look forward...
- 10/24/2023
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Casting Society of America has announced the television, theater, commercials, short film and short form series nominees for the 39th Artios Awards. The gala will take place on March 7, 2024, where the winners will be announced.
“Each year, the Artios Awards celebrates the work of the casting community to represent a diverse range of fascinating stories authentically, and this collection of nominees underscores that commitment. We look forward to gathering our community together to celebrate these achievements at our 39th Annual event next year,” CSA President Destiny Lilly said in a statement.
Netflix leads the television categories with eight nominations, down from 11 in 2022, when it tied with HBO/Max, which this year received five nominations — the same number as Apple TV+ and Prime Video. Netflix nominations included “Beef,” “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and “The Diplomat.”
As for feature film nominees, submissions will open Nov. 10, followed by an...
“Each year, the Artios Awards celebrates the work of the casting community to represent a diverse range of fascinating stories authentically, and this collection of nominees underscores that commitment. We look forward to gathering our community together to celebrate these achievements at our 39th Annual event next year,” CSA President Destiny Lilly said in a statement.
Netflix leads the television categories with eight nominations, down from 11 in 2022, when it tied with HBO/Max, which this year received five nominations — the same number as Apple TV+ and Prime Video. Netflix nominations included “Beef,” “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and “The Diplomat.”
As for feature film nominees, submissions will open Nov. 10, followed by an...
- 10/24/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
The Casting Society on Tuesday revealed the television, theater, commercials, short film and short-form series nominees for the 39th Artios Awards, which honor the contribution of casting professionals in these categories. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on March 7, 2024.
Submissions for feature film nominees will open November 10 and nominees in that category will be announced in February. Honorees for The Hoyt Bowers Award For Excellence In Casting, Lynn Stalmaster Award For Career Achievement, Marion Dougherty New York Apple Award, and the Associate Casting Director/ Casting Producer Spotlight Award will be presented that evening.
The honorees will be announced at a later date.
“Each year, the Artios Awards celebrates the work of the casting community to represent a diverse range of fascinating stories authentically, and this collection of nominees underscores that commitment. We look forward to gathering our community together to celebrate these achievements at our 39th Annual event next year,...
Submissions for feature film nominees will open November 10 and nominees in that category will be announced in February. Honorees for The Hoyt Bowers Award For Excellence In Casting, Lynn Stalmaster Award For Career Achievement, Marion Dougherty New York Apple Award, and the Associate Casting Director/ Casting Producer Spotlight Award will be presented that evening.
The honorees will be announced at a later date.
“Each year, the Artios Awards celebrates the work of the casting community to represent a diverse range of fascinating stories authentically, and this collection of nominees underscores that commitment. We look forward to gathering our community together to celebrate these achievements at our 39th Annual event next year,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Amanda Mackey, the casting director whose 40-year career counted credits like “A League of Their Own,” “The Proposal” and “The Fugitive,” has died. She was 70.
According to multiple media reports, Mackey died in her sleep on Saturday from a type of blood cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome at NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn.
The 15-time Artios Award winner, bestowed by the Casting Society of America for casting excellence, earned her first credits as a casting assistant in the early ’80s on films such as “The World According to Garp” and worked her way through the ranks of associate and consultant.
In 1985, she served as casting director for the first time on “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins” and “Rocky IV.”
Also Read:
Richard Roat, Veteran Character Actor From ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Friends,’ Dies at 89
Mackey would go on to assemble the players for celebrated films such as “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,...
According to multiple media reports, Mackey died in her sleep on Saturday from a type of blood cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome at NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn.
The 15-time Artios Award winner, bestowed by the Casting Society of America for casting excellence, earned her first credits as a casting assistant in the early ’80s on films such as “The World According to Garp” and worked her way through the ranks of associate and consultant.
In 1985, she served as casting director for the first time on “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins” and “Rocky IV.”
Also Read:
Richard Roat, Veteran Character Actor From ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Friends,’ Dies at 89
Mackey would go on to assemble the players for celebrated films such as “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,...
- 9/1/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Amanda Mackey, the award winning casting director behind films such as “A League of Their Own” and “Smokin’ Aces” has died. She was 70.
“We are heartbroken to hear about the passing of Casting Director Amanda Mackey. She was an inspiration to many in our field and everyone at CSA sends our condolences to her family and friends,” the Casting Society said in a statement.
Mackey was recognized by The Casting Society with an Artios Awards for both films. Her other credits include “Bad Moms,” “United 93,” “Ronin” and “The Hunt for Red October.”
She received an Emmy nomination in 2014 for Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for “The Normal Heart” which she shared with casting partner Cathy Sandrich Gelfond.
Together Sandrich Gelfond and Mackey were among the most highly-regarded and sought-after casting directors in the industry.
Mackey was filmmaker Andy Davis’ go-to casting director. Together they worked...
“We are heartbroken to hear about the passing of Casting Director Amanda Mackey. She was an inspiration to many in our field and everyone at CSA sends our condolences to her family and friends,” the Casting Society said in a statement.
Mackey was recognized by The Casting Society with an Artios Awards for both films. Her other credits include “Bad Moms,” “United 93,” “Ronin” and “The Hunt for Red October.”
She received an Emmy nomination in 2014 for Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for “The Normal Heart” which she shared with casting partner Cathy Sandrich Gelfond.
Together Sandrich Gelfond and Mackey were among the most highly-regarded and sought-after casting directors in the industry.
Mackey was filmmaker Andy Davis’ go-to casting director. Together they worked...
- 8/31/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Amanda Mackey, the busy casting director who worked on The Fugitive and four other films for director Andrew Davis and shared an Emmy nomination for populating Larry Kramer‘s The Normal Heart, has died. She was 70.
Mackey died Saturday at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn after a battle with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer, longtime business partner Cathy Sandrich Gelfond told The Hollywood Reporter.
She received one Artios Award for her work on A League of Their Own (1993) and shared another one with Sandrich Gelfond for Smokin’ Aces (2006) — she collected 15 Artios nominations in all — and the pair were featured in the eye-opening 2012 documentary Casting By.
Mackey was “an unwaveringly steadfast friend and champion in a time when women weren’t as supportive to other women as they are now,” Sandrich Gelfond said in a statement. “She believed in me, lifted me up and gave me a career.
Amanda Mackey, the busy casting director who worked on The Fugitive and four other films for director Andrew Davis and shared an Emmy nomination for populating Larry Kramer‘s The Normal Heart, has died. She was 70.
Mackey died Saturday at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn after a battle with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer, longtime business partner Cathy Sandrich Gelfond told The Hollywood Reporter.
She received one Artios Award for her work on A League of Their Own (1993) and shared another one with Sandrich Gelfond for Smokin’ Aces (2006) — she collected 15 Artios nominations in all — and the pair were featured in the eye-opening 2012 documentary Casting By.
Mackey was “an unwaveringly steadfast friend and champion in a time when women weren’t as supportive to other women as they are now,” Sandrich Gelfond said in a statement. “She believed in me, lifted me up and gave me a career.
- 8/31/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amanda Mackey, the casting director behind such films as Best Picture Oscar nominee The Fugitive and A League of Their Own and who earned an Emmy nom for The Normal Heart during a nearly four-decade career, has died. She was 70.
Her longtime friend and business partner Cathy Sandrich Gelfond told Deadline that Mackey died August 27 in her sleep of myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer, at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn.
“Amanda was a singular force — fiercely intelligent, impeccably stylish, wildly passionate about ideas, the state of the world and her work,” Sandrich Gelfond told Deadline. “She loved her daughters profoundly and was an unwaveringly steadfast friend and champion in a time when women weren’t as supportive to other women as they are now. She believed in me, lifted me up and gave me a career. She was the sister I never had and changed my life in countless ways.
Her longtime friend and business partner Cathy Sandrich Gelfond told Deadline that Mackey died August 27 in her sleep of myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer, at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn.
“Amanda was a singular force — fiercely intelligent, impeccably stylish, wildly passionate about ideas, the state of the world and her work,” Sandrich Gelfond told Deadline. “She loved her daughters profoundly and was an unwaveringly steadfast friend and champion in a time when women weren’t as supportive to other women as they are now. She believed in me, lifted me up and gave me a career. She was the sister I never had and changed my life in countless ways.
- 8/31/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix’s “Queer Eye,” HBO’s “Barry,” Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and CBS’ “Young Sheldon” are among the TV nominees for the 34th annual Artios Awards from the Casting Society of America.
On the legit side, “The Boys in the Band,” “Lobby Hero” and “Angels in America” were among the productions recognized.
The Artios kudos will be handed out on Jan. 31 in simultaneous ceremonies held in Beverly Hills and New York.
The casting team behind shows such as “American Horror Story,” “Glee,” and “Supernatural” will be honored. Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson and Carol Kritzer of Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting will receive the Hoyt Bowers Award for their outstanding contribution to the casting profession.
“It has been an exceptional year on stage and screen,” said Russell Boast, Csa president in announcing the first wave of Artios nominations. Nominees for feature film will be unveiled early next year.
Csa members submitted...
On the legit side, “The Boys in the Band,” “Lobby Hero” and “Angels in America” were among the productions recognized.
The Artios kudos will be handed out on Jan. 31 in simultaneous ceremonies held in Beverly Hills and New York.
The casting team behind shows such as “American Horror Story,” “Glee,” and “Supernatural” will be honored. Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson and Carol Kritzer of Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting will receive the Hoyt Bowers Award for their outstanding contribution to the casting profession.
“It has been an exceptional year on stage and screen,” said Russell Boast, Csa president in announcing the first wave of Artios nominations. Nominees for feature film will be unveiled early next year.
Csa members submitted...
- 9/20/2018
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
The Deuce, Atlanta, Game of Thrones, The Boys in the Band and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert are among the Artios Awards nominees in television, theater and short film announced today by the Casting Society of America.
Recognizing outstanding achievement in casting, the 34th Annual Artios Awards will take place January 31, 2019, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles & Stage 48 in New York City.
“It has been an exceptional year on stage and screen,” said Russell Boast, Csa President. “As the profession of casting gains more and more industry recognition we are pleased to announce our first slate of nominees – many of whom have also recently been recognized by our peers at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the American Theatre Wing among many others this awards season.”
All nominees, submitted by Csa members, represent projects that were aired, released or performed between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. Nominees for...
Recognizing outstanding achievement in casting, the 34th Annual Artios Awards will take place January 31, 2019, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles & Stage 48 in New York City.
“It has been an exceptional year on stage and screen,” said Russell Boast, Csa President. “As the profession of casting gains more and more industry recognition we are pleased to announce our first slate of nominees – many of whom have also recently been recognized by our peers at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the American Theatre Wing among many others this awards season.”
All nominees, submitted by Csa members, represent projects that were aired, released or performed between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. Nominees for...
- 9/20/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The guild award nominations keep coming in. The Casting Society of America has announced the nominees in its feature film categories for the 32d annual Artios Awards, which honor outstanding achievement in casting. “Arrival,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Hidden Figures,” “Nocturnal Animals” and “The Girl on the Train” all picked up nods in the big-budget drama category, with “Captain Fantastic,” “Jackie,” “Lion,” “Loving” and “Manchester by the Sea” doing likewise in the studio or independent drama field.
Joel McHale will host the Los Angeles ceremony, while Michael Urie is on duty at the New York ceremony; both take place on January 19. Full list of nominees below.
Read More: SAG Film Nominations Surprise With ‘Captain Fantastic,’ Emily Blunt, and More
Big Budget — Comedy
“Deadpool” — Ronna Kress, Jennifer Page (Location Casting), Corinne Clark (Location Casting)
“Hail, Caesar!” — Ellen Chenoweth, Susanne Scheel (Associate)
“La La Land” — Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood...
Joel McHale will host the Los Angeles ceremony, while Michael Urie is on duty at the New York ceremony; both take place on January 19. Full list of nominees below.
Read More: SAG Film Nominations Surprise With ‘Captain Fantastic,’ Emily Blunt, and More
Big Budget — Comedy
“Deadpool” — Ronna Kress, Jennifer Page (Location Casting), Corinne Clark (Location Casting)
“Hail, Caesar!” — Ellen Chenoweth, Susanne Scheel (Associate)
“La La Land” — Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood...
- 1/3/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Casting directors have a strange distinction in the awards world: Their guild has an Academy branch, but it’s the only one without its own Oscar category. Imagine for a moment that they did. What are the best-cast films of 2016?
IndieWire asked 13 of the top casting directors to nominate films worthy of casting recognition this year. There were a few restrictions worth noting. Although casting directors often get early sneak peeks at films, many noted there are some films they still hadn’t seen. In particular, many are anxious to find out what legendary casting director Ellen Lewis has cooked up for Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.” The other restriction, which was imposed as responses came in: They couldn’t all write about “Moonlight.” (We’ll dig further into the casting of that film in another article.)
Read More: Casting Directors and the Academy: Why Lynn Stalmaster’s Honorary Oscar Matters...
IndieWire asked 13 of the top casting directors to nominate films worthy of casting recognition this year. There were a few restrictions worth noting. Although casting directors often get early sneak peeks at films, many noted there are some films they still hadn’t seen. In particular, many are anxious to find out what legendary casting director Ellen Lewis has cooked up for Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.” The other restriction, which was imposed as responses came in: They couldn’t all write about “Moonlight.” (We’ll dig further into the casting of that film in another article.)
Read More: Casting Directors and the Academy: Why Lynn Stalmaster’s Honorary Oscar Matters...
- 11/23/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
While the Oscars have yet to make room for casting directors — a pivotal part of the Best Picture equation — the oversight isn't stopping the Casting Society of America from readying its third decade of picking up the Academy's slack. Csa announced Monday morning that the 30th Annual Artios Awards will honor Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director Rob Marshall and Emmy Award-winning casting director Ellen Lewis for their individual work in the world of casting. The news arrives with nominations in categories of television, theater, new media and short film, and on the heels of the ceremony's move from November to Jan. 22, the thick of the awards season. Feature film nominations will be announced closer to the show date. Marshall, whose adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" bows Dec. 25, will receive the New York Apple Award, "recognizing individuals who have made special contributions to the New York entertainment...
- 9/22/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
"Casting By," the critically acclaimed documentary about the role of the casting director in the movie-making process, makes its Hollywood debut this weekend at Arena Cinema. To celebrate, the filmmakers have scheduled Q&As with some of the industry's top CDs to follow this weekend's screenings: Nov. 15, 7:45 p.m.: Deb Aquila; Wally Nicita; Robin Lippin; Cathy Sandrich Nov. 16, noon: Gary Zuckerbrod, Marci Liroff Nov. 16, 2 p.m.: Richard Hicks; Jane Jenkins Nov. 16, 7:45 p.m.: Barbara McCarthy, April Webster Nov. 17, noon: Deb Zane; Roger Mussenden; John Papsidera; Julie Hutchinson; Deb Barylski Nov. 17, 2 p.m.: Ronna Kress, Heidi Levitt Nov. 17, 7 p.m.: Risa Bramon Garcia; Caroline Liem For updates and ticket information, visit arenascreen.com...
- 11/13/2013
- backstage.com
As the fury of pilot season continues, networks forge ahead securing casting directors for the growing pilot roster. Three drama pilots from Fox and a drama pilot from the CW have acquired casting directors, Backstage has learned. Fox’s first drama, titled “Delirium,” is based on Lauren Oliver’s book trilogy of the same name and will be cast by Scott Genkinger at Junie Lowry-Johnson Casting. The show focuses on a woman who falls in love in a world where doing so is illegal. If the show follows the book closely, the series would follow the characters in this dystopian society as they try to understand what exactly love and life can be. Shooting is scheduled to start in March, although the location has yet to be announced. The network’s second drama, “Sleepy Hollow,” will provide a modern-day twist on the headless horsemen, and will be cast by Cathy Sandrich.
- 1/31/2013
- backstage.com
The studios are currently in the process of contracting casting directors to handle their newly picked-up series, and Back Stage was able to confirm several attachments. Unless otherwise noted, all shows will shoot in Los Angeles.For ABC, Rebecca Mangieri and Wendy Weidman of Creative Casting will cast drama "Last Resort," about the crew of a submarine that declares itself the world's tiniest nuclear-armed sovereign nation. The show will shoot in Hawaii. Jeanie Bacharach will cast "Nashville," a primetime soap set in the world of country music that follows two stars, one at the top and one on the rise. It will shoot in Nashville. Cathy Sandrich Gelfond of Mackey/Sandrich will cast crime drama "Red Widow," about a woman who assumes her late husband's role running a crime syndicate. "Widow" will shoot in Vancouver, B.C. Suzanne Ryan will cast drama "666 Park Avenue," about the managers of a historic apartment building.
- 6/13/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Pete Keeley)
- backstage.com
Three ABC drama pilots picked up casting directors this week, Back Stage confirmed."Devious Maids," from writer/executive producer Marc Cherry, will be cast by Scott Genkinger at Junie Lowry-Johnson Casting. The pilot, about the lives of four maids who work for rich families in Beverly Hills, is loosely based on the Mexican telenovela "The Disorderly Maids of the Neighborhood." The project is set to get under way in May. Genkinger seems to be the go-to casting director for TV shows that feature female-driven casts, as he also cast Cherry's "Desperate Housewives," now finishing its eighth and final season on ABC, as well as NBC's short-lived drama "The Playboy Club." He's also the casting director for A&E's "Breakout Kings."Cathy Sandrich Gelfond of Mackey/Sandrich Casting will cast "Penoza." The pilot, based on a Dutch show, follows a woman who must assume her late husband's role running a crime syndicate in order to protect.
- 2/9/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Pete Keeley)
- backstage.com
Variety reports that the already large cast of Gotti: In The Shadow Of My Father is getting a little bit bigger with the addition of Chazz Palinteri. Palinteri will play the role of Mafia boss Paul Castellano in the film, which will start pre-production in September and start principal photography on-location in New York on January 3rd.
With an already interesting cast consisting of John Travolta and Al Pachino, I think the adding of Palminteri just strengthens the film production. What you think!
Here's the full press release:
Fiore Films, an independent production company, today announced that it has signed Chazz Palminteri to play the role of Mafia boss Paul Castellano in its feature film "Gotti: In The Shadow Of My Father," which will begin pre-production in September and start principal photography on-location in New York on January 3.
"I have seen this film come together from the very start, and...
With an already interesting cast consisting of John Travolta and Al Pachino, I think the adding of Palminteri just strengthens the film production. What you think!
Here's the full press release:
Fiore Films, an independent production company, today announced that it has signed Chazz Palminteri to play the role of Mafia boss Paul Castellano in its feature film "Gotti: In The Shadow Of My Father," which will begin pre-production in September and start principal photography on-location in New York on January 3.
"I have seen this film come together from the very start, and...
- 8/24/2011
- by rpmcmurphy
- GeekTyrant
Lisa Soltau was living in Seattle when her friend Bonnie Gillespie sent her a book she had written called "Casting Qs," a compilation of interviews with casting directors. "I read it and I absolutely loved all the aspects of the job," says Soltau. "I loved the entertainment industry and movies and television. The process of casting sounded wonderful."She called one of the two casting offices in Seattle and ended up working as an intern there for about six months. But the CD told her she should move to New York or Los Angeles if she really wanted to pursue a career in casting. "I picked L.A. because I had lived there once for about three years and I thought it would be easier to acclimate there," Soltau says. "Plus I wanted to work on 'Six Feet Under,' which was airing at the time.
- 10/20/2010
- backstage.com
Playwright Tony Kushner, producer Marcy Carsey, and casting director Ellen Chenoweth will be honored by the Casting Society of America at this year's Artios Awards. The nominees for this year's awards—to be presented Nov. 1 in dual ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and the American Airlines Theatre in New York—were announced today. Kushner, Carsey, and Chenoweth will be presented with special awards. The complete list of nominees follows.Big budget feature, drama"Avatar," Margery Simkin and Mali Finn (initial casting)"Inglourious Basterds," Johanna Ray and Jenny Jue"Nine," Francine Maisler"Sherlock Holmes," Reg Poerscout-Edgerton"Shutter Island," Ellen Lewis and Carolyn Pickman (location casting)Big budget feature, comedy"Couples Retreat," Sarah Halley Finn and Randi Hiller"Date Night," Donna Isaacson"Julie and Julia," Francine Maisler"The Proposal," Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond, and Angela Peri (location casting)"Valentine's Day," Deborah Aquila and Tricia WoodFeature,...
- 9/15/2010
- backstage.com
Inspired by Jon Ronson's nonfiction bestseller, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is one of those stories so crazy it couldn't be made up. Though the film takes liberties with the source material, the plot centers on an experimental wing of the U.S. military that believed it could train soldiers to become psychics. Members of this "New Earth Army" came to believe they could walk through walls, control an enemy's thoughts, and stop a goat's heart just by staring at it. The story of how this army came to form—and unravel—unfolds through a parallel story about a reporter in the Iraq War who travels with one of the former New Earth Army soldiers. Grant Heslov, in his feature directorial debut, knew he needed actors who could tackle the offbeat comedy in the film but also play the reality of the situation. In the role of Lyn Cassady,...
- 12/9/2009
- backstage.com
The following is a list of the top 25 Power Casting Directors in film and television (including Casting Director of the Year, Debra Zane; see page 9). We began with more than 100 candidates. In some cases, collaborations were so closely tied that we considered multiple people as one entity. Several drafts later, all 25 spots were cast.Notably omitted from the list are in-house casting executives at studios and networks, the inclusion of whom would have ballooned our list to 50 or more. But read about them online at www.backstage.com/spotlight. Focusing on independent casting directors leveled the playing field and highlighted people whose puissance is not affected by one scale-tipping affiliation. Now, on to the top 25!Kerry BardenCan you imagine Monster's Ball starring Erykah Badu, or American Psycho starring Leonardo DiCaprio? Kerry Barden can, because he saw them read the parts. "There are so many great actors that sometimes it's a...
- 4/2/2009
- backstage.com
Like many of today's top casting directors, Victoria Burrows got her start when personal computers were nonexistent, FedEx was in its infancy, faxes and videotape machines were rare, and black-and-white glossies were everywhere. "It used to be hard-copy pictures, then sit down and meet an actor," says Burrows with little nostalgia. "Often, you wouldn't tape them; you would just read them and do callbacks. That's all gone because of computers."Now, working on such motion-capture films as Disney's A Christmas Carol and Mars Needs Moms!, she spends her days in casting sessions with partner Scot Boland, calculating how actors' performances will translate in neoprene wetsuits covered with white dots and subsequently rendered by 3-D animation software. The auditions are uploaded to a computer and stored with other information on the servers of Cast It, a popular database management system that allows them to be viewed instantly by anyone with a password to the company account,...
- 4/2/2009
- by Todd Longwell
- backstage.com
The Cooler
PARK CITY -- "The Cooler" couldn't be hotter. A rousing crowd-pleaser at Sundance, this noir love story rolls both sweet and tough. The title refers to a casino job in old-style Las Vegas, namely an employee who is dispatched by the house to "cool off" a big winner -- to see to it that the guy doesn't walk away with any more dough. No sixes or sevens or nines here -- a distributor will roll only luck with this winner, a select-site jackpot.
Starring William H. Macy as a hangdog "cooler," Alec Baldwin as a ruthless casino boss and Maria Bello as a cocktail waitress with a heart of gold, "The Cooler" is a refreshing throwback to another era of moviemaking: This movie was poured from the bottle, not one of those bar regulator machines. It's got the kick, style and flavor of a straight-up story, before movies were watered down with the opinions of marketers, lawyers and committee heads.
There's also a flush hand of story aces sleeved up in this old-style cinematic: The frog as prince, the old gunslinger as guardian against the encroaching modern world and the down-on-her-luck blonde whose heart of gold wins the day. There's no sleight of hand in this hard-edged yarn, and that's what is most appealing about screenwriters Frank Hannah and Wayne Kramer's soundly crafted tale. It hits the right points and pays off spectacularly.
Set in the unfashionable old section of Las Vegas, far away from Steve Wynn's glitzy/artsy strip, "The Cooler" draws us behind the glitz and shows the dark behind the neon, the little people below the headliners and high rollers. In this gritty yarn, Macy stars as Bernie Lootz, a hangdog so down on his luck and confidence that he is the walking embodiment of a loser. That's the trait that now pays his bills: He's hired by a sharkish casino owner (Baldwin) to "cool" down the big winners; indeed, Lootz is such a loser that his aura of bad luck seems to roll off onto the winners.
Living in a tiny studio apartment, Lootz is nondescript and has a limp, courtesy of old gambling debts to none other than his boss. He has been working off his gambling debt for years and has only a few days of servitude left at the casino before he plans to bolt for a new life. Not surprisingly, the kingpin is not about to let him go and is under corporate pressure from the suit-type owners to get into the new mainstream of Las Vegas entertainment, namely the family/events emphasis that the new Vegas is all about. He loathes the new M.B.A. Harvard-heads, which makes this cutthroat very endearing.
Under Kramer's inspired direction, Macy is terrific as the down-on-his-luck cooler. In his gait and dreary expression, Macy embodies a spirit who has been beaten down to one last roll of the dice yet still holds a tiny ounce of self-preserving moxie for one final turn at life's tables.
With his piercing gaze and hair-trigger temper, Baldwin wallops with a mesmerizing performance that recalls his "Glengarry Glen Ross" turn. Steely, charming and dangerous, Baldwin is truly fearsome. A producer would be smart to cast this guy as Frank Sinatra.
As the vulnerable cocktail waitress, Bello magically strips her performance down to the scars beneath the surface. She's a lady without the luck but one who is not afraid to take on the odds. She trumps a cliche part with a flesh-and-blood performance.
Technical credits deserve top billing: From the smartly awful ties of Macy's hangdog threads, courtesy of costume designer Kristen M. Burke, to the shrewdly scoped compositions, lensed by cinematographer James Whitaker, the technical contributions are all headliners. A round on the house to composer Mark Isham. The musical sounds are as true as the rocks clinking in a 3 a.m. Scotch and water, topped off by the perfect mix of a smudgy trumpet and a blowsy sax. Also, a round to Paul Sorvino, who shows off his pipes as an Old Blue Eyes imitation lounger.
The Cooler
ContentFilm
Credits: Director: Wayne Kramer; Screenwriters: Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer; Producers: Sean Furst, Michael Pierce; Executive producers: Edward R. Pressman, John Schmidt, Alessandro Camon, Brett Morrison, Robert Gryphon, Joe Madden; Co-producers: Elliot Lewis Rosenblatt, Bryan Furst; Director of photography: James Whitaker; Editor: Arthur Coburn; Production designer: Toby Corbett; Costume designer: Kristen M. Burke; Music: Mark Isham; Casting: Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond, Wendy Weidman, Sig De Migual. Cast: Bernie Lootz: William H. Macy; Shelly Kaplow: Alec Baldwin; Natalie Belisario: Maria Bello; Mikey: Shawn Hatosy; Larry Sokolov: Ron Livingston; Buddy Stafford: Paul Sorvino; Charlene: Estella Warren.
No MPAA rating, running time 103 minutes.
Starring William H. Macy as a hangdog "cooler," Alec Baldwin as a ruthless casino boss and Maria Bello as a cocktail waitress with a heart of gold, "The Cooler" is a refreshing throwback to another era of moviemaking: This movie was poured from the bottle, not one of those bar regulator machines. It's got the kick, style and flavor of a straight-up story, before movies were watered down with the opinions of marketers, lawyers and committee heads.
There's also a flush hand of story aces sleeved up in this old-style cinematic: The frog as prince, the old gunslinger as guardian against the encroaching modern world and the down-on-her-luck blonde whose heart of gold wins the day. There's no sleight of hand in this hard-edged yarn, and that's what is most appealing about screenwriters Frank Hannah and Wayne Kramer's soundly crafted tale. It hits the right points and pays off spectacularly.
Set in the unfashionable old section of Las Vegas, far away from Steve Wynn's glitzy/artsy strip, "The Cooler" draws us behind the glitz and shows the dark behind the neon, the little people below the headliners and high rollers. In this gritty yarn, Macy stars as Bernie Lootz, a hangdog so down on his luck and confidence that he is the walking embodiment of a loser. That's the trait that now pays his bills: He's hired by a sharkish casino owner (Baldwin) to "cool" down the big winners; indeed, Lootz is such a loser that his aura of bad luck seems to roll off onto the winners.
Living in a tiny studio apartment, Lootz is nondescript and has a limp, courtesy of old gambling debts to none other than his boss. He has been working off his gambling debt for years and has only a few days of servitude left at the casino before he plans to bolt for a new life. Not surprisingly, the kingpin is not about to let him go and is under corporate pressure from the suit-type owners to get into the new mainstream of Las Vegas entertainment, namely the family/events emphasis that the new Vegas is all about. He loathes the new M.B.A. Harvard-heads, which makes this cutthroat very endearing.
Under Kramer's inspired direction, Macy is terrific as the down-on-his-luck cooler. In his gait and dreary expression, Macy embodies a spirit who has been beaten down to one last roll of the dice yet still holds a tiny ounce of self-preserving moxie for one final turn at life's tables.
With his piercing gaze and hair-trigger temper, Baldwin wallops with a mesmerizing performance that recalls his "Glengarry Glen Ross" turn. Steely, charming and dangerous, Baldwin is truly fearsome. A producer would be smart to cast this guy as Frank Sinatra.
As the vulnerable cocktail waitress, Bello magically strips her performance down to the scars beneath the surface. She's a lady without the luck but one who is not afraid to take on the odds. She trumps a cliche part with a flesh-and-blood performance.
Technical credits deserve top billing: From the smartly awful ties of Macy's hangdog threads, courtesy of costume designer Kristen M. Burke, to the shrewdly scoped compositions, lensed by cinematographer James Whitaker, the technical contributions are all headliners. A round on the house to composer Mark Isham. The musical sounds are as true as the rocks clinking in a 3 a.m. Scotch and water, topped off by the perfect mix of a smudgy trumpet and a blowsy sax. Also, a round to Paul Sorvino, who shows off his pipes as an Old Blue Eyes imitation lounger.
The Cooler
ContentFilm
Credits: Director: Wayne Kramer; Screenwriters: Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer; Producers: Sean Furst, Michael Pierce; Executive producers: Edward R. Pressman, John Schmidt, Alessandro Camon, Brett Morrison, Robert Gryphon, Joe Madden; Co-producers: Elliot Lewis Rosenblatt, Bryan Furst; Director of photography: James Whitaker; Editor: Arthur Coburn; Production designer: Toby Corbett; Costume designer: Kristen M. Burke; Music: Mark Isham; Casting: Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond, Wendy Weidman, Sig De Migual. Cast: Bernie Lootz: William H. Macy; Shelly Kaplow: Alec Baldwin; Natalie Belisario: Maria Bello; Mikey: Shawn Hatosy; Larry Sokolov: Ron Livingston; Buddy Stafford: Paul Sorvino; Charlene: Estella Warren.
No MPAA rating, running time 103 minutes.
- 1/21/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
City by the Sea
As with last year's "Monster's Ball," there's an aching sins-of-the-father theme running deeply through City by the Sea, an exceptionally acted, quietly affecting cop drama set against the decaying backdrop of the once bustling resort destination of Long Beach, Long Island.
Taking its cue from a 1997 Esquire magazine article by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael McAlary, the scenario concerns a veteran New York City homicide detective who finds himself having to do the right thing as both a law enforcer and a parent when a murder suspect turns out to be his estranged junkie son.
Despite an exceptional cast -- headed by Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand and James Franco -- that has been beautifully directed by Michael Caton-Jones, the picture's rather bleak subject matter makes for a tough sell for Warner Bros. Pictures, which, after the disastrous The Adventures of Pluto Nash and the anemic Blood Work, is looking to get back into the boxoffice groove.
De Niro, reuniting with his "This Boy's Life" director, is in fine, introspective form as Detective Vincent LaMarca, a man whose committed career with the NYPD has served to help block out a painful personal past.
His steady girlfriend, Michelle (McDormand), knows about an ex-wife (Patti LuPone) who lives back in Long Beach. But she's unaware of the young son he had left behind and of the emotionally distant LaMarca's own traumatic childhood -- his father was given the electric chair for kidnapping a baby from a wealthy family. The child accidentally suffocated in the back seat of his father's car while he was waiting for the ransom money.
But when LaMarca's now drug-addicted son, Joey (Franco), is at first implicated in the murder of a dealer and then is the prime suspect in a cop killing, his long-buried past comes back to haunt him, with the news media floating the notion of the existence of a "murder gene" that is passed down through the generations.
The turn of events has brought father and son face to face for the first time in 14 years, but the tricky outcome depends on the choices the elder LaMarca must make as a parent and an officer of the law.
What starts out as a generic, gritty crime thriller gets more interesting as it goes along as Caton-Jones and screenwriter Ken Hixon (Inventing the Abbotts) carefully add on all the layers of intrigue.
Hitting it all home in expertly modulated performances is a uniformly excellent cast. While De Niro and McDormand are a treat to watch together -- as fascinating for the choices they don't make as the ones they do -- the always interesting Franco, who made for such a convincing James Dean in the TNT movie of the same name, is equally believable as De Niro's son. He also manages to avoid the usual physical tics that go with the junkie turf.
Also doing fine work are LuPone, George Dzundza as De Niro's partner and Eliza Dushku (who also appeared in "This Boy's Life") as the struggling mother of Franco's young son.
On the technical end, cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub and production designer Jane Musky take effective advantage of the dilapidated seaside setting (with neighboring Asbury Park, N.J., subbing for the similarly shabby Long Beach), while John Murphy's low-key score gently rocks the emotional boat.
CITY BY THE SEA
Warner Bros. Pictures
Franchise Pictures presents a Brad Grey Pictures production
A film by Michael Caton- Jones
Credits: Director: Michael Caton-Jones; Screenwriter: Ken Hixon; Based on the article "Mark of a Murderer" by: Michael McAlary; Producers: Brad Grey, Elie Samaha, Michael Caton-Jones, Matthew Baer; Executive producers: Andrew Stevens, Dan Kores, Don Carmody, Roger Paradiso; Director of photography: Karl Walter Lindenlaub; Production designer: Jane Musky; Editor: Jim Clark; Costume designer: Richard Owings; Music: John Murphy; Casting: Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond. Cast: Vincent LaMarca: Robert De Niro; Michelle: Frances McDormand; Joey LaMarca: James Franco; Gina: Eliza Dushku; Spyder: William Forsythe; Reginald Duffy: George Dzundza; Maggie: Patti LuPone.
MPAA rating R, running time 108 minutes.
Taking its cue from a 1997 Esquire magazine article by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael McAlary, the scenario concerns a veteran New York City homicide detective who finds himself having to do the right thing as both a law enforcer and a parent when a murder suspect turns out to be his estranged junkie son.
Despite an exceptional cast -- headed by Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand and James Franco -- that has been beautifully directed by Michael Caton-Jones, the picture's rather bleak subject matter makes for a tough sell for Warner Bros. Pictures, which, after the disastrous The Adventures of Pluto Nash and the anemic Blood Work, is looking to get back into the boxoffice groove.
De Niro, reuniting with his "This Boy's Life" director, is in fine, introspective form as Detective Vincent LaMarca, a man whose committed career with the NYPD has served to help block out a painful personal past.
His steady girlfriend, Michelle (McDormand), knows about an ex-wife (Patti LuPone) who lives back in Long Beach. But she's unaware of the young son he had left behind and of the emotionally distant LaMarca's own traumatic childhood -- his father was given the electric chair for kidnapping a baby from a wealthy family. The child accidentally suffocated in the back seat of his father's car while he was waiting for the ransom money.
But when LaMarca's now drug-addicted son, Joey (Franco), is at first implicated in the murder of a dealer and then is the prime suspect in a cop killing, his long-buried past comes back to haunt him, with the news media floating the notion of the existence of a "murder gene" that is passed down through the generations.
The turn of events has brought father and son face to face for the first time in 14 years, but the tricky outcome depends on the choices the elder LaMarca must make as a parent and an officer of the law.
What starts out as a generic, gritty crime thriller gets more interesting as it goes along as Caton-Jones and screenwriter Ken Hixon (Inventing the Abbotts) carefully add on all the layers of intrigue.
Hitting it all home in expertly modulated performances is a uniformly excellent cast. While De Niro and McDormand are a treat to watch together -- as fascinating for the choices they don't make as the ones they do -- the always interesting Franco, who made for such a convincing James Dean in the TNT movie of the same name, is equally believable as De Niro's son. He also manages to avoid the usual physical tics that go with the junkie turf.
Also doing fine work are LuPone, George Dzundza as De Niro's partner and Eliza Dushku (who also appeared in "This Boy's Life") as the struggling mother of Franco's young son.
On the technical end, cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub and production designer Jane Musky take effective advantage of the dilapidated seaside setting (with neighboring Asbury Park, N.J., subbing for the similarly shabby Long Beach), while John Murphy's low-key score gently rocks the emotional boat.
CITY BY THE SEA
Warner Bros. Pictures
Franchise Pictures presents a Brad Grey Pictures production
A film by Michael Caton- Jones
Credits: Director: Michael Caton-Jones; Screenwriter: Ken Hixon; Based on the article "Mark of a Murderer" by: Michael McAlary; Producers: Brad Grey, Elie Samaha, Michael Caton-Jones, Matthew Baer; Executive producers: Andrew Stevens, Dan Kores, Don Carmody, Roger Paradiso; Director of photography: Karl Walter Lindenlaub; Production designer: Jane Musky; Editor: Jim Clark; Costume designer: Richard Owings; Music: John Murphy; Casting: Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond. Cast: Vincent LaMarca: Robert De Niro; Michelle: Frances McDormand; Joey LaMarca: James Franco; Gina: Eliza Dushku; Spyder: William Forsythe; Reginald Duffy: George Dzundza; Maggie: Patti LuPone.
MPAA rating R, running time 108 minutes.
- 8/26/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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