A Star is Found: Our Adventures Casting Some of Hollywood's Biggest Movies [Hardcover]

Hirshenson and Jenkins got their start casting for Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope Studios. When the studio went bust, they opened their own office, the Casting Company, and their book reminisces about the many films they've cast, including Harry Potter and A Beautiful Mind; the actors they've discovered, such as Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Scarlett Johansson; and some of the A-list directors, like Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg, who hired them. Given the authors' credentials (they have been casting partners since 1981), consider the advice they offer blue-chip. They cover everything from how to handle a call-back to telling actors to send head shots "that actually look like you." Most important, never take anything personally. A great audition doesn't always translate into a role: there are many factors that determine the final decision, such as chemistry, preference and competition. These veteran insiders have a passion for casting major motion pictures, and they use meetings with famous people to illustrate how Hollywood works. Tales of actors' career trajectories are informative without being malicious. For actors, this informative, breezy narrative is like having a frank but loving aunt tell you the facts of life. (Nov.)
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Hirshenson and Jenkins, founders of the Casting Company, one of Los Angeles' premier casting agencies, share stories from their 30-year careers in the industry. Both women got their start with a well-known casting director before joining her at Francis Ford Coppola's visionary studio, Zoetrope. After Zoetrope went belly up, Hirshenson and Jenkins struck out on their own, working with such Hollywood luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Wolfgang Petersen, and Ron Howard. Although the big roles are crucial to a movie's success, Hirshenson and Jenkins also illustrate how much thought goes into even the smallest role, using the example of a brief but pivotal part in the Ron Howard movie A Beautiful Mind to show how even a character who is on screen for only a single scene can affect the movie's believability. Hirshenson and Jenkins have done much to demystify the process of matching actors with movie roles in this must-read for anyone interested in acting or casting. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"Casting directors are some of the unsung heroes in Hollywood, and these are two of the best." -- Movieline

"Celebrity watchers, actors and film students alike will enjoy this book." -- Library Journal --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

For anyone whos ever walked out of a movie and said, That guy was all wrong for that part, comes this first-of-its-kind look at how actors are chosen and careers are born. Two of the top casting directors in the business, who most recently cast the new James Bond, The Da Vinci Code, and the summer blockbuster Poseidon, offer an insiders tour of their crucial craftspotting stars in the makingin this lively memoir, full of the kind of backroom detail loved by movie fans and aspiring actors alike. Janet and Jane share the fascinating, funny stories of discovering and casting then-unknown stars like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Cusack, Matt Damon, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Brendan Fraser, Virginia Madsen, Joaquin Phoenix, Meg Ryan, Benicio Del Toro, and the Harry Potter kids. Taking us from the first casting call through head shots, auditions, meetings, and desperate searches to fill a part, they give us behind-the-scenes access to the machinery of star-making. Films Include: The Da Vinci Code Friday Night Lights Something's Gotta Give A Beautiful Mind Harry Potter the Sorcerer's Stone How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Perfect Storm Air Force One Jurassic Park Ghosts of Mississippi The American President Mrs. Doubtfire In the Line of Fire Last Action Hero A Few Good Men Home Alone Hook Backdraft Misery Ghost When Harry Met Sally Licence to Kill Mystic Pizza Beetlejuice The Princess Bride Stand by Me Ferris Bueller's Day Off The Sure Thing Dune Body Double Red Dawn The Outsiders

For anyone whos ever wondered how the Princess Bride ended up with an English accent or what Julia Roberts wore to the audition that won her her first major role -or walked out of a movie saying "I would never have put that guy in that part"- here is the first-of-its-kind look at how actors are chosen and careers are born. Two of the top casting directors in the business, who cast everyone from the Harry Potter kids to the new James Bond, offer an insiders tour of their crucial craft spotting stars in the making. Recounting their remarkable shared career, from their early days at Francis Ford Coppolas legendary Zoetrope to their twenty-six years in business together, they share the funny and fascinating stories of discovering and casting then-unknown stars like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Cusack, Matt Damon, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Brendan Fraser, Virginia Madsen, Joaquin Phoenix, Meg Ryan, and Benicio Del Toro, as well as insights about the many famous directors for whom theyve worked. Taking us from the first casting call through head shots, auditions, meetings, and desperate searches to fill a part, they give us behind-the-scenes access to the machinery of star-making. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

GET BEHIND THE SCENES ACCESS TO THE MACHINERY OF STAR-MAKING This book is for anyone whos ever walked out of a movie and said: "That guy was all wrong for the part." In this first-of-its-kind look at how actors are chosen and careers are born, two of Tinseltowns top casting directors offer an insiders tour of their crucial craft. Janet and Jane share the fascinating, funny stories of discovering or casting then-unknown stars such as Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Cusack, Matt Damon, Jennifer Connelly, Joaquin Phoenix, Meg Ryan, Benicio Del Toro, the Harry Potter kids, and the new James Bond. "[A] casting bible."--New York Daily News "If you want to know what goes through the mind of a filmmaker or casting director when actors are actually vying for roles and crucial decisions are being made, this engaging, insightful book will be an eye opener." --Ron Howard "A Star Is Found should be required reading for every student of cinema."--Chris Columbus, director of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone "Good-natured and always professional, Hirshenson and Jenkins impart the tenets of their craft."--New York Times Book Review Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins have been partners in The Casting Company since 1981 and have worked with directors Francis Ford Coppola, Tim Burton, Brian DePalma, David Lynch, Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, and John Hughes among others. In 1999 they were named the first-ever "Casting Directors of the Year" by the Hollywood Film Festival. They both live in Los Angeles. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

JANET HIRSHENSON and JANE JENKINS have been partners in the Casting Company since 1981 and have worked with directors from Ron Howard and Wolfgang Petersen to Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, Tim Burton, and John Hughes. In 1999 they were named the first-ever Casting Directors of the Year by the Hollywood Film Festival. They both live in Los Angeles.

1 * The Call JANE It began, as it usually does, with a phone callthis time, from Louisa Velis, Ron Howards longtime associate producer at Imagine Entertainment. Russell Crowes deal for A Beautiful Mind is done, so were ready to go ahead. The budget is going to be tight, but of course there are great parts, and Im sure youll come up with great actors, as always. Can you start putting a list together and meet with Ron on Friday? The wife and the roommate are especially important to him. JANET Whether its a big film, a small one, or something in between, our job always begins with the Call. Sometimes the Call comes from a director we know well Chris Columbus, Ron Howard, Wolfgang Petersen, Rob Reiner. With such long-standing relationships, the Call is almost a formality, a confirmation that its once again time for us to get to work. When the Call comes from a director weve never worked with, his first step is usually to schedule a meeting. (The director is so rarely a she that in this book, were just going to say he, with apologies to Hollywoods female filmmakers. Although there are now lots of powerful women in Hollywoodproducers, top agents, even the heads of several major studiosits still unusual for women to direct films. Weve never been able to figure out whysurely if a woman has life-or-death power over someone elses movie, she ought to be able to make her ownbut with a handful of exceptions such as Nancy Meyers, most directors are men.) At this point in our career, we dont exactly go on job interviews. But this initial meeting with the directorand, perhaps, his producerpretty much serves that function, as we all figure out whether or not we want to work together. The director already knows that Jane and I have a long string of successful movies to our creditbut so do lots of our colleagues. So should he choose us, or one of Hollywoods many other casting directors? Sometimes this decision is based on the type of film that is being planned. Perhaps the director is looking for someone to solve a particular problem finding 300-pound jugglers for his circus movie, or getting access to the Latvian community for all those folk-dance scenes hes planning. Most likely, though, hes looking for the vibe, trying to feel out what our relationship will be like for the long, arduous months that casting a movie usually takes. I once heard of a producer who described filmmaking as a long road triphe didnt want to work with anyone with whom he wouldnt enjoy traveling for eight, ten, twelve hours a day, week after week after week. This initial meeting is the directors chance to find out what sharing that journey might be like. Such meetings usually start with the director describing his vision, with maybe a few additional words about the movies overall budget. Then Jane and I toss out some ideas, almost as though we already had the job. All of us are trying to act as though we actually are working together, to see what a real relationship might be like.