A Star Is Found

Our Adventures Casting Some of Hollywood's Biggest Movies

Janet Hirshenson, Jane Jenkins, Rachel Kranz

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Year: 2007
• ISBN:
  9780547545264
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Acting & Auditioning

"These veteran insiders have a passion for casting major motion pictures, and they use meetings with famous people to illustrate how Hollywood works." — Publishers Weekly For anyone who's ever walked out of a movie and said, "That guy was all wrong for the 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 recently cast the much-lauded choice of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond, offer an insider's tour of their crucial craft—spotting stars in the making. Janet and Jane share the fascinating, funny stories of discovering and casting then-unknown stars such as Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Cusack, Matt Damon, Jennifer Connelly, 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 the kind of behind-the-scenes access to the machinery of star-making that captivates movie fans and aspiring actors alike. "In an exuberant, faultlessly pleasant manner, the authors take us behind the Hollywood curtain and into a world often misunderstood... remarkable reading." — PopMatters "Parlour game fun... Good-natured and always professional, Hirshenson and Jenkins impart the tenets of their craft." — The New York Times Book Review "Reads as fast and easily as a finely honed script." — The Columbus Dispatch "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." — Booklist

Index

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

About Schmidt, 15

Adams, Maud, 36, 127

“adult agencies,” 96

Adventures in Babysitting, 129, 205, 230

Affleck, Ben, 2–3, 102

Against the Ropes, 287

Air Force One, 20, 102, 121–22

Alex & Emma, 220–23

All the King’s Men, 258

Allman, Elijah Blue, 217

Amadei, Magali, 117, 118

Amélie, 72

American Beauty, 20, 227

American Graffiti, 65

American Playhouse Theater, 131

American President, The, 122, 130

American Splendor, 21

America’s Dream, 283

Amis, Suzy, 269

Amityville, 286

André the Giant, 261, 263, 270

Andrews, Chris, 175

Anglim, Philip, 278

Aniston, Jennifer, 20, 21, 124

Anna and the King, 239

Antwone Fisher, 171

Apollo 13, 54, 55, 114, 119–20, 127–28

Armed and Dangerous, 286

Artios Awards, 239

Astin, Sean, 224

Atlantic Theater Company, 20

Attias, Daniel, 91

B

Baby’s Day Out, 205, 212–14, 219–20

Backdraft, 121, 284–85

Bacon, Kevin, 123, 157

Baldwin, Alec, 3, 113, 282

Baldwin, Billy, 121, 284–85

Bana, Eric, 257

Barrett, Jacinda, 177

Bates, Kathy, 281

Bay Boy, The, 224

Baywatch, 269

Beach Blanket Bingo, 86

Beautiful Mind, A, 7, 9, 43–45, 52–53, 59–61, 76, 78, 83, 113–20, 128–29, 146, 151, 155, 173, 176–77, 178, 181, 207–208, 211, 241–47, 249–50, 288–89

Beautiful Mind, A (Nasar), ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Introduction
• The Call
• Getting Started
• Auditioning The Unknowns
• Names and Stars
• Stars and Superstars
• Making Sure
• The Littlest Stars
• The Tough Search
• When It All Comes Together (Or Not)
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• About the Authors