Non-Fiction Book #3 in 2009 – A Star Is Found: Our Adventures Casting Some of Hollywood’s Biggest Movies by Janet Hirshenson & Jane Jenkins

A Star Is Found: Our Adventures Casting Some of Hollywood’s Biggest Movies by Janet Hirshenson & Jane Jenkins

From Publishers Weekly on amazon.com:

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.

My thoughts:

• It was a fun, quick read – want to find out why some got cast for movies like James Bond, Jurassic Park, Ghost, A Beautiful Mind, Harry Potter etc? I haven’t watched all the movies mentioned in the book, but it was very interesting to read someone got cast over another actor/actress. E.g. 2 actors may be equally as good for a role, but the final decision might depend on who else is cast, like the female lead’s best friend can’t be blond if the female lead is blond, and the best friend can’t be prettier than the lead etc etc.

• The book was in a conversational style, between Jane and Janet – but the 2 voices are so similar that I don’t really remember who is saying what, but it doesn’t matter that much.

• I wish the book was written in a more chronological order, or talk about one movie at a time, because the same movie might get mentioned through the book, so some parts seem a bit repetitive.

• A LOT go into choosing each role for each movie, even if the role is very minor. I think from now on when I watch movies (or TV) it’d give me a new insight about why someone may be chosen for a part.

• “Good casting = invisible” – so that when you’re watching the movie,  you don’t wonder who else may be better for that role, rather than the person chosen. Very true.