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“I hate auditions,” Marlon Brando barked as he auditioned for a role. godfather. I reminded him that it was his idea, and he, not the studio, had made the actors nervous. (Of course, it was a great audition.)
Actors’ anxiety was again evident at last weekend’s SAG Awards. Great performances were celebrated, formidable talent was on display, and Barbra Streisand clearly owned the room.
But the night had problematic implications. The expected upturn in employment opportunities did not occur across Hollywood. The days of the “heyday of television” seem to be receding, and words like “downsizing” are echoing around the industry.
Indeed, despite all this, the SAG winners thanked the casting directors for choosing good films and supported the Academy’s decision to establish a new organization, the Casting Branch. I could even do it.
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But SAG-AFTRA’s 160,000 members must also face the reality that the job market is shrinking, not growing. Hollywood continues to revel throughout awards season, but box office receipts are down 17% from last year, according to a box office tracker. wall street journal He sums it up by saying, “Expectations are high, but the start is slow.”
Still, actors like Brando are eager to audition for roles and have projects in the works.
“Casting directors now play an important role,” the Academy reminded us in announcing the new division. While praising BAFTA for creating the scheme two years ago, several members even speculated that casting decisions would be subject to the same vetting process as other sectors. Some may have wondered if it was the right decision to cast an Irish actor to play the Jewish physicist Oppenheimer, but they were right to cast an Australian actress as an American Barbie doll. I wonder?
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Streisand, the winner of last weekend’s special SAG Award, sparked a historic casting battle of her own.She probably wasn’t beautiful enough for the movie version funny girl and the gender was wrong Yentl. Streisand won the battle theatrically.
Barbra Streisand receives SAG Lifetime Achievement Award on February 24th (Getty Images)
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
This year, some major casting choices were provocative. Joaquin Phoenix was too old to play Napoleon, second guessers said. Was Adam Driver Italian enough to catch Ferrari?
Still, the ensemble’s wise casting decisions and countless auditions were key to the success of hit TV series such as: bear or inheritancebut even those caused serious debate.
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In movies, big-name directors have won praise for out-of-character casting, like Mike Nichols’ bet on Dustin Hoffman. graduate. However, in Nichols’ time, it was common for filmmakers to conduct face-to-face interviews with casting candidates, even for the roles of his subordinates.
“Casting has now become a virtual exercise,” complains one actor who has won and lost major roles. “In-person sessions are history.”
“Actors are often chosen based on their social media following rather than their acting swagger,” says veteran acting coach Gary Marks.He himself faces challenges in casting new movies. It’s not a trivial matterHe will write the script for and direct the film.
This story chronicles the life and career of Muggsy Bogues, a famous 5-foot-3 NBA star. Actors of this stature who are also good at basketball are in short supply, and Marks is looking for an enterprising casting director to help him in his quest.
In Brando’s case, the star won the audition through a self-recorded audition. godfather Of course there is also a role. Brando, who had overcome a series of box office flops and various scandals, was determined to win the role, even though the studio was looking for a younger star. The novel suddenly became a worldwide hit.
The brand broke the rule against auditions and designed its own audition location, with Coppola providing guidance, right down to the make-up. Coppola supported the brand from the beginning. In fact, Coppola, who led a small film crew, was the only person invited to witness the impromptu filming.
Paramount’s parent company’s then-CEO Charles Bluedoorn initially refused to watch Brando’s audition tape, declaring, “CEOs don’t watch auditions.”
When Mr. Bluedrone finally saw the tape, he suddenly changed his mind. “Why didn’t you say you convinced him to audition?” he yelled at Coppola.
The director decided not to reveal that it was Brando’s idea.
