" Y O U H A V E A G O O D E Y E . "

Hool was made a casting supervisor, where she worked with a local casting director and carefully watched the process. Shesatinauditions, visitedset, andherloveforcastingbegan.

“Bothmydadandmyuncle, whoisalsoa producer, told me, ‘You should do this. There aren’t many professional casting directors in Mexico, you’re good with people and have a good eye ’ He was right So, I did I opened an office and l learnedontheway ”

Hool was always aware of the lack of Latine representation in the bigger Hollywood productions, but before she became an advocate for representation, she would absorb and learn all that she couldinhernewprofession.

To understand Hool’s beginning of her journey, one must understand the following. The casting process in Mexico is drastically different. Especially back in its day. Though much of it has changed throughout the years, some of its core fundamentals have remained the same. For instance, it’s common for the producerstopackagetheirownprojects, meaningtheyareresponsibleforcasting most of its leads They have most of the celebrity direct contacts as most actors do not have representation there Some of the casting directors that did exist, servedasanagencyaswell

“When I started, there was a lot of corruption in casting in Mexico Some casting directors would charge actors a commissiontocastthemintheirfilmand Itriedmybesttohelpputastoptothat.

“We don’t see it happening as much anymore, but I occasionally still hear it happens. I fought for Mexican actors. Back then, many American films would shoot in Mexico. Mexican actors were not compensated properly nor treated respectfully Ifeltobligatedtobringitupto producers ThatishowIfoundmyselfbeing anadvocateforactorsfromthestart ”

It wouldn’t be easy for Hool to start She wouldcreateherownsystemincasting, for in Mexico, there is no real platform for actors Breakdown Express or any similar services are nonexistent still She would have to rely on her network of actors that shehadestablished.

“It’s a lot of word of mouth and who you know. ” Hool explains. “Actors would just come into the office to drop off their materials Iwouldwatchalotofmoviesand go to the theatre Back in those days I had bindersfullofheadshotsandresumesthat I would go through It was a very different systemthantheonewehavetoday ”

Hool would gain a respestable reputation forhertalentincasting, fromcommercials to local films including ‘Zapata – El Sueño DelHeroe’ and ‘VocesInocentes’ Shebegan taking on more important and prestigious projects as the local casting director for ‘The Librarian: Quest for the Spear’; ‘Man On Fire’; ‘The Matador’; and “Nacho Libre” . Hersolecastingdirectorcreditforamajor Hollywood film would finally emerge in 2005, inMelGibson’s ‘Apocalpyto’ .

“Whatwasthatprocesslike?” IaskHool

“It was very different ” Hool responds “I never had an experience like that Mel Gibson does not audition people; he only interviews them So, all I did were interviews He wanted something very specific

Hewantedpeopletolookright, andnotjust look Mayan and indigenous, no, he wanted actorswithbodytypesthatwouldmatchthe bodies that Mayans had back in those days. Mayans were runners, hunters, fishermen Their nutrition was different from what we eat now They didn’t go to the gym These actors had to look like they could belong to thattimeperiod Theyalsohadtobeableto learn the Mayan language It was challenging I went everywhere, all the way uptotoCanada, whereIfoundthepriest He turned out to be an actual Mayan from ChiapasthatspoketheMayandialect Iwent to New Mexico, Arizona, Veracruz, Yucatán, Oaxaca, Mexico City and Los Angeles, and interviewedpeopleonthestreets Imetwith dancers and all sorts of artists. Our lead in the film was a Native American pow wow dancer. Theremusthavebeenaboutfouror five actual trained actors in that entire film. Therestwerenotactors. Throughoutallthis processIdidn’tholdanyauditions, none The onlythingMeldidwastalktothem Hewould talk to them about the weather, their day, whatever Hewouldaskthemtoruntoseeif they could do it well He would say ‘not everyone knows how to run well ’ And it's true! Itwasverydifferent ”

“Howlongdidittaketocastthefilm?” Iask

“Wehadfiveweeks. Itwascrazy. ButIhada bigteamandwemovedfast. ”

Other notable projects came to Hool thereafter such as ‘Vantage Point’; ‘Che: PartsOneandTwo’; ‘BeverlyHillsChihuahua’ and ‘Quantum Solace’ as additional and locationcasting

In 2007, about 5 years after Hool began her journey in casting, the number of films coming to Mexico began to decline Though itwasdifficult, HooldecidedtomovetoLos Angeles Like many of us, she would place herbetinHollywood

“It was a shock and I had to learn a new way of doing things!” Hool says “There’s a cultural differenceintheindustryforsure InMexicowe all know each other We hug, we kiss, we talk And here it was a bit colder Even the audition process is totally different In Mexico I would take at least 30 minutes with each actor We wouldsayhello, talk, rehearse, andIwouldwork withthemuntilwegotitright Iwasthrownoff when I realized that actors in LA were used to coming in the room, doing the scene one time, maybe two if you give them notes and leave. There wasn’t enough time to dedicate each actor 30 minutes. So, I had to adapt to the differenceinrhythm, butIdecidedthatIreally wanted to keep the warmth that we Mexican peoplehave Thatwasimportanttome ”

“Didyouhavetolearnalotinregardtohowwe docastinghereintheUS?” Iask

“Ohyes ” Hoolsays “Ihadtostartfromscratch, learnawholenewwayofdoingcasting Ihadto learn about SAG rules, get to know agents and managers and the differences of what they do In Mexico, Latin America and Spain actors only haveonerep Thecastingtoolswerealsonewto me I had never used Breakdown Services I remembertalkingtoamanagerontheveryfirst project I cast here, and she said, ‘I don’t remember seeing a breakdown for this ’ And I asked, ‘ …what’sabreakdown?’ Webothlaughed We didn’t have any of these amazing tools in Mexico! The pace is also so much quicker here. There are so many more actors, and the competition is larger. You really need to have thickskintosurviveinthisindustry. ”

Hoolsoonrealizedthatthebusinessandpower dynamics in Hollywood were entirely different Protocols, communications, regulations; theyall projectedanewplayingfieldthatsheneededto learnquickly

“You have to understand that the differences aretremendous InMexicoforexample, casting directors don’t make the offers or handle the deals, producersdo Wecastthetalent, andthen passitontotheproducerswhohandletherest ”

“Wasiteasyforyoutofindworksinceyouhad allthesefilmsunderyourbeltinMexico, ordid youhavetoestablishyourself?” Iask

“I came here and had to establish myself from zero ” Hool says “A handful of casting directors and producers knew me for they had hired me whenIwaslivinginMexico Butthatwasaboutit Nooneelseknewme IrememberthefirsttimeI was nominated for an Artios award, the guy in charge of taking my pictures looked at me and said ‘Wheredidyoucomefrom?I’veneverheard your name ’ (Carla laughs) My response was simply, ‘I’ve been around for a while ’ It really tookmesometime.

“At first I was hired to just cast the one or two Latine roles in different projects. I usually didn’t even get credited for my work ” Hool says. “That happened for a long time Then again, there weren’tmanyLatinerolesbackthen ”

Soon approached a project that would change the trajectory of her career A television series thatafterafewcomplaintsfromsomeofitscast members, needed guidance with their Latine talent ThatprojectwasFX’s ‘TheBridge’

“I received a call from Elwood Reid, the Showrunner He told me that Demian Bichir wasn’thappywiththeauthenticityinthecasting ofthefirstseason, sohebroughtupmynameto him ”

The series took place in the Texas-Chihuaha border, itscastingrequiredaspecificsearchthat initstime, itsimperativenesswasoverlooked.

“With all due respect, it wasn’t being cast authentically. ” Hool explains. “The accents were all over the place. You had Puerto Ricans with a PuertoRicanaccentplayingMexicans ”

The conversation regarding Latine authenticity has always been complex and quite sensitive I remembered speaking with Hool earlier in the yearforthe “MiGente!” Initiativeandherwords echoedinmymind

“There was a lack of knowledge with regards to the diversity within the Latine community They didn’t care if they cast someone with a ColombianaccenttoplayaMexican Theywould tell me ‘Who cares, we don’t hear the difference intheaccents ’ Iwouldsay ‘No, maybeyoudon’t hear it, but the entire Latinx community DOES heartheaccentsanditdoesmatter ’

The best comparison that Hool would use is, ‘You don’t hear an Irish actor play an American role speaking with an Irish accent It would be thesamething ’

The truth is what many Latine filmmakers and thefewLatinecastingprofessionalscontinueto express Just because we are Latine does not automatically mean we all come from Mexico The misconception that we all look and sound the same emerges from people failing to understand that we are not a monolith. Latin America consists of 33 countries, with a vast community and a plethora of cultures and accents Mexico itself has multiple accents and dialects, justastheAmericanpopulationsounds different throughout the country This is not to say that a certain person from another Latine country cannot play a Mexican, but the accent must be learned, and a responsibility is owned totheculture; thatwemustupliftandincrease representation for our communities, to eradicate not just the lack of our people in the mainstream media, but the misconceptions of whoweare

“This was one of the first things that I started speaking up about, ” Hool says “The lack of authenticity and respect in the representation oftheLatinxcommunitywasprettyshockingto me I decided that it was imperative to start havingtheseconversations. ”

Despite Hool’s expertise and experience however, there was hesitation in hiring her as thesolecastingdirectorontheseries.

“They were nervous about it, ” Hool says “They feltIwouldn’tbeabletocasttheAmericanroles Buttheygavemethebreakandhiredmeasthe sole Casting Director for the second season of ‘The Bridge’ I had previously cast the second season of ‘Eastbound and Down' which also helped Having those two shows, gave me the confidencetosay, I’mnotgoingtodojustoneor tworolesanymore Ifyouwanttohireme, you’re goingtohavehiremetocasttheentireproject, notonlytheLatineroles ”

It was a boost to Hool’s career She’d go on to cast ‘Casanova’ starringDiegoLuna, ‘The 33’ with Antonio Banderas, and ‘Sky’ with Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus Then would come a show that would change history for Latine talent aroundtheworld, theNetflixhitshow, ‘Narcos. ’

“Idobelieveabigpartofthesuccessof ‘Narcos’ wasduetothecasting Itwassodifferent Itwas fresh IenjoyedworkingonitbecauseIwasable to cast talented actors from many different countries, without worrying if they were known or name actors in the US I was able to cast the bestactorsforeachrole ”

“Narcos” would premiere on Netflix in 2015, spotlightingawidespectrumofLatinetalenton a global scale. The first two seasons followed Pablo Escobar, played by Wagner Moura. The third and fourth seasons renewed in 2016, the fourth later being announced as a series reset titled “Narcos: Mexico” starring Diego Luna. The show would prove to be a tremendous success, showcasing talent such as Pedro Pascal, Tenoch Huerta, Diego Calva, Paulina Gaitan, Adria Arjona, Juan Pablo Raba, Manolo Cardona, and manymore Theshowwouldbringaboutherfirst ArtiosnominationforOutstandingAchievement inCastingforTelevision

Hool would then sign onto many notable pilots and series including ‘Los Espookys’ , ’East Los High’ , ‘Selena; The Series’ , ‘Gentefied’ , ‘Gordita Chronicles’ , ‘This Fool’ , ‘Primo’; all shows with a strong iconic presence within the Latine community Someofthefeaturefilmsshewould alsocastwouldbe, ‘MissBala’ , ‘Rambo: TheLast Blood’ , ‘2Hearts’ , ’Stars At Noon’ , and one of her personalfavorites: Pixar’s ‘Coco’ .

“Whatwassospecialabout ‘Coco’?” Iaskher.

“Coco was a beautiful project to work on It was oneofthefirstfilmsIeverworkedonwherethe studio, producers, and the director wanted to really create an authentic representation of the Mexican culture That’s why I was brought on as CastingDirector, tomakesurethatthefilmwas castauthentically ”

And though Hool has become a respectable industryname, hercreditsearningherveterancy and being known as one of the most influential casting directors in the international market, a ratherpeculiarpatternhasnotgoneunnoticed

“It feels like I was pigeon-holed from the very beginning, ” Hool explains “If it wasn’t a Latine castoraLatineproject, Iwouldn’tbeconsidered Itstillhappens

EventhoughmynameisnotLatininorigin, and I don’t look like what people stereotypically believe Latine people look like, they immediately put you in a box of ‘Oh! You’re Mexican! You’reinthislittlebox ’ It’saveryhard boxtogetoutof ”

“Canyouexpandonthat?” Iask

“Well. JustbecauseI’mMexican, itdoesn’tmeanI can’tcastanonLatineproject, butsomepeople can’tseemtograspthat. ”

The words hit me with a crushing reality The unspoken truth that many underrepresented communities struggle to not only just be seen, butalsotoberecognizedforourskillassetsand talent outside of our identities or ethnic backgroundsisstillanissueinthiscountryand in this industry As the few Latine people in the business; from filmmakers, casting directors, actors – we still struggle with this reality This encompasses the reason for our fight for our representation on screen, and just as importantly, behindthecamera

Looking back at Hool’s 20 plus year career and over 140 projects, her remarkable experience undoubtedlydeservesrespect Andthenumber of careers she has initiated or put on the radar to international markets should not go unnoticed. The uncomfortable and bold question I dare ask is, why not a non Latine project for her? Her expertise as a casting director is evident, her specialization for pitching, finding, andidentifyingLatinetalentis all, at the end of the day, exactly that: pure, professionaltalent Knowntalentorrisingtalent that international markets covet today Should the answers be that one cannot see past her background, further fuels our fight and determination for change An experienced and talentedcastingdirectorlikeCarlaHoolshould not be limited to just Latine projects The projectsthatareLatineareveryfew Andwhen thefewLatineprojectsthatdoexistonceagain gotosomeonethatisnon-understandingofour communities and their respective cultures, it unravelsanevenmoreuncomfortabledilemma

“But we should celebrate our wins, ” Carla says “Yes, it is worth it to fight for diversity and authenticrepresentation

It is important for me to educate people in the industry, producers, and executives about the diversity within our community There are 33 Latin countries with different accents each and we have Afro Latinos, Indigenous Latinos, Asian LatinosandWhiteLatinos Wearenotarace Itis important for everyone to understand that It’s rewardingtoberecognizedforthat Iwastalking to a casting executive, and she said that she really does believe that I have contributed to creating change. She still remembers when we wereonthephoneyearsago, andIwasadamant about someone’s (who had already been cast) accent not being the right one. I pushed and pushedandpushed. Sheneverforgotthat. "

“The biggest reward for me is to be able to help change someone’s life That, and fighting for diversity and equality is what keeps me going every day Chris Weitz hired me to cast ‘A Better Life' together with Joseph Middleton and that film got Demian Bichir his nomination for an Academy Award Anthony Gonzalez’s life changedwhenwecasthimin ‘Coco’ , notonlyhis life, hisentirefamily’slife Ikeepintouchwithhis mom, she emails me and texts me every Christmasandeveryholidayjusttocheckinand seehowI’mdoing ”

I sit and smile, and sigh deeply with relief The truthinherwordsstrikeyetagain Theyserveas a fond reminder that no matter how exhausting andstressfulourjobsascastingdirectorscanbe, it’s all worth it in the end. Though we may face situations and certain inequalities, the wins make it all the better, because something was achievedatadeeperlevel.

“Weneedtosupporteachother, ” shesays “Weas a Latine community, as filmmakers, as casting directors We really need to support each other Nos tenemos que apoyar We still have a long road ahead of us to see real change Nos tenemos que comprometer, to do our part, in whatever position we hold, to be able to turn around and help someone that is coming up behind us, help mentor people that are just getting started We need to continue educating peopleaboutourcommunity ”

“Whatwouldyouliketoseeinourfuture?” Iask finally Shesitsquietlywiththisforamoment

“

“I’d like to see the day when we are all treated equally When there are no more boxes to put diversity and minorities in. Oncethat’sgone, thenourjobwillbedone. Whenwearealltrulytreatedasequalsand there’s no need to fight for any kind of representation because we’re all considered the same and given the same opportunities regardless of our race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, ornationality ”

Iclosemyeyesasthesewordsresonated I recognize the determination and vitality withinHool, andmyrespectandadmiration for her deepens I sit and take in her journey, and I commend her courage to fight through it all, independently and completely on her own. A sense of pride swells within me for this comes from a fellow Mexicana, who yet again demonstrates the tenacity of our people. A sense of comfort also comes to me, a hopeful realization that perhaps, we no longer have to do this alone For the few Latine casting professionals, like myself, we’re grateful for the icon that she has become and to have someone like her to lookupto

Carla Hool would win the Artios Award in 2018 forOutstandingAchievementinCasting for Animation for ‘Coco’ , followed by another two nominations for “Narcos: Mexico” in 2020 andthecastingdepartment for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in 2022. ShewasawardedbyNALIPas ‘Industry Pioneer’ in 2019. She is the winner of Heller Awardsfor ‘FeatureCastingDirectorofthe year’ in 2022 Hermostrecentworkisthefilm

Chupa” starring Demian Bichir and Christian Slater, now streaming on Netflix and coming soon, Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot’

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