October & November 2022 | CASTING STORIES | THE ZINE

H E A T R E

H O R T F I L M A

H O R T F O R M S E R I E S : S H O R T F O R M S E R I E S : S H O R T F O R M S E R I E S :

O M I N A T I O N S N O M I N A T I O N S N O M I N A T I O N S

TELEVISION PILOT AND FIRST SEASON – COMEDY

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Wendy O’Brien

Ghosts (CBS)

Elizabeth Barnes, Tannis Vallely, Andrea Kenyon (Location Casting), Randi Wells (Location Casting)

Julia (HBO Max)

Sharon Bialy, Gohar Gazazyan, Lisa Lobel (Location Casting), Angela Peri (Location Casting), Stacia Kimler (Associate Casting Director), Melissa Morris (Associate Casting Director)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Destiny Lilly (Associate Casting Director) Reservation Dogs (FX/Hulu)

Angelique Midthunder, Jennifer Schwalenberg, Chris Freihofer (Location Casting), Stacey Rice (Associate Casting Director), Lisa Zambetti (Associate Casting Director)

The Sex Lives of College Girls (HBO Max) Elizabeth Barnes, Jennifer Euston

TELEVISION PILOT AND FIRST SEASON – DRAMA

Kevin Can F**k Himself (AMC)

Felicia Fasano, Rikki Gimelstob, Angela Peri (Location Casting), Lisa Lobel (Location Casting), Katie Lantz (Associate Casting Director)

Pachinko (Apple TV+)

Mary Vernieu, Michelle Wade Byrd, Ko Iwagami (Location Casting), Corinne Clark (Location Casting), Jennifer Page (Location Casting)

The Gilded Age (HBO)

Bernard Telsey, Adam Caldwell, Kristian Charbonier (Associate Casting Director)

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (HBO) – Francine Maisler, Kathy Driscoll-Mohler, Melissa Kostenbauder, Molly Rose (Associate Casting Director)

Severance (Apple TV+)

Rachel Tenner, Bess Fifer (Location Casting), Rick Messina (Associate Casting Director) Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Junie Lowry Johnson, Libby Goldstein, Corinne Clark (Location Casting), Jennifer Page (Location Casting), Josh Ropiequet (Associate Casting Director)

TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY

Barry (HBO)

Sherry Thomas, Sharon Bialy, Stacia Kimler (Associate Casting Director)

Hacks (HBO Max)

Jeanne McCarthy, Nicole Abellera Hallman, Anna Mayworm (Associate Casting Director)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Theo Park

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)

Cindy Tolan, Anne Davison (Associate Casting Director)

The Other Two (HBO Max)

Allison Estrin, Henry Russell Bergstein, Jenn Gaw (Associate Casting Director), Dayna Katz (Associate Casting Director)

TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Better Call Saul (AMC)

Sharon Bialy, Sherry Thomas, Russel Scott, Marie K. McMaster (Location Casting), Alyssa Morris (Associate Casting Director)

Euphoria (HBO)

Jessica Kelly, Mary Vernieu, Bret Howe, Jennifer Venditti (Location Casting)

Ozark (Netflix)

Alexa L. Fogel, Chase Paris (Location Casting), Tara Feldstein Bennett (Location Casting), Kathryn Zamora-Benson (Associate Casting Director)

Succession (HBO)

Avy Kaufman, Lilia Trapani (Location Casting), Harrison Nesbit (Associate Casting Director)

The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

Victoria Thomas

LIMITED SERIES

Dopesick (Hulu)

Avy Kaufman, Erica Arvold (Location Casting), Scotty Anderson (Associate Casting Director), Dustin Presley (Associate Casting Director)

Inventing Anna (Netflix)

Linda Lowy, Henry Russell Bergstein, Allison Estrin, Jamie Castro, Simone Bär (Location Casting), Juliette Menager (Location Casting), Dayna Katz (Associate Casting Director)

Maid (Netflix)

Rachel Tenner, Corinne Clark (Location Casting), Jennifer Page (Location Casting), Rick Messina (Associate Casting Director)

The Dropout (Hulu)

Jeanie Bacharach, Alison Goodman, Mark Rutman

The Staircase (HBO Max)

Douglas Aibel, Tracy Kilpatrick (Location Casting), Matthew Glasner (Associate Casting Director), Blair Foster (Associate Casting Director)

LIVE TELEVISION PERFORMANCE, VARIETY OR SKETCH –COMEDY, DRAMA OR MUSICAL

Annie Live! (NBC)

Bernard Telsey, Patrick Goodwin

That Damn Michael Che (HBO Max)

Erica A. Hart

The G Word with Adam Conover (Netflix)

Lindsey Weissmueller, Chrissy Fiorilli-Ellington

True Story with Ed & Randall (Peacock) Melissa DeLizia

Would I Lie to You? (The CW)

Mark Saks

CHILDREN’S PILOT AND SERIES (LIVE ACTION)

Bunk’d (Disney Channel)

Howard Meltzer, Biz Urban (Associate Casting Director)

Noggin Knows (Noggin)

Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick

The Babysitters Club (Netflix)

Danielle Aufiero, Amber Horn, Tiffany Mak (Location Casting), Leigh Ann Smith (Associate Casting Director)

Young Dylan (Nickelodeon)

Kim Coleman, Rhavynn Drummer (Associate Casting Director)

Warped! (Nickelodeon)

Nickole Doro, Shayna Sherwood, Devon Brady (Associate Casting Director), Jeremy Gordon (Associate Casting Director)

ANIMATED SERIES

Big Mouth (Netflix)

Julie Ashton

Bob’s Burgers (Fox)

Julie Ashton

Central Park (Apple TV+)

Julie Ashton Family Guy (Fox)

Christine Terry, Jackie Sollitto Rick and Morty (Adult Swim)

Ruth Lambert Robert McGee

REALITY SERIES

Nailed It! (Netflix)

Ron Mare, Anna Sturgeon

Queer Eye (Netflix)

Jessica Jorgensen, Danielle Gervais, Quinn Fegan, Natalie Pino, Pamela Vallarelli

RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Goloka Bolte, Ethan Petersen Shark Tank (ABC)

Mindy Zemrak

Top Chef (Bravo)

Ron Mare, Heather Allyn

SHORT FILM

El Carrito

Emily Fleischer

The F Word

Rachel Reiss Milk

Shakyra Dowling

North Star

Jeffrey Gafner

We’re Too Good for This Shakyra Dowling

SHORT FORM SERIES

Breakwater

Jeffrey Gafner

Love, Death + Robots

Ivy Isenberg, Natasha Vincent (Location Casting)

State of the Union

Kathleen Chopin, John Ort

NEW YORK BROADWAY THEATER – COMEDY

Chicken & Biscuits

Erica A. Hart Clyde’s

Will Cantler, Karyn Casl, Destiny Lilly, Charlie Hano (Associate Casting Director)

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf

Erica Jensen, Heidi Griffiths, Kate Murray

POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive

Taylor Williams

Take Me Out

Jim Carnahan, Jason Thinger (Associate Casting Director)

NEW YORK BROADWAY THEATER – MUSICAL Caroline or Change

Jim Carnahan, Jilian Cimini, Carrie Gardner, Stephen Kopel Company

Cindy Tolan, Nicholas Petrovich

Girl From the North Country Jordan Thaler, Heidi Griffiths

MJ The Musical Rachel Hoffman

The Music Man

Craig Burns, Bernard Telsey, Rebecca Scholl

NEW YORK THEATER – COMEDY OR DRAMA

A Case for the Existence of God

David Caparelliotis Fairycakes

Adam Caldwell, Destiny Lilly, Charlie Hano (Associate Casting Director)

Letters of Suresh Karyn Casl, Destiny Lilly, Charlie Hano (Associate Casting Director)

Prayer for the French Republic

Kelly Gillespie

The Daughter in Law Stephanie Klapper Which Way to the Stage Will Cantler Wish You Were Here Karyn Casl

NEW YORK THEATER – MUSICAL Americano! A New Musical

Michael Cassara

Black No More

Kristian Charbonier, Rebecca Scholl

Oratorio for Living Things

Henry Russell Bergstein

The Bedwetter

Rachel Hoffman, Charlie Hano (Associate Casting Director) Trevor

Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman

Whisper House

Tara Rubin, Peter Van Dam

REGIONAL THEATER

A Christmas Carol

Jim Carnahan, Jason Thinger (Associate Casting Director)

Bhangin’ It A Bhangin’ New Musical Erica Jensen, Paul Davis

Bob Fosse’s Dancin’

Tara Rubin, Xavier Rubiano (Associate Casting Director)

Bug

JC Clementz

School Girls: Or the African Mean Girls Play

Lauren Port, Rachael Jimenez (Associate Casting Director)

LOS ANGELES THEATER

A Christmas Carol

Jim Carnahan, Jilian Cimini, Jason Thinger (Associate Casting Director)

God of Carnage

Michael Donovan Richie Ferris

Head Over Heels

Ryan Bernard Tymensky

Man of God

Phyllis Schuringa

Power of Sail

Phyllis Schuringa

SPECIAL THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE

Candide

Stephanie Klapper

The Life

Destiny Lilly, Charlie Hano (Associate Casting Director)

Kismet

Peter Van Dam

The Tap Dance Kid Craig Burns

THEATER TOURS

Hadestown

Duncan Stewart, Benton Whitley Moulin Rouge

Jim Carnahan, Stephen Kopel, Alexandre Bleau (Associate Casting Director) Oklahoma!

Taylor Williams

Six the Musical

Tara Rubin, Peter Van Dam, Kevin Metzger Timson (Associate Casting Director)

To Kill a Mockingbird

Adam Caldwell, Destiny Lilly, Amelia McCarthy (Associate Casting Director)

Artios Awards Nominations

Marvel Casting Director Defends Not Recasting T’Challa For Black Panther 2

JULIEHUGHES,PLAYBILL

FELICIAJOSEPH,DEADLINE

DENISECHAMIAN,NYCASTINGS

While I was taken by the many folks who reposted “I support my Jewish friends and the Jewish people” on social media, I felt it was because lots of folks didn’t know what else to do. This makes sense to me as while many folks in the Jewish community blatantly condemned antisemitic remarks, we did not consistently inform the public on how to engage and act against this horrific rhetoric. I felt this was a teachable moment missed, and I’d like to offer several (of many!) resources below that I find helpful and relevant in educating oneself and addressing Anti Semitism head on today:

Watching “A Tree of Life” on HBOMax Listening to Sarah Silverman’s Podcast Donate/Participate in the Jews of Color Initiative and JQ International

If based in Los Angeles, experiencing Holocaust Museum LA and/or the Museum of Tolerance If based in New York, experiencing the Museum of Jewish Heritage

ZACHARY SPIEGEL, CSA

Zach creates safe spaces for the marginalized/underrepresented, so that no one is left behind or even erased. He splits his time as an Associate Casting Director with Jill Anthony Thomas/Anthony J Kraus and Howard Meltzer in Los Angeles. He is currently working on Pretty Freekin Scary for Disney Channel and most recently worked on the ABC/20th Century Pilot Not Dead Yet and Netflix's Unstable starring Rob and Johnny Lowe. Previously, he worked with Bullock and Snow Casting on Nickelodeon's Pilot of Danger Force and the first two seasons of Side Hustle He has recently begun casting his own projects as well. He created "How to Cast It" with Casting Directors Erica Hart, Erica Jensen, Destiny Lilly, and Josy Rodriguez as a means of free education and accessibility to BIMPOC folks who aspire to work in the field of casting.

Pam Dixon

BY CANDIDO CORNEJO

In the peculiar and eclectic world such as the entertainment business; rarely does one rise through the ranks so quickly and establish an incredible respectable name within only months of being introduced to their field. Even more rare is the proving of one’s immaculate taste and sensibility to the delicate craft of casting so early on. This would be the case for casting veteran and extraordinaire, Pam Dixon. A swift and sudden opportunity would be followed by a successful and epic career, involving titles such as Head of Casting at ABC, VP of Production at Paramount, and casting director of iconic films such as “GoldenEye”, “The Mask of Zorro”, “The Craft”, and President of CSA. Pam Dixon is a Los Angeles native, that went to school at USC. “I wanted to be a lawyer!” Says Pam. “I had no idea what casting was.” She laughs. “During the summer I had an internship at a record company, and I loved it. When I left USC I wanted to get a job with Columbia records, but they didn’t have an LA office; their offices were in Northern California

There was no way I could work for Columbia Records in Los Angeles, but they had an internship program, and they sent me to CBS Television. What was great about the internship program then, was that they paid for you to attend school at night. CBS paid for my law classes. They sent me to every department at CBS; I did daytime for six weeks, I did accounting for six weeks, and as I went through all the departments, one of the last things I did was casting.

“On my last week of my internship, my boss at that time, Ethel Winant, asked me out to lunch. Ethel was very similar to Marion Dougherty, in the sense that Marion was the well-known feature casting director, and Ethel was the well known television casting director. As we were going to lunch, I was thinking ‘Gee, I wonder what she’s going to say to me. Did I do something wrong?’ I had no idea. And she said to me ‘I really like you. I’d love for you to come work for me.’ I said ‘Really?’ She said ‘Yes. Do you watch a lot of television, a lot of movies?’ And I said ‘no ’ She looked at me

I said I went to private school, so I grew up not watching a lot of television, but I do love movies. I said ‘But I must tell you other than Robert Redford I probably won’t recognize anyone”. She said, ‘You’re smart, and if you’re willing to learn, you’ll be just fine.’”

Dixon began her new job with Ethel Winant as her receptionist. “I could finish my schooling, so I said, ‘Why not?’” Dixon says. “It was a great job actually. Being a receptionist in a casting office, at that time, was very hands on as nothing was electronic So, agents would come into the office to read the scripts and find out what was going on. I got the opportunity to meet many great people, because I was the one they would see. I was the one that gave them the script, told them what we were looking for, I was the main contact for information. About 3 months into the job, Ethel made me her assistant ”

Dixon would assist Ethel on many notable projects such as ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, ‘Rhoda’, ‘Taxi’, and ‘Hawaii Five O’. “I got to meet a lot of actors.” Pam says. “I learned how to read with them, helped them audition, and saw how a network worked. But most importantly, I got to sit back, and observe and learn from my boss how the job was done. It was a great learning experience. She was the best.”

Pam’s work ethic and immediate grasp of the craft gained her recognition. She was approached by Barry Diller with a job offer to go to Fox for Mini Series and TV Movies Casting. Due to unforeseen reasons however, she declined “I originally wanted the position, but there were things happening where I just couldn’t. It wasn’t the right time”, says Pam. But as the universe works with its persistence, another opportunity came up months after.

“Fred Silverman, who I had met during my internship at daytime, became the Head of ABC Television. And he remembered me. He called me one day and said, ‘I want to talk to you about something.’ I said ‘Ok great. I’m actually leaving for Hawaii with my boyfriend as we were going on vacation, and he said ‘Ok no problem I’ll talk to you when you get back ’ Right after I arrived in Hawaii, he called me again and said ‘I can’t wait for you to come back. I need to talk to you. I’ll pay to fly you back, we can meet, and then I’ll send you back, just leave your boyfriend there.’ I said ‘Ok!’. So, I flew back to Los Angeles, and we met at the Century Plaza Hotel. Once again, I was thinking ‘What does he want to talk to me about?’

I was thinking it may have to something to do with ABC but not a lot of people knew at the time he had gone to ABC. When I met him, he offered me the position of Head of Casting at ABC Television I didn’t know what to say! I said to him… ‘Are you kidding?!’” (We both laugh) “It was really crazy. But he said to me ‘What I want at the network, is I want all young people who really want to become successful. And this will become a very young network, and it will work.’ And he hired me, and promoted Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner.”

ROBERT ULRICH & PAM DIXON

“What did Ethel say when you told her?” I ask. “She said ‘That’s fantastic.’” Pam says. “‘That’s just fantastic.’ She was happy for me.”

“Was it difficult to start your own department this early on?” I ask.

“Well, I didn’t have anyone or anything when I got there. Joyce Selznick, who was there before me, was already gone. There was just an office. I didn’t have an assistant or anything, so I contacted a temp employment agency called ‘Employers Overload.’ They sent me someone, and his name was Tim Flack. He became the temp person. I liked him so much that after several weeks I asked him to stay, I said ‘You can become my assistant and we can do this together.’ And he did. I also was given great advice by some casting people. Ethel helped me to a degree. There was a casting director by the name of Eddie Foy who was also a head of casting at NBC, he helped me. And a casting director who was Head of the Talent Program at Universal by the name of Monique James who was helpful They all were mentors, and I have to tell you, I don’t think I could have ever done it without the mentorship of these people. Now, did they tell me ‘Do this, do that’ no. But if I had questions or concerns, they were there. So I kind of went into all of this winging it. I didn’t really have any leadership experience. I was in my early 20’s. It was what it was. But the thing that was great, was that we were all kind of in the same boat Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner and myself, we were all together. We came up with a way how to meet actors, how to work with agents, and how to set up an audition process that could be used to get the executives at the network’s approval for the producers. Some of it worked, some of it didn’t.”

Pam quickly learned her new responsibilities, and oversaw casting for many classics including ‘Roots’, ‘Three’s Company’, ‘Love Boat’, ‘Mork and Mindy’, and ‘Charlie's Angels’ As she went on talking about these great classics, her quick learning of the business was very apparent. I grew curious as to when and how her eye for talent developed as a casting director.

“Could you tell us a bit about; how did you start developing an eye for talent?” I ask her. “It’s a unique gift to have. How did you learn to assess talent?”

“Well, that really came from working on the MTM (Mary Tyler Moore) shows.” She answers. “Because even though we (Ethel and Pam) were not the line casting directors, we were super involved. They had readings, let’s say Mary Goldberg was the casting director, we would be part of it. With Ethel, I was very hands on So even though we never got any casting credit for anything while we were at CBS, we did A LOT of it.”

After a few years of being VP of Casting at ABC, she was promoted to SVP of Casting and remained a few more years, until the SVP in charge of Programming and Development, Michael Eisner, became the chairman of Paramount, and she was approached again

“He took me to lunch, and asked me ‘How would you like to come to Paramount, and leave casting, and become a production Vice President?’ I left ABC. And at that point, Marcy (Carsey) and Tom (Werner) were thinking about forming their own company and they went on to do all the big shows, so it was perfect timing. They wanted me to go with them, but I didn’t feel it was the right move, but what ended up happening was, Tim Flack, who worked with me, went with them, so it worked out.”

Because even though we were not the line casting directors, we were super involved.

The responsibilities and duties suddenly shifted for Pam once again, where the meticulous duties of putting together and overseeing projects was a much lengthier process versus the instant results and gratification one gets in casting. In development, a project can take years

“I worked on ‘Terms of Endearment’ for years.” Says Pam. “And when it was finally made, I was long gone, and I didn’t get credit as the development executive.”

“What was different being in casting and then being a development executive? What did you learn?” I ask her.

“Well, it’s totally different. When you’re in casting you are on your own. In development you are working with others. There may be a team of 6 people working on something. You’re also dealing with writers, story, scripts, it’s totally different. I learned to be a really great team player. I learned that you must be political; you can’t just always say what you’re thinking (she laughs) you must be politically correct because you are working in that political system And I learned that its very competitive.”

Pam would work at Paramount for about 5 years as a development executive She became pregnant with her first child, and she remained. When her second child came, she began to think about the idea of leaving

“I knew I couldn’t do that job and have two young kids I just couldn’t.” Says Pam. “So a friend of mine, Brandon Tartikoff, who was the head of NBC, said to me “You were really good at casting.’ And he recommended that I go back to casting. I told him I didn’t really want to work for anyone, but he told me, ‘Become independent! Form your own company.’ And I looked at him and said ‘Who’s gonna hire me?!’ and he said, ‘I’ll hire you!’” She laughs. “So, I really thought about that, and thought how great it would be to be able to be with my kids, go to their games, and be on my own without reporting to someone and do a job that I really love. What I found out was after being a development executive for all those years, I really did miss casting.”

PAM & NICOLE EVANS

CANDIDO CORNEJO & PAM

Leaving the studio/network however, is a genuine fear and concern. The independent world of casting directors is a fast and furious hustle with serious competition, with no support that one can get used to in a corporation. A huge part of it being financial stability.

“Do you think it’s harder for an executive that grew within the studio ranks to go independent? Versus someone that was hired from independent to an executive and back to independent?” I ask.

“Absolutely.” Pam says. “The independent person has been in the trenches. They have learned to function on their own. I didn’t know what that experience was like and even though at ABC I had to create everything, I always had support from my colleagues.”

Pam would leave the studio to become an independent casting director. Utilizing her connections with producers that she gained over the years at Paramount, she was hired or referred by them as a casting director She was offered an office as consultant at a friend’s company to ease her transition, but little did she expect she would become so busy.

“After about 3 months I went to my friend and I said I really feel like I should give you your money back because I’ve been so busy, I don’t really have time to consult. And he said ‘That’s fine if you want to do that, but stay here until you really find a place you can move into as an office.’ It was because of my mentorship by him that I was able to go on my own, without being TOTALLY alone.”

Pam’s career as an independent casting director took off Casting films independently such as ‘Tremors’, ‘Angels in the Outfield’, “Baby Boom”, “Mr Saturday Night”, ‘City Slickers’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing ’ Her career would hit the level of legendary, with the iconic films that would follow.

“How did ‘GoldenEye’ come about?” I ask her.

“Martin Campbell was the director of that. One of the first projects, I cast as an independent casting director, was an HBO TV Movie called ‘Cast A Deadly Spell’ which Martin directed, and I was referred to him by a really great mentor of mine. I got ‘GoldenEye’ because Martin kept hiring me. Barbara Broccoli hired me in the US as Debbie McWilliams does all the Bond movies and has since the start of all the Bond Movies, and they were originally thinking about finding a new Bond who possibly could be American, so they hired me to find the new Bond and the girl

The interesting thing with this film was, I had asked my son if he knew who James Bond was, and he said no. And I turned to Martin and Barbara and said ‘You have the biggest hit ever. Because you have a whole new generation that doesn’t have a clue who he is.’ And I was right. It resurrected the whole Bond franchise. We saw hundreds of actors. Most of the male actors we tested have become stars. The search was unbelievable, and we gave the part to Pierce Brosnan. I told Martin and Barbara ‘I got to tell you, the best person for this role is Pierce Brosnan. You are not going to find someone better ’ And they finally agreed ”

The next film Pam would cast for Martin Campbell would be the classic ‘The Mask Of Zorro’ with Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones. The film would prove to be one of the hardest films to cast according to Dixon. The amount of Latinx talent was limited and more difficult to find, so she was flown to Mexico for 3 weeks for the search.

“The first person cast was Antonio Banderas. The big search was for the girl. We tested NUMEROUS people. I had seen Catherine (ZetaJones) in a British TV Movie, that’s how I knew who she was. And we tested her. It was a really hard fight for Catherine to get the role It wasn’t like we just saw the tests and then we were like ‘Oh yes! Her ’ No It was a fight I really wanted Catherine And I was close to Martin Campbell, obviously, and I begged him to go with her. It was his choice, and it had to be approved by the Broccolis.”

“She was different from everyone else. There was someone else in contention other than her, and I really wasn’t about that. And I kind of fought against it, and I finally convinced him.”

“Can you tell us a bit about that?” I ask. “When you really want someone, how do you go about convincing the director and producers, said person, is the best person for the part, and how do you do that without offending anyone?”

“I kept bringing her back ” Pam answers “Hoping that SHE would win him over. And I think in the end, that’s what happened And the other person didn’t come back ” We both laugh. “It was time consuming for him to continue to see her, to try again, direct her again, talk to her, but getting him to do that was worth it. It was really her winning him over, and him being confident she was the best person for the role, as opposed to ‘Hey, he did it because of me!’ He didn’t do it because of me He did it because I fought to prove to him, that this was the right choice.”

Sir Anthony Hopkins would be attached to the film, as he was someone Pam knew and really wanted to use, and the rest would be cast with the assistance of Claudia Becker in Mexico.

It’s here that yet again, that I find something very interesting as a Latinx Industry Professional. There was a time when finding Latinx talent was truly difficult in Hollywood. With all the advocacies for diversity and inclusion that exist today, the problem has decreased significantly for some communities. Though there is still work to be done, it wasn’t as arduous as it was then. In my experience and continued research, it was not only the lack of opportunities that existed for these communities, but also the lack of resources for these and within the communities. The very belief that working in entertainment in Hollywood was rare

“I know from my experience ” I begin to tell Pam “In those times, as a Latinx person in a Latinx home, it really wasn’t a thing to say, ‘Hey, I want to be an actor in Hollywood; Or director, or casting director or whatever.’ My family didn’t really see it as a thing or a career They couldn’t really afford classes or school if I wanted to do it. It was unheard of.”

I kept bringing her I kept bringing her back... Hoping that SHE back... Hoping that SHE would win him over. would win him over.

BILL PAXTON & PAM DIXON

“Yeah.” Says Pam. “It really was. There weren’t classes. There weren’t training in that area and parents weren’t probably in that arena. They didn’t know about it I think that some of the training that we did see was through stage ”

The prestigious and unique world of entertainment in Mexico has since bridged the gap that existed in those times, bringing forward notable directors such as Alfonso Cuaron, actors such as Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, Demian Bichir, and producers such as Eugenio Derbez.

“So!” I laughingly tell Pam. “I saved my absolute favorite for last. This film has become one of the biggest cult classics of all time. We’ve seen a tremendous resurgence for the love of witches this past decade, and a huge wave of actual practitioners, especially amongst the younger generation, and a lot of people don’t really know you cast this iconic film Could you tell us about ‘The Craft’?”

Pam smiles.

“Andrew Fleming was the director on that. And I had worked for him before. So I got it because I had worked with him. We were at Sony, and we started to cast ‘The Craft’, and then they decided they did not want to do it. So there was a little hiatus period.”

“Why was that?”

“I think because they wanted to do films with bigger names in it, and it wasn’t that type of film because it was an ensemble piece, that we wouldn’t be able to get big names in, it was more of a discovery piece, so Sony pushed back on it for a little bit The producers felt very strongly about it so they kept fighting and fighting and fighting for it, and eventually they said ‘OK, let’s see if we can find the people.’ And so, I did an unbelievable search for ‘The Craft.’ There was no young girl we did not see on ‘The Craft.’ Famous now or not.”

“Were there any discoveries on that?”

I mean Neve Campbell was sort of a discovery in a movie, she had been in ‘Party Of Five’.

“Fairuza Balk and Rachel True were new. For the Robin Tunney part, we read well known actresses. Really well known actress. Now. Not then. The Head of Sony LOVED Robin Tunney What was funny about that was; I knew Robin Tunney, and we were going to do these talent tests And I asked Robin Tunney ‘Would you do me a favor, would you read with the actresses?’ and she said ‘Sure!’. And when we did those tests, she wasn’t testing for the lead, she was reading, and the Head of Sony said, ‘I want HER.’ And she tested and she got the part!”

“Why do you think this film has remained so iconic? Why do a lot of people seem to relate to ‘The Craft’?”

“I think there are a couple of things. Years ago, people played with the Ouija board. Teenagers loved the Ouija board. And I think that the idea for anybody, that you can change something, by willing it or wishing it, is everyone’s dream. I mean I remember reading the script and I said to myself ‘Gee, everyone is going to love this. If I could have control like that, and change something? I’m there!’” With a great smile Pam raises her hands and we both give out a laugh.

“With social media and everything we can find on the internet these days; it’s easy to find people when we are looking for some authenticity ” I tell her “We can see the people that are mystics at heart like Rachel True who is an actual tarot reader. We have people like Sully Erna, Gabrielle Anwar, even me! We’re open about our practices, did that come into play at all? Did you know Rachel True was a reader?”

“Nothing.” Pam says. “As a matter of fact, I didn’t learn that Rachel was a reader until years after ‘The Craft’ honestly, I had no clue. It wasn’t really about that for anybody at that point. Because at that point it wasn’t as popular as it is now, it was more underground, and there wasn’t a lot of awareness because there was no Instagram or Facebook, so it wouldn’t come to mind ‘The Craft’ is loosely based on somewhat a true story ”

“So then it would have a been a bit of your own ‘intuition’ would you say?” I ask playfully.

“Wow!” I tell Pam. “That doesn’t really happen now does it?”

“No, it really doesn’t.”

“I’m very instinctive ” Pam says with a warm smile “Your instincts are always just so right Whatever you’re feeling at the moment, and you trust it, and you don’t question it, you usually always end up being right ”

I smile as I know this to be very true One of the most crucial elements to casting is instinct It’s easy to forget at times with the many responsibilities and high demands that come with us being casting directors and executives; the making of lists, who is worth what, who is marketable, who’s on what show or movie. It’s the roots and heart of casting that matters at the core. Pam Dixon is a great reminder of these core fundamentals that were imperative to people like her and her mentor Ethel Winant in the golden era of Marion Dougherty. In Marion Dougherty’s words “Casting is a game of gut instinct. You feel their talent in the pit of your stomach. It’s about guts and luck.” I ask Pam to define this in her own words.

“The people that I helped who’ve become famous was based on a gut feeling ” Pam says “An example that I could give, is when I first started with Ethel, we were doing a TV Movie An actor came in to read, and the director was a really big director The actor came in and read, and he wasn’t very good Ethel and I sat in the room and we kind of looked at each other The second actor came in, and he gave an unbelievable reading It was perfect At the end of the readings, I turned to Ethel and I said ‘I like the first guy ’ She said ‘So do I.’ And the director looked at us and said, ‘He was terrible!’. And we said to him ‘We’re telling you, we just have a feeling about the first guy, we should go with the first guy, and not the second guy, even though his reading was perfect.’ So, we didn’t win that. But that was our gut feeling. And the person that he went with, was never heard of again. The guy that we wanted, went on to become a major star. That’s the feeling.”

Pam Dixon’s career would continue to venture with prestige, gaining her over 100 feature films as a casting director; with notable directors, and started many actors’ and casting professionals’ careers alike She would become President of CSA, with her elected officers, Lora Kennedy and Sharon Lieblein, radically increasing CSA memberships, and contributed greatly to the organization Some of her proudest achievements was fighting for casting directors to receive credit in paid ads of films, and her involvement with Media Access

“When I became president of CSA, there were a few things that I really had to focus on” Pam says.

“Financial stability, increase in membership, goals, and diversity

I was very involved with Media Access, which was an organization to help with people with disabilities But there was nothing, no way to find them

So I went to Gary Marsh, head of Breakdown, and asked ‘Is there anyway, you would create a database for any actor that wants to say they have a disability but If they don’t want to, they don’t have to say, I want it to go either way He agreed to do it for free. He set up on Actors Access categories where if you are looking for someone in wheelchair that person can say they are in a wheelchair and it will be listed or if not they will just be listed by name. It created the first database for casting directors to be able to find actors with disabilities.”

Pam is currently VP of the Western Council in Los Angeles for the Entertainment Community Fund, formally known as the Actor’s Fund, an organization providing entertainment professionals a variety of resources including but not limited to health insurance, classes, affordable housing, assistance with taxes, etc.

“It’s important for the casting community to know about this, because they are there to help Sometimes you are hit with a rough spot, and they can really help you It doesn’t cost anything to utilize their services I hope everyone will go and check out their website”

“What would you like to see from the newer generation of casting professionals that are currently working or wanting to get into casting?” I finally ask “Kindness. Stability. Thoughtfulness. And hard work.”

I smile at Pam with these closing remarks, and she smiles back with familiarity. The words echo to my very beginnings when I first met Pam as President of CSA, and my very first job with her as an assistant. A tremendous sense of pride and joy hits me as I remember her words when I asked her for what advice she had for me on my very first job. She looked at me and said “Always be nice. It takes so much more effort to be otherwise.” I ask her if she remembers this.

“Of course!” She says. “I think there is a lot of value in substance Whether that be in your work, or your character ”

Today we continue to see Pam’s work, with her most recent films being “Blackberry”, “Rumble Through the Dark”, “Memory” with Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce, and “Medievel” with Ben Foster, Michael Cain, and Matthew Goode Past, current, and future generations of all filmmakers are forever grateful for her tremendous contributions to our industry, and for inspiring people that never thought possible of making something like this into a career. I am very honored to say, I am one of those people.

Casting Society and Casting Society Cares recently announced a new program which will be administered by our generous partners at the EntertainmentCommunityFund(formerlyTheActorsFund)!

TheCastingSocietyEmergencyAssistanceFundprovidesconfidentialand immediate short term financial assistance for Casting Society members who are in need of urgent help and are unable to pay basic living expenses(ie food,housing,utilities,healthcare,transportation)

For eligibility information and to apply for assistance, please go to www.castingsocietycares.org. For international members to apply, please email:Eastern@entertainmentcommunity.org.

Interested in donating? Tax deductible donations can be made at www.castingsocietycares.org to support Casting Society Cares, the Casting Assistant Pathway Program, and the Casting Society Emergency AssistanceFund.

A HUGE thank you to Jason Kennedy & the rest of the committee for makingthispossible.

Editor's Note Editor's Note Editor's Note

When reflecting back on a casting director's career, we often mention famous actors they "discovered" or zeitgeist films that defined generations. While the fruits of our labors are often impressive in hindsight, that's not always a direct reflection on someone's talents or abilities as a casting director. As quoted in Candido's article "Marion Dougherty’s words “Casting is a game of gut instinct. You feel their talent in the pit of your stomach. It’s about guts and luck ” In her memoir, Marion would describe the exact feeling of the hairs on the back of neck standing up when reading talent who had that je ne sais quoi Much like Marion and her "girls", Ethel Winant took Pam Dixon as her apprentice, who then in turn, did the same for the next generation. This lineage system is how casting has not only survived this long but thrived if we look at our membership numbers alone.

To acknowledge the art of what makes a casting director talented, is recognizing this highly developed ability of assessing what a person is capable of within minutes, or even seconds, of meeting them To identify exactly "what" gives the best of us the skills necessary to do this is like wondering what gave Picasso the ability to mix paints in such a way that we still talk about his sunflowers to this day. Raising the profile not only of individual casting directors but of the craft of casting has been a long standing goal of the Casting Society. This periodical is a very integral part of a long game plan to force the rest of our industry to agree that this undersung art form needs, no requires acknowledgment Keep the beautiful tradition of tutelage alive in your offices and remember, casting directors today also rely on the passion and sweat of the eager (associate) casting directors of tomorrow!

Happy Casting!

DESTINY LILLY PRESIDENT OF CASTING SOCIETY