Career & Contacts / Mary Vernieu, Casting Director

Creative Processing with Joseph Gordon-Levitt

“From an actor's perspective...you have to be prepared for it to be really hard because there's so many factors that are influencing why you get a role and why you don't get a role. When you go into an audition, leave it in the room— otherwise it's too hard on your heart. And getting into those rooms is also tough, but you should try every avenue you can find and think of.” -Mary Vernieu

This week’s guest is the incredibly smart and accomplished casting director Mary Venieu. Some of her recent casting credits include Euphoria, A Star Is Born, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Hobbs & Shaw. She repeatedly works with some of my favorite directors including Darren Aronofsky, Robert Rodriguez, and our friend Rian Johnson. She casted me in Rian’s movie Looper, and also casted the movie I wrote and directed: Don Jon. Mary is incredibly talented at what she does, which made her perfect to answer this week’s question from Monica Patricio from Lima, Peru.

Monica asked, ““How much do contacts matter when starting a project or career?” There’s a common perception that casting directors serve as gatekeepers to the industry, and I think this is partially true. Mary and I did our best to have an honest conversation about the reality of casting, and I think this episode offers some practical takeaways for those of you out there who are thinking about having a career in a creative field. We talked about how casting directors go about finding actors for their movies, the importance of having a good agent, and how the industry is shifting in terms of diversity and inclusion.

If you have a question about the creative process that you think would spawn a good conversation on this show, ask me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tagged #creativeprocessing, or by emailing [e-mail]. New episodes are coming out every Tuesday through October 22, 2019.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Casting Director Mary Vernieu has cast over 300 features during her career. With an eye for talent in both actors and filmmakers, she has developed and enjoyed long-standing working relationships with many acclaimed directors such as Darren Aronofsky, David Ayer, David O. Russell, Robert Rodriguez, Rian Johnson, and Oliver Stone. In 2013 Mary won an Artios Award for the casting of Silver Linings Playbook, and was nominated for two more Artios Awards last year for A Star Is Born and Deadpool II. In addition to her casting work, Mary has also recently ventured into producing for such films as Trust Me, Come Simi, and Spare Room. Mary’s company, Betty Mae, is named in a loving homage to her mother and grandmother.

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SELECTED LINKS FOR EPISODE:

Connect with Mary:Facebook: @BettymaecastingInstagram: @BettymaecastingMovies Mentioned:Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)A Star Is Born (2018)Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)Knives Out (2019)Looper (2012)JFK (1991)Don Jon (2013)No Time to Die (2020)TV Shows Mentioned:Euphoria (HBO, 2019)Fleabag (BBC, 2016-2019)Atlanta (FX, 2016- )Killing Eve (BBC, 2018- )People Mentioned:Darren Aronofsky (Filmmaker)Robert Rodriguez (Filmmaker)Rian Johnson (Filmmaker)Justin Bieber (Singer)Andrew Bachelor a.k.a King Bach (Actor)Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Actress / Writer / Producer)Casting Terminology / Services Mentioned:Breakdown ServicesFILM SIDES: Pages of a script used in an auditionSHOWCASE: Show where actors perform monologues, scenes, or songs in front of industry professionals

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