The Nerve
So I find this amazing actress to play the lead--we'll call her Amazing Actress--on whose resume you will find wonderful indies, a much-beloved TV series and a universally acclaimed teen hit of a couple of years ago. She's 24. She's gorgeous. She's a big talent. I give the demo reel to the producers, who flip. They pass the reel on to the head of casting for the network. He flips. He tries for days to get the head of the network to watch it. She finally watches it. She flips. She says: okay. We cast her. We send Amazing Actress the script. She loves it. She tells her agents "please get me this movie." We close the deal today. She's in my movie.
Then Head of Network says "let's go back to Major Historic Star who passed because she didn't like TV-Semi-Star and see if she'll do it with Amazing Actress." Head of Network writes a personal note to Major Historic Star--heads of networks basically never do this--we send her my new draft of the script, we send her Amazing Actress's demo reel. All of this ascends to Major Historic Star through various levels of agents, managers and assistants. We are all thinking: how can we lose? She's in the bag.
Then today around 5 my cell phone rings. I answer. "Hello," says Major Historic Star. It's herself, calling me, Tom, who when he was ten years old used to sneak an extra half hour of television time to watch her show when his parents went out. Calling to say: "I loved what you did with the script. I don't think Amazing Actress can handle the movie. I'm not going to do it." All of this is fine--her right. And in fact I thought it was very gracious of her to call me to say no before she had even called her legions of agents and managers etc. But she doesn't stop there. She goes on to say that she thinks I have talked myself into something, that Amazing Actress has no colors or range at all, and then, to quote, "I wanted to do this movie, I had the part memorized, but at my age I can't go into a movie that will end up getting bad reviews, which is what you are going to get."
What!? Please, tell me you don't want to be in my movie, but don't insult my taste and prophesy doom for my project!
The nerve!
The older lead doesn't start work for two more weeks so there's time to cast the right now. The problem is morale. My very excited young leads fly up on Friday. We'll be rehearsing all weekend and start shooting on Monday. Because of the holiday the producers and I won't even be talking to the network about what actress we go to next for the older lead until Monday. How do I keep my actors from getting nervous about that? How do I keep them happy and secure, which is what they need to be to do their best work?
Then Head of Network says "let's go back to Major Historic Star who passed because she didn't like TV-Semi-Star and see if she'll do it with Amazing Actress." Head of Network writes a personal note to Major Historic Star--heads of networks basically never do this--we send her my new draft of the script, we send her Amazing Actress's demo reel. All of this ascends to Major Historic Star through various levels of agents, managers and assistants. We are all thinking: how can we lose? She's in the bag.
Then today around 5 my cell phone rings. I answer. "Hello," says Major Historic Star. It's herself, calling me, Tom, who when he was ten years old used to sneak an extra half hour of television time to watch her show when his parents went out. Calling to say: "I loved what you did with the script. I don't think Amazing Actress can handle the movie. I'm not going to do it." All of this is fine--her right. And in fact I thought it was very gracious of her to call me to say no before she had even called her legions of agents and managers etc. But she doesn't stop there. She goes on to say that she thinks I have talked myself into something, that Amazing Actress has no colors or range at all, and then, to quote, "I wanted to do this movie, I had the part memorized, but at my age I can't go into a movie that will end up getting bad reviews, which is what you are going to get."
What!? Please, tell me you don't want to be in my movie, but don't insult my taste and prophesy doom for my project!
The nerve!
The older lead doesn't start work for two more weeks so there's time to cast the right now. The problem is morale. My very excited young leads fly up on Friday. We'll be rehearsing all weekend and start shooting on Monday. Because of the holiday the producers and I won't even be talking to the network about what actress we go to next for the older lead until Monday. How do I keep my actors from getting nervous about that? How do I keep them happy and secure, which is what they need to be to do their best work?
posted by Tom at 4:55 PM
3 Comments:
do you think it was major historical star's attempt at strong-arming you into hiring another lead? if not, then it was just mean and insensitive. if yes, then it was mean insensitive and manipulative.
HMMM 'at her age she can't afford bad reviews' ?? What the hell!! I would think at her age and with her professional stature she could relax and do whatever project appealed to her and not focus so completely on how well she thinks the movie will do.(wondering now if she has some ESP!) Maybe just look them in the eye and assure them that some of the best actresses in the business are being considered and to trust you and the execs to bring the best to complete your cast?
How?
You convey your continued excitement in the project. You tell them how glad you are that they there. And you don't discuss casting with those already on the set other than to say you're not concerned, it's being taken care of.
Some things are always better left unsaid publically.
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