SEASON 2 - EPISODE 64 - ELLEN LEWIS - CASTING DIRECTOR

On this episode of the Team Deakins Episode, casting director Ellen Lewis (KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, GOODFELLAS) joins us to talk about all things casting—of which we knew very little before speaking with her. A disciple of veteran casting director Juliet Taylor, Ellen shares with us how they were first introduced and what she learned working with her for eight years. Ellen reveals how closely casting works with talent agents to find the right actor for a role and how some casting directors even directly negotiate an actor’s contract. We worked with Ellen on KUNDUN, and she recounts her global odyssey to cast the 14th Dalai Lama across four separate stages of his life. We later discuss setting actors at ease, both on set and in the audition room, and how we do what we can to lift the pressure under which actors must work. Ellen also admits to us just how far she’s willing to travel to go to set.

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Recommended Viewing: KUNDUN

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This episode is sponsored by Fiilex