Harcourt, November 2006
For anyone who's ever wondered how the Princess Bride ended up with an English accent or what Julia Roberts wore to the audition for her first major role -- or for anyone who's ever walked out of a movie saying "I would never have put that guy in that part" -- here is a first-of-its-kind look at how actors are chosen and careers are born.
Two of the top casting directors in the business, who have cast everyone from the Harry Potter kids to the new James Bond, offer an insider's tour of their crucial craft -- spotting stars in the making. Recounting their remarkable shared career that started at Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope studio, Janet and Jane tell the funny and fascinating stories of discovering and casting then-unknown stars like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Cusack, Matt Damon, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Brendan Frasier, Virginia Madsen, Joaquin Phoenix, Meg Ryan and Benicio Del Toro, as well as share insights about the many famous directors for whom they've worked. Taking us from the first casting call through head shots, auditions, meetings, and desperate searches to fill a part, A Star Is Found gives readers behind-the-scenes access to the machinery of star-making.
hardcover | ISBN: 9780151012342 | Publication Date: November 2006
Reviews:
"If you want to know what goes through the mind of a filmmaker or
casting director when actors are actually vying for roles and crucial
decisions
are being made, this engaging, insightful book will be an eye opener.
Jane
Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson are among the all-time greatest casting
directors
in Hollywood."
--Ron Howard, director of A Beautiful Mind
"Janet and Jane are responsible for discovering many of today's
greatest
screen actors. Their brilliant new book provides us with a true
insider's view
of the casting of a film. A Star Is Found should be required
reading for
every student of cinema."
--Chris Columbus, director of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
"Casting can be absurdly complicated, or it can be fun, but through
the
entire process you better hope you have someone like Jane and Janet by
your
side. They make it work -- and they've lived to tell the entertaining
tale."
--Wolfgang Peterson, director of The Perfect Storm
"When auditioning, more often than not, actors feel like they have
been
sent to the principal's office. But Jane and Janet always wanted me to
be the
best that I could be, and that made all the difference. So many actors
I know
will say the same thing about these two amazing and intuitive women.
And we all
wish there were more like them."
--Virginia Madsen