Casting Name Actors in an Indie Movie

Richard Kind & Tara Westwood in a scene from Detours

I've been asked the same question a lot recently:  how did I get name actors in my movies? Specifically, how did I get Richard Kind and Paul Sorvino for Detours, and Vincent Pastore for Surviving Family?

In some ways, the answer is the usual one:  have a good script with roles that are attractive to actors.  But there are a couple of practical things that you can do to ease the way.
 

Tara Westwood & Paul Sorvino on set in Detours

Director Laura Thies & Vincent Pastore on the set of Surviving Family

First, hire a good casting director.  They know the actors' agents and managers, and have spent their career developing great contacts.  They also have a (very) good idea what Actor X's rate for a low budget project will be, which will tell you who is worth approaching and who isn't.  I've worked with the wonderful Caroline Sinclair on both Surviving Family and Detours - she's been casting indie movies (as well as shorts & commercials) in NYC for 25 years.  She's both very knowledgeable AND a pleasure to work with.  (My husband Carlo Fiorletta had met Caroline several years earlier and recommended her.)  There are plenty of good CD's, but I'd suggest getting recommendations from people whose opinion you value.

Second, get a good entertainment lawyer - mine is the terrific Jonathan Gray - he too has been in the business for 25 years.  He's not only knowledgeable but he also truly loves movies.

We all think of entertainment lawyers as protecting us from getting sued and/or helping us if we do.  But I learned quickly that for a producer who is just starting out in the business, they are an enormous help with negotiating deal memos (i.e., contracts) with actors.  Agents and managers are (understandably) suspicious of committing their clients to work for an unknown producer.  So even if the actor WANTS to do your movie, you've got to convince their representation as well.  The agents and managers ALL knew and respected my attorney, and having him on board facilitated the negotiations tremendously.

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that in order to hire a reputable casting director  and an entertainment lawyer you'll need to convince them that you know what you're doing.

I'll make one final point on this subject:  the absolute best way to have a star in your movie is to cast one BEFORE they become a star, so you can benefit from their success without paying a high price.  But that's damn hard to do.