If you happen to ever have a casting appointment with Jennifer Ricchiazzi, you may wish to consider a number of additional minutes on both facet. Not simply since you might need to attend, but additionally as a result of she very nicely may find yourself spending lots of time with you. Like lots of different casting administrators, she’s a former actor herself and thus is hard in a room, but it surely’s as a result of she works arduous to get one of the best out of you. She additionally expects you to know extra than simply the character you’re enjoying, so be ready for a problem.
On the identical time, you’ll nearly definitely stroll out of that room a greater actor than you had been if you walked in. It’s a part of the explanation why Ricchiazzi eschews large studio movies for indie fare, however then, to say extra would take away from a reasonably incredible dialog.
Her newest film is the biopic Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid as America’s fortieth President. She chatted with us from her house in LA, and we had been joined by Cleo, one among her 9 cats. Sure, 9.
How did you get into casting?
I used to be an performing main at USC within the conservatory program that it’s a must to audition to get into. All of your normal ed is waived, which is without doubt one of the advantages of that BFA program, in my view, however midway by my freshman 12 months, I noticed I didn’t love performing sufficient to do performing itself. I discovered myself in my lessons drawn to everyone else, what roles they had been selecting for themselves and typically disagreeing. Considered one of my professors stated, “Hey, have you ever ever considered casting?” Again then I used to be like, “I don’t even know what casting is.” He bought me an internship and it went from there.
I’ve talked to a number of dozen casting administrators during the last 12 months as a part of this sequence, and it continues to stun me what number of of you began as actors.
Considered one of my favourite lessons was script evaluation, simply breaking down the script and discovering all these moments and beats and asking why this character does that and does it make sense.
The one factor that advantages a casting director coming from the performing facet is after we’re breaking down a script, we’re breaking down each single character in that script. Once we pull scenes from that script, there’s a cause why these scenes are pulled. I get pleasure from breaking down this different character that I’m enjoying reverse of you, so I may give you perception into why this particular person is attempting to get one thing out of you on this scene.
I all the time inform actors that your job is to interrupt down one half, however take a few minutes to interrupt down the opposite character within the scene as a result of if you do this, it would open up lots of issues on your character.
Typically the actors simply have the tunnel imaginative and prescient of my half, my half, my half. Sure, however your half is responding to everyone else within the script. Why are you doing this? As a result of that particular person wants one thing from you. You want to know what that particular person wants from you, so it’s worthwhile to spend somewhat little bit of time breaking down the characters apart from your individual to combat with to agree with or to maneuver your character in a sure course. It is going to assist you together with your character.
Would you be shocked to listen to that in the entire interviews I’ve executed, you’re the primary casting director who stated this to me?
Critically? I feel it’s very important. That’s the craft of performing. You possibly can’t put your character collectively should you don’t know what the opposite characters try to do.
It makes good sense, I’m simply saying that I can’t imagine that no person else has instructed this.
Properly, give it some thought this fashion. I bear in mind performing 101. You put together your scene and also you’re performing and the instructor says, “Okay, change.” Change? I haven’t spent two seconds caring about what the opposite particular person is doing. That’s not my character. Nevertheless, I’ll play my character higher as soon as I do know what that different particular person wants. How arduous will I resist it? How arduous will I agree with it? I imply, it solely advantages your technique of placing your character collectively.
I keep in mind that very vividly. Change. It was scary, it was intimidating, but it surely pressured me to acknowledge their goal within the scene.
How do you manifest that with folks within the room?
Fairly actually, I’m infamous for working late as a result of I do spend a lot time with actors. The very first thing I say after they stroll within the door is, “Did you learn the script?”
I get pleasure from working in unbiased movie. I ship the script to everyone. If an actor has not learn the script, I ship them away. You can not throw away that chance to audition for one thing. When you haven’t any concept the place your character got here from and the place your character was going and also you’re taking a look at this tiny little scene and pretending your method by it, it’s unacceptable.
There’s method an excessive amount of competitors on the market for you to not take this severely, and I’m spending my time breaking down the script to attempt to assist an actor get an element. If I’ve executed extra work than the actor coming within the door to audition, that’s a giant drawback.
I’m arduous on actors, however I feel that’s as a result of I used to be an performing main and I do know what it takes. Go away all of it within the room.
I additionally inform actors by no means to proceed by a mistake, particularly with simply the casting director. Cease your audition should you began on the fallacious foot. Nearly each single time, it opens up so that you can get a extremely fast observe to start out the scene once more. That’s your time within the room, and it’s not simple to get time within the room. I do know that. Take your time, personal your time, and use it correctly.
You talked about how a lot you’re employed in unbiased movie. What’s the enchantment for you?
I really feel like unbiased movie is just a bit bit extra natural. Placing it collectively, I really feel like I’m a lot extra of a workforce participant than simply the one that is doing amount versus high quality. I really feel like my voice is possibly somewhat bit extra heard in unbiased movies.
What’s totally different about Reagan?
Reagan is an unbiased movie, too, it’s only a beast of 1. I’ve been engaged on that film for most likely six years. And I’m strict in terms of authenticity for characters.
For instance, Margaret Thatcher. I used to be like, “There’s no method in hell I’m not casting a British actress to play Margaret Thatcher. Probably the most iconic British ladies in your entire world must be a British actress. We have already got Dennis, we have already got Jon Voight, and we have already got Penelope Ann Miller, let’s begin filling it in with these nice character actors that make sense in these components.”
I wished to place folks on display screen that had been very respectful to the actual folks, and thank God I had a workforce who had been like, “Yep, okay, that’s good.” It was a dream to work with them. Reagan being that unbiased movie, despite the fact that it’s a beast, I nonetheless approached it the identical method.
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Written by Neil Turitz
