Arirl Lavi hosts the international casting director for an interview about the career.
Hello Luci ! How are you?
Hey! I’m doing pretty good professionally and very grateful for that. I’m working on some pretty exciting projects just now.
What exactly do you do for a career?
I am a casting director based in Spain.Being a casting director is more than just a career.It’s almost a lifestyle but I really do love my job and feel extremely fortunate that I stumbled into this profession.
What is your favorite film you have casted?
There are so many “favorites” that it is difficult to name just one.My last project or maybe my next projectis nearly always my favorite one so currently I am especially excited about “El Mal” directed by Juanma Bajo Ulloa which is scheduled to shoot this year.There is another project that I am really excited about but an NDA means I can’t talk about it just yet.
What is the most memorable audition?
One of the most memorable auditions was when we were casting Laia Costa for “Victoria” .I was so sure that she was right for the role and we were doing the casting with the director, Sebastian Schipper and the lead actor who had already been cast, Frederic Lau.However Laia had a motorbike accident just the day before so she was badly bruised and limping a bit so I was really concerned that she wouldn’t be able to do the casting that well.However there was nothing to worry about, she did an amazing job and the producer called me as I was walking back to my office to say they wanted to offer her the role and the rest is history.
Can you tell us about your casting process in the documentary film “Messi” ?
Working with Alex de Iglesias was a huge privilege.He is like all great directors a perfectionist.The roles we cast out of Spain were very specific and we spent a lot of time searching for the perfect “baby” Messi and “teen” Messi.I can’t believe it was 10 years ago already.Thinking back It makes me remember that at that time we did very few (or no) selftapes and Alex came and spent several days in my studio to be able to work with the actors.
What is your greatest success so far ?
My greatest success so far in my opinion is that I have cast or been in the casting department for 79 feature films & 39 series. I get an enormous amount of satisfaction when I think of the actors who I have cast in their first role or seen in their first casting (even when they didn’t get the role). I love being part of the acting journey for some many brilliant talents.
What does it take to be a successful casting director ?
A combination of skills and a very good memory.
Where are you from ?
I am from a small village on the border in Ireland.However I have been based in Barcelona for over 30 years now.
What are some of the challenges you faced along the way?
Every production is a challenge and that is what I love about being a casting director.I love solving puzzles.One of the particular challenges about being a casting director is learning how to let go when the producers and directors want to go in a different direction when I feel in my gut that someone is 100% right for the role but they need a bigger name for pre-sales.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I think about this a lot as both the world we live in and our industry are changing very rapidly.I definitely want to continue developing theactorshome.com,the online platform I set up which provides support and industry information to actors.I truly believe that when actors feel safe they give their best performances so I am doing my best to make actors feel safe.I have recently been offered some very exciting opportunities as a casting consultant where I am involved in the writers room to brainstorm what kind of characters would be good to include in the storylines.I see myself doing this more and more as it is a perfect opportunity to advocate for real diversity and inclusion in the industry and it’s a new way of approaching casting.
What advice would you give to a young casting director ?
Don’t forget to go to the theater and watch short films and keep track of new talent. Remember that we actually need actors more than they need us and threat them with respect and understanding. And although a lot of our industry are using self-tapes in the first round, try to compensate for this by doing more meetings on zoom, offer feedback sessions and engage with actors as much as possible. You can find out so much more about an actor’s essence by just a five minute chat than only relying on self-tapes.
Mistakes beginning actors make while acting(Opens in a new browser tab)
Who is your biggest inspiration ?
One of the actors I find most inspiring is Jamel Debbouze.He is proof that when you are talented, nothing else matters!I am also constantly inspired by female Spanish directors such as Isabel Coixet and Maria Ripoll.I am also inspired by anyone with a dream who is prepared to put the work into it to make it come true.I find myself inspired by different people young and old on an almost daily basis.
Pictures Credit: James Vesysey
Follow Luci Lenox on her Website and Instagram