RA Profile: Ellen Chenoweth

New feature time here at Routinely Average. Ben and I are going to start profiling some people in the movie industry, either that we have a unique take on, or maybe that don't get the media coverage they deserve. I thought I would kick things off with Hollywood's premier casting director, Ellen Chenoweth.

Casting directors are a key part of any film making process. They recommend and audition actors and actresses for every non-extra role in the film. While the final decision is usually made by a combination of the casting director, director and producer, the casting directors have tremendous influence, and some choices can completely change the way a film is created. They are also often forced to deal with both the business and artistic side of a film when considering who to hire. Not only must they find the right actor, but there is always a budget within which they have to operate. This gives them a unique and important role in the movie business.

Ellen Chenoweth has one of those names that will seem familiar to film goers that stay through the credits. Her filmography is wildly impressive including several features with the Coen Brothers, Clint Eastwood, and Barry Levinson. After casting her first film (the 1981 prehistoric adventure Quest for Fire), Chenoweth cast the Levinson classic Diner and her career took off. One of the amazing things about her career is the number of young actors she casts in small roles, who go on to have tremendous careers of their own. Chenoweth is known to have a preference for stage actors, and has given numerous actors their start or their break-through role. Mickey Rourke, Will Smith, Kevin Bacon, Scarlett Johansson and many others were cast in career making parts by Chenoweth. Some of her more impressive ensembles include the No Country for Old Men, Doubt, Wag the Dog, The Natural, and Broadcast News, and that is just a small portion.

I know the Academy Awards are not the be all, end all measure of critical success, but in general they are a pretty good standard. If you want the clearest example of the size of the mark Ellen Chenoweth has left on the film industry, that would be the fact that she has cast an astounding 30 different Oscar nominated roles. How's that for critical success.