By Lisa R. Foeman
An author’s ability to evoke divergent images of a character’s physical appearance
and mannerisms in the mind of a reader is but one beauty of a book. The splendor of a
script, however, lies in wait – for the able casting director to bring its characters
alive through the proper selection of actors. With great aplomb, Patrick S. Cunningham,
CSA confidently carries out this mission as evidenced by his assistance with casting on
What’s Love Got To Do With It, Desperado, and Boomerang.
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 Drawing upon his five years of professional experiences as a casting director for BET,Fox, Hollywood studios, and independent filmmakers, Cunningham explains, “the basic relationship in the business is the relationship that a casting director has to talent via agents and personal contacts.” But contacts alone are insufficient. States Cunningham, “if you have a good script, I can attract great talent.” The question is: what talent may be eliminated from the pool?
While it is customary for producers and directors to establish guidelines for the casting director, certain white producers in the industry have “expressed sentiments that indicate a preference for skin tone,” according to Cunningham. Even with such restrictions, Cunningham insists that casting directors have tremendous leeway. He relates that although producers and directors wield tremendous power in the ultimate selection process, it’s the casting director who drives the decision-making process through the establishment of the selection pool.
Are Black actors in Hollywood mainstream films a dying breed? If it appears so, Cunningham offers several suggestions to address the issue. First, Black directors and producers should insist on a Black casting director. In Cunningham’s opinion, a Black casting director can bring not only distinguished actors to the table, but also fresh faces. It’s the latter that increases the pool of Black actors for future films and removes the misperception on the part of White casting directors that there are only a few Black actors worthy of major film roles.
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The BET Arabesque line of films certainly was a showcase opportunity for new and established
Black actors. As one of three casting directors for the ten films, Cunningham opines, “we basically hired more African-American actors in the last 12 months I think than anyone.” Certainly, BET should be applauded for undertaking the arduous task of producing and writing ten films in one year. As for Cunningham, avid movie watchers look forward to his continued role in giving life to a script’s characters.M June 2000 |
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