Her Bio: Adrienne is a seasoned Feature Film Casting Director and ARTIOS winner whose films have premiered at Sundance, TIFF, Cannes, Tribeca, Berlin, SXSW, HIFF, Woodstock, Hamptons, Seattle, Venice and many other prominent film festivals, taking home first place prestigious awards that have led to distribution deals and launched actor’s careers. Her films shoot all over the world and include horror, psychological thrillers, family dramas and dark secrets, bio pics, teen coming of age, comedy and making peoples dreams come true. So here's a look at how she does this.
Adrienne Stern: A Casting Director is like a rose with many thorns all tangled and reaching in many directions. I prefer to think of one not pruned so I can go wild getting the cast needed for the film.
I work with all the main agency and management companies both in the US and abroad but always in search of the right talent that could be represented or not so my reach is far and wide. Each project has specific needs so I quickly determine what path I may start down but often make many turns. I work closely with my Producer and Directors presenting them with possible choices.
Suzee: What is your typical day like?
Adrienne Stern: A typical day is coffee at 8 am, going through my emails, reading a script. We get started at 10am and each and every day is different. We could be making lists, checking talent avails, asking talent to tape. Many meetings and discussions of the course of the day. We usually wrap at 6pm unless we have a film or two that is close to shooting our days can be much longer. But always many after hour’s phone calls and emails.
Suzee: What was your education/experience that lead you to this position? Did you have another career?
Adrienne Stern: I did have another career in the Fortune 500 world, but a move out of the metro area when I was young had me starting over and it was a job on a feature in extras casting that exposed me to this industry. That led to an internship in casting which turned into a fulltime job and eventually led to a fulltime career in Casting.
Suzee: Do you have any advice for someone that aspires to do what you do?
Adrienne Stern: Know early that casting interests you and do as many internships at CD offices, agencies and management companies. Spend time online understanding what a Casting Director does as its 80% sitting on the computer, not as glamorous a world of sitting in auditions all day.
Suzee: Can you tell me an interesting story that happened during the course of your work? Feel free to namedrop!
Adrienne Stern: Funny Story I have many but this one is always memorable. I was casting a liquor brand campaign shooting in Montauk NY. We needed 3 models, 2 men and 1 woman. I was able to find male models that lived in the Hamptons. But struggled with a female model accepting the role. The problem was it was 6am call time so getting from NYC to Montauk meant a drive in the middle of the night and the client was not housing the talent the night before.
The first model we offered to was the top choice but after accepting decided to pass. After that this situation continued and they would accept and then drop. We very well may have offered this to over a dozen people. Whenever I have a commercial shoot I wake up early to solve any casting problems in case someone drops out or does not show up. That morning was no different than any other except I woke to an email from the female model who was the last cast to accept that she was declining the role. It was now the morning of the shoot and I had no female model headed to Montauk or in Montauk to shoot the commercial.
I was just about to call my producer when she called me and said you are not going to believe this but the original model we offered the part to over a month just showed up on set. She somehow magically got herself out to Montauk and took a gamble that they would use her. That was the save of the century.
THE 2 (BIG Questions We Really Want to Ask)
Now the question every actor want to know, how do I get myself cast in a movie?
Do the work on the inside and outside to get noticed and just give a damn good audition so you may not get that part but something in the future
How does an actor get on YOUR radar?
So many ways... send an email, take my class, have reps submit or submit yourself. No matter what this is a business so treat it respectfully. If a casting office feels you are right they will reach out
And now... The Lightning Round
Series You Binged
The Bear, Euphoria, Sopranos (can never get enough)
Top Five Films
Jaws, The Godfather, Saturday Night Fever, Once upon a Time in the West, Roma
How You Destress
Spending time with loved one’s family and friends and watching Food Network or cooking shows, HGTV and way too many Law and Orders
Best Restaurant or Food in NYC
I dine out 3-4 times a week anything French or Italian gets me, but here are some:
Frenchette
Chez Fifi
Fiaschetteria
Spaghetti Café
What is the Best Thing About Being the Age You Are
Lived long enough to voice my opinion and knowledge
TO CONNECT WITH ADRIENNE STERN:
Instagram: @astarcast