NEW SEASON OF THE ACADEMY MUSEUM PODCAST HOSTED BY DIRECTOR & PRESIDENT JACQUELINE STEWART EXPLORES ROLE OF CASTING IN HOLLYWOOD

 

Jacqueline Stewart, Director & President of The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Jacqueline Stewart Returns as Host to Explore the Art and Influence of Casting throughout the History of Cinema

Jacqueline Stewart, Director and President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures returned as host of the new season of the Museum's Podcast series, released earlier this month. The Academy Museum is continuing its partnership with LAist Studios with the podcast, an audio series that draws inspiration from the museum’s galleries to further expand upon both pivotal and lesser-known stories across cinema history.

The second season, titled “Close Up on Casting,” was inspired by Stewart’s observation that museum visitors gravitate to the Performance gallery that features audition tapes, early Polaroid photos of actors, and casting directors’ notes. "It was an incredible opportunity to talk to casting directors to learn more about the history of that discipline [casting] which has been kind of marginalized and underappreciated," said Stewart at a recent press conference at the Academy Museum. 

The question of “who gets the part?” has evolved over time, and Stewart seeks to break down this essential and often misunderstood element of the filmmaking process. The lopsided opportunities for women to play substantial roles in Hollywood is also something that Stewart has addressed in the new season. "We talk about the casting of Meg Ryan in Jane Campion's In The Cut, and how challenging it can be, especially for women to break out when they are moving from a kind of ingenue. Age is one of those things that categorize actresses, even more, sort of rigidly. So the lack of overall leading opportunities for women is an issue."

Each episode explores different themes that help explain the immense influence that casting directors can have on a film's success and the actors' career trajectories.

Episodes include revelatory interviews and in-depth conversations with casting directors and scholars, including Cara Caddoo, Reuben Cannon, Kim Taylor-Coleman, Sarah Finn, Eric Goldberg, Kimberly Hardin, Mary Hidalgo, Lora Kennedy, Laurie Parker, David Rubin, and Patricia White. In addition, this season features archival audio and other exclusive content that will only be accessible through the podcast. 

Among the stories that will be featured in the 10-episode season are:

• ●  “The Casting of Rebecca: Vivien Leigh vs. Joan Fontaine”

• ●  “Typecasting and the Studio System: The Case of Noble Johnson”

• ●  “Innovators in New Hollywood: Marion Dougherty + Lynn Stalmaster”

• ●  “Breaking Boundaries in the ‘70s: Reuben Cannon”

• ●  “Typecasting Revisited: In the Cut and Casting Against Type” 

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Listeners can find the series on the Academy Museum and LAist Studios websites, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. 

https://www.academymuseum.org/en/podcast

https://laist.com/podcasts/the-academy-museum-podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-academy-museum-podcast/id1614531313 

https://open.spotify.com/show/1XCH14qiLeX5q9Ufx47CVg?si=927eefcb177446e1&nd=1

Credit: Academy Museum digital engagement platforms, including this podcast, are sponsored by Bloomberg