Artios Awards Los Angeles Recap

Lots of laughs and admiration filled the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in L.A. for the 25th Annual Artios Awards last Monday. Each year at the Artios Awards, casting directors are honored by their Casting Society of America (CSA) peers for outstanding achievement in casting in theater, film, and television.

Celebrity awards presenters in Los Angeles were Ken Jeong ("The Hangover"), Keke Palmer ("Akeelah and the Bee"), Taye Diggs ("Rent"), Allison Janney ("Away We Go"), Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls"), Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory"), Dennis Quaid ("Far From Heaven"), and Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas").

The event was hosted by John Michael Higgins ("Best in Show"), who had the audience rolling in the aisles, especially as he was introducing actor Ken Jeong. Michael Higgins instructed the actors in the audience to avoid expensive acting classes and, instead, do what Jeong did before his acting career took off:

"Go to med school and become an internist, because it worked for Ken and [he's] gotten those degrees and basically waltzes through all your rooms and just grabs every single really cool kamikaze comic film role right out of the mouths of Michael Higgins' children," Michael Higgins said. "So fuck you, Ken Jeong. Because when you stop inviting him into your offices, he has a backup. He's going to be a doctor!" He sarcastically added, "Oh Ken, I have a pain in my ass. It's you."

Allison Janney literally sang to John Frank Levey while presenting him with the Hoyt Bowers Award. She told a story about how Levey had originally cast her in "The West Wing":

"It's a cold, cold, dark February in New York City. I had just left from another failed audition, where the director ate a sandwich through my audition and then took a phone call. I left, and I reached into my pockets. I had no change to get on the subway. I had to walk from 23rd Street up to 76th Street and Amsterdam, with the wind and the cold blowing in my face and the tears freezing on my cheeks. I got up to my apartment and I was so excited to heat up my Ramen noodles, when I realized I hadn't paid my electric bill and I collapsed in a heap on the floor in my apartment in tears, and I called my mother. I said, 'Mom, you were right. I can't do it. I'm coming home to take care of you.' Then I said, 'Mom, hold on a second.' And I said, 'Hello,' and there was this man on the other end of the phone and he said, 'Allison, you don't know me. My name is John Levey and I'm going to change your life. There is a private plane waiting for you at Teterboro Airport. Go there tomorrow morning and I'm going to fly you out to a town called Los Angeles and I'm going to make you a star.' And that's how it happened!"

Then Janney backpedaled into a more sincere truth about what happened. "In actuality, I think Kevin Scott had seen a tape of me and gave it to John, who fell in love with me," she said. "John used to be a director in the theater. And anything you do in the theater makes you a better person in general, I think. John has a great eye for talent. He has great taste… and he certainly does respect actors. He has a great sense of casting ensembles. My cast was amazing. He knows how to make other people think it was their idea. He convinced John Wells and Aaron Sorkin that it was their idea to cast me, which I thank you for, and I think he's probably single-handedly responsible for 'ER''s longevity. He's an amazing man."

While accepting his award, Levey recalled his own career highlights, such as casting actual AIDS-infected actors in an episode of "ER." He even recalled receiving a special thank-you note from Dakota Fanning for casting her in her first-ever role in "ER," back in 2000.

Producer Laura Ziskin was this year's recipient for the Career Achievement Award. Having produced the 74th and 79th Annual Academy Awards, she vowed that one day there will be a category for casting.

Before Ziskin came on stage, actor Dennis Quaid recalled the casting director who helped him land his first agent:

"I was a kid out here from Houston back in the mid-'70s, and I sent my résumé and my photograph out to every agency in town and got turned down by everybody, of course, but then I got the idea that I would call casting directors," he remembered. "So I started calling you guys at random. Nine of you would say no, but one of you would say yes, and I would come in for a general meeting. I would stare at my shoes the first three or four times that I did it, but then eventually casting director Gino Havens called an agent for me. And I got an agent. So thank you! You really have so much effect on young actors' lives."

Ray Liotta ended the evening by presenting the feature film casting awards. He singled out the casting directors who think outside the box. "As actors, we always want to be doing something different, and it takes somebody like you to believe in us. It happened with me once. The movie was 'Observe and Report,' and Sheila Jaffe believed in me. It was a comedy and they didn't want to see me, and it worked out." He joked, adding, "Why I had to be with Seth Rogen, I don't know, but I did. So I've always admired all of you. And to all of you that take the risks and believe in actors like us that might be different and outside the box, we totally appreciate and thank you."

-- Cassie Carpenter, Casting Editor, Back Stage

2009 Artios Award Nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Casting (winners in bold):

Big Budget Feature – Drama
"Changeling," Ellen Chenoweth
"The Dark Knight," John Papsidera
"Duplicity," Ellen Chenoweth
"Star Trek," April Webster, Alyssa Weisberg
"State of Play," Avy Kaufman*

Big Budget Feature – Comedy
"Burn After Reading," Ellen Chenoweth
"Confessions of a Shopaholic," Denise Chamian*
"Get Smart," Roger Mussenden
"Tropic Thunder," Francine Maisler*
"Yes Man," David Rubin/Richard Hicks

Feature – Studio or Independent Drama/Comedy
"Doubt," Ellen Chenoweth
"Frost/Nixon," Janet Hirshenson, Jane Jenkins
"Milk," Francine Maisler, Nina Henninger (Location Casting)
"Revolutionary Road," Ellen Lewis, Debra Zane
"The Wrestler," Mary Vernieu*

Low Budget Feature – Drama/Comedy
"Choke," Mary Vernieu*
"The Lodger," Donald Paul Pemrick, Dean E. Fronk
"Phoebe in Wonderland," Avy Kaufman, Deborah Aquila, Jennifer Smith
"Sugar," Cindy Tolan
"Sunshine Cleaning," Avy Kaufman

Animation Feature
"Space Chimps," Matthew Jon Beck
"The Tale of Despereaux," Debra Zane
"UP," Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon

Short Film
"Big Days Ahead," Patrick Baca
"Bye Bye Sally," Jason Wood
"The Monday Before Thanksgiving," Randi Hiller
"Spleenectomy," Randi Hiller

Television Pilot – Drama
"Fringe," April Webster, Lonnie Hamerman*
"The Mentalist," Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer
"The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency," David Rubin, Richard Hicks*
"Southland," John Frank Levey*
"Trueblood," Junie Lowry Johnson*

Television Pilot – Comedy
"Eastbound and Down," Juel Bestrop, Seth Yanklewitz, Craig Fincannon/Lisa Mae Fincannon (Location Casting)
"Easy Money," Gayle Pillsbury, Bonnie Zane*
"Glee," Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer, Jim Carnahan (NY Casting)
"In The Motherhood," Collin Daniel, Brett Greenstein

Television Series – Drama
"Big Love," Junie Lowry Johnson*
"Damages," Julie Tucker, Ross Meyerson
"Friday Night Lights," Linda Lowy*
"In Treatment," Alexa L. Fogel
"Mad Men," Laura Schiff, Carrie Audino

Television Series – Comedy
"Californication," Felicia Fasano
"Flight of the Conchords," Cindy Tolan
"Pushing Daisies," Meg Liberman, Cami Patton, Jennifer Lare
"The United States of Tara," Cami Patton, Elizabeth Barnes
"Weeds," Dava Waite Peaslee

Television Movie
"24 Redemption," Debi Manwiller, Peggy Kennedy*
"Grey Gardens," Ellen Parks, Robin D. Cook (Location Casting)
"Living Proof," Susan Edelman, Mark Fincannon/Lisa Mae Fincannon (Location Casting)
"Loving Leah," Lynn Kressel
"Prayers for Bobby," Shana Landsburg*

Mini Series
"XIII: The Conspiracy," Wendy O'Brien*, Lisa Parasyn (Location Casting)
"Generation Kill," Alexa L. Fogel
"Maneater," Tammara Billik, Jason Wood

Children's Series Programming
"The Electric Company," Patricia McCorkle
"Hannah Montana," Carol Goldwasser, Howard Meltzer
"iCarly," Krisha Bullock
"True Jackson, VP," Krisha Bullock, Harriet Greenspan
"Wizards of Waverly Place," Ruth Lambert, Robert McGee

Animation TV Programming
"Mighty B!," Sarah Noonan*
"The Life and Times of Tim," Ruth Lambert, Robert McGee
"The Penguins of Madagascar," Sarah Noonan, Meredith Layne
"Rick & Steve, The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World," Gillian O'Neill
"Sit Down Shut Up," Ruth Lambert/Robert McGee

Daytime Series
"As the World Turns," Mary Clay Boland
"Days of Our Lives," Marnie Saitta
"General Hospital," Mark Teschner
"Guiding Light," Rob Decina
"The Young and the Restless," Camille St. Cyr

L.A. Theater
"Crowns," Michael Donovan
"The Fantasticks," Michael Donovan
"Les Misérables in Concert," Bruce Newberg
"Man of La Mancha," Michael Donovan
"Once On This Island," Amy Lieberman

Broadway Theater – Drama
"33 Variations," James Calleri
"All My Sons," Cindy Tolan
"Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Daniel Swee
"Reasons to be Pretty," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"The Seagull," Jim Carnahan

NY Broadway Theater – Comedy
"Blithe Spirit," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"Exit the King," Daniel Swee
"God of Carnage," Daniel Swee
"Speed the Plow," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"Waiting for Godot," Jim Carnahan

NY Broadway Theater – Musical
"9 to 5," Bernard Telsey, Craig Burns
"Billy Elliot," Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman, Laura Schutzel, Eric Woodall, Nora Brennan
"Pal Joey," Bernard Telsey, Jim Carnahan
"Rock of Ages," Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield
"Shrek," Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman, Laura Schutzel, Eric Woodall

NY Off-Broadway – Comedy/Musical
"Fault Lines," Howie Cherpakov
"Happiness," Tara Rubin, Laura Schutzel, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman
"Offices," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"The Third Story," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"Three Changes," Alaine Alldaffer

NY Off-Broadway – Drama
"Boy's Life," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"The Bridge Project," Nancy Piccione*
"Farragut North," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler
"Ruined," Nancy Piccione*
"Uncle Vayna," James Calleri

Regional Theater East
"Death of a Salesman," Tara Rubin, Laura Schutzel, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman
"The Glass Menagerie," James Calleri
"Turn of the Century," Jay Binder*
"Unusual Acts of Devotion," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler/Tiffany Little Canfield
"To Kill a Mockingbird," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler

Regional Theater West
"Cornelia," Samantha Barrie
"The Little Foxes," Michael Donovan
"Our Mother's Brief Affair," Joanne DeNaut
"Pippin," Bonnie Grisan, Erika Sellin
"Stormy Weather," Michael Donovan*

SPECIAL HONOREES:

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Laura Ziskin

HOYT BOWERS AWARD
John Frank Levey

THE NEW YORK APPLE AWARD
Nora & Delia Ephron

(*Shared credit with a non-CSA member)

Click here for Back Stage's coverage of the New York Artios Awards ceremony, which was held simultaneously with the L.A. event. And read our Artios Awards special-edition Q&As with 2009 Artios Awards host Janeane Garofalo and actor/Artios Award presenter Patrick Wilson and actor/Artios Award presenter Vincent Kartheiser.