Bob Morones is a storyteller. After 30 years in casting, he has quite a few stories to share. He cast the award-winning feature Platoon, but has most recently received accolades for his work on the cable television series Resurrection Blvd.
With intense attention to detail, Morones follows the work of actors he plans to hire. His level of investment in discovering the history of an actor’s work pays off time and again, as he uses his knowledge of an actor’s range to cast him in a non-traditional role. This risk advances the actor’s career, confirms Morones’ instincts, and provides quality entertainment for everyone.
First Casting Job
Night Gallery in 1973. Morones assisted Ralph Winters – who was head of TV casting at Universal Studios at the time – after graduating from UCLA’s film school. “They were hiring student workers and I went over there. I’d been in the service and had let my hair grow long. I had this big beard. I looked like Fidel Castro,” Morones laughed. “I never thought I’d get called back. What was going to be a summer job turned into five-and-a-half years with Universal TV.”
Road to This Position
After doing series work and MOW casting, Morones was ready to do some feature casting. “I hung my shingle at a space in the Melrose Theatre and became an independent casting director,” Morones said. “It was hard to get into feature casting from television, although I was well trained at Universal, because all I had was television. But little by little, I did get opportunities and I did end up returning and casting three features back at the studio.”
Coolest Casting Gig
Oliver Stone’s Salvador. “We met in 1981 when I was casting Scarface and he called me later in Texas – where I was working on a project – and asked me back for Salvador. It was a low-budget, cinema verité feature that he had planned to cast with non-professionals,” he said. “I stretched my neck out and said, ‘Hey, Oliver, I’ve got a novel idea. Let’s use real actors!’ We started casting, the budget got a little healthier, and he made me associate producer. I put James Woods in as the love interest and cast Jim Belushi in his first meaty role,” Morones continued. “James Woods was nominated for an Oscar and he really deserved it. After the success of Platoon, Salvador was rereleased. It had been shelved until after Platoon had its success.”
Key Things He Looks for in an Actor
Depends on the project, the genre, the types of actors he’s auditioning. “I do a lot of tracking,” Morones explained. “I see three to seven movies a week. If I see an actor I like, I track them, I track their career.” Morones feels this research is an essential part of his job as a casting director.
Morones has certain opinions on the “look” of a star. “I come from Old Hollywood, so I believe that a leading man should look like a leading man, walk like a leading man, talk like a leading man. A handsome rascal,” described Morones. “And a character [actor] should have that swagger, that different way of going.”
Most of all, Morones expects commitment. “I want to see an actor committed to developing a character that is different from the last character he or she played. When you start seeing a body of work with range to it, you know you’ve got someone who can do the work.”
His Favorite Casting Tale
“I sent a script directly to an actor because his agent had passed,” Morones began. “The actor loved the role but would need to lose 50 pounds to be right for the role. The agent called me, ‘You schmuck, you went around us, we told you he wasn’t available, but now he wants to do this, so what are the terms?’ The actor began working with a trainer in Belize one month before we started shooting, lost 60 pounds, and played the love interest in Beyond Desire.” The actor? William Forsythe.
Pet Peeves
“I only have one pet peeve and that’s unprepared actors. Actors who come in and say they just got the material, they’re not prepared, they’re just going to do it on a whim, they’re not ready,” Morones listed. “It’s like showing up for a major league ball game and just striking out. It’s so obvious! The attitude, the body language, it all shows whether you’re ready.”
Morones recalled a time when actors were running from studio to studio, picking up sides, so they could be prepared as far in advance of an audition as possible. “Now, there’s no excuse. Now, when there’s Breakdowns and ShowFax and Sides Express and fax machines and email and all these ways to get the sides quickly, there’s this laziness where actors are still not making the effort to get the material,” Morones said. “You put all that money into your career, training, pictures, and then wing it in the audition? That’s not wise. I want to see you invested in your career. I want a performance, I don’t want to see you doing a cold read. Some wonderful actors cannot cold read,” Morones insisted.
Advice for Actors
“You hear about the actors who come into it half-assed and make it from some chance meeting, being at the right place at the right time,” he said, “but that’s random. Put the odds in your favor by training.” Scene study work, according to Morones, is not enough. “Get improvisational training, study the classics, study music and movement. If you’re looking at acting as a career because it gives you a line that’s good in social intercourse, don’t train, but, just like in boxing, if you’re really doing this, you train.” Morones continued, “You don’t go in to get your ass kicked. You have the skills and everyone can tell during the warm-up who’s got the edge. It’s your conditioning, your response, your improv ability that bring out the good elements. Don’t just show me you can read. If you’re a contender, I’ll find out.”
Best Way to Get Seen by Him
Showcases. Yes, even with no agent and no union affiliation, you can get in front of him. “I like those afternoon showcases. I am always surprised by the quality I find. In ten to 12 scenes, I’ll see one or two people who stand out. For that alone, I get so excited.” Okay, but does he cast from showcases? “Absolutely! I’ve cast from CBS Comedy on the Lot, TVI’s screening process yields good performers, and Gloria Gifford’s Rubiat Ride on Melrose. Those are some phenomenal showcases,” he summarized.
What about theatre? “At Universal, I covered a lot of little theatre. I would seek out a performer and see his performances,” he said. So, even before Morones tracked actors by seeing three to seven movies per week, he was tracking them in local theatre, years ago. Lately, however, he doesn’t have the time to attend quite as much theatre in Los Angeles. Still, he does go, on occasion.
His Opinion on Alternative Submission Methods
“I wish I could be a man of the new millennium,” Morones joked. In his opinion, Internet browsing of headshots and resumes is too slow to be worthwhile. “Maybe with DSL connections, it’s getting better, but right now it’s slow,” he said. “It’s taking 20 minutes to half an hour online to look for people. I can make one phone call and get 2000 photos.”
Morones’ recommendation for money well spent? “Get in the Academy Players Directory.” This is a task that requires membership in a minimum of one union, representation by a manager or agent, and $75 a year. “It’s worth it,” Morones indicated.
Trends He Has Observed in the Casting Process
“Young and younger,” Morones summarized. “Once, a leading man was in his mid- to late 20s. Then, offbeat casting became popular, with off-center, interesting people in major roles. Now, it’s youth.” As for whether or not this trend yields greater talent, Morones said, “It’s healthy any time competition comes from a bigger arena.”
Most Gratifying Part of His Job
“When I see that I was right. When I take a risk on an actor and he delivers.”
This interview was conducted on January 29, 2001, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.