Margery Simkin is a casting director with a broad range of credits such as Brazil and Living Out Loud as well as Little Shop of Horrors and Death to Smoochy. The variety in her work is what she loves the most, but this busy CSA member seems to have quite a passion for the craft of casting itself.
Coolest Casting Gig
As is common, for casting directors, she has a soft spot in her heart for whatever project she has just cast. “The last one I’ve done is always my favorite,” she said. “Erin Brockovich was great because there were so many wonderful small roles. Even if the characters were just in one scene, they were really good parts, and I got to use a lot of people I’d wanted to use for a long time.”
Advice for Actors
“Be sure acting is what you really want to do. For me, over the years, I’ve seen that it’s a combination of talent and determination [that makes a successful actor]. You have to really be able to hang in there and appreciate the fact that there is value in working. I think that people don’t want to take smaller [roles or roles in smaller projects] because they think they’re not impressive enough. I think doing good work is always good to do,” Simkin advised.
Best Way to Get Seen by Her
Agency representation is at the top of Simkin’s list. “The best way is representational, but I saw somebody today from submissions. When I’m working on a project, I look through every picture that comes through my office. If someone’s right, I’ll meet that actor. I can’t meet everybody, that’s the problem. I think that’s where the frustration comes in, for casting directors. We don’t want to miss anyone.”
Her Opinion on Alternative Submission Methods
“The problem for me with online submission methods is that I don’t keep a permanent office. I move every couple of months. So, for me, in its current form, [Internet casting] hasn’t yet proven to be that valuable,” Simkin explained.
Most Gratifying Part of Her Job
“I’m grateful to have variety in my work. It’s just fun. It’s good to work on good material, no matter what the genre is.”
This interview was conducted on November 1, 2000, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.