Michelle Morris Gertz—whose casting credits include Sundance darlings [such as Donnie Darko and The Broken Hearts Club], mega-hits [such as Legally Blonde and The Bourne Identity], and a CSA Artios Award-winner [American Pie]—works from a modest office at Universal Studios. She is surrounded by photos of her family, as well as three-ring binders over-stuffed with headshots, resumes, and session notes.
Her welcoming smile and easy-going laugh make it easy to understand why she is a frequent guest-speaker at industry events (she had just completed a weekend event at the Lee Strasberg School when we met as well as having been interviewed for the forthcoming Guerrilla Filmmaker’s Handbook). Gertz is happy to share her advice on the process of casting and the actor’s place within that process—just as others have shared their knowledge with her along the way. The learning cycle is an important one to Gertz, and it’s a fundamental part of the way she approaches all projects—in casting and in “real life” itself.
First Casting Job
An internship, on a detour from her original career plan. Midwesterner Gertz took her Boston-earned degree in communications and headed to the west coast. She had planned to work in publicity and PR at a major studio, and began interning at New Line Cinema in 1995. “A family friend who is now a great casting director—Amanda Koblin—was starting up a casting department under Valerie McCaffrey at New Line. They brought me on as an intern. I didn’t know what casting was, but I dove in head-first. It was great. I really enjoyed it. Then, suddenly, I got a job in publicity and I had a weekend to decide whether I wanted to take a paying job in publicity or continue to do a freebie in casting.”
Obviously, Gertz chose casting, and she eventually intersected with Joseph Middleton. “He’s like a big brother to me. I ended up working with him for six years, but at first, I was making $250 a week assisting him and I thought I was so lucky!” she exclaimed. Gertz referred to 1997 as her “big year,” as it was also when she met her husband, Scott Gertz. “In 1997, we cast Go and American Pie, and it just sort of sprung from there. I was doing independents on the side, but I was really happy working with Joseph. He had to push me out on my own,” she revealed. They were never really far apart, as Middleton and Gertz had offices down the hall from one another at Universal. Although Gertz was doing Big Fat Liar on her own, she teamed up with Middleton to do Universal’s American Pie 2 as well as Project Greenlight’s Stolen Summer for Miramax.
Six months after Gertz returned from her own maternity leave, a then-pregnant Vice President of Feature Casting Joanna Colbert asked Gertz to step in for her to cover the department. She did, and when Colbert returned, she asked Gertz to stay on as Director of Casting. Gertz again accepted, but found that studio life was not the best blend with her new role of mother to daughter Jordan (who is now 19 months old). So, Gertz is now an independent casting director working out of the offices of Universal. “It’s a little more workable. I love Universal. I feel like I’m a better person and a better casting director for having worked on the staff here. I’ll take that education with me, no matter what I do.”
Coolest Casting Gig
“I’ve been pretty lucky,” Gertz began, explaining that she would not be able to name one gig as coolest. “Bring It On was so much fun. We went to all of these cheering competitions. What a scene!” She also quickly mentioned the joy of “discovering new talent” for American Pie and the excitement of working with Project Greenlight. “I was glad to be a part of something ground-breaking,” she said.
A personally-fulfilling feature for Gertz was Big Fat Liar. “I was very pregnant, working on this kids’ movie, and laughing every day. We had sessions right up until I gave birth, basically. This was a sweet movie, and I laughed hysterically with [director] Shawn Levy in every casting session.”
Currently Casting
Gertz just finished up Honey for Universal. This feature, starring Jessica Alba, Li’l Romeo, and Mekhi Phifer, has given Gertz a chance to work with people in the recording industry for the first time. “It’s wild,” she shared.
Next up, I Am Bad, a dark indie (“emphasis on the dark,” Gertz said) viewed through the eyes of a serial killer. “This one is shot more like theatre than film,” she revealed. Gertz has done television casting, but prefers film. “Film is my first love. I spend three or four months getting invested in the characters, getting to know them, and then I move on.”
How Actors Can Get an Edge
Intern in a casting office. Gertz happily uses actors as interns. Why? “I had a wonderful first experience. When I was working with Joseph, a woman approached us and asked if she could intern for us because she had just moved here [to pursue acting] and really wanted to learn about the process. She really set the standard for interns, with me. I value the intern experience. I think it’s important for an actor to see the process. It takes away the mystery, takes the casting director off the pedestal. It teaches you that we’re all running around crazy. Because I had such a wonderful first experience [hiring an actor as an intern], I’m all for that,” she cheered. A tip from Gertz, for those who want to intern: “Be honest. Don’t come in and say you want to be a casting director if you want to be an actor. It’s OK to come in and learn from what we do in casting, as an actor. Just be honest about what you want from the experience. I won’t say I haven’t been burned by that [choice to hire an actor as an intern], but I still believe in seeing the best in everybody.”
“It’s like going to school. Actors should go on sets, do student films, help casting directors. See interning and reading in a casting director’s office as going to school. Ask questions. Ask to see audition tapes.” Of course, Gertz wants interns to be professional about their interaction. “If I’m in the room with the director, don’t offer up your opinion then. Talk with me later. We must put on a united front as an office,” she continued. “In casting, all we have is our opinion, so it’s important that we are together.”
Her Biggest Casting Challenge
“There is one role in every film that is a thorn in my side,” Gertz revealed. “Sometimes, it’ll be three or four weeks into [casting] before I see which role that is.” The broader challenge, for Gertz, is one of integrity. “Staying true to who I am as a person is a challenge. It’s so easy to get sucked in by agents and managers and the pitches. People [in this industry] tend to define themselves by others’ opinions of them. If you cast a hit, you’re the next big thing. If you’re not working, you’re desperate.” How does Gertz maintain balance? “My work doesn’t define me.”
Advice for Actors
Gertz’s advice actually stems from exactly that concept of separating Self from Work. “There is so much rejection,” she began. “You must have a hobby, something that relaxes you, makes you at peace. If that’s family and friends or some other place you get to go after auditions, that’s what you must have. What you do is just a piece of who you are.”
Practical advice for auditioning comes from homework. “Know as much about the character as possible, before your audition. If you’re coming in and have questions, you may call me to get the specifics about your character and what we’re looking for.” As for feedback, Gertz will provide it. “I’m pretty honest. If it’s apparent you’re not right for the role, but you gave a great reading, I’ll say so. It’s important to know how you’re doing.”
Key Things She Looks for in an Actor
“Real people,” she insisted. “I am drawn to people who are natural and subtle. That’s as people and in their performances. I don’t like extreme things, so props, costumes, and over-the-top acting don’t work for me. I look for actors who are professionals.” And how does she see that? “I can tell as soon as the actor walks in the door.”
Best Way to Get Seen by Her
Gertz does not put out Breakdowns for every role. “I rely on my relationships with agents and managers,” she explained. Gertz also attends showcases and theatre performances, noting, “It is rare to find someone in theatre who wouldn’t be submitted to me otherwise, though.” Still, she’ll go or she’ll send someone from her office to cover shows she cannot attend.
As for how not to see Gertz, the drop-by tops the list. “Also, it’s unnecessary to send flowers and cookies. It’s inappropriate to cold-call the office. Really, it’s a waste of time.” She will, however, gladly accept your postcard submission—to say hello or update her about your work.
Most Gratifying Part of Her Job
“When I give a chance to an actor who I don’t necessarily think can pull it off and that actor nails it—revealing a side to the character I didn’t know was there—that makes it all worthwhile. To see it come alive—that’s what it’s all about.”
This interview was conducted on October 24, 2002, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.