Robi Reed-Humes has cast such films as The Best Man, Soul Food, Love Jones, most of Spike Lee’s movies, and the critically acclaimed Don King: Only in America. When I say Reed-Humes began casting as a child, I don’t mean that she got her first film credit at that time. Instead, she discovered that she was born to be a casting director: she has an instinct for seeing the right actor in each role.
The Road to This Position
Reed-Humes knew that what she loved doing was called “casting” at the age of 15. “I thought I was gifted with an eye for talent. When I was much younger, when I read books, I would imagine certain actors in the roles. When I found out there was a title for the position, I knew I wanted to do that,” she recalled.
Reed-Humes knew two people who made important introductions for her: Production coordinator Patt McCurdy and producer Peter Long. “They got me together with Reuben Cannon as an intern and then with Ellen Chenoweth, whom I assisted on Sweet Dreams, after college in 1984.” After assisting Chenoweth, Reed-Humes spent two years working with Michael McLean and Diane Dimeo. It was there that she met Spike Lee. “He came out for the Los Angeles Film Festival with She’s Got to Have It,” Reed-Humes remembered. “On the same day we met, I introduced him to Ruth Carter who has done all of his costume design, and Otis Sallid who has choreographed his movies. It was a fateful night.” Reed-Humes was an assistant at that time, then cast a project for PBS Wonderworks before joining Michelle Farberman as an associate at Kushner Locke. “We did a half-hour show for HBO called 1st & 10,” Reed-Humes explained. “Then,” she continued, “Spike called me and asked me to cast School Daze.”
Coolest Casting Gig
“I really had a great time on Gridlock’d, one of Tupac [Shakur]’s last films,” Reed-Humes recalled, noting that she got to be as creative as she could be. She also remembers Malcolm X fondly, along with Do the Right Thing. In fact, Reed-Humes is still approached to speak on panels about that one. Most recently, she spoke at a Q&A session held by Los Angeles Film Critics.
Additionally, “The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does this film school for high school kids and they showed Do the Right Thing to these kids who’d never seen it before. I went and spoke to these kids who were too young to have seen the film. They were in awe. They wrote papers on it,” Reed-Humes explained.
Key Things She Looks for in an Actor
Preparation. “Preparation is so important. It’s almost inexcusable not to be prepared these days. The material is available through so many outlets now,” Reed-Humes insisted.
“I look for experience… sometimes,” Reed-Humes added. Sometimes experience isn’t as important as a good rap, which was the case for Carmen Brown, a film she cast for MTV.
Her Favorite Casting Tale
Reed-Humes brought Lucy Liu in for the Thandie Newton role in Gridlock’d, and cast her in a role with no lines. “We found a way to give her two lines on the set and that was a breakthrough job for her. That was very cool,” Reed-Humes recalled.
Pet Peeves
Violating the parameters. “I don’t think actors need to call me. I mean, you can call me and tell me you’re back in town if you’ve been in New York for three months, but make the message or conversation short and sweet. Eight messages are not necessary,” Reed-Humes said.
Unpreparedness. “When an actor is in an audition, especially at a callback, to say, ‘I just got the material,’ is not professional. Even if that’s the case, make it work,” she commented. Also, if you’re going to ask to do the read again, do so before getting too far into the material. “People will knock on the door, come back in the room, and ask to do it again,” Reed-Humes revealed. “Yes! People do this!”
Advice for Actors
“Update your photo and resume as often as you can. It’s your calling card. Have it be the best that you can be,” she advised. “Also, look like your photo when you come in to meet me. That is really important,” she said.
Be ready for anything. “Always keep your skills as sharp as they can be. Take workshops, and if you can’t afford [high-end ones], go to Los Angeles or Santa Monica City College or something like that,” Reed-Humes suggested. “Be honed in your skills.”
Best Way to Get Seen by Her
Depends on the project. “My associates cover theatre,” she explained. “Showcases are good.” As for submissions, Reed-Humes explained, “I give many people opportunities. It’s not always the person with the A-list agent that gets into my office. Sometimes I’m going through pictures and there’s just something about [an actor] that grabs my attention, so I’ll bring them in. What is five minutes out of my day when it could change someone’s life?” Reed-Humes asked. “I’ve been blessed to be in this position. It’s my job to give that time,” she insisted.
Her Opinion on Alternate Submission Methods
“Online submissions are the wave of the future. I’ve made myself aware of what’s out there by staying in the office late to learn the computer,” Reed-Humes revealed. Her awareness of the possibilities the Internet provides has led her to consider launching her own website. “It will be helpful for pilot season. It’s an online database of diverse talent accessible to talent buyers throughout the world. This database, along with online submission methods, will never take the place of what we do,” Reed-Humes explained. “It’s a tool so that, as casting directors, we can cast our net as wide as possible and get the best talent, wherever they may be.”
Her Operating System
“I write everything down. I learned a long time ago that you can’t rely on your brain. You’ll forget! I have files, my Rolodex, lots of folders. I keep an ‘Actor to Remember’ file so I can keep people who I can’t use now, but maybe can later,” Reed-Humes detailed. “I hold generals when there’s time.”
Trends She Has Observed in the Casting Process
“No trends, just talent.”
What She Would Change About the Casting Process
In network television, she’d do screen tests for pilots. “You come in with sides in hand, or maybe memorized, with a room full of people who can change your life. You may or may not be having a good day. I worked with [writer-producer-director] Ed Weinberger on a couple of projects and we did screen tests for a day, edited it down, and took those in to network. That’s a much more positive experience. I’ve been in the room where [actors have] been great five times, then this time, they blow it. That’s nerve-wracking,” Reed-Humes explained. “It’s an expensive option, but it’s worth it in the long run. You see actors at their best.”
Highlight of Her Week
“Going home to my kids. That’s fun.”
Most Gratifying Part of Her Job
“This is why I’ve done it for so long: getting to be instrumental in helping someone achieve their goal, their dream. That is what it is for me. And I owe it all to God.”
This interview was conducted on October 31, 2000, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.