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Woody Allen Writes Open Letter To Hollywood Asking For Change
Woody Allen at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June 2012. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Woody Allen, who is known to shy away from the spotlight and media, wrote a rare open letter to Hollywood today. He urged the Academy to include a casting director Oscar category to its ranks—something he's felt they've neglected to do for far too long.
The letter was printed in The Hollywood Reporter, and the celebrated director showed his support for his Blue Jasmine colleague, Juliet Taylor, as a prime example. It's hard to even think of household names like Meryl Streep and Jeff Daniels as people Allen had never heard of before Taylor had introduced them to him, and in some cases, she had to push the resisted Allen to cast them in films.
He wrote:
Because my films are not special effects films and are about human beings, proper casting is absolutely essential. I owe a big part of the success of my films to this scrupulous casting process which I must say if left to my own devices would never have happened.
In Hollywood, the Emmys and the Independent Spirit Awards recognize casting directors in their awards ceremonies, according to Variety. However, change may be on the horizon. In July, casting directors were allowed their own branch in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, allowing them to cast ballots on who should win the coveted Oscars. The Los Angeles Times reported that between the years of 1996 to 2011, three proposals to include casting directors to be honored in the ceremony were rejected.
Let's just hope Woody Allen might have better luck.
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