What Does Straight Out of Central Casting Mean?
Have you ever been told you're "Straight out of Central Casting?" If not, you've likely heard it somewhere, and if you're registered, you may have even taken a photo with one of our Straight out of Central Casting cards. What you may not know is how this popular phrase has evolved since we were founded in 1925.
Many successful entertainers are Straight out of Central Casting because they registered with us on their way to stardom, including Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, and Rami Malek, and even legends like John Wayne, Jean Harlow, and Gary Cooper began their careers as Background Actors with Central Casting.
Over the years, the phrase has become a popular saying to describe someone who has the traits that fit established stereotypes or archetypes.
When the podcast 99% Invisible visited Central Casting for their episode "Atmospherians," producer Roman Mars defined Straight out of Central Casting as, "something so visually perfect, that it's like it's been designed."
The origins of an iconic phrase
The expression "out of Central Casting" has been around about as long as Central Casting itself, appearing in newspapers in the late 1920s as a way to indicate that someone was hired by or came from the Central Casting Corporation. Articles about the entertainment business were republished throughout the country, with phrases like "extras sent out from Central Casting" and "calls go out to Central Casting." So, while people outside of Hollywood may not have known much about Central Casting as a company, these stories were building the foundations of what would become a well-known phrase.
On March 3, 1953, Los Angeles correspondent for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Gene Sherman published an article about an 83-year-old man who decided to enroll at the University of California, Los Angeles. Sherman described the man as having "a formidable shock of white hair and a magnificent goatee, he looks as if he had just walked out of Central Casting with the role of a witty, kindly old prospector in the latest western movie." This was one of the first examples of "out of Central Casting" being used in the figurative sense.
The phrase was printed a few more times throughout the 1950s to describe Bohemian Brooklyn café patrons, a portly Santa Claus lookalike, and a cop from the TV show Naked City. What all these mentions had in common, was that the stories were written for Los Angeles based newspapers and republished in papers throughout the country.
By the late 1960s, the expression had made it into the mainstream vernacular throughout the United States, being used by several publications to describe anyone from professional athletes, to astronauts, and even more Santa Claus lookalikes.
In the 100 years since Central Casting was founded, the phrase Straight out of Central Casting has taken on a life of its own, though it's never strayed too far from its origins. After all, those visually perfect scenes are still being designed by Central Casting.
Be part of our legacy
Want to be a part of those visually perfect scenes? Become Straight out of Central Casting by signing up as a Background Actor.
Already registered? Central Casting has been part of thousands of stories - both on screen and off. We'd love to hear yours! Whether you were a Background Actor, a fan who spotted a familiar face, or someone inspired by a scene, share your experience with us below.