Women’s History Month
For Women's History Month, we want to highlight a pioneering woman in Central Casting's history and celebrate the incredible work from our Casting Directors and women in the entertainment industry.
Women's rights advocate and background casting pioneer Marian L. Mel played an integral role in the founding of Central Casting. In 1925, Mel came to Los Angeles as part of the Industrial Welfare Commission to report on the working conditions of women and children in the entertainment industry. The results of this study inspired Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America President Will Hays to form the Central Casting Corporation. Mel was then hired to run Central Casting's women's and children's divisions.
By the late 1920s, Central Casting had a register of 6,000 women and 1,200 children. Of the average 700 bookings a day, 200 were women Mel cast, including future stars like Janet Gaynor, Jean Harlow, and Carole Lombard. Throughout her career, Mel fought for and supported increased roles for women in the industry, both in front of and behind the camera.
Like Mel, our casting staff continue to propel women forward through their inspiring work, conscious casting, and support of women working in the industry. Hear from some of our Casting Directors on the impact of women in entertainment:
Kristan Berona, Casting Director, Los Angeles
"I have been in the business since 1997, and I have to say I have always felt welcome as a woman in my field. Even though the film business was very male dominated at the time, I always felt empowered, respected, and confident on all the shows I have worked on. I love seeing the number of women in film. The glass ceiling was broken in this business!"
Anne Reeves, Casting Director, New York
"It is impossible to briefly describe the extraordinary impact of working with women in the industry like Showrunner Courtney Kemp for 6 Seasons of Power, director Amy Heckerling on Gossip Girl, Halle Berry and the text message that's still on my fridge thanking me for the hard work on her directorial debut Bruised. All these women, including Jennifer Bender (current head of Central Casting), have been the beacons of encouragement and perseverance in a male-dominated industry. They have given me the tools to advocate for myself or others when challenges arise, take pride in my contributions to the filmmaking process and lead with confidence among many other attributes. I am fortunate that there are so many more I admire, and who are the reason I am the Casting Director I am today."
MaryMargaret O'Neill, Casting Director, Georgia and Louisiana
"As a woman who works in a primarily male-dominated industry, working on Echo with so many incredible women in film was really empowering. The show focused on an Indigenous female superhero with disabilities, the first of its kind, inspiring girls and women in a way that hasn't been portrayed in media before. I had the honor of working with a lot of amazing women on this show - Director Sydney Freeland, 2nd AD Katy Galow, and Cultural Coordinators Peshawn Bread and Christina King to name a few. It was really awesome to see so many women in the crew list of that show."