Right for the Role

While there are many books that catalog Hollywood-from the classic to the profane, gritty to salacious-few tell the tale of how entertainment's biggest names became the biggest names. Right for the Role shares the story straight from an insider who's been central to that process for decades. Four-time Emmy-award-winning casting director John Frank Levey hasn't just witnessed some of the world's greatest acting talents make it in Hollywood; in many cases, he's had a major hand in it. As the casting director for numerous iconic TV series, including ER, The West Wing and Shameless, Levey saw firsthand that household names like George Clooney, Anthony Edwards and Allison Janney had "it"-and then watched their "it" propel them into the stratosphere. In Right for the Role, Levey manages to tell a story of life among the glitterati while never losing his exuberance for being a part of the process. Through his colorful tales of meeting incredible talent early in their careers-including Josh Gad, Lucy Liu and a just-out-of-Julliard Jessica Chastain-Levey documents his transformation from a novice casting director to one of the greats in the field. Beyond teaching readers how to spot what it takes to make it in Hollywood, how casting has changed since the 1980s (when telephones had cords!) or how to live in a world of glamour and gusto, Levey's stories also show how to play a central role in a show's success without losing a sense of wonder. For any aspiring casting directors, actors or students of Hollywood history, Right for the Role is a must-read.