‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’ Casting Director Talks Assembling Film’s ‘Dream Cast’ and Why He Enjoys Working With First-Time Directors
variety.comJenelle Riley Deputy Awards and Features Editor David Guglielmo doesn’t have an acting background, but he has an empathy and understanding for actors that serves him – and others – as a casting director.
It might come from his background as a writer/director, which he notes is a form of performance in many ways. “When you’re writing, you’re every character.
You’re feeling those emotions and traveling with them,” he notes. “And when you direct, you have to speak the langue of actors, to understand where they’re coming from and what they need.” He adds that nothing compares to a great performance. “Even if you watch a movie that’s a little rough around the edges, if the acting is there, it’s going to pull you in.
And it can be one of the most powerful experiences you can have in art.”Guglielmo studied directing at New York City’s School of Visual Arts before moving to Los Angeles in 2012, where he shot his first feature, “No Way to Live” – which he refers to as his “real film school.” He worked on that microbudget indie with casting director Matthew Lessal, who invited him on to be his casting assistant when the movie wrapped.
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