J. J. Abrams Quotes

I think filmmakers are always interested in getting the best actor that they can find, the person who's the most right for it.

Danny DeVito later told me that he knew he wanted me for 'Matilda' the second I walked in the door. I'm not sure if this is true, or if he was just being nice, but I was thrilled when I got it.

It's an interesting thing when you're casting a film - especially when you're trying to discover someone - you're waiting for someone to step into the room in an audition process and claim the role.

I've always believed that it's the film that chooses the actor and not the other way round.

For us, performance is everything. If we can get great actors in there who like us, and we really like, we feel pretty confident that we can make a movie work.

I always used to say, as a director, that I could make anybody good in a movie if you found the right part. It all comes down to casting.

My first instinct was to cast as close to the short story as possible, but then I realized that I needed actors who could go for it and that they had to function well as a couple in a love story.

The best situation is where they cast you and then they trust you.

I landed the role in 'Caddyshack' auditioning, like everybody else. It wasn't a role I thought I'd get, so I had nothing to lose.

Matching character and actor is what a good director does.

We all were there for the readings, the screen tests, and we knew. We knew Dustin was the guy right away.

I think I was first choice for the part. I don't know - that's what they always tell you anyway. I didn't have to do any audition for the part. Sam saw me in Dinner and the whole thing slipped into place.

The role of my agent has just been to get me in the room. If I can get in the room - say the character is just a charming man who lives next door - then I'll walk in there and be as charming as I can and they will think to themselves, 'I don't see why we can't cast him.'

I think a film is made with each and every cast member. If the casting is strong, half our job is done. Then, even the mundane line is delivered in a great fashion.

People say I pick good films. Rather, good filmmakers choose me. The directors come to me, and I thank them for their trust in me.

I loved the fact that Mitch Coleborn wasn't on my radar for 'Stranger than Fiction' until he sent 10 waves of himself to us. Then he went from unknown to having a great section in the movie.

When I cast someone in a movie, I have to absolutely trust who they are as a human being. Trust is the intangible of moviemaking.

All the actors I've worked with as a director over the years I really love and I thought they were all right for the part.

I like to be cast well and then I like to be left alone. And good directors, that's generally what they do when they hire you because you have something that's useful to the part, and then they leave you alone. The times that I've run into trouble is when, very rare actually, but you get hired and then there's some sort of makeover involved.

I've worked with non-professional actors, I've worked with movie stars, I've worked with kids, I've worked with older people, and I've found my job as a director is to cast them well and to understand what they need on set to bring the material to life.

I try to explain to people that you get the roles that are right when they're right. If you have a nerd character but you're kind of a cool guy, you're probably not going to get the nerd part. The nerd is going to get the nerd part. You know, someone like me.

The least consideration of any film I've ever worked on is who is right for it.

I actually love auditioning because I usually don't get the part. I've tested with Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Tom Cruise. So I've gotten to that point, and I understand when I don't get it. There are a lot of very talented people out there.

I love actors. That's my bread and butter, and I got to work with some amazing ones on '12 Years'.

I would really love theater. I would love to do Shakespeare, that would be amazing. You know, it's whatever really comes my way.