Ridley Scott Quotes

When you cast somebody, you write to their strengths.

A film is a chain of very difficult decisions, and I think one of them is to choose an accurate cast.

The first thing I ask when I'm offered a part is, Who's the director? which is something they never understand in Los Angeles.

I worked in casting for about five years before I became a director, and that taught me a huge amount because you never actually will see the character walk through the door - and if you do, then you have to be slightly suspicious of that.

Sometimes casting falls in place easily and sometimes it takes a while. Fifty per cent of my job is done when I get the right actors.

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

Some people do stage and film. Some people are film actors, and some people are stage actors. I'm quite sure that any of the actors who did the original production of 'August' could have done the film of 'August.' I don't think any of them were particularly surprised when they didn't wind up doing the film.

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.

The thing about many celebrities - not all - is that they're fantastic actors. If we've created a really juicy role, it just feels like a fantastic actor should be playing the part. If it's a long enough part, we consider anyone. If it's a single episode, we don't usually let a single actor on. Because that' s just stunting.

Whenever any actor comes into a producer session, they have so many questions, and we still can't really tell them that much until they get the job.

I think I do have a good eye. It's quite liberating, being in a position to read a script and say, 'No.' It's really the only power you have, as an actor.

The most clear way to decide the actor is to watch them doing stuff during their downtime. When they do something that's making both of you laugh, you see if there's a character or situation that could be written into.

Casting is really exciting. With 'Twilight,' I wasn't involved at all with the casting in the original. They kept me in the loop, which was great. They'd be like, 'Hey Kristen Stewart's gonna do it' and I was like, 'Really? Awesome.'

He was also very clear that the decision to cast me as Cora was all Michael's.

A director should cast a person who fits into their script.

I would like to see more of the making of just regular television shows. Like the casting process. I think it's so fascinating to watch the actors come in and see how they discuss everybody afterwards. It's a crazy world that has no rhyme or reason.

You just start going through that process of trying to put together a cast that works. I don't know that I can explain it in a way that you can go, 'Oh.' It's a little bit like saying, 'How would he be with him? How does that feel?'

When you're casting a show, you have your idea of who you want it to be, and of course, those are going to be very well-known names.

Who knows if I would get to do 'Mr. Robot' if I was on 'Mr. Robinson?'

The more I'm here in L.A. talking to people, the more I believe that what I've been doing is right, and that's the belief that you have to judge a role from the character, by the script.

As a director, one of my biggest jobs is trying to see what actually works for the actor.

Bill Murray, we've got to get people worthy to be on the screen with him, as opposed to just a bunch of random… with no disrespect… but a bunch of random local actors.

When it comes to casting for movies, it is a priority that you cast right. The guiding principle must be what is right for the movie, that is the basis you cast someone, not because so-and-so is a friend.

I believe in the power that a casting director has.

Deb Zane, our casting director on the Hunger Games was very sanguine, from the beginning, about just blocking out what everybody else says that they want.