The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is continuing its partnership with LAist Studios to release a new season of The Academy Museum Podcast, an audio series that draws inspiration from the museum’s galleries to further expand upon both pivotal and lesser known stories across the history of cinema. Jacqueline Stewart, director and president of the Academy Museum, returns as host when the season launches on Thursday 15 June 2023.
The second season, titled “Close Up on Casting”, was inspired by Stewart’s observation that museum visitors gravitate to the Performance gallery that features audition tapes, early Polaroid photos of actors, and casting directors’ notes. The question of “who gets the part?” has evolved over time, and Stewart seeks to break down this essential and often misunderstood element of the filmmaking process. Each episode explores different themes that help explain the immense influence that casting directors can have on the success of a film and the career trajectories of actors.
Episodes include revelatory interviews and in-depth conversations with casting directors and scholars, including Cara Caddoo, Reuben Cannon, Sarah Finn, Eric Goldberg, Kimberly Hardin, Mary Hidalgo, Lora Kennedy, Laurie Parker, David Rubin, and Patricia White. In addition, this season features archival audio and other exclusive content that will only be accessible through the podcast. Listeners can find the series on the Academy Museum and LAist Studios websites, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
Among the stories that will be featured in the 10-episode season are:
- “The Casting of Rebecca: Vivien Leigh vs. Joan Fontaine”
- “Typecasting and the Studio System: The Case of Noble Johnson”
- “Innovators in New Hollywood: Marion Dougherty + Lynn Stalmaster”
- “Breaking Boundaries in the ‘70s: Reuben Cannon”
- “Typecasting Revisited: In the Cut and Casting Against Type”
The inaugural season of the podcast, “And The Oscar Goes To…,” went behind the scenes of touchstone Academy Awards ceremonies, probing key social and cultural moments that impacted film artists as well as film fans over the years. Notable episodes include “1957: The Brave One,” which explored the history of blacklisting in Hollywood, and “2002: This Door Has Been Opened,” which featured Halle Berry’s reflections on her historic Best Actress Oscar win.
