Douglas Aibel’s consistent collaborations with renowned filmmakers like M. Night Shyamalan, Noah Baumbach, James Gray, Wes Anderson and Kenneth Lonergan attest to his exceptional talent as a casting director.
His latest project, however, marks a new partnership: Aibel cast Celine Song’s new film, Materialists, which features Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans and Dakota Johnson. This film follows Song’s acclaimed Past Lives, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Aibel spoke with us from his New York City office.
Insights From Douglas Aibel
- Make sure to pursue roles that challenge your range and avoid being typecast, even if you have had success in iconic roles.
- Take audition opportunities seriously, as casting directors and filmmakers often remember strong auditions and value vulnerability and emotional accessibility.
- Build genuine relationships with directors and casting directors, as repeat collaborations often arise from mutual respect and positive working experiences.
How did you connect with Celine Song for Materialists?
She reached out to me. Or, at least, her producers did.
I knew of her work as a playwright. For many years, I’ve been an artistic director for the Vineyard Theater in New York. That’s my day job.
I was aware of her as a young playwright, and then I saw Past Lives, and I was blown away by it, so I was really thrilled when they reached out to me. I met her, and we hit it off, and there we are.
Coming on board a project like this after Celine gets an Oscar nomination for writing Past Lives, does that make your job easier?
I mean, certainly, there was a lot of interest and attention drawn to her next film, unquestionably, but it was a superb script. I’m not trying to sound Pollyannish about this, but I think when there’s a really strong script that gets green-lit in New York, fine actors take note of it. It certainly helped.
Thinking about joining Casting Networks? Sign up for a free trial today!
Let’s talk about those actors. How did it all come together?
It’s always an interesting process when the leads in a film coalesce. Sometimes, it’s Kismet, and sometimes, it’s through a lot of due diligence of the producers, the director and the casting director.
In this case, I felt Celine, very specifically, was drawn to these three people. She mentioned them quite a bit throughout the early days of putting it together.
What struck me as interesting was Chris Evans, who, in another situation, might be seen playing the rich hunk, the Harry role. He’s played a lot of parts like that, and it was a tribute to her that she saw a different side of him. Vulnerable. An underdog. She was very convinced that he was her guy for that role.
Similarly, with Pedro, that role of Harry on paper could be played as a handsome, empty suit who’s rich, successful and doesn’t have a lot to him. A pretty face.
Pedro brought, I thought, such subtlety and sensitivity to the role, as did Dakota to the Lucy character. She’s our entry into the story, and I thought she traversed the role so brilliantly. There were a lot of traps with it. It’s a character who’s not always likable and who’s got a lot of cynicism.
What I loved about this trio was they all, in some ways, had a degree of innocence and hope and hurt and a complicated inner life. That was there in the script, but I think they brought it together beautifully.
Can we talk a bit about Pedro and how he’s built his career?
I’ve been around long enough when he was starting; he was auditioning for stuff, and I knew he had it. Not just star quality, but a gentle kind of magnetism that’s very rare and very pure and just a natural gift.
I’m so thrilled for him because it’s well deserved. He has a natural vulnerability that he’s not afraid to talk about in a way that very few other successful actors are. I thought the proof of that was in his portrayal of his character.
Chris Evans is another one who fascinates me because Captain America made him, but he has made an effort to show that he’s much more than that.
I think that’s been true with so many actors who’ve made a big splash as a “superhero,” going back to Christopher Reeve. I think that’s been true of every actor in that situation, and frankly, any actor who makes a big splash initially in a role that becomes iconic has to work around it.
Sometimes, they make the choice to dive into theater work. I believe Chris did that. It’s not so much a question of reinventing yourself, but rather continuing to use all your actor muscles and take on roles that might not be necessarily empathetic or flattering to you as a performer, and trying to do good work with really good directors and good writers.
Since you mentioned the rest of the cast earlier, let’s discuss that. Did everyone else audition?
I believe so. What was nice about this film is that while a lot of the initial auditions were taped, almost all the callbacks were done in person with Celine, me and my associate. This is also an opportunity to get to work with the director and get some insight into how they approach the process, how they approach directing and how they approach the actors. You learn so much through that.
Sophie, played by Zoë Winters, in terms of screen time and the dramatic progression of the film, was a key character, and we had a lot of great actresses taped for it. I knew when I watched Zoë’s taped audition that she was our Sophie, and Celine agreed instantaneously. She just brought such extraordinary vulnerability and emotional accessibility to the character. An inner strength.
What about the talking heads?
We had a lot of fun with the various people being interviewed. You had a challenge in that 30 seconds to a minute that each one of them said their say about what they were looking for in a partner or not. You had to make a strong impression.
It was a fun process. We had playwrights read for it, we had actors and we had a range of people. Then, Celine picked the particular seven or eight that she felt represented the kinds of clients who would ask a matchmaker those sorts of questions.
When you get something like this right, do you allow yourself a pat on the back, or do you just say, ‘Okay, that one’s done, onto the next’?
(Laughs) Well, no. I don’t think of it that way. I’ve just finished a trio of films that I’ve been casting simultaneously: Jesse Eisenberg’s new film, M. Night Shyamalan’s film he’s currently shooting and James Gray’s new film.
On all of them, there were at least one or two roles where I fell in love with an audition, and the director called me after watching and said, “That’s our person.” I wouldn’t say a pat on the back, but you just feel pleased that, in that one little moment, you find an absolute compatibility creatively.
You do a lot of repeat business. What’s your secret?
(Laughs) There’s a beautiful thing that happens in casting a film. Often, you’re brought on well before everyone else has the director’s attention.
Most of your work happens way before the film starts shooting, so for a couple of months or weeks, you’re working very closely with somebody that you respect, and it just becomes a very close working relationship. There’s a comfort level.
I’m not coercive as a casting director. I don’t go after jobs. They sort of come to me, and if people want to work with me, great.
What was fun in the last year or two was that I also got to work with a lot of new directors, like Celine and Megan Park on My Old Ass. I just got to cast Maggie Gyllenhaal’s new film, The Bride, so it’s important for me and my work in casting that I’m able to balance these long term relationships with challenging myself always to work with new directors.
If something really interesting comes along that’s a low-budget project, but I really believe in the script, and I like the director, I’ll get involved with it. Because, again, every director is different. You have to adapt yourself to their sensibility, their vibe and their creative impulse, and hope that you dovetail well with them.
Final Takeaways
Douglas Aibel, a celebrated casting director known for his repeat collaborations with top-tier filmmakers, teamed up with director Celine Song for her latest film, Materialists.
Aibel shared his approach to casting, his relationships with actors and directors and the unique process behind assembling the film’s cast. He also shared insights on working with major stars, the importance of strong scripts and the value of creative compatibility. Here’s a quick recap of the conversation:
- Celine Song’s producers reached out to Aibel, who was already a fan of her work, to cast Materialists following her Oscar-nominated film Past Lives.
- The casting process focused on finding actors who could bring vulnerability and depth to their roles, with specific praise for Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal and Dakota Johnson’s performances.
- Aibel notes that actors who break out in iconic roles, like Chris Evans as Captain America, must work actively to showcase their versatility.
- Most of the supporting cast auditioned, with in-person callbacks providing valuable opportunities for actors to engage directly with the director.
- Aibel attributes his repeat business to building close, respectful relationships with directors and being open to both seasoned and new collaborators.
You may also like:
