Jeff Hardwick works a lot. Since 2020, he has cast at least 42 movies. However, when you mention that number to him, he admits that it could be more.
A former agent who flipped over to the creative side of things, Hardwick specializes in made-for-TV movies. While some dismiss them, they are a cornerstone of the television business, providing content for networks and streamers. They also provide an enormous amount of work for filmmakers, performers, and, of course, casting directors.
Hardwick is Exhibit A, and he will be the first to tell you that casting is a job and a career he loves. It is also eminently clear that he is exceedingly good at it. Already in 2025, he’s had two TV films out, My Family’s Killer Affairs and My Amish Double Life, both streaming on Lifetime, with several more lined up for later this year and beyond. He spoke to us from his home office in LA.
Insights: Lessons from Jeff Hardwick
- Volunteer as a reader or intern with casting directors to gain industry insights.
- Prepare intensely for auditions to understand your character and stand out.
- Stay focused and adaptable to direction during auditions to impress casting directors.
Let’s start easy. How did you get into casting in the first place?
Oh, that’s not easy.
I’ve done a lot of these. It rarely is.
(Laughs) Yeah, Well, I think you’ll find mine is a little different because I was an agent for 13 years and I decided to make a switch. I didn’t know at the time that it was unique, because I found out later it usually goes the other way: casting directors who go to agenting.
What made you switch?
I was always interested in the casting side because that’s who I was dealing with daily. I was like, “Hey, wait a minute, I’m pitching all day long to you guys, why don’t I be the recipient of that instead?”
I was [also] always interested in the puzzle-piecing, putting the cast together and forming that image, whether it be a commercial or a film. At first I was casting commercials primarily, and then, I don’t know, about 10 years ago or so, it just kind of naturally flipped, Now it’s 95% features.
You’re right. It is fairly unique, but what I find is not unique is this notion of loving to put the puzzle together, of having this larger picture of how to make the movie go. Because other than the director, nobody has more to do with actually assembling the film than the casting director. It’s the actors on screen who make the thing go.
I appreciate you saying that, because … I don’t want to come across as wrong, but I feel as if we do not get enough recognition. It’s about time we got a category at the Oscars. How many years is that overdue?
I usually curb my words. There are times when I hate to say it, but we get forgotten as soon as the project is done. Or as soon as our aspect of that end of pre-production is done, and the actors go shoot and they make a new little family for X number of weeks, and everything else and all that. And then we’re remembered again when we release a new casting call.
You prefaced this by saying you don’t want to come across a certain way, and yet, what you just said was a perfectly reasonable, easily defensible position about the craft. I wonder if your concern is part of the issue of why casting directors don’t get the recognition that they deserve. Because that is also a common thing, casting directors tend to shy away from the spotlight. I wonder if that has something to do with it.
I think you hit the nail on the head. In a business sense, I wish actors would remember us more than like I said, when we release a casting call. The good ones understand the business more, and they move faster up the ladder.
That’s why I try to teach actors as much as possible, whenever possible, to be a reader. Be an intern. Even for a day, you’ll be surprised how much you learn about what happens on this side. If you can pick up anything that can help you, just donate your time for a day or two.
Even though the business has changed so much?
I know the times have changed, but I’ll never forget the time I got stuck. My reader was sick, and she didn’t tell me until that morning she woke up ill. I called a good friend of mine who had a resume a mile long — guest stars and leads and everything else — with a big agency. He said, “Sure, I’ll come by,” and he was my reader for the day.
At the end of the day, he said he learned more that day than in any class he’d ever taken or on any set he’d ever been on. I said, “Yeah, because this is the only spot where you get to see the same piece [with] different people of the same type reading the same words.” That doesn’t happen in an acting class. Everyone has something different, and they perform it, and they get adjusted on it, and everything else.
And that actor was Tom Cruise.
Tom Cruise! (Laughs) Naturally, that doesn’t happen that often anymore with the world of self tape. But still, being a reader can be very helpful, or interning and seeing how we work.
One of the things I find interesting about your career is your work in Made-for-TV films. I spoke to another casting director who works in that field, and they said they’ve never been happier doing these things because, and I’m paraphrasing, ‘it’s very specific, the money is great, I know exactly what I’m doing, and this business model will never end. It’s a perpetual motion machine.’ Do you agree?
I concur on all those facets, but I’ll add one more factor to it. I do independent films as well, and I love it, but you never know if they’re going to see the light of day. These movies you mention, have a home, so you know you’re going to get seen. Whether it’s Hallmark or Lifetime, some of my shows end up on Amazon, Netflix, that kind of thing, boom, boom, boom. You know there will be visibility.
You’ve done an enormous number of films over the last five or six years …
I’m very, very, very lucky that way. It’s funny, I was doing a virtual guest speaking thing with a big acting studio. The host was introducing me — and I didn’t write it, so I don’t know what he’s going to say. There were, I don’t know, 50 people on the screen, and he said, “Jeff is the only casting director I know that has cast over 100 commercials and 100 feature films.” I went, “Excuse me, is that true?” (Laughs) I really had no idea.
Well, with that number of projects, I would assume you’re still doing a huge number of auditions. Do you find that there are common mistakes that people make when they come in?
I’m sure it’s what you’ve always heard before, that it’s about preparation. The good ones certainly rise to the top and are prepared and understand the character, the relationships of the character they’re reading with and everything. It comes down to preparation.
I also like to say, try to be unique. That doesn’t mean outside of the character, but you’ve gotta be strong. The competition is fierce. There’s a lot of times I’m casting the leads out of all the major cities, so you’re up against a lot of people, but if you’re good, we’re going to find you. You can’t hide.
If you had one piece of advice, would it be that? Be strong, get yourself out there and be prepared?
You’ve got to be prepared. We can spot very easily those actors who are just reading the words and moving on because they have, fortunately, three other self tapes they have to do, and they’re not on it.
The same thing would happen in the room. There are many times when I would give an adjustment and we could spot that glassy-eyed reaction, so their new take is exactly like the last one. As I was giving an adjustment, they were saying, “How am I going to get to Santa Monica by one o’clock? Oh, the traffic!” (Laughs) No no. Stay present. Stay present.
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