Utah is not the first place we think of as a hub for the entertainment industry. However, much like a lot of other places finding opportunities in this brave new world, there are many projects flocking to the Beehive State. With those projects comes a need for a really good local casting director. Enter Jeff Johnson. Over the course of a 30-year career, he has worked on dozens of films, both as a lead casting director and also handling locations.
Born and raised in Utah, he returned there after a several year stint in Los Angeles, and now he’s the go to for Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe and worked with Kevin Costner on his multi-part passion project, Horizon. The second season of 1923 premieres on Paramount+ in February. He spoke to us from his office.
Insights in this article:
- Regional markets like Utah offer acting opportunities beyond Los Angeles and New York, and willingness to work as a local can open doors.
- In auditions, present a unique and personal interpretation of the character, rather than trying to please the casting director with what you think they want.
- Build relationships with casting directors and other industry professionals in your area to become a go-to talent in a smaller, but potentially loyal, market.
- Take advantage of virtual casting opportunities to audition for roles outside of your immediate area.
How did you get into casting?
I worked as an actor when I was in my 20s, and I asked a casting director if I could be a reader in the room. She needed help. She hated being the reader. and started learning from her. I had no idea I was learning how to be a casting director and just kind of worked my way into it.
A producer noticed me, and that casting director happened to move away. I was living in Utah at the time and this producer hired me. I was 23 and didn’t know what I was doing, but figured it out pretty fast.
I wouldn’t think that there Utah would be a great place to thrive as an actor. Am I wrong?
We do a lot more work than people think, but yeah, it’s very difficult to make a living as an actor out here, for sure.
One of the things that I find interesting is how many casting directors started as an actor, and there was some moment where it became clear [you’d] rather be on this side of the camera. Do you remember what that moment was for you?
I think for me, it wasn’t ever a moment. It was more that I thought I was going to do it to just pay my bills so I could be an actor and then I just kept getting jobs, and I kept getting jobs and I got bigger and bigger jobs and then eventually I got too busy. I couldn’t do any acting. I didn’t have time. There are times I’m doing five or six projects at a time.
I would still act if I could. I would love to go do a play. But I’m not worried about being in a film right now. I love the process. I love actors. I love working with actors. I love that whole thing. That’s where I just always wanted to work in film. That was my thing. I just wanted to work in film. It worked out great for me. I mean, I’m very blessed.
Being located in Utah, most of your work is in location casting, right?
I mostly do location casting, yeah. I have cast things before, the whole movie, but mostly I work with other casting directors. We work together, someone out of New York, someone out of LA and we work together.
Do you find that you’re able to collaborate as much in those circumstances?
Absolutely. A lot of the casting directors I work with, they’re just happy to have somebody on the ground locally who knows actors, who can get them real actors, because they’re always desperate to find people in a local area that they don’t know. It’s good for them, because they know they can trust me to find a good actor, and they can focus on the bigger parts.
I can find the day players and the new co-stars and those things that they just don’t have the time to do. It works out really well. The people I work with are very communicative and we just break up the things we need to do. I’m honest with them about parts we can find. They’re often shocked we can find it here. It works well that way.
I imagine, in a community like Utah, you work with a lot of the same people over and over again.
Yeah, it’s a good pool of talent. Some really great actors. It’s just not that deep. It’s not like you’re in LA and you have a million actors waiting to find a job. You you have less actors, but the ones that are here are really good.
Thanks to technology, you don’t need to live in New York or LA to cast movies anywhere. Do you find that you’re getting more opportunities now than maybe you did before the pandemic?
Definitely. I mean, the way we’re casting now, I’m seeing actors from all over the place too. People who can work as locals in Utah, but they may happen to have a house in New York, or they live in LA and they have family here and they’re able to move about. It opens up a lot of work for actors, but I’m also seeing a lot of people hiring me because they like what I’ve cast before and they want to hire me even though they’re based in Las Vegas or Idaho. Somewhere like that.
Do you have favorite gigs? I would think it’s pretty nice getting into Taylor Sheridan’s world.
I love working with Taylor. It’s been great. He’s one of a kind. I would say it’s more of people I love to work with. It’s not really just a gig but there’s producers out there that keep making stuff and they hire me over and over again.
I love series because you work consistently, you get to work for a long time, and you get to find people, because you already know everybody else you’ve cast. Especially in a local area like this, you’ve got to dig for actors. Sometimes you’re digging for real people, because you’re running out of actors and trying to find a real police officer to do something. It’s actually kind of fun that way.
Seeing so many people in what must be an enormous amount of auditions, do you find that there are mistakes that common mistakes that people make?
Especially common mistakes are that people think that they need to figure out what I want, or what Taylor wants, or what the director wants, but they need to figure out how to tell the story, and they need to be the ones deciding that. How would you play this role? What do you bring to it? What are you creating here?
Because we’re basically just watching. We’re watching to see if you can actually do something that represents that character and if you have the feel for that character. A lot of newer actors are waiting for someone to tell them they’re okay with making their own decisions and we’re waiting for you to make your own decisions, to show us how the role is going to be played.
What piece of wisdom would you give to someone coming in to audition for you?
Take control of the story, of what you’re going to tell us, and be that character. It’s your character. You now have to find it. That’s your job, not mine. I’ll coach, I’ll push, I will try to get you there if I believe in you. But you’re the one that has to show it. You’re on an island and you have to show it in that audition.
Thinking about joining Casting Networks? Sign up for a free trial today!
You may also like:
