Matthew Barry began his Hollywood life as an actor, appearing in such films as The Wraith and Bernardo Bertolucci's Luna. These days he's a respected casting director who has worked with the likes of Jerry Bruckheimer, Tim Burton, and Nick Cassavetes. What, exactly, prompted the change in career tracks? "I was about to turn 30 years old, and I was bored," Barry says bluntly. "I was doing some really bad television, and I remember sitting on the set one day, going, 'There's got to be more to life than this.'"
After a brief stint in the UCLA film program, the NewYork City native decided to ask director Barry Levinson for a job — any job. "I knew an associate of his who hooked me up," Barry recalls. "The production manager [on Levinson's film Toys] said, 'Well, we need some help in casting.' I started working with Ellen Chenoweth on that film and loved every minute of it."
Chenoweth introduced Barry to CD Victoria Thomas (White Men Can't Jump, Dracula), who took him under her wing; among the films the two worked on are Con Air and Mars Attacks!. In 1997, Barry struck out on his own, partnering with his former acting agent, Nancy Green-Keyes. "When I was looking to break off on my own, she was like, 'I'm getting really bored of [agenting]; I want to try something different,'" he says. "I said, 'Well, come work with me.' We're like brother and sister. We fight like cats and dogs, but we love each other madly." Together, the duo has cast such projects as The Notebook, Alpha Dog, Rush Hour, and the upcoming My Sister's Keeper. He has been nominated for two Artios awards for casting.
One key casting lesson Barry remembers learning under Thomas' tutelage is that "you have to overturn every rock." Says Barry with a chuckle, "That's one thing I now strive for, and I drive my partner crazy. She'll argue with me, like, 'This is the one,' and I always say, 'We have to make sure.' When you jump into a project, it's not just about putting out a breakdown."
For instance, Barry recalls that the role of flashy pimp Money Mike in 2002's Friday After Next presented him with a unique casting challenge: The filmmakers needed an actor who could keep up with the quick-witted improv stylings of star Mike Epps, who played motor-mouthed security guard Day-Day. Barry searched hard before finally getting a fateful tip. "Somebody told us, 'A lot of African-American comedians who can't get into the comedy clubs, they have their own showcase down at the Hollywood racetrack,' " he recalls. "So we went down there, and we saw this guy who had the worst haircut imaginable, but he was brilliant. We brought him in, and he was an improv genius. He was living out of his car in Compton. And that's how we discovered Katt Williams." The comedian has since forged a prolific career in film, TV, and standup.
Barry is also passionate about fighting for actors he believes in; he's willing to go the extra mile and work with a performer he feels is right for a role: "That happens a lot, when you really have to convince a director, 'No, no, you're wrong. Look at this person again.'"
When he and Green-Keyes worked on the Showtime series Brotherhood, Barry recalls, they were sure Annabeth Gish was the perfect fit for the part of conflicted politician's wife Eileen Caffee. The network, however, wasn't convinced. "Showtime was like, 'That's kind of a retread; there's nothing really new or spectacular about it,' " he remembers. "We're like, 'No, you've gotta see her.' Before she went to network, we worked with her. We spent our weekend with the director, up at his house, working with her to prepare her for the meeting at Showtime. She blew them away, and she's phenomenal on the show."
Seize and Prep
Even if you aren't right for the role he's casting, Barry wants you to remember that an audition is still an opportunity to demonstrate your talent. "If somebody's talented and working hard, we'll tell other people about them," he says. "The casting community is a very small community, and we talk amongst ourselves. Agents call us all the time and want our opinions on [actors] they want to sign. And I'm always honest, which is probably why they call me."
To help keep track of the talent pool, Barry and Green-Keyes also keep meticulous notes on every actor they see. "What's the old saying? 'You never get a second chance to make a first impression'?" he says. "We keep a computer database. So an agent will call and say, 'Oh, you loved them when you saw them on Freddy vs. Jason.' We'll look it up, and it's like, 'Can't act, unprepared, unprofessional.' And we'll say, 'No, sorry, we didn't.'"
In other words, when you go in to audition for Barry, make sure you're prepared and open to adjustments. One thing "actors have to be aware of is being over-coached," he says. "We'll see something, and we'll go, 'Okay, let's throw 'em a curveball and give them an adjustment, just to see if they can [take it].' And 25 percent of the time, they can't, because they've been so over-coached. We always like natural instincts; we like someone who comes in and owns it."
Also, remember that as a former actor, Barry feels your pain. "I think having a background in [acting] and being sympathetic to the plight, I have an advantage over a lot of others," he says, laughing. "We love talent. Just come in and do your thing."
Matthew Barry will hold a one-hour Actorfest LA workshop on film casting, scheduled for Sat., Nov. 8., 4-5 p.m. Actorfest LA will take place at the California Market Center in downtown Los Angeles. Get more information and register at www.actorfest.com.
Write the author at sarahkuhn@backstage.com.