Acclaimed Hollywood casting director Mali Finn died Nov. 28 in Sonoma, Calif. She was 69.
Finn's nearly 80 credits include The Matrix films, North Country, Titanic, 8 Mile, and L.A. Confidential. During her career, she earned the respect of the industry's top directors for her keen eye and ability to identify promising actors.
"Mali was a genius at finding undiscovered treasure amongst the sea of new faces," said director James Cameron, in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. "Many of this generation of stars owe their starts to her. She was a great creative partner, and I will miss her deeply."
Finn also worked closely with filmmakers Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys), Gus Van Sant (Elephant), Joel Schumacher (Batman & Robin), David Gordon Green (All the Real Girls), and Jim Abrahams (Hot Shots!), among others.
She won three Artios Awards from the Casting Society of America for her work with the HBO baseball film 61*, the feature drama L.A. Confidential, and the independent feature Sunday. She also won a 2001 casting Emmy award for 61*.
Born March 8, 1938, in Danville, Ill., she later moved to Minneapolis and received her bachelor's degree in theatre from the University of Minnesota. In 1981, after 15 years as a drama teacher for students ranging from first grade to college, Finn moved with her husband, Donn, to Newport Beach, Calif. The move launched her Hollywood casting career. She recalled in an interview with Back Stage last year: "I said flippantly, 'I think I'll get in show business.' "
She tracked down casting director Dodie McLean at Warner Bros. and volunteered to work for free. Her enthusiasm eventually led to a position with casting director Michael McLean, followed by work with Lynn Stalmaster. In 1989, after casting a handful of films, including the Oscar-winning feature The Untouchables, she created Mali Finn Casting.
Named best casting director in Back Stage West's 2006 Readers' Choice Awards, Finn was known not only for her casting discoveries but also her words of encouragement to performers. "I always tell actors, 'You're thinking about making it. It's the part where you struggle that is the best part, because you learn so much about yourself,' " she told Back Stage. "You have to keep forging ahead and you have to find that resilience and you know it's going to be tough, but you've just got to keep moving and keep working at it.... If you're dedicated to it and you work hard, something's going to happen."
Finn is survived by her husband; her son, David; her mother, Betty; her brother, John; her sister, Kitty; and two grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Film Independent, Attn. Project: Involve--Mali Finn Fund, 9911 Pico Blvd., 11th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90036; or in Finn's name to Hospice by the Bay, 17 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Suite 100, Larkspur, CA 94939. A memorial service will be held in Los Angeles in early 2008.
-- Brooke O'Neill