Juliet Taylor Explained

Juliet Taylor
Birth Name:Juliet Sewell Taylor
Nationality:American
Alma Mater:Smith College
Occupation:Independent casting director
Years Active:1973 - present
Spouse:James E. Walsh (m. 1976)
Children:Samuel Taylor Walsh (son)
Jason Matthew Walsh (stepson)
Awards:Emmy Award
(Outstanding Casting for Angels in America)

Juliet Taylor is an American casting director.[1] A six-time Casting Society of America award winner, she has cast more than 100 films over the course of her career.[2] In 2024, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced she would be honored with the Academy Honorary Award.

Early life and education

Taylor grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended Miss Porter's School and Smith College,[3] where she majored in drama.[4]

Career

Taylor moved to New York following her graduation, and through a connection at Smith, she was hired as a receptionist for David Merrick, a theater producer. A year later she began working for casting director Marion Dougherty.[4] In 1973, Dougherty left casting to become a producer, and Taylor ran the company until 1977, when she was named director of east coast casting for Paramount Pictures In 1978 she began to cast films independently.[5] Her first solo casting credit was for The Exorcist.[6] In 1979, in a feature story titled "The Casting Director," New York Magazine wrote: "It is commonly conceded within the film industry that Juliet Taylor is the best and by far the most important of the casting directors."[7]

In addition to casting films including Taxi Driver, Sleepless in Seattle and Schindler's List, Taylor has cast 43 Woody Allen movies, beginning with 1975's Love and Death. He credits her with introducing him to Jeff Daniels, Mary Beth Hurt, Patricia Clarkson, Mariel Hemingway, Dianne Wiest, Meryl Streep, Joaquin Phoenix, and Parker Posey, among others.[2] [8]

Taylor was featured in the 2013 HBO documentary, Casting By.[9] She was awarded the Smith College Medal in 1990.[10]

Filmography

Film

YearProject DirectorNotesclass=unsortable
1973 The Exorcist [11]
1975 Love and Death
The Stepford Wives
The Happy Hooker Nicholas Sgarro
1976 The Front
Marathon Man Casting: New York
Network
Next Stop, Greenwich Village
Taxi Driver
1977 Annie Hall
Between the Lines
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Great Bank Hoax Joseph Jacoby
Julia
The Turning Point
Thieves
1978 Interiors Woody Allen
Pretty Baby
Oliver's Story
1979 Manhattan Woody Allen
Starting Over
1980 Stardust Memories Woody Allen
1981 Arthur
Fort Apache, the Bronx
Honky Tonk Freeway
Rollover
1982 A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy Woody Allen
Shoot the Moon Alan Parker
Still of the Night
Tempest
1983 Terms of Endearment
Zelig
1984 Birdy Alan Parker
Broadway Danny Rose Woody Allen
Crackers
Falling in Love
The Killing Fields
Misunderstood
1985 Broadway Danny Rose Woody Allen
Alamo Bay
1986 Hannah and Her Sisters Woody Allen
Heartburn Mike Nichols
The Manhattan Project
The Mission
1987 Radio Days
September
1988 Another Woman
Big
Biloxi Blues Mike Nichols
Dangerous Liaisons
Mississippi Burning Alan Parker
Working Girl Mike Nichols
1989 Crimes and Misdemeanors
New York Stories
1990 Alice Woody Allen
The Grifters
Postcards from the Edge Mike Nichols
The Sheltering Sky
1991 Regarding Henry
Shadows and Fog
1992 Husbands and Wives
Hero
This Is My Life
1993 Manhattan Murder Mystery
Schindler's List
Sleepless in Seattle
1994 Angie
Bullets over Broadway
Interview with the Vampire
Mixed Nuts
The Road to Welville
Wolf
1995 Mighty Aphrodite
1996 The Birdcage Mike Nichols
Everyone Says I Love You Woody Allen
Mary Reilly
1997 Deconstructing Harry Woody Allen
1998 Celebrity
Meet Joe Black
Primary Colors
1999 Angela's Ashes Alan Parker
Sweet and Lowdown Woody Allen
2000 Small Time Crooks
2001 The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
2002 Hollywood Ending
People I Know
2003 Anything Else Woody Allen
The Life of David Gale
2004 Marie and Bruce Tom Cairns
Melinda and Melinda Woody Allen
The Stepford Wives
2005 The Interpreter
Match Point
2006 Scoop
2007 Cassandra's Dream
2008 Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2009 Whatever Works
2010 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
2011 Midnight in Paris
2012 To Rome with Love
2013 Blue Jasmine
2014 Magic in the Moonlight
2015 Irrational Man
2016 Cafe Society

Television

YearProject DirectorNotesclass=unsortable
1994 Don't Drink the Water ABC television film
2001 Wit HBO television film
2003 Angels in America Mike Nichols HBO miniseries

Awards and nominations

YearAssociation CategoryNominated workResultclass=unsortable
2024Academy AwardHonorary Award[12]
2001Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a SpecialWit (with Ellen Lewis, Leo Davis) [13]
2004Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a SpecialAngels in America (with Ellen Lewis) [14]
1985 The Purple Rose of Cairo [15]
1986 Hannah and Her Sisters
1987 Radio Days
1988 Mississippi Burning
Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy Working Girl
Big
1990 Postcards from the Edge
Alice
Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama The Grifters
1992 Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy Husbands and Wives
This Is My Life
1993 Sleepless in Seattle
1994 Angie
1994 Bullets Over Broadway
1995 Mighty Aphrodite
1996 The Birdcage
1997 Everyone Says I Love You
1998 Primary Colors
1999 Celebrity
1997 As casting director, 1997Hoyt Bowers Award
2006 As casting director, 2006Golden Apple Award
2013 Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy Blue Jasmine
2016 Cage Society
1995 Independent Film Tribute Award
1996 New York Women in Film Awards Muse Award
2001 Women in Film Crystal Awards Crystal Award

Notes and References

  1. News: Vincent. Alice. Woody Allen: My casting director discovered Meryl Streep, not me. 16 October 2017. The Telegraph. November 1, 2013.
  2. News: McElroy. Steve. Faces of Those Who Pick Faces. 16 October 2017. The New York Times. August 1, 2013.
  3. News: Juliet Taylor Bride Of James E. Walsh. 19 October 2017. New York Times. July 11, 1976.
  4. News: Attanasio. Paul. The Movieland Matchmaker. 16 October 2017. Washington Post. September 4, 1985.
  5. Book: Vilga. Edward. Acting Now: Conversations on Craft and Career. 1997. Rutgers University Press. 0813524032. 168.
  6. Web site: 2019-05-02. Interview: Juliet Taylor. 2020-11-04. Film Comment. en.
  7. News: Fox. Terry Curtis. The Casting Agent. 16 October 2017. New York Magazine. June 4, 1979.
  8. Web site: Juliet Taylor, Woody Allen's Casting Director For Over 40 Years, Has Retired. woodyallenpages.com. The Woody Allen Pages. September 24, 2017.
  9. News: Mandell. Andrea. New HBO documentary explores casting Hollywood hits. 19 October 2017. USA Today. August 2, 2013.
  10. Web site: The Smith College Medal. Smith College. 27 November 2017.
  11. Web site: Juliet Taylor - IMDB. June 14, 2024. Internet Movie Database.
  12. Web site: Quincy Jones, James Bond Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and More to Receive Honorary Oscars at Governors Awards. Variety. June 14, 2024.
  13. Web site: Nominees / Winners 2001 Emmy Awards. Television Academy. June 14, 2024.
  14. Web site: Nominees / Winners 2004 Emmy Awards. Television Academy. June 14, 2024.
  15. Web site: Juliet Taylor - Awards. June 14, 2024. Internet Movie Database.