How to be cast for Star Wars.

[Dave]

Not Easy Casting Star Wars

So you want to be in a Star Wars movie? Robin Gurland, casting director for Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones, has very specific ideas about what she wants in an actor, according to the official Star Wars Web site. "There's three big criteria," Gurland told the site. "Obviously, the person's work is foremost, and if they're appropriate for the role; those are the top two. The third is if I enjoy having dinner with them."

"It's true!" Gurland said. "The third criteria is the type of person that I'd like to spend any time with: if that person is someone I'd like to sit down and have a meal with. It works so well, because the cast is involved in publicity and with stills, and they're involved in post-production--they're involved with the afterlife of the film. They have to really be approachable and quite easygoing, and not have an ego that wouldn't be able to work with all the different layers of this production. You can't have an actor who is unapproachable or who is really dogmatic or very aloof from everyone, because that's not the environment of these films."

Gurland praised the cast of the current production. "The actors have been very gracious as far as the confidentiality aspect of this project, which is so different from most other films. They're great with dealing with the [official] fan club, the Web site; they've been incredibly gracious in incorporating that as part of the gig."

I read this, and thought "N'Sync!" I don't want to start another thread about N'Sync, but really, how can any of that be true? The first two criteria definitely don't apply, and she must have perculiar tastes if the third one does.