Does it hurt or help if you look like someone famous?

John Papsidera
Los Angeles; 'Unthinkable,' 'Zombieland,' 'The Prestige,' 'Batman Begins'
That's a tough one. [In] the casting director game, it's half this and half that. There are situations where it could help. In "The Prestige," I was looking desperately for actors to play doubles to Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. In that instance, yeah, it would be hugely helpful. In a lot of other instances, I think the reality is that whatever that person is, it's unique to how they speak and how they move, and that's what you end up hiring in television and film. I think everybody's unique enough that you're not doing double work. It's not that much of a hindrance.


Jason La Padura
Los Angeles; 'Heroes,' 'High School Musical,' 'Crossing Jordan,' 'Candyman'
I would say it's a case-by-case situation. You mean how Scott Wolf looks like Tom Cruise or something? Well, he's already famous. I don't really think it helps to say, "Oh my God, he looks just like fill-in-the-blank." We play that game all the time in the sessions. We'll go, "He looks like a young so-and-so" or "If so-and-so and so-and-so had a child, that would be their child." We do that kind of thing all the time, but no, I don't think it helps if you look like somebody famous.


Annie Boedeker-Roberts
Casting executive, E! Entertainment Television, Los Angeles
Oh, for re-enactments it's good. I think it can hurt because people are coming with "Oh, this person is just like so-and-so and they're going to act just like them," and that's certainly not the case for the most part. Maybe if there's a way that they can grow their hair out or change their look a little bit. If you look just like Tom Cruise, then that might hurt you.