Mali Finn

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Mali Finn (March 8, 1938 – November 28, 2007), born Mary Alice Mann, also known as "Mally Finn", was an American Hollywood casting director and a former English and drama teacher. She started the careers of numerous celebrities, including Edward Furlong, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.

Biography

Born as Mary Alice Mann on March 8, 1938, in Danville, Illinois, she later moved to Minneapolis. She received a bachelor's degree in theater from the University of Minnesota. She was married to Don Finn (also a Casting Director) and had one child with him.

Career

In the early 1980s, Mali was a beloved drama teacher at Holland (MI) High School, where she challenged her students with difficult productions such as You Can't Take It With You, while her husband Donn lectured at Hope College. In 1981, Mali and Donn moved to Newport Beach, California and her casting career began. She already had a handful of casting credits behind her, including The Untouchables (1987), when she established her own firm, Mali Finn Casting in 1989. Additional casting credits include The Matrix (1999) and Titanic (1997). She boosted Leonardo DiCaprio's career by casting him in the James Cameron movie Titanic and she also cast Russell Crowe in his role in L.A. Confidential. She discovered the actor Brad Renfro when he was ten years old.

She cast almost 90 movies and television series. Director Curtis Hanson worked with Finn on four of his films - L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys, 8 Mile, and Lucky You. She featured prominently in the episode "Fame" of The Human Face presented by John Cleese.

She won numerous awards for her casting, including two Artios Awards for Best Casting for television film of the Week, for 61 (2001) and for Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama for L.A. Confidential (1997). She was nominated for 3 Artios awards for Titanic (1997). She also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for 61 (2001) and was nominated for another Emmy in 1995 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Casting for Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995).

Death

She retired in 2006 due to melanoma, which claimed her life at the age of 69 on November 28, 2007 at her home in Sonoma County, California.[1][2]

Selected casting director credits

References

  1. ↑ McLellan, Dennis (December 9, 2006). "Mali Finn, at 69; casting director". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-08-26. 
  2. ↑ "Casting Director Mali Finn dies". Variety. December 3, 2007. Retrieved 2010-08-26. "Mali Finn, casting director for films including "Titanic," "L.A. Confidential" and "The Matrix," died of melanoma Wednesday in Sonoma, Calif. She was 69." 

External links

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