How Jennifer Venditti Broke into the Casting World From the Fashion Industry

Don’t look for Jennifer Venditti’s name on a big franchise movie (that’s not really her scene).

Far more attractive to the casting director is a project that will challenge both the viewer and herself. It’s why she works repeatedly with people like Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder (and, in the case of one of her most recent projects, Showtime’s The Curse, both at once), neither of whom is likely on the list to direct the next big superhero flick.

Titles like Lost River, American Honey, Good Time, Honey Boy, Uncut Gems, The Rehearsal and The Idol pepper her resume, so something like Venditti’s current thinker, HBO’s Vietnam War miniseries The Sympathizer, starring Robert Downey Jr. and a cast of Vietnamese actors, also seems like a perfect fit. She spoke to us from her office in New York.

Insights From Jennifer Venditti

Trust your instincts during auditions and focus on giving your best performance without trying to guess what the casting director wants.

Embrace authenticity by bringing your personal experiences and emotions to your roles to create a deeper connection with the character.

Stay open to learning and growing through each project, using the casting process as an opportunity to expand your creativity and understanding.

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How did you get into casting?

I kind of went a different route than usual. I was in the fashion industry and worked as a stylist assistant for a very, very famous fashion stylist.

I was very upset about the lack of diversity and beauty that I saw in that industry, so a friend of mine was becoming a famous fashion photographer and he asked me to cast a story. I mixed people I found on the street with high fashion supermodel people.

Then from that, I started traveling around street casting. It was this thing that didn’t exist. I was videotaping these people because I thought everyone was so interesting, and I ended up making a documentary called Billy the Kid. Ryan Gosling saw it, and he called me and asked to cast his directorial debut, Lost River.

In talking to Angelique Midthunder, with whom you cast The Curse, she raved about your ability to talk to people on the street and get them interested in being part of the project.

I love story. I think the reason why I was in fashion is because I loved the story clothing told. I always loved documentaries, too. As a kid, I never watched TV or film because I just loved people-watching. I would just go places like train stations or hospitals or malls or whatever, to watch people.

I just love the cinema of real life, so I think now that I work in narrative, that combination, all the ways you can bring that quality of real life into it, gets me excited. The process of casting for me is, there’s the end result of the project, the film or the TV show, but for me, it’s an experience in itself. That discovery of the people and then helping people get there and seeing them evolve and learning about the character through their interpretations of the character. That whole process is exciting for me.

I think that my ability to connect with people and get them excited about it is because it’s a genuine seeing of another person. Ultimately, who doesn’t like to be seen for who they are?

That’s interesting, because looking over your filmography, it feels like you take on riskier projects. Edgier. It sounds like that’s connected to what you’re talking about.

I came from making documentaries. That was my way in. I think why I’m doing this instead is because I want to learn and be around really incredible, inspirational people. Learning either from the people I’m working with, who are so brilliant that they’re expanding how I see the world and how I see creativity in this process, or the story is teaching me something.

To bring it back to The Sympathizer, that’s what’s so great about this job. I’m like, “Oh, I now get to learn about this piece of history through this text and through the people.” This casting process was so incredible because so many of the people auditioning had their own personal experiences. Their family members had been refugees, or they had experiences with family members that had been affected by this experience that had then affected their lives, and they had something to bring and share about that.

It was really emotional and personal for so many people and they shared that either in the casting process with me or, afterward, I would get letters or thank you notes from people saying, “I didn’t get the role but this experience really opened up communication with a family member.” That’s what I want to have. Each project either expands me creatively, or I learn something about a subject or get inspired by the person. I think that’s my criteria. It has to check one of those boxes.

I would think that you would get a lot more opportunities the do this casting than directing because directing you’re doing one thing at a time for a long period, whereas with casting, you can do any number of projects in a given year.

There’s a whole new wave of people interested in casting, too. A lot of the people that work for me are interns who were on the track for directing, but casting does incorporate a lot of the same qualities. You have to have a cinematic eye, and you have to help people get to a place in a performance and all that.

You were talking about The Sympathizer, but it sounds to me, and after having talked to Angelique and having watched The Curse, which I think can best be described as an off-kilter TV show, this applies there, as well.

(Laughs) To say at the least, yeah. I had worked with Nathan before on The Rehearsal. The Sympathizer was different because the roles were so much meatier. In The Curse, Emma, Nathan and Benny handled that, and then everyone else was the texture and it was very important. In The Sympathizer, it was a much harder task for sure, because of the intensity of the subject matter, and the levels where people had to go emotionally.

What piece of advice or wisdom would you give to someone coming to audition for you?

Oh my gosh. What I always say is just to use your instincts and do what you think is best. Don’t try to impress and don’t try to figure out what it is I want from you. Use your instincts, give it 100%, and then let it go. Let it go.

Final Takeaways

Breaking into acting means more than just showing up and performing. Casting director Jennifer Venditti emphasizes the importance of authenticity, connection and trusting your own instincts. If you’re new to the craft, here are a few key tips to keep in mind as you navigate auditions and roles.

Use your instincts and don’t overthink what the casting director wants; give your full effort and then let it go.

Bring your own experiences to the character to add genuine emotion and depth.

View each audition and project as a chance to learn and grow creatively.

Focus on connecting with people and being seen for who you really are.

Be open to diverse and challenging roles that push your boundaries and expand your perspective.