Wouldn’t it be great if the Academy Awards finally included a category for casting directors?
The best actors are only able to perform at their best when working alongside a stellar cast and the best picture would rarely be the best if the whole cast wasn’t amazing.
Hence, as we do every year, we have created the following list so we can tip our hats and give kudos to the casting directors whose projects were nominated for Oscars in the acting, directing, or best picture categories at the 2021 Academy Awards.
Note: This list includes the local hire casting directors who often round out the tapestry of each picture with much of the supporting cast.
93rd Academy Awards™ - Honoring Movies Released in 2020 (Presented in 2021)
BEST PICTURE
Alexa L. Fogel, Donna Belajac (local) (Judas & The Black Messiah - Nominees: Shaka King, Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler)
Laray Mayfield (Mank - Nominees: Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, Emma Tillinger)
Julia Kim, Chris Freihofer (Czech Republic) (Minari - Nominee: Christina Oh)
Lindsay Graham, Mary Vernieu (Promising Young Woman - Nominees: Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell, Josey McNamara)
Susan Shopmaker, Celine De Waele (Belgium), Lisa Lobel (Location) (Sound Of Metal - Nominees: Bert Hamelinck, Sascha Ben Harroche)
Francine Maisler (Trial Of The Chicago 7 - Nominees: Marc Platt, Stuart Besser)
Hannah Peterson (Location), Nathan Harrison (Location) (Nomadland - Nominees: Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Chloe Ahao)
No CD Credited (The Father - Nominees: David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi, Philippe Carcassonne)
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Susan Shopmaker, Celine De Waele (Belgium), Lisa Lobel (Location) (Sound Of Metal – Nominee: Riz Ahmed)
Avy Kaufman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Nominee: Chadwick Boseman)
Laray Mayfield (Mank - Nominee: Gary Oldman)
Julia Kim (Minari - Nominee: Steven Yeun)
No CD Credited (The Father - Nominee: Anthony Hopkins)
BEST ACTRESS IN LEADING ROLE
Avy Kaufman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - Nominee: Viola Davis)
Leah Daniels Butler, Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram, Kevin Scott (The United States vs. Billie Holiday - Nominee: Andra Day)
Jessica Kelly, Bruno Rosato, Kate Yablunovsky (Pieces of a Woman - Nominee: Vanessa Kirby)
Lindsay Graham, Mary Vernieu (Promising Young Woman - Nominee: Carey Mulligan)
Hannah Peterson (Location), Nathan Harrison (Location) (Nomadland - Nominee: Frances McDormand)
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Nancy Bishop, Kris Redding (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery Of Prodigious Bribe To American REgime For Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - Nominee: Maria Bakalova)
Carmen Cuba (Hillbilly Elegy - Nominee: Glenn Close)
Laray Mayfield (Mank - Nominee: Amanda Seyfried)
Julia Kim (Minari - Yuh-Jung Youn)
No CD Credited (The Father - Nominee: Olivia Coleman)
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Francine Maisler (Trial Of The Chicago 7 - Nominee: Sacha Barren Cohen)
Alexa L. Fogel (Judas and the Black Messiah - Nominees: Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield)
Kim Hardin (One Night In Miami - Nominee: Leslie Odom ,Jr)
Susan Shopmaker (Sound of Metal – Nominee: Paul Raci)
BEST DIRECTOR
Tanja Grunwald, Jette Termann (Another Round - Nominee: Thomas Vinterberg)
Laray Mayfield (Mank - Nominee: David Fincher)
Julia Kim (Minari - Nominee: Lee Isaac Chung)
Lindsay Graham, Mary Vernieu (Promising Young Woman - Nominee: Emerald Fennell)
Hannah Peterson (Location), Nathan Harrison (Location) (Nomadland - Nominee: Chloe Zhao)
This list was compiled by the Secret Actor Society
We invite you to watch our free Casting Director Conversation Series with the CDs of many Emmy and Academy Award nominated films & TV series. Click HERE to sign up.
