![]() So it was very cool that somebody who had a completely different upbringing than me had a story to tell that I could relate to so strongly. I was like, “Is this The Truman Show ?” It was incredible because Alice pulled parts of the story from her own life. ![]() I was about halfway through reading the script for The Half of It and started looking around for cameras. It’s funny because I actually got to cast a film that felt so personally reflective. If someone made a film about your life story, which actor would you cast to play the role of Leslie Woo? Now it’s time for one of my favorite questions to ask. That’s wonderful to hear how it was such a positive experience for everyone involved. We ultimately came away with a beautiful ensemble cast, and Jude really made sure that there was and still is a real sense of family with it. But when we brought him in to audition, it was easy to see how naturally talented he was, as well as the amount of work he’d put into training and being coached for the role. Alex had become known as a musician through YouTube, and sometimes it’s hard for artists in other disciplines to transition into acting. And then Alex came to me through his agent’s pitch. Come to find out, she was this incredible hip-hop dancer and just naturally exuded the character of Pili. I saw the headshot of Kea and then looked her up on Instagram. We reached out to almost a thousand different organizations and schools, as well as combed through social media to try and find our leads. That’s because it was a very ambitious search to find child lead actors who were Polynesian, and we especially needed to get it right since the characters’ heritage was such a vital part of the story. We joked that the whole process seemed to have been sprinkled with a little bit of magic fairy dust. She’s incredible, and the rest of the team was as well. I’ll start by saying that Jude is my spirit guide. What can you share about the casting process for it? ![]() You cast Jude Weng’s Finding ‘Ohana, which Netflix released earlier this year. I love that it was such a moment of clarity for you. It was a matter of realizing that work could actually feel this exciting. And it kind of clicked at that moment that this job made all the sense in the world for me. Whenever I watched television growing up, I’d always try and name the title cards of the actors before they came on screen. It could have felt really tedious, and I did suffer a lot of paper cuts from it, but when I opened a box, I’d frequently spot the stars of some of my favorite ’80s and ’90s sitcoms, and it really tapped into something I’d enjoyed from a young age. It was of course an unpaid internship and the majority of my workday was spent opening crate after crate of headshots and submissions for all the different roles that they were casting, before sorting everything into piles. But then I came out here (to Los Angeles) and wound up interning at a casting office during pilot season. Well, after college I was in Chicago working in marketing for several years. It’s so nice to virtually meet you, Leslie, and I’d love to kick things off by going back to the moment when you knew that casting was for you. Keep reading for insights into where her journey in casting began, as well as some of her proudest moments along the way. With a busy slate, Leslie Woo still found time to virtually sit down with Casting Networks and provide a window into the person behind all the credits. For this installment of Get to Know the Casting Director, we’re featuring someone who’s known for casting films like Bill & Ted Face the Music and Finding ‘Ohana, as well as series such as Silicon Valley.
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