Casting Director / Producer
As a graduate of Barnard College and the AFI Producers Program, Heidi has cast such successful films as, JFK, Nixon, Natural Born Killers, Nurse Betty, The Rock, The Joy Luck Club, Smoke, and Lakeview Terrace.
Heidi developed Actor Genie, the only iPhone App with Hollywood insider information on what’s casting in film and television New York and Hollywood, daily quotes from Hollywood celebrities like Bret Rattner, Mark Ruffalo, Juliette Lewis, Peter Facinelli and many more. Actor Genie also features contacts for talent agents, managers, casting directors and their assistants plus insider tips on the best acting gurus, headshot photographers and ways to get cast even if you don’t have an agent. The App has been chosen as “hot” on iTunes and featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Tmes, The Hollywood Reporter, Aneglino Magazine, Huffington Post and on The Wrap.
This past year Heidi cast and executive produced, The High Cost of Living, starring Zach Braff, that premiered in September, 2010 at the Toronto International Film Festival and the director, Deborah Chow, won best first Canadian Feature Film. The film is slated to open this Spring in Canada and the United States. At Sundance, 2011 Heidi is the casting director and executive producer of I Melt With You directed by Mark Pellington starring Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay and Carla Gugino.
Last year Heidi was privileged to cast Sympathy for Delicious with actor /director, Mark Ruffalo. Mark plays a major role in the film alongside actor / screenwriter, Christopher Thornton, Juliette Lewis, Orlando Bloom and Laura Linney. The film premiered at Sundance 2010 and Mark won a directing prize and the film will be released this Spring. Last year she also cast another Sundance selection, and Sony Classics release, Mother and Child directed by fellow AFI alumni Rodrigo Garcia and starring Naomi Watts, Annette Bening Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson
Alternating between standard studio and indie fare, she has repeatedly worked with acclaimed directors Oliver Stone, Wayne Wang, Wim Wenders and Neil LaBute. In 1997, on the eve of Hong Kong’s unification with China, Heidi collaborated with Wayne Wang on CHINESE BOX, a film that captured that moment in history, which she co-produced and cast. She has also served as a producer on feature films The Open Road, Fido, Center of the World, Coastlines, and Delivering Milo.
In partnership academy award winning documentary filmmaker, Alex Gibney, whose film, Magic Bus, will premiering at Sundance this year, Heidi is producing a film series called Exiles on Main Street. The series will be three films that deal with the issues of culture clash and immigrant assimilation in America.
Twitter: @theactorgenie
