Casting Society of America Honors Ben Affleck, Lora Kennedy, Harvey Fierstein (Exclusive)

The Casting Society of America has announced the honorees for the Artios Awards for outstanding film, TV and theatre casting, given out at twin ceremonies at New York’s XL Nightclub and Los Angeles’s Beverly Hilton on Oct. 29, when the winners for Outstanding Achievement in Casting will also be announced. (See nominations below.) Argo director/star Ben Affleck will receive the Career Achievement Award (previously won by Quentin Tarantino and Dick Wolf). The Hoyt Bowers Award goes to Argo casting director Lora Kennedy (past winners include Meg Liberman and Ellen Chenoweth). Harvey Fierstein wins the New York Apple Award, as have Mike Nichols and Tony Kushner in past years.

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The dual kudos for Affleck and Kennedy throw another two logs on the raging fire of Argo‘s awards-season heat.

“Ben is one of the first all encompassing filmmakers we have honored,” said CSA President Pam Dixon in a statement. “Ben is a consummate actor, director, writer and producer. The Artios Awards are known for celebrating casting directors, who can challenge audiences with their original and bold ideas, and this applies to Lora, whose body of work exemplifies this.”

“When you think of Harvey Fierstein and his contributions to theatre as a playwright, whether it be from The Torch Song Trilogy or his more recent work Kinky Boots, the plays and roles he has written are so much a part of the culture of New York City” said CSA Vice President Bernie Telsey. “Even in his work as an actor, Harvey has brought a little of the New York  chutzpah to all the characters he has played.”

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The Artios Awards take their name from the Greek word meaning “perfectly fitted.” For further information, visit www.castingsociety.com.

2012 Artios Award Nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Casting

Big Budget Feature – Drama

“The Descendants,” John Jackson, John McAlary (Associate)

“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” Laray Mayfield

“The Help,” Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee *

“The Hunger Games,” Debra Zane, Jackie Burch (Location Casting)

“Moneyball,” Francine Maisler, Lauren Grey (Associate)

Big Budget Feature – Comedy

“21 Jump Street,” Jeanne McCarthy, Nicole Abellera, Elizabeth Coulon (Location Casting), Yesi Ramirez (Associate)

“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” Mindy Marin, Kara Lipson (Associate)

“Horrible Bosses,” Lisa Beach, Sarah Katzman

“The Muppets,” Marcia Ross, Gail Goldberg, Brittainy Roberts (Associate)

“The Rum Diary,” Denise Chamian, Angela Demo (Associate) *

Feature – Studio or Independent – Drama

“Drive,” Mindy Marin, Kara Lipson (Associate)

“The Ides of March,” Ellen Chenoweth, Amelia McCarthy (Associate) *

“Margin Call,” Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield

“My Week With Marilyn,” Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood, Nina Gold (Location Casting)

“Shame,” Avy Kaufman

Feature – Studio or Independent  – Comedy

“50/50,” Francine Maisler *

 “The Artist,” Heidi Levitt, Michael Sanford (Associate)

“Friends With Kids,” Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, David Vaccari

“The Guard,” Jina Jay

“Hysteria,” Gaby Kester *

Low Budget Feature – Comedy or Drama

“A Bag of Hammers,” Brad Gilmore

“Higher Ground,” Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee

“Like Crazy,” Eyde Belasco

“Martha Marcy May Marlene,” Susan Shopmaker *

“Pariah,” Eyde Belasco

Animation Feature

“The Adventures of Tintin,” Jina Jay *

“Cars 2,” Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon

“Happy Feet Two,” Kristy Carlson

Daytime Drama Series

“Days of Our Lives,” Marnie Saitta

“General Hospital,” Mark Teschner

“The Young and the Restless,” Judy Blye Wilson

Television Pilot Drama

“A Gifted Man,” Bernard Telsey, Risa Bramon Garcia, David Vaccari, Patrick Goodwin (Associate)

“Homeland,”  Junie Lowry Johnson, Libby Goldstein, Julie Tucker, Ross Meyerson, Lisa Mae Fincannon (Location Casting), Craig Fincannon (Location Casting)

“Once Upon A Time,” Veronica Collins Rooney, Corinne Clark (Location Casting), Jennifer Page (Location Casting)

“Revenge,” Elizabeth Barnes, Corbin Bronson, Craig Fincannon (Location Casting), Lisa Mae Fincannon (Location Casting), Erica Berger (Associate)

“Smash,” Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield

Television Pilot Comedy

“2 Broke Girls,” Julie Ashton-Barson

 “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23,” Lisa Miller Katz

“Girls,” Jennifer Euston

“House of Lies,” Felicia Fasano, Erica Silverman (Associate)

“New Girl,” Juel Bestrop, Seth Yanklewitz

“Up All Night,” Shani Ginsberg, Jeff Greenberg, Allen Hooper (Associate) *

Television Series Drama

“Breaking Bad,” Sharon Bialy, Sherry Thomas, Rody Kent (Location Casting), Russell Scott (Associate) *

“Game of Thrones,” Nina Gold

“The Good Wife,” Mark Saks, John Andrews (Associate)

“Homeland,” Judy Henderson, Craig Fincannon (Location Casting), Lisa Mae Fincannon (Location Casting)

“Mad Men,” Laura Schiff, Carrie Audino, Kendra Shay Clark (Associate)

Television Series Comedy

“The Big C,” Bernard Telsey, Abbie Brady-Dalton (Associate)

“Girls,” Jennifer Euston

“Modern Family,” Jeff Greenberg, Allen Hooper (Associate)

“New Girl,” Anya Colloff, Michael Nicolo

“Nurse Jackie,” Julie Tucker, Ross Meyerson

Television Movie or Mini Series

“American Horror Story,” Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer, Eric Souliere (Associate)

“Birdsong,” Jina Jay *

“Five,” Randi Hiller, Tamara-Lee Notcutt

“Game Change,” David Rubin, Richard Hicks, Pat Moran (Location Casting), Kathleen Chopin (Location Casting), Anne Davison (Associate)

“Hatfields & McCoys,” Fern Champion, Amy Hubbard (Location Casting)

Children’s Series

“A.N.T. FARM,” Brandi Brice Pollock, Dana Gergely Bowling

“iCarly,” Krisha Bullock, Jennifer K.M. Treadwell (Associate)

“Shake It Up!,” Howard Meltzer, Suzanne Goddard-Smythe

“Victorious,” Krisha Bullock, Jennifer K.M. Treadwell (Associate)

“Wizards of Waverly Place,” Ruth Lambert, Robert McGee

Television Animation

“The Cleveland Show,” Robert McGee, Ruth Lambert

“Family Guy,” Linda Lamontagne

“Kung Fu Panda,” Meredith Layne

“The Penguins of Madagascar,” Sarah Noonan, Meredith Layne

“Robot Chicken,” Ivy Isenberg

New York Broadway Theatre – Drama

“A Streetcar Named Desire,” Will Cantler, Bernard Telsey

“The Columnist,” David Caparelliotis

“Death of a Salesman,” Mele Nagler

“The Mountaintop,” Jim Carnahan, Kate Boka (Associate)

 “Wit,” Nancy Piccione

New York Broadway Theatre – Comedy

“The Best Man,” Will Cantler, Bernard Telsey

“Harvey,” Jim Carnahan *

“One Man, Two Guvnors,” Tara Rubin, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman *

“Peter and the Starcatcher,” Jim Carnahan, Tara Rubin *

“Venus in Fur,” Nancy Piccione, James Calleri

New York Broadway Theatre – Musical

“Evita,” Bernard Telsey, Craig Burns

“Newsies,” Justin Huff

“Nice Work If You Can Get It,” Jay Binder, Jack Bowdan

“Once,” Jim Carnahan *

“Porgy and Bess,” Bernard Telsey, Justin Huff

New York Theatre – Comedy or Musical

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” James Calleri, Paul Davis

“All New People,” David Caparelliotis

“The Cherry Orchard,” James Calleri

“Close Up Space,” Nancy Piccione

 “Sons of the Prophet,” Carrie Gardner

New York Theatre – Drama

“Dreams of Flying, Dreams of Falling,” Will Cantler

“Happy Hour,” Will Cantler

“How I Learned To Drive,” Mele Nagler

“The Submission,” Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler

“Tribes,” Pat McCorkle

Regional Theatre East

“A Doll’s House,” James Calleri

“A Streetcar Named Desire,” James Calleri

“It Shoulda Been You,” Jay Binder, Mark Brandon

“The Realistic Joneses,” Tara Rubin, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman

 “The Winter’s Tale,” Tara Rubin, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman

Regional Theatre West

“A Room With a View,” Tara Rubin, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman, Dale Brown (Associate)

“Aladdin,” Tara Rubin, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman, Dale Brown (Associate)

“Hands On A Hardbody,” Rachel Hoffman

“The Rocky Horror Show,” Carrie Gardner

“The Whale,” Elissa Myers, Paul Fouquet

Los Angeles Theatre

“Art,” Jeff Greenberg

“Cabaret,” Amy Lieberman

“Jitney,” Joanne DeNaut

“Our Town,” Pat McCorkle

“The Heiress,” Michael Donovan, Peter Matyas (Associate)

* Shared Credit with Non-CSA Casting Director(s)