Mali Finn
Encyclopedia
Mali Finn born Mary Alice Mann, also known as Mally Finn, was an American Hollywood casting director and a former English and drama teacher. She started the careers of numerous celebrities, including Edward Furlong
, Leonardo DiCaprio
and Russell Crowe
.
, she later moved to Minneapolis. She received a bachelor's degree in theater from the University of Minnesota
. She was married to Don Finn (also a Casting Director) and had one child with him.
in 1981 and her casting career began. She had handful of casting credits behind her, including The Untouchables (1987) when she established her firm, Mali Finn Casting in 1989. Additional casting credits include The Matrix
(1999) and Titanic
(1997). She kick-started Leonardo DiCaprio
's career by casting him in the James Cameron
movie Titanic
and she also cast Russell Crowe
in his role in L.A. Confidential
. She also discovered the actor Brad Renfro
when he was ten years old.
She cast almost 90 movies and television series. Director Curtis Hanson
worked with Finn on four of his films - L.A. Confidential
, Wonder Boys
, 8 Mile
, and Lucky You
. She featured prominently in the episode "Fame" of The Human Face
presented by John Cleese
.
She has been given numerous awards for her casting. She has won 2 Artios Awards for Best Casting for television film of the Week, for 61 (2001) and for Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama for L.A. Confidential (1997) and she has been nominated for 3 Artios awards for Titanic (1997). She has also won an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for 61 (2001) and was nominated for another Emmy in 1995 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Casting for Indictment: The McMartin Trial
(1995).
, which claimed her life at the age of 69 on November 28, 2007 at her home in Sonoma County, California
.
Edward Furlong
Edward Walter Furlong is an American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Daniel Vinyard in American History X. He is a two-time Saturn Award nominee, winning the 1992 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for his performance in...
, Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
and Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
.
Biography
Born as Mary Alice Mann on March 8, 1938, in Danville, IllinoisDanville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
, she later moved to Minneapolis. She received a bachelor's degree in theater from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. She was married to Don Finn (also a Casting Director) and had one child with him.
Career
In the early 80s, Mali was a beloved drama teacher at Holland (MI) High School, where she challenged her students with difficult productions such as You Can't Take It With You, while her husband Donn lectured at Hope College. In 1981, Mali and Donn moved to Newport Beach, CaliforniaNewport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
in 1981 and her casting career began. She had handful of casting credits behind her, including The Untouchables (1987) when she established her firm, Mali Finn Casting in 1989. Additional casting credits include The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
(1999) and Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
(1997). She kick-started Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
's career by casting him in the James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
movie Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
and she also cast Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
in his role in L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential (film)
L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American film based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same title, the third book in his L.A. Quartet. Both the book and the film tell the story of a group of LAPD officers in the 1950s, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity...
. She also discovered the actor Brad Renfro
Brad Renfro
Brad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 at age 12 in the lead role of Joel Schumacher's The Client, going on to star in 21 feature films, several short films, and two television episodes during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of...
when he was ten years old.
She cast almost 90 movies and television series. Director Curtis Hanson
Curtis Hanson
Curtis Lee Hanson is an American film director, film producer and screenwriter. His directing work includes The Hand That Rocks the Cradle , L.A...
worked with Finn on four of his films - L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential (film)
L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American film based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same title, the third book in his L.A. Quartet. Both the book and the film tell the story of a group of LAPD officers in the 1950s, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity...
, Wonder Boys
Wonder Boys (film)
Wonder Boys is a dark comedy film based on the 1995 novel of the same title by Michael Chabon. Directed by Curtis Hanson, it stars Michael Douglas as professor Grady Tripp, a novelist who teaches creative writing at an unnamed Pittsburgh university...
, 8 Mile
8 Mile (film)
8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film written by Scott Silver, directed by Curtis Hanson, and starring Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, and Kim Basinger....
, and Lucky You
Lucky You (film)
Lucky You is a 2007 drama directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, and Robert Duvall. The film was shot on location in Las Vegas...
. She featured prominently in the episode "Fame" of The Human Face
The Human Face
The Human Face is a 4 part BBC series that examines the science behind facial beauty, expression, and fame in an entertaining fashion. John Cleese, actor, comedian, visiting professor, and best-selling author on psychology, sets out on an odyssey to discover the mysteries of identity, perception,...
presented by John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
.
She has been given numerous awards for her casting. She has won 2 Artios Awards for Best Casting for television film of the Week, for 61 (2001) and for Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama for L.A. Confidential (1997) and she has been nominated for 3 Artios awards for Titanic (1997). She has also won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for 61 (2001) and was nominated for another Emmy in 1995 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Casting for Indictment: The McMartin Trial
Indictment: The McMartin Trial
Indictment: The McMartin Trial is a made for TV movie that originally aired on HBO on May 20, 1995. Indictment is based on the true story of the McMartin preschool trial.-Summary:...
(1995).
Death
She retired in 2006 due to melanomaMelanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
, which claimed her life at the age of 69 on November 28, 2007 at her home in Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
.
Selected casting director credits
- Avatar (2009)
- 10,000 B.C10,000 BC (film)10,000 BC is a 2008 American fantasy film from Warner Bros. Pictures set in the prehistoric era. It was directed by Roland Emmerich and stars Steven Strait and Camilla Belle. The world premiere was held on February 10, 2008 at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin...
(2008) - Dirty Hands (2008)
- Lucky YouLucky You (film)Lucky You is a 2007 drama directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, and Robert Duvall. The film was shot on location in Las Vegas...
(2007) - The Number 23The Number 23The Number 23 is a 2007 American psychological thriller film written by Fernley Phillips and directed by Joel Schumacher. The film starred Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston, and Logan Lerman. It was subsequently released on DVD on July 24, 2007 , and premiered on HBO on Saturday April 19,...
(2007) - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 American Western drama film. The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, with Brad Pitt portraying Jesse James and Casey Affleck as his killer, Robert Ford.Filming took place in rural Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba...
(2007) - Shooter (2007)
- Running with ScissorsRunning with Scissors (film)Running with Scissors is a 2006 American comedy-drama film based on Augusten Burroughs' 2002 memoir of the same name, written and directed by Ryan Murphy, and starring Joseph Cross, Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow with...
(2006) - Seraphim Falls (2006)
- Walker Payne (2006)
- North CountryNorth Country (film)North Country is a 2005 American drama film directed by Niki Caro. The screenplay by Michael Seitzman was inspired by the 2002 book Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler, which chronicled the case of...
(2005) - Dark Water (2005)
- The Assassination of Richard NixonThe Assassination of Richard NixonThe Assassination of Richard Nixon is a 2004 American film, directed by Niels Mueller. It stars Sean Penn, Don Cheadle and Naomi Watts, and is based on the story of would-be assassin Samuel Byck, who plotted to kill Richard Nixon in 1974. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004...
(2004) - Undertow (2004)
- Raising Helen (2004)
- The Girl Next Door (2004)
- The Big Bounce (2004)
- The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- All the Real Girls (2003)
- Phone Booth (2002)
- 8 Mile8 Mile (film)8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film written by Scott Silver, directed by Curtis Hanson, and starring Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, and Kim Basinger....
(2002) - Never Get Outta the Boat (2002)
- K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
- High Crimes (2002)
- Joy Ride (2001/I)
- 61* (2001) (TV)
- Tigerland (2000)
- The Weight of Water (2000)
- Running Mates (2000) (TV)
- Reindeer Games (2000)
- The Green MileThe Green Mile (film)The Green Mile is a 1999 American drama film directed by Frank Darabont and adapted by him from the 1996 Stephen King novel of the same name...
(1999) - The Love Letter (1999)
- Best Laid Plans (1999)
- The MatrixThe MatrixThe Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
(1999) - 8MM (1999)
- Your Friends & Neighbors (1998)
- TitanicTitanic (1997 film)Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
(1997) - Batman & Robin (1997)
- L.A. ConfidentialL.A. Confidential (film)L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American film based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same title, the third book in his L.A. Quartet. Both the book and the film tell the story of a group of LAPD officers in the 1950s, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity...
(1997) - Sunday (1997)
- The Chamber (1996)
- Foxfire (1996)
- A Time to Kill (1996)
- Eye for an Eye (1996)
- Batman Forever (1995)
- The Client (1994)
- True Lies (1994)
- The Air Up There (1994)
- House of Cards (1993)
- That Night (1992)
- Hot Shots! (1991)
- Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
(1991) - Welcome Home, Roxy CarmichaelWelcome Home, Roxy CarmichaelWelcome Home, Roxy Carmichael is a 1990 American comedy-drama film starring Winona Ryder and Jeff Daniels.-Plot:The film's main character is a 15-year-old girl named Dinky Bossetti . Dinky was adopted as a baby. She appears to have little acceptance in her social circle, although it is not obvious...
(1990) - Pacific Heights (1990)
- FlatlinersFlatlinersFlatliners is a 1990 American thriller film starring Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin and Oliver Platt as medical students using physical science in an attempt to find out if there's anything out there beyond death by conducting clandestine experiments with near-death...
(1990) - Split Decisions (1988)
- Lady in White (1988)
- The Untouchables (1987)
- Outrageous Fortune (1987) (as Mally Finn)