Jump to content

Louis DiGiaimo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Louis DiGiaimo (1938 – December 19, 2015) was an American casting director and film producer. He was one of the casting directors of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and went on to help cast multiple films each for directors William Friedkin, Barry Levinson and Ridley Scott. He also produced Mike Newell's Donnie Brasco alongside Levinson and, in 1998, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series for Levinson's television series Homicide: Life on the Street.[1]

Biography

[edit]

Early life and career

[edit]

DiGiaimo spent his childhood in Paterson, New Jersey. He graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University and worked as an accountant before embarking on a career as a casting director. His big break came in 1968 when he met director Martin Ritt, who was preparing to shoot the mafia drama The Brotherhood, starring Kirk Douglas. DiGiaimo's manner in seeking out both actors and non-actors for The Brotherhood impressed Ritt, and the director hired him to work on the film. DiGiaimo went on to make his debut as a principal casting director on a far more successful mafia picture, Francis Ford Coppola's Academy Award-winning The Godfather.[2][3]

In between The Brotherhood and The Godfather, DiGiaimo worked with director William Friedkin for the first time on The French Connection,[3][4] though his work on the film went uncredited. He reunited with Friedkin soon thereafter, this time as a principal casting director on the renowned horror hit The Exorcist.[4] DiGiaimo cast several more films, including the 1975 releases Breakheart Pass and Farewell, My Lovely, before reteaming with Friedkin for The Brink's Job and yet again for Cruising. He was also casting director on Brian G. Hutton's The First Deadly Sin, which features Frank Sinatra in his last starring role.[5]

Collaborations with Barry Levinson

[edit]

DiGiaimo's first collaboration with Barry Levinson was on the 1984 baseball drama The Natural, for which DiGiaimo provided additional casting services. Levinson later recruited DiGiaimo as the primary casting director of his films Tin Men, Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man, Jimmy Hollywood, and Sleepers. DiGiaimo also handled additional casting on Levinson's Avalon.[4][5]

When Levinson was developing the drama series Homicide: Life on the Street for NBC, he brought in DiGiaimo to handle the casting. For his work on Homicide, DiGiaimo received three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, winning the award in 1998.[4][1][6] DiGiaimo and Levinson also worked together as producers on Mike Newell's crime drama Donnie Brasco (for which DiGiaimo was also casting director) and the Levinson-directed An Everlasting Piece.[5]

Reuniting with Friedkin, collaborations with Ridley Scott, and more

[edit]

Ten years after they last worked together on Cruising, DiGiaimo and Friedkin reteamed again for the director's 1990 horror film The Guardian. DiGiaimo also returned to the Exorcist franchise that year (albeit without Friedkin) as casting director of The Exorcist III, written and directed by the original film's writer, William Peter Blatty. Friedkin enlisted DiGiaimo's services one last time for the 1994 basketball drama Blue Chips.[4][5]

Ridley Scott first called upon DiGiaimo to help him cast his 1991 film Thelma & Louise. For this film, it was DiGiaimo who pushed for a then-relatively unknown Brad Pitt to be cast in the role of J.D. Pitt landed the part, and his work in the film helped jump-start his career.[4][3] The success of this initial union led to DiGiaimo casting Scott's next five films: 1492: Conquest of Paradise, White Squall, G.I. Jane, the Academy Award-winning Gladiator, and Hannibal.[4][2]

Other directors whose movies DiGiaimo helped cast include John Frankenheimer (52 Pick-Up), Luis Llosa (Sniper), Brian Gibson (The Juror), Sidney Lumet (Gloria), Luis Mandoki (Trapped), and Richard Donner (16 Blocks). He also produced Bob Giraldi's independent film Dinner Rush. His final film as casting director was Nick Stagliano's Good Day for It, released in 2011.[5]

Death

[edit]

A 42-year resident of Oakland, New Jersey, DiGiaimo died there on December 19, 2015, due to complications from a stroke. He was 77 years old.[2][4][7]

Filmography

[edit]

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

[edit]
Year Film Notes
1997 Donnie Brasco
2000 Dinner Rush
An Everlasting Piece Final film as a producer
As casting director
Year Film Notes
1972 The Godfather
A Separate Peace
1973 Cops and Robbers
The Exorcist
1975 Rancho Deluxe
Farewell, My Lovely
Russian Roulette
92 in the Shade
Breakheart Pass
1977 Sorcerer
1978 The Brink's Job
1980 Cruising
The First Deadly Sin
1982 Vigilante
1984 A Stroke of Genius
1985 Porky's Revenge!
Invasion U.S.A.
Stiffs
1986 52 Pick-Up
1987 Tin Men
Deadly Illusion
Good Morning, Vietnam
1988 Red Scorpion
Rain Man
1989 The Package
Indio
Hell High
1990 The Guardian
The Exorcist III
The Exorcist III: Legion Director's cut
1991 Indio 2: The Revolt
Thelma & Louise
Year of the Gun
29th Street
1992 1492: Conquest of Paradise
Mom I Can Do It
1993 Sniper
Trauma
New York Undercover Cop
Wilder Napalm
1994 Blue Chips
Jimmy Hollywood
1995 Sons of Trinity
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
1996 The Juror
White Squall
Sleepers
1997 Donnie Brasco
The Brave
G.I. Jane
1998 Meschugge
1999 Gloria
Black and White
2000 Gladiator
Luckytown
2001 Hannibal
'R Xmas
One Eyed King
2002 Trapped
2004 Blueberry
2006 Bandidas
16 Blocks
Brother's Shadow
2007 The Poet
Made in Brooklyn
2009 Baby on Board
2010 For Love Alone
2011 Good Day for It
Casting department
Year Film Role
1973 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Extras casting
The Seven-Ups
1975 Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York Additional casting
1981 Nighthawks
1982 Monsignor Casting: New York
1983 Easy Money Additional casting
Extras casting
1984 The Natural Additional casting
1986 The Money Pit Extras casting
Off Beat Additional casting
1987 84 Charing Cross Road Extras casting: New York
1988 Married to the Mob Additional casting
Homeboy Extras casting
1989 Cookie
1990 Amazon Casting consultant
Avalon Additional casting
1991 Missing Pieces Extras casting
1993 The Young Americans Casting: US
1998 The Nephew

Television

[edit]
Year Title Notes
2000 Falcone
2007 Fort Pit Television pilot
As casting director
Year Film Notes
1974−75 Movin' On
1975 Strike Force Television film
1981 CBS Afternoon Playhouse
1985 Out of the Darkness Television film
1985−87 Night Heat
1989 Ocean
1992 In the Shadow of a Killer Television film
1993 Beyond the Law Television film
1997 The Hunger
1998 Tower of the Firstborn Television film
1998−99 Soldier of Fortune, Inc.
1993−99 Homicide: Life on the Street
1999 The Hoop Life
2000 Homicide: The Movie Television film
Falcone
2001 Nero Wolfe
Boss of Bosses Television film
The Big Heist Television film

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Lou Digiaimo - Television Academy". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  2. ^ a b c "Casting director Louis DiGiaimo of Oakland dies at 77". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-23. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
  3. ^ a b c Kondazian, Karen (1999). The Actor's Encyclopedia of Casting Directors. Online (e-book): Lone Eagle Publishing. ISBN 9781783018376.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Louis DiGiaimo, 'Godfather' and 'Exorcist' Casting Director, Dies at 77". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Louis DiGiaimo - IMDb". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  6. ^ "Lou Digiamo [sic] - Television Academy". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  7. ^ "Louis DiGiaimo Obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
[edit]