Phyllis Huffman
Encyclopedia
Phyllis Huffman was a casting director for film
and television
. She received numerous award nominations from the Casting Society of America
(CSA) throughout her career, winning twice.
She was born as Phyllis Grennan in The Bronx
, New York
, and graduated from Webster University
in St. Louis, Missouri
. After a brief stint as a flight attendant
for Trans World Airlines
, she started working in the casting departments of MGM and Paramount Pictures
, becoming a protégé of legendary casting director Marion Dougherty. Huffman moved on to Warner Bros.
, ultimately becoming the vice president
of the studio's television casting department.
Huffman served as casting director for such TV mini-series as V: The Final Battle and North and South
, earning her first CSA award for the latter. She won her first CSA award in 1989 for casting the pilot
episode of the hit sitcom Murphy Brown
. She received a second nomination that same year for casting the pilot for China Beach
.
In 1996, Huffman shared two Emmy Award nominations for casting the TV movies The Late Shift
and The Boys Next Door
. She also earned as sixth CSA nomination for the latter.
The majority of Huffman's film casting work were those for which teamed with director
Clint Eastwood
, casting fourteen of Eastwood's films and serving as casting executive on two others. In addition, she was casting director for three other films in which Eastwood starred but did not direct, bringing their total number of collaborative works to nineteen. Some of the Eastwood-directed films on which Huffman served as casting director include Honkytonk Man
, Bird
, Unforgiven
,
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
, and Space Cowboys
.
Huffman won her second award from the CSA for her casting of Eastwood's Mystic River
, and received her final CSA nomination for casting Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby
.
Her career spanned 24 years, eleven CSA nominations (including two wins), and two Emmy nominations.
The final films she cast were Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers
and Letters from Iwo Jima, opening seven months and nine months, respectively, after her death on March 2, 2006, aged 61.
She was married to actor David Huffman
(F.I.S.T.
, St. Helens) until his murder in 1985. She is survived by her two sons.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. She received numerous award nominations from the Casting Society of America
Casting Society of America
Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1982, the Casting Society of America is a professional society of about 350 casting directors for film, television, and theatre in Australia, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. The society is not to be confused with an industry union. The...
(CSA) throughout her career, winning twice.
She was born as Phyllis Grennan in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and graduated from Webster University
Webster University
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. After a brief stint as a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
for Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
, she started working in the casting departments of MGM and Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, becoming a protégé of legendary casting director Marion Dougherty. Huffman moved on to Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, ultimately becoming the vice president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of the studio's television casting department.
Huffman served as casting director for such TV mini-series as V: The Final Battle and North and South
North and South (TV miniseries)
North and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
, earning her first CSA award for the latter. She won her first CSA award in 1989 for casting the pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
episode of the hit sitcom Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television...
. She received a second nomination that same year for casting the pilot for China Beach
China Beach
China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam, which was nicknamed "China Beach" by unknown foreigners, most likely Americans...
.
In 1996, Huffman shared two Emmy Award nominations for casting the TV movies The Late Shift
The Late Shift (film)
The Late Shift is a 1996 American TV movie produced by HBO. It is directed by Betty Thomas and based on the book of the same name by The New York Times media reporter Bill Carter.-Plot synopsis:...
and The Boys Next Door
The Boys Next Door (1996 film)
The Boys Next Door is a 1996 television movie based on a play by Tom Griffin which was published in 1983 under the title Damaged Hearts, Broken Flowers and again in 1988 under the title The Boys Next Door...
. She also earned as sixth CSA nomination for the latter.
The majority of Huffman's film casting work were those for which teamed with director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, casting fourteen of Eastwood's films and serving as casting executive on two others. In addition, she was casting director for three other films in which Eastwood starred but did not direct, bringing their total number of collaborative works to nineteen. Some of the Eastwood-directed films on which Huffman served as casting director include Honkytonk Man
Honkytonk Man
Honkytonk Man is a 1982 American drama film set in the Great Depression. Clint Eastwood, who produced and directed, stars with his son, Kyle Eastwood. Clancy Carlile's screenplay is based on his novel of the same name...
, Bird
Bird (1988 film)
Bird is a 1988 American biographical film, produced and directed by Clint Eastwood of a screenplay written by Joel Oliansky. The film is a tribute to the life and music of jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker...
, Unforgiven
Unforgiven
Unforgiven is a 1992 American Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood with a screenplay written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after he had hung up his guns and turned to farming...
,
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a non-fiction work by John Berendt. Published in 1994, the book was Berendt's first, and became a The New York Times bestseller for 216 weeks following its debut....
, and Space Cowboys
Space Cowboys
Space Cowboys is a 2000 science fiction film directed by Clint Eastwood. Eastwood also stars in the film alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner as four older "ex-test pilots" who are sent into space to repair an old Soviet satellite...
.
Huffman won her second award from the CSA for her casting of Eastwood's Mystic River
Mystic River
The Mystic River is a river in Massachusetts, in the United States. Its name derives from the Wampanoag word "muhs-uhtuq", which translates to "big river." In an Algonquian language, "Missi-Tuk" means "a great river whose waters are driven by waves", alluding to the natural tidal nature of the...
, and received her final CSA nomination for casting Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced, and scored by Clint Eastwood and starring Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman...
.
Her career spanned 24 years, eleven CSA nominations (including two wins), and two Emmy nominations.
The final films she cast were Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers
Flags of Our Fathers (film)
is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were involved...
and Letters from Iwo Jima, opening seven months and nine months, respectively, after her death on March 2, 2006, aged 61.
She was married to actor David Huffman
David Huffman
David Huffman was a longtime character actor with many television, film and stage credits. He was married to award winning casting director Phyllis Huffman until he was murdered in 1985.-Murder:...
(F.I.S.T.
F.I.S.T.
F.I.S.T. is a 1978 movie directed by Norman Jewison and starring Sylvester Stallone. In this film, Stallone plays a Cleveland warehouse worker named Johnny Kovak who becomes involved in the labor union leadership of the fictional "Federation of Inter State Truckers", and finds that he must...
, St. Helens) until his murder in 1985. She is survived by her two sons.