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Perspective: Anissa Williams

Anissa Williams
Casting Director
Anissa Williams Casting

Los Angeles CA


Job History
I had a paid internship at Long Beach Cable producing an "Adopt A Pet" TV show.

After graduating from film school, I wasn't really sure what to do with my degree. I'm not an actor, but I went at an open call for "A Different World" to try to get a position or work with that show. I ran into a alumni and we happened to be the only two black women in my film department. She had graduated a year before I did and worked with Keenan Ivory Wayans on "In Living Color" as one of his personal assistant. Keenan needed a new one and she passed me the contact person. I called that afternoon, interviewed the next day and was hired on the spot. I became not only Keenan's assistant but helped the whole staff, writers, actors. Basically whoever needed me, I was there. That position acclimated me to Hollywood my first year out of college.

The following season, a position opened up in casting with Betsy Fels. Of course, I took it because I had a proficiency at memorizing actors names. So Casting was the perfect fit for me. Not only could I direct but I could also use my knowledge and familiarity with actors for other projects as well as my own.

I worked on "In Living Color" for four season until it got canceled. But during the hiatus, I'd cast the videos of the musical artists that appeared on the show. I worked on "America's Most Wanted" for Fox, just little stuff to build my resume.

That was the start and I've been casting for 11 years.

What are you currently working on? Your day-to-day responsibilities?

I'm casting for an Elizabeth Arden commercial for Britney Spears. She's coming out with a new fragrance line and I'm looking for a lead actor to play opposite her.

My day to day responsibilities are prepping a casting session, checking the availability of actors for the current projects I'm working on. I also do lists of actors for film projects. I meet with film executive producers and prepare actors lists along with photo references to explain why that particular person would be an interesting choice for that part.

Besides that, I also return phone calls and meet new poeple and discuss new projects.

What inspires/motivates you?

Film as an art inspires me. I want to inspire/empower young girls. I just read the "All Falls Down" article in Vibe about Karrine Steffans. She was someone that I hired plenty of times and the piece made me cry because I'm a part of that system that a lot of young girls aspire to.

So my goal now is to help the self-esteem of other young girls so even if they want to do music videos or want to be a part of what I do, I encourage them to be the best that they can be, and use this experience as a stepping stone, and I stress that they don't have to do anything that they don't want to do.

I'm proud of Karrine for being so open and honest because she speaks for many, many video girls out there.

Do you believe working on these videos damages these women's self-esteem?

It's got to. They definitely feel sexy and beautiful but they're so disposible. It's a shame. I do all this research and find fresh faces and pay them $500-$1000 a day. They do a few videos and then they're considered "washed up."

So I encourage them to move forward. If you really want to do this, then take acting classes, take care of your skin, take care of your body, strive for more than just being in the hottest rap videos.

And if you do want to rock your bikini, then rock it with pride and know that your doing this with a purpose and move forward. You don't have to sleep with the artist just to become famous. At the end of the day, these artist discard video girls.

Poeple think of me as Momma Anissa and I want to have a positive influence on them. These girls know I'm available for them. If they need a list of agents, acting coaches, voice coaches, I'm always there to help them move forward. Girls use this info or don't. Some girls get caught up. That's their decision and that's how they pay their bills. So be it.

How do you balance your personal and professional life because you seem to genuinely care for the actors and models that you hire?

It's tough. I have casting director friends who make it a policy to not hang out with talent. But I actually enjoy it. I think that it keeps me relevant. I like hanging out at the club with a couple of model girls because I genuinely respect and like them as human beings. That seperation doesn't exit for me. I never say "I can't hang out with these people" because that mentality would seperate me from them, who they are, and how they think.

I don't hang out with everybody though. I hang out when I see a fit, especially if there's a connection, then I'll hang out, party, or go to a premiere. I take this one girl, Tracy Higgins, that I'm developing to premiers and introduce her to directors and encourage her to study. She's somebody that I've given hands on training because I believe in her.

Does it get wearing being so available to people?

Sometimes when I get phone calls on Sunday and I'm with my family, and they're asking me if they can bring their head shot over, it's a little annoying. Some people are thinking about their agenda and their day that they can't shut it off. That's the tough part, dealing with people that don't take into consideration and respect my free time. People sometimes call at inappropriate times. I don't even know them or we may have just meet on the set somewhere and they feel like they can call me on Saturday afternoon because they think there's a connection. That's when I'm hesitant. Because they are not separating the two.

What career achievement are you most proud of?

It's certainly not one particular project. I can sit here and name drop projects that I've worked on but that's not it. I most proud of my reputation for being thorough and good at what I do. That's priceless. In Hollywood and this business, the only thing you have is your reputation.

There's people that are still in the casting game but their reputation is shit. People don't realize that this is not easy. Dealing with people not showing up at 6am and always trying to do the impossible is trying. So I'm very proud of being respected for what I do. That makes it all worthwhile. And the minute I'm not respected or that I'm unhappy, then I'll do something else.

What was your biggest personal/career mistake and what did you learn from the experience?

I wanted to book Allen Iverson on a video. I did a backdoor deal rather than going through the proper channels. It works most of the time because when you deal with personalities, actors, and their agents, it's very easy to get rejected.

But if you can speak to someone who knows him personally or can talk to him directly, you may find out that they're very interested in doing the project. Basically going to the source or as directly close to the source as possible.

For this project I tried to backdoor an Iverson appearance and the night before the shoot, I realized that the people had ben bullshitting me completely up to that moment and he was never even available to do the job.

From that situation, I learned that relying on backdoor channels can be a big mistake and it's better to go through the appropriate channels.

Guiding principles?

Hmmmm...Integrity, being humble, putting my friends and family first.

Birthday? Where you grew up? Where you went to school?

My birthday is July 18. I grew up in Stockton CA. It's 45 minutes south of Sacramento. I came from a small town mentality and I wouldn't change that for the world. I went to Tokay HS in Lodi CA. I then went to Cal State University Long Beach (CSULB) Film School. It was great. Robert Finney headed the program. We were the underdogs versus USC and UCLA's film programs because any grants, equipment, or internship opportunities usually went to those two prestigious schools before us. CSULB didn't have the same resources but the department was a lot smaller, so I got a lot more hands on experience. And Dr. Finney is someone that I'll never forget. He's one of my inspirations.

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Ray Tamarra

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