Louis DiGiaimo


Louis DiGiaimo 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.

Biography

Early life and career

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.
In between The Brotherhood and The Godfather, DiGiaimo worked with director William Friedkin for the first time on The French Connection, 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. 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.

Collaborations with Barry Levinson

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.
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. DiGiaimo and Levinson also worked together as producers on Mike Newell's crime drama Donnie Brasco and the Levinson-directed An Everlasting Piece.

Reuniting with Friedkin, collaborations with Ridley Scott, and more

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 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.
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. 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.
Other directors whose movies DiGiaimo helped cast include John Frankenheimer, Luis Llosa, Brian Gibson, Sidney Lumet, Luis Mandoki, and Richard Donner. 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.

Death

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.

Filmography

''He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.''

Film

;As casting director
YearFilmNotes
1972The Godfather
1972A Separate Peace
1973Cops and Robbers
1973The Exorcist
1975Rancho Deluxe
1975Farewell, My Lovely
1975Russian Roulette
197592 in the Shade
1975Breakheart Pass
1977Sorcerer
1978The Brink's Job
1980Cruising
1980The First Deadly Sin
1982Vigilante
1984A Stroke of Genius
1985Porky's Revenge!
1985Invasion U.S.A.
1985Stiffs
198652 Pick-Up
1987Tin Men
1987Deadly Illusion
1987Good Morning, Vietnam
1988Red Scorpion
1988Rain Man
1989The Package
1989Indio
1989Hell High
1990The Guardian
1990The Exorcist III
1990The Exorcist III: LegionDirector's cut
1991Indio 2: The Revolt
1991Thelma & Louise
1991Year of the Gun
199129th Street
19921492: Conquest of Paradise
1992Mom I Can Do It
1993Sniper
1993Trauma
1993New York Undercover Cop
1993Wilder Napalm
1994Blue Chips
1994Jimmy Hollywood
1995Sons of Trinity
1995Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
1996The Juror
1996White Squall
1996Sleepers
1997Donnie Brasco
1997The Brave
1997G.I. Jane
1998Meschugge
1999Gloria
1999Black and White
2000Gladiator
2000Luckytown
2001Hannibal
2001'R Xmas
2001One Eyed King
2002Trapped
2004Blueberry
2006Bandidas
200616 Blocks
2006Brother's Shadow
2007The Poet
2007Made in Brooklyn
2009Baby on Board
2010For Love Alone
2011Good Day for It

;Casting department
YearFilmRole
1973From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. FrankweilerExtras casting
1973The Seven-UpsExtras casting
1975Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New YorkAdditional casting
1981NighthawksAdditional casting
1982MonsignorCasting: New York
1983Easy MoneyAdditional casting
Extras casting
1984The NaturalAdditional casting
1986The Money PitExtras casting
1986Off BeatAdditional casting
198784 Charing Cross RoadExtras casting: New York
1988Married to the MobAdditional casting
1988HomeboyExtras casting
1989CookieExtras casting
1990AmazonCasting consultant
1990AvalonAdditional casting
1991Missing PiecesExtras casting
1993The Young AmericansCasting: US
1998The NephewCasting: US