Right for the Role
When legendary casting director John Frank Levey hired me to collaborate on his memoir, he had a word of caution for me as his ghostwriter: “I have no idea what you’ll write about. I don’t have much to say.”
Even before our first conversation, I already knew that John would be a wonderful author with plenty to say. After all, for more than four decades, he was instrumental in casting some of the most revolutionary — and beloved — television shows of all time, including China Beach, ER, The West Wing, Third Watch, Southland, Animal Kingdom, and Shameless. A four-time winner of a Primetime Emmy Award, he was even presented with the Casting Society of America’s prestigious Hoyt Bowers Award for Lifetime Achievement a decade before he cast the multiple-award-winning show, Shameless. John hadn’t just witnessed some of the world’s greatest acting talents make it in Hollywood; in many cases, he had a major hand in it.
Our collaboration happened over the pandemic and shortly thereafter, the writer’s strike, when Hollywood professionals like John saw their careers grind to a halt. However, thanks to the memoir, John discovered that he indeed had a great deal to say about his industry and his craft. We had launched an Instagram account in anticipation of the book’s release, going from 0 to nearly 5K followers in short order, which led to numerous appearances on podcasts and at academic and professional institutions, as well as paid opportunities to teach (and sell books).
In early 2025, John and I once again decided to team up with a natural extension of his book: the Right for the Role podcast. In our first season, John interviewed some of the many actors for whom he played an essential role in their lives, including Noah Wyle, Eriq La Salle, Sasha Alexander, Shanola Hampton, Tim Bagley, and Dennis Duggan. Stay tuned for Season 2!
Summary of produced assets:
Professional Memoir: Right For The Role: Breakdowns, Breakups, And Breakthroughs From 35 Years Of Casting Iconic TV Shows Including ER, The West Wing, Shameless, And More (ghostwrote the book, facilitated the publishing contract with a hybrid publisher, and managed the production process on John’s behalf)
John’s author website
Right for the Role podcast (producer)
Social media strategy
