The Casting Code: How To Cast a Boston Movie

Imagine if you will Justin Bieber as one of Boston’s finest in the middle of an investigation to crack down on the Boston Mafia, which is run by Jay-Z. No? How about the blue-collar bartender from Charlestown played by Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) who is taught all of life’s lessons by a homeless man played by Mike Myers, who camps out outside of his bar? It just doesn’t seem to fit all that well. That’s because there is an actual science involved in casting for a Boston movie. The goal of this little tutorial is to show you how to go about casting a Boston movie perfectly.

            1.       GO LOCAL

Any good actor tries to get a connection to their role. Therefore, getting someone who was born and raised on the North Shore will make connecting with the setting, characters, and story much easier to accomplish. Guys like Matt Damon (Cambridge) and Mark Wahlberg (Boston) fit perfectly in the criteria for their ability to take their routes and apply it to their characters. It also helps to have an authentic Boston accent, which brings us to the next point.

            2.       DON’T OVERDO IT

There may come a time when you just can’t find a good Boston actor (they don’t just grow on trees you know). If you have to cast an actor who isn’t from Boston, it is essential that you don’t focus on how much they can pretend to be from Boston. There is nothing worse than a fake Boston accent. Just ask Alec Baldwin, who sounds like a Kennedy reject as a Boston cop in The Departed. The accent either becomes painfully fake or it’s inconsistent and the actor does not keep the accent throughout the entire movie. Sometimes, it’s better to just not have a Boston accent at all. Guys like Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting) and Jack Nicholson (The Departed) performed admirably in their respective Boston movies without ever having to attempt a Boston accent. A lot of it has to contribute to their ability to fulfill the third and final requirement.

            

            3.        PLAY THE PART

Whether the actor is a local actor or not, it is vitally important for an actor to be able to play the part. The base of close to every Boston movie involves characters that are blue-collar, Irish, and generally middle-to-lower class. That defines the majority of people living within Boston. If an actor can channel that kind of a character, then they will not only be able to depict Bostonians perfectly, but they are relatable as well.

So where do you go from here? Well, grasshopper, you will now be able to analyze just how good a Boston movie is based off of its cast, but why not go one step further than that? Take this new found knowledge and apply it to the Whitey Bulger movie. To this date, there is still no one person set to play Whitey Bulger. Therefore, I CHALLENGE YOU! Read up on the potential candidates to play Whitey Bulger then cast your vote as to who will make the best Whitey Bulger. Now, go forth and use your skills for the good of all that is Boston movies.