Casting director Melissa Skoff has well over one hundred feature film and television credits to her name. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA’s Department of Theater, Film & Television and began working in the film industry as a Universal tour guide while in college.
Melissa launched her casting career at Warner Bros. After working in production with some of Hollywood’s elite talent including Clint Eastwood and John Boorman, she segued into casting at the studio level. Training in the Feature Film, Television, and Contract Administration Departments, Melissa learned all aspects of her chosen field from the ground up.
When she left Warner Brothers to launch her own independent company, Melissa worked on an array of feature films including The Emerald Forest, Soul Man, and Back To School with Rodney Dangerfield. Her resume also includes numerous high profile television series including “The Dukes of Hazzard,” which ranked Number One in the Nielsen Ratings for much of its long run, and the CBS hit “JAG” which she expertly cast for seven seasons.
Melissa left the independent world again when she became the Sr. Executive in Charge of Talent for Fox Broadcasting’s “Fox Night at the Movies.” There she cast a number of successful movies for television including the acclaimed drama, “Doing Time on Maple Drive.” The film was hailed as helping to launch Jim Carrey to feature film stardom and was his first dramatic role. She has also lent a helping hand in the early success stories of such stars as George Clooney, Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., Lauren Graham, David Spade, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Catherine Bell, and Bryan Cranston, to name just a few.
Melissa continues her work in the independent casting world floating between comedic and dramatic feature films, pilots, series, movies for television, and internet programming . In 2001 she was named “One of Television’s Top 20 Casting Directors” by Ross Reports, an industry publication.
Melissa runs successful Professional Level ongoing Cold Reading Classes and does Private Coaching for Adults, Teens, and Kids in Los Angeles and Nashville. Her passion for teaching is reflected in the attention she gives each student, and the skillful direction she offers.
Her love for talent includes both actors and musicians. She has showcased a number of established as well as up-and-coming singer/songwriters, introducing them to film and music industry executives at private, in-home concerts.
In her spare time, you can find Melissa riding horses and listening to country music.
Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat chats with casting director Melissa Skoff
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