PHOTO GALLERY: Oscar Parties

Duncan Stewart, director of casting at National Artists Management Company, discusses opening every submission and what he really wants to see inside a headshot. casting Duncan Stewart headshot NY city open distribution Duncan Steward, director of casting, discusses what he wants from an actress inside a general meeting, mainly truth, likability, and insufficient ego. advice casting Duncan Stewart NY city tips Duncan Stewart, director of casting, discusses what he needs from an audition and customary mistakes stars make. advice auditions casting Duncan Stewart NY city Alaine Alldaffer stops working the actual role of the casting direcor. Alaine Alldaffer casting casting director Gray Gardens play stage theater Casting director Alaine Alldaffer discusses casting "Saved" and all sorts of myths about becoming an actor in NY City. Alaine Alldaffer casting director New york city theatre play saved NY casting director Bernie Telsey describes what stars have to know before walking into an audition. (Part a couple of) Bernie Telsey casting director We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about focusing on cleaning soap operas. (Part 1 of three) General Hospital Mark Teschner cleaning soap opera NY casting director Bernie Telsey describes how you can give your very best audition. (Part 2 of two) Bernie Telsey casting director We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about focusing on cleaning soap operas. Only need beautiful people apply? (Part 2 of three) General Hospital Mark Teshner cleaning soap opera We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about who audition for cleaning soap operas. (Part 3 of three) General Hospital Mark Teschner cleaning soap opera Videos for that Back Stage News & Features section.

Actors Equity endorses SAG-AFTRA merger

The Actors Equity Council has endorsed the proposed combo of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists.The council, which approved the endorsement unanimously on Tuesday, is the first organization to back the SAG-AFTRA merger.The resolution said that the council "strongly supports" the merger. The council has 84 members.SAG and AFTRA will mail out ballots on Feb. 27 to 120,000 SAG members and 70,000 AFTRA members, who include actors, broadcasters, DJs, singers and dancers, with a tabulation date of March 30. To be approved, the merger must receive at least 60% of the votes from each union.Should that merger agreement be approved, new mergers would have to be approved by the 60% of the voting membership or by 60% of the delegates of the new SAG-AFTRA. That means future combos with such performer unions as Actors Equity would not be subject to direct approval by the members of SAG-AFTRA.Merger proponents have long asserted that combining unions is a logical response to the increasing power of the mega-conglomerates and contended that the combined unions will have more bargaining clout. Merger opponents, who lost power at SAG in recent years, have argued that SAG will lose its unique character as a performers union and that the combined entity won't have more power at the negotiating table.SAG members voted down a proposed merger in 2003, when the merged union would have been called the Alliance of Intl. Media Artists. The Actors Equity Council unanimously backed the "consolidation and affiliation" proposal in 2003.Approximately two-thirds of Equity's 45,000 members are also in SAG and/or AFTRA. The American Federation of Musicians and the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees also endorsed the 2003 merger plan. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Exclusive Hunky Dory Trailer

Minnie Driver, Bowie and ShakespeareYou might not believe us without watching the trailer yourself, but Minnie Driver does an exceptionally good Welsh accent in her upcoming role in feel-good coming of age film Hunky Dory.Set in 1970s Swansea, it tells the tale of drama teacher Viv (Driver) as she tries to ger her students into sing, dance and act their way through an ELO and Bowie-inspired musical version of The Tempest.Alarge, relatively unknown ensemble cast of young actors fill the ranks, lead by shy Davey (Ironclad's Aneurin Barnard) and "town bike" Stella (Danielle Branch), creating what looks to be a happy-go-lucky tale of young love, sun-drenched summers and Bowie's musical genius.Take a look at the trailer yourself and let us know what you think - do we have another Billy Elliot on our hands? It's definitely not a Sex Lives Of The Potato Men... Plus, can you believe how good Minnie's accent is?Let us know in the comment box below. Hunky Dory is out March 2.

Howard talks up AFTRA merger

HowardWith Hollywood actors facing an increasingly murky future, Screen Actors Guild president Ken Howard wants to clarify that situation as much as possible by spending his time working toward a merger with the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists.Asked what are the major concerns these days from members, Howard responds unequivocally."In a word: strength," he says. "Members are anxious for the merger to happen because they know we are stronger together. Our industry is undergoing serious changes and it's critical that we have a unified strategy, and a united front, to make sure performers keep their fair share."He believes strongly that members of SAG and AFTRA, who are likely to see ballots for a merger referendum in March or April, want to combine unions to then resolve the dilemma of seeing pension and health contributions go into separate SAG and AFTRA plans.Howard was handily re-elected to a second two-year term in September and has made merger the key element of both elections, so he hasn't really been able to see much of distinction between the first and second term."What remains the same is that I'm staying focused on serving the needs of SAG members by working with my leadership team and our partners at AFTRA to create a single union," he says. "I believe the biggest difference in my second term is that we're actually going to make it happen. The members are counting on us to get this done and I'm not going to disappoint them."Howard was first elected in 2009, a few weeks after winning a supporting actor Emmy for "Grey Gardens." He continues to work, appearing as Atty. General Harlan F. Stone in "J. Edgar" and in a recurring role on "30 Rock.""I've had to decline a few things because of the demands of being SAG president, but my union service has also given me some terrific insights and a new way of looking at the work I've been able to accept," he says. "In addition to 'J. Edgar,' I've done a TV movie ('The Council of Dads'), 'The Closer' and 'Fairly Legal,' and I've had a wonderful time playing the role of Hank Hooper on '30 Rock.' It's kept me very busy, but it's also helped me to stay current and connected to our members."Last year also saw Howard and AFTRA president Roberta Reardon complete a nationwide "listening tour" to seek out member opinions."I am continually impressed by the dedication of those serving the union both members and staff," he adds. "I'm not just talking about the people I work with in the national leadership, but people all across the country. One of the great benefits of the listening tour Roberta and I conducted last year is that I got to visit with lots of members and branch staff on their home turf. The level of commitment they bring to the union cause -- even in places where the challenges are tougher, like right-to-work states -- is inspiring."The merger has been voted down twice by SAG (1999 and 2003) with opponents asserting that the combo would strip SAG of its unique character, and warning that the SAG health and pension plans may suffer. Those are still potentially combative issues but Howard believes members would favor a merger so they're no longer faced with a scenario of contributing to two separate health plans and not qualifying for either."Members are sick and tired of seeing their earnings divided into two plans, which can make it dramatically harder to qualify," he adds. "There's just no doubt that a single union with increased leverage will help us address these and all other concerns."Howard's set to give on-air speech at Sunday's SAG Awards ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, following two days of meetings of the SAG national board to approve the merger proposal."I try to balance my commitments, but sometimes it's hard to pull off," he says. "In addition to my work as SAG president, including my service on the AFL-CIO executive council, I stay very active with some charitable causes that are important to me. And, of course, I'm always looking forward to my next role as an actor."But over the past couple of years, the focus on bringing SAG and AFTRA together has taken the lion's share of Howard's time."This is a crucial and historic opportunity to protect the future for our members," he adds. "Even though it's taken a lot of time, I'm extremely grateful to have been part of it."AND THE NOMINEES ARE...FILM Cast "The Artist" "Bridesmaids""The Descendants""The Help""Midnight in Paris"Actor Demian Bichir, "A Better Life" George Clooney, "The Descendants"Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"Actress Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"Viola Davis, "The Help"Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"Supporting Actor Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"Armie Hammer, "J. Edgar"Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"Nick Nolte, "Warrior"Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"Supporting Actress Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"Jessica Chastain, "The Help"Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids" Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"Octavia Spencer, "The Help"Stunt Ensemble "The Adjustment Bureau""Cowboys & Aliens""Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2""Transformers: Dark of the Moon""X-Men: First Class"TELEVISION Drama Cast "Boardwalk Empire""Breaking Bad""Dexter""Game of Thrones""The Good Wife"Comedy Cast "30 Rock""The Big Bang Theory""Glee""Modern Family""The Office"Drama Actor Patrick J. Adams, "Suits"Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights" Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"Drama Actress Kathy Bates, "Harry's Law"Glenn Close, "Damages"Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story"Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"Comedy Actor Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" Ty Burrell, "Modern Family" Steve Carell, "The Office" Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family" Comedy Actress Julie Bowen, "Modern Family" Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"Tina Fey, "30 Rock"Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"Betty White, "Hot in Cleveland"Actor in a TV Movie/Miniseries Laurence Fishburne, "Thurgood"Paul Giamatti, "Too Big to Fail"Greg Kinnear, "The Kennedys"Guy Pearce, "Mildred Pierce"James Woods, "Too Big to Fail" Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries Diane Lane, "Cinema Verite" Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"Emily Watson, "Appropriate Adult"Betty White, "The Lost Valentine"Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce"Stunt Ensemble "Dexter""Game of Thrones""Southland""Spartacus: Gods of the Arena""True Blood"SAG AWARDS 2012Idol of capri to acting icon | Howard talks up AFTRA merger | Acad, SAG share same voter pool | Partygoers relax, revel after the show | Stunts given due | Brisk pace gives winners last word | Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

GKids makes splash with two in toon pool

'A Cat in Paris''Chico & Rita''Kung Fu Panda 2''Puss in Boots''Rango'Oscar's animated feature category saw 18 toons submitted for consideration, yielding a full roster of five nominees for just the third time since the category was created a decade ago.DreamWorks Animation nabbed two noms on Tuesday, for "Kung Fu Panda 2" and "Puss in Boots," while Paramount landed a slot for its first animated feature, "Rango." But the big surprise came from NY-based distrib GKids, which landed nods for two pics: "A Cat in Paris" and the jazzy "Chico & Rita."The nods for "Cat," from Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, and "Chico," by Fernando Trueba ("Belle Epoque"), comes as GKids is expanding the number of pics it releases, having recently inked a deal to handle North American distribution of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli's library, which includes "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke." It previously released Tomm Moore's Oscar-nominated "The Secret of Kells," Michel Ocelot's "Azur & Asmar" (with the Weinstein Co.) and "Mia and the Migoo." GKids also produces the NY Intl Children's Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying event. GKids released "Cat" for Folimage and released "Chico" through its adult-skewing LumaFilms banner, due to nudity and other mature content.The two foreign titles are also up for the Annie Awards, being handed out Feb. 4, as are "Cars 2," "The Adventures of Tintin," "Arthur Christmas," "Rio," "Panda 2," "Puss," "Rango" and "Arrugas.""We are thrilled that 100% of the movies we made last year have been nominated for best animated picture Oscars," said Bill Damaschke, chief creative officer of DreamWorks Animation. "All of us at DreamWorks Animation are extremely proud of everyone involved with making these films and congratulate them on their achievements." This year, without a nom for "Cars 2," Pixar was shut out for the first time since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced the animation category in 2001. Pixar's absence is notable considering the toon studio has won the Oscar for the past four years with "Ratatouille," "Wall-E," "Up" and "Toy Story 3." This will be the third time Pixar hasn't had a pic nommed. In 2002 and 2005, Pixar didn't release a feature. However, Disney still had one or two films in the race those years..Among the other no-shows were Disney's "Winnie the Pooh," Miramax's "Gnomeo & Juliet," Paramount's "The Adventures of Tintin," Sony and Aardman Animations' "Arthur Christmas" and "Rio," from Fox and Blue Sky Studios.The omission of "Tintin" came on the heels of the motion-capture adventure pic winning the animated trophy Saturday from the Producers Guild of America for Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy and Peter Jackson. "Tintin" also won the Golden Globes animated prize on Sunday.None of the 2011 nominated animated titles are up for best picture. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Masterson puts polish to 'Piercer'

With its onscreen talent roster expanding (Variety, 1/18/12), indie pic "Snow Piercer" will now get a rewrite before it goes into production this spring. "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" scribe Kelly Masterson is doing the rewrite of the pic that stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and Jamie Bell. Bong Joon-ho is helming from a script he penned with Park Chan-wook producing. Set in a world covered in snow and ice, the story follows a train full of travelers who struggle to co-exist. Park is producing through Moho Films. Production is expected to start in March, though no distributor is yet in place. Besides 'Devil,' Masterson is also currently working on "Good People" at Millennium as well as developing "Stones," Ridley and Tony Scott's diamond-trade drama, for AMC. He is repped by WME. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

'Contraband' steals top place at Friday B.O.

'Contraband'With three new hopefuls entering the domestic marketplace, auds on the sides with Universal's "Contraband," generating it $8.7 million yesterday.The Relativity/Working Title co-production apparently cost $25 million to create, and really should slightly exceed that in gross within the four-day weekend.In order to take advantage of Monday's school holiday and also the massive success of their "Lion King" three dimensional re-release, Disney opened up its three dimensional publish-converted "Beauty and also the Animal" Friday to $5.six million. Mouse distribution prexy Dork Hollis stated the "Lion King" conversion to three dimensional cost the studio within the low single numbers, meaning a relatively low open for "Beauty" (associates say near to $22 million through Monday) means solid returns for the organization.Third place Friday saw a defunct tie between Warner Bros.' opener "Pleased Noise" and Paramount's holdover "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol." Both made $3.3 million yesterday. The second, in the fifth week in release, has arrived at $178.5 million Stateside, as the former is searching in a four-day eat the mid- to high-teens.Componen Insurge's "The Demon Inside" added another $2.7 million yesterday for any domestic cume of $41 million. The scarer apparently cost only $a million to get, so even its astounding 87% week-to-week drop will not have executives worried. The functional drop is probably because of poor word-of-mouth, with 66% of auds giving the pic a Cinemascore of C or lower. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com