Allison Jones (casting director)
Allison Jones (born 1955) is an American casting director who is credited for helping bring together realistic ensemble casts for such popular television shows as Freaks and Geeks (for which she won an Emmy), Undeclared, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, What We Do in the Shadows, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, Curb Your Enthusiasm, United States of Tara, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development (both of which she was also nominated for), and the US version of The Office.
Allison Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 13, 1955 Needham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Pomona College |
| Occupation | Casting director |
| Years active | 1985–present |
Early life and education
Jones grew-up in Needham, Massachusetts. She was the second youngest child in a family with six children.[1]
Jones graduated from Pomona College in 1977, with a degree in visual arts. During her time at Pomona, she cultivated an appreciation for what she called "pure geek existence" as her friends introduced her to Monty Python, The Firesign Theatre, and Saturday Night Live.[2]
Career
Jones has cast popular television shows including Freaks and Geeks (for which she won an Emmy), Undeclared, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, What We Do in the Shadows, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, Curb Your Enthusiasm, United States of Tara, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development (both of which she was also nominated for), and the US version of The Office.[3][1]
Jones has also cast several successful films, including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Knocked Up, and Booksmart.[4] Jones also gained casting credit for Brüno. She has worked as a casting director in the entertainment business since 1982, with her first credited work for the television show being Family Ties and later in 1985, The Golden Girls. In 2015, her work as a casting director included the comedy film Get Hard, the Yahoo! Screen show Other Space,[5] and the Netflix series Master of None.[6]
References
- Rodrick, Stephen (March 30, 2015). "Allison Jones, Nerd Hunter". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- "In Search of the Perfect Nerd". Pomona College in Claremont, California - Pomona College. 2020-04-29. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
- Allison Jones at the Internet Movie Database
- Allison Jones, Women's Impact Report, 'Variety.com, 30 July 2007
- Rodrick, Stephen (6 April 2015). "The Nerd Hunter - The casting director Allison Jones is reshaping American comedy, one misfit at a time". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- Rojas Weiss, Sabrina (2 November 2015). "Aziz Ansari Tackles Racism, Sexism & Taco Trucks In Master Of None". refinery29.com. Retrieved 2 December 2015.