The Education and Public Engagement team invites visitors to explore Stories of Cinema, the Academy Museum’s ongoing core exhibition that presents the diverse, international, and complex stories of moviemakers and the works they create.

Casting directors, in collaboration with directors and producers, facilitate the selection of actors and actresses for roles in a movie. What does a casting director look for when casting an action film?

Join us in conversation with casting director, Sarah Finn (The Avengers (2012), Iron Man (2008), and Thor (2011)), and Manager of Public Engagement Lohanne Cook as they discuss what aspects are involved in casting for action movies. The conversation will highlight Finn's path to this career, elements of casting, and revisit her marvelous projects. Visitors are also encouraged to explore the Inventing Worlds and Characters: Encounters gallery featuring objects from some of Finn's films.

The conversation will take place in the Lower Lobby on Lower Level 1. Visitors are encouraged to explore the Performance gallery on Level 2 and Encounters gallery on Level 3 before or after the program.

If you have any questions or need assistance planning your visit, please email museumeducation@oscars.org.

About Sarah Finn
Sarah Finn is a groundbreaking Casting Director and a creative force in the industry. Many of her films have left an enduring cultural imprint, as well as broken box office records. With over 100 feature films and multiple awards to her credit, she is perhaps best known for casting the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe beginning with Iron Man in 2008. That franchise stands as the most successful in movie history.

Sarah is also known for casting Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), which won multiple Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor, and became the most awarded film in movie history.

She has been recognized for casting additional Oscar-winning films Black Panther (2018), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and Crash (2004). Those films all won the prestigious SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and earned her the Casting Society of America’s highest honor, the Artios Award. In 2021, she received two Emmy Nominations for WandaVision and The Mandalorian.

Over the last decade, some of those films include originals and sequels for Iron Man, Captain America (2011), Thor (2011), Guardians of The Galaxy (2014), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Black Panther and Captain Marvel (2019). Next to hit the big screen is Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).

In addition, she has been in charge of casting and serving as a Consulting Producer on Marvel’s entire slate of Streaming projects for Disney+ for the past three years. Also a collaborator in the Star Wars universe, she cast the hit series, The Mandalorian, created by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni with Lucasfilm for Disney+, now entering its fourth season, as well as other shows, including The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and the upcoming Skeleton Crew, serving as Consulting Producer on each.

Sarah’s past credits include a wide range of film genres: Jon Favreau’s comedy, Chef (2014); Oliver Stone’s drama, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010); indie favorites such as Martin McDonough’s Seven Psychopaths (2012) and Shane Black’s The Nice Guys (2016); sports films Miracle (2004), Coach Carter (2005) and She’s the Man (2006); animated classics The Little Prince (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016); and action favorites such as Fast & Furious (2009) and Kick-Ass (2010).

A graduate of Yale University and member of AMPAS (2 years on Executive Committee, Casting Branch), Sarah has served on the Executive Board of Women in Film and is on the Board of Advisors for the highly acclaimed Master Class educational series. She remains active in support of local theater and arts education in public schools.