Andrea Eastman, a prominent casting director and talent representative, died on Wednesday in her sleep at her Santa Barbara home. She was 86.
Eastman began her entertainment industry career in summer 1968 when she was promoted from an assistant position to head of casting at Paramount Pictures, replacing Joyce Selznick at the age of 28. During her tenure at the studio, she played instrumental roles in casting decisions for several significant films. She championed Ali MacGraw for Goodbye, Columbus, helping secure the role for the then-unknown model and photographer’s assistant. Eastman also initiated casting efforts for Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, working alongside Fred Roos to build the ensemble cast. She was instrumental in securing James Caan for the role of Sonny Corleone after Al Pacino was cast as Michael, following negotiations with studio executives and producer Francis Ford Coppola.
During her time at Paramount, Eastman discovered talent including actress Jaclyn Smith, whom she approached at a Broadway musical performance. She coordinated the casting of Steven Spielberg and Roy Scheider for the 1975 film Jaws. Among other notable films released during her Paramount tenure were True Grit, Love Story, Catch-22, and Play It Again, Sam.
Eastman departed Paramount in early 1973 and subsequently worked as an agent at International Famous Agency before joining ICM in 1983. Over her career, she represented or managed numerous prominent entertainers including Sylvester Stallone, Barbra Streisand, Burt Reynolds, Christopher Reeve, Richard Gere, and many others. She managed Stallone during the Rocky era and facilitated the casting of Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally. She later convinced Streisand to take an unglamorous role in Meet the Fockers.
Eastman retired from ICM in 2010 and moved to Bozeman, Montana, in 2005. She was portrayed by actress Stephanie Koenig in the 2022 Paramount+ miniseries The Offer.
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