Dream Job: To Cast "Those People" in Movies

Have you ever seen a person in a movie and thought to yourself, "how in the world did they find that guy?"  Like the other day I was watching "Lost in Translation" and that scene when Bill Murray is in the hospital waiting on Scarlett Johansson and he has that funny conversation with that old Japanese lady?   How did someone find that old Japanese lady?

Or how about the movie "Happy Gilmore?"  Remember that super weird looking caddy he has towards the beginning of the movie?  It's a kid with weird curly blond hair who kind of looks albino and frankly psychotic.  Who the hell found that guy?



I know that a Casting Director is the person who casts the characters in movies but are they the ones who cast every single person? My gut tells me "no way."  I think a casting director is the person who finds the major stars for a movie and there's an entirely different role for the person who finds "special roles."

That's the job I'd like to have.  To be the guy who finds those completely random characters in movies who you'll never forget.  Sure you'll never, ever know their names (unless they somehow go on to be famous) but you'll always remember those strange characters they played.

The only flip side to this coin which kind of sucks is being the person who responds to the casting call for the weird role.  Shouldn't it hurt someone's feelings?  And what kind of ad do you put out in the paper? 

Like the movie "Stand By Me," did someone put out some ad saying "Looking for someone to play the role of Lardass AKA Davey Hogan.  You'll have to be overweight and look like the kind of person who gets made fun of all the time."    I mean seriously.  "Looking for person to play the ugly guy in X film."   Personally I think that would be the worst part of the job.   But it must be fun to walk around cities just looking for weirdos and asking them to be in movies.  Then again if they're truly weirdos this job could be unsafe.

Anyway, I think this job would rock.  Thanks.