Juliet Taylor does not give herself credit for Meryl Streep.
In her over 40 years as top casting director behind so many classics, “Annie Hall,” “Heartburn” and “Sleepless in Seattle” to name just a few, she did, technically give Streep her first film role. She gave many stars their big breaks. But Streep, she said, was always going to happen — the young stage actor was the talk of the town in New York as soon as she came on the scene. Taylor was simply the lucky one who happened to be casting for “Julia,” which didn’t conflict with a play.
Modesty is not antithetical to being a great casting director, though, a profession of observation, negotiation and nuance that operates mostly out of the public eye. It’s why Taylor's a little nervous about Sunday, when she’ll be presented with an honorary Oscar at the film academy’s annual Governors Awards in a room full of Hollywood greats.
