Andrea Eastman, Casting Director for The Godfather and ICM Agent, Dies at 86
The industry veteran who helped cast Al Pacino in the 1972 classic left a legacy of discovering talent and championing animal rights.
Andrea Eastman, the casting director for “The Godfather” and a pioneering figure in Hollywood talent representation, died on Wednesday at her home in Santa Barbara. She was 86 years old, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Eastman established herself as one of the first female “superagents,” navigating a film industry that was largely dominated by men during her career. Her influence spanned casting, management, and high-level agency representation for some of the most recognizable names in cinema.
Early Career and Paramount Pictures
Eastman entered the industry in 1968 while working as an assistant at Paramount Pictures. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she initially earned $150 a week before replacing the niece of producer David O. Selznick, a move that doubled her salary to $300 a week at the age of 28.
During her tenure at Paramount, Eastman was instrumental in identifying untested talent for “New Hollywood” projects. She cast model Ali MacGraw in the 1969 film Goodbye, Columbus. While critics questioned the choice of MacGraw—who was not Jewish despite the film’s subject matter—the move proved successful. According to Deadline, the film cost under $2 million and grossed over $10.5 million. Paramount head Charles G. Bluhdorn reportedly considered signing MacGraw for just $20,000 a significant bargain.
In 1970, Eastman oversaw the casting of Ryan O’Neal and Tommy Lee Jones for Love Story. The film became a global success, grossing more than $170 million and earning seven Oscar nominations (Deadline). She also cast Peter Boyle in T.R. Baskin (1971), though that production was considered a commercial failure.
Casting The Godfather
Eastman’s work on Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) is now preserved in the archives of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, according to Variety. Eastman worked alongside producer Fred Roos to assemble the film’s legendary cast. While Paramount executives preferred Ryan O’Neal for the role of Michael Corleone, Eastman used her influence to secure Al Pacino (Deadline).
She was also responsible for hiring James Caan as Sonny Corleone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eastman replaced Carmine Caridi in the role because she felt he lacked the necessary menace. To finalize these casting decisions, she secured approval from Charlie Bluhdorn and Robert Evans.
Eastman’s time at Paramount ended in early 1973 after studio chief Frank Yablans threatened to fire her if she attended the Academy Awards (Deadline). She subsequently moved into the agency business, joining International Famous Agency where she doubled her previous salary. Her initial clients included Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Peter Boyle, and Catherine Ross.
Management and ICM Years
Eastman transitioned into talent management after friend Jane Oliver passed away; following this, Sylvester Stallone contacted her to manage his career during the height of his Rocky fame. In 1977, she attempted to form a joint personal management company with Jeff Wald, Ron DiBlasio, and Herb Nanas. However, she was told by DiBlasio that they would not move forward without her, leading her to file a $1 million lawsuit against Wald and DiBlasio for damages (The Hollywood Reporter).
In 1983, Eastman joined ICM, where she eventually rose to the rank of Senior Vice President. During her time there, she represented high-profile clients including Dustin Hoffman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billy Crystal, Burt Reynolds, and Barbra Streisand before retiring in 2010.
Advocacy and Legacy
In her later years, Eastman moved to Montana and became a prominent animal advocate. She worked with Robert Redford on a grassroots campaign to pass California’s Proposition 6, which made the state the first in the U.S. to outlaw the slaughter of horses for human consumption (Variety). She also established an animal sanctuary in Montana for abandoned and abused dogs and horses.
While Eastman was recently portrayed in the Paramount+ miniseries The Offer, she expressed a specific grievance regarding the production’s accuracy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she took issue with the show depicting her and producer Al Ruddy as having a one-night stand, stating they actually had an affair that lasted more than a year.
She is survived by former husband Paul N. Lazarus III, stepson Robert Lazarus, and his wife Annie.