Atop a sparkling hotel roof on an island near Venice, Bonnie Timmerman, the famed Jewish Hollywood casting director, absorbs the breathtaking panorama of the lagoon and the iconic city of waterways. Abruptly, her mind travels back to the mid-90s when she was casting for the film Heat and discovered a young girl from Israel, Natalie Portman.
"Oh, Natalie! I saw her in Luc Besson's 'Leon', her first movie that had just come out, and I thought she was perfect. So I invited her to audition. Several other actresses competed for the role, like Kate Winslet, but in the end, Natalie was chosen. I was impressed by her composure back then, and how precise her acting was," recalls the 76-year-old Timmerman. "Looking at Natalie's career now, you see all the great performances she has given over the years. She is a special woman. I am happy for her success and appreciate her in every possible aspect. If I'm lucky, I hope we will make another movie together."
Embedded in Bonnie, a captivating documentary about Timmerman, is Portman's audition tape for Heat, when she was just a budding actress. "If I still love acting as an adult - maybe I'll be an actress," Portman said, "and if not, I'll be a veterinarian, or a lawyer, or a doctor". In Timmerman's view, then and now, it appears she chose wisely.
Timmerman's career is studded with other key auditions too. "Bonnie" unveils hidden archival treasures relating to some of the most illustrious names in present-day Hollywood: Sean Penn ("I saw him in a play. There were four people in the audience, and I completely fell in love with him. So real, raw, and beautiful"), Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey ("Even when I'm working on a serious movie I'm always looking for comedians, because they are both sad and funny"), Jennifer Grey ("I saw her in the theater and thought she was suitable for 'Dirty Dancing'.
The producers didn't want her at first, they thought she wasn't pretty enough"), Benicio Del Toro ("I thought he would also fit for 'Dirty Dancing', but Patrick Swayze was a great dancer"), Keanu Reeves, Steve Buscemi, Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, John Goodman, Viggo Mortensen, and Gael Garcia Bernal.
Each of them held a special place in her heart, and in response, they lavished her with accolades. "Bonnie is a tremendous asset, unstoppable. When she gets into action, she's like a missile seeking a target. Her eyes and instincts never fail," Sigourney Weaver attested; "Bonnie saw in me what others did not - and maybe even I did not see," Steve Buscemi admitted; "She's tiny, but strong as a bull," Benicio Del Toro praised; "She's gentle and sensitive, but also tough," Mark Ruffalo disclosed. Timmerman, who has been instrumental in unearthing a host of talents over the years and championing their causes, remains steadfast in her belief and unwavering in her support - "Until the directors want to hit me on the head," she shares light-heartedly. She is also credited as the initiator of the concept of racial diversity in films.
When asked if all these celebrities had to give their approval for their audition tapes to be used in the documentary, she said, "When they proposed to make the movie, I told Simon (the film's director): 'If you want to do this with me and use my tapes, then you will have to ask permission from all the actors.' And indeed we asked for permission, and we also encountered some problems - but in the end, we solved them."
Timmerman, who was born in Manhattan in 1947, reveals that she has always been an observer of people, a trait she fostered from her early days - on the subway, at home, during ballet lessons. It's no surprise she ended up in casting. "A friend introduced me to a theatre owner, and he offered me to be a casting director. I had no idea what it meant. So I cast plays for five years, and then Francis Ford Coppola came to me and said: 'Wait, all the actors you discovered became stars - Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Tom Hulce [star of the movie 'Amadeus'] and Frank Langella. You need to come to work for me!' And Coppola wasn't the only one who wanted me."
The documentary paints a vivid picture of Timmerman's journey. One of the most poignant sentences she utters in it is that "many actors are broken inside, and I am also broken". "I just didn't have a particularly easy childhood," she elaborates on the statement. "It was incredibly tough, and so in a sense, I am somewhat fractured - my dad was a Polish Jew who came to the United States with little money, and for a while, he was involved in boxing. Then he met my mom, a particularly sweet and kind woman, who was a half-Jewish opera singer. They were polar opposites and their union resulted in me. That's how I came into existence: Half of me is my mom and the other half is my dad. By the way, my dad was a big fan of Hollywood and the entertainment industry, and he aspired to be a talent scout. He was quite a hard man."
Amid a challenging period, Timmerman chose to leave her family home at the tender age of 16 and did not pursue her high school education. "Because of the messed-up childhood, if I encounter someone else who is also a bit broken - I understand them. That's why I can understand actors on an emotional level, and I feel the connection. When an actor or actress walks into my room and there's something mysterious about them - I'm immediately drawn and attracted. And when I look closely, I see the magic in their eyes."
Can an actor who is content and happy excel in their role?
"I also hire people who are happy, healthy, and enthusiastic," she assures.
Despite her tumultuous upbringing, Timmerman managed to ascend to the pinnacle of her profession. From the 1980s onward, she has been the casting director for some of Hollywood's most popular films - from "Dirty Dancing" and "Karate Kid" to "Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor". She is also recognized for her collaboration with director Michael Mann, who is known for his focus on masculine, often real-life characters in his films. Their professional relationship was facilitated by the late director Jonathan Demme, when Mann was interested in utilizing her skills for a film project that ultimately did not come to fruition. However, he then proposed that she cast for the TV series "Miami Vice" which debuted in 1984.
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Allison Williams and Bonnie Timmerman
(Photo: Owen Hoffmann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Timmerman initially informed Mann that she didn't consider herself suitable for casting television projects, as she was drawn to people who stood out on the street and on the subway. "And that's exactly why I want you to cast the series," Mann replied, "I want to cast across race and gender." The rest, as the saying goes, is history - a fruitful partnership was formed between the two. "Michael took responsibility for me, because he allowed me to be creative. He said, 'Go do what you need. Here's an office, here's a camera, here's a team', and he supported me all the way. And then the series became a huge success."
The duo also collaborated on "Manhunter" (1986) featuring William Petersen and Brian Cox, "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992) led by Daniel Day-Lewis, "The Insider" (1999) starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, and of course "Heat" (1995). "I remember 'Heat' and am very proud of it. I brought to this project Pacino, De Niro, Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman and the list goes on. Michael was so excited about the people I brought. Can you imagine Pacino and De Niro together? It was amazing. At the same time, working on 'Heat' was hard work.
"Why? Because everyone wanted to be part of this film. All the actors were knocking on my door, I couldn't even go to the bathroom. It was always: 'Excuse me, can I come for an audition?'. 'Heat' is an extraordinary work that really stands the test of time. People love it. In general, working with Michael Mann was a complex but good experience. Michael is a great director, but not always the easiest person to work with, and that's okay. Michael is precise and he wants what he wants, so you have to say, 'Okay, I'll work the way he wants and not the way I want'".
Timmerman has long championed the recognition and elevation of casting directors, insisting that their work be acknowledged and that they even have their own Oscar category. "So much effort is involved in casting, it's important work. I'm very excited that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences finally recognizes the work we do and that in 2026 they will start giving us an Oscar. I think it's wonderful."
Interestingly, she tends to keep a low profile. Up until recently, she didn't even have a Wikipedia entry, and she steers clear of social media. Her trademark is her preference for black attire. "I always wear black, I feel comfortable in it. When I was just born they wrapped me in a black blanket. Just kidding, I'm laughing. I guess I started wearing blacks when I was 16, there's even a picture of me from my birthday that year in a black dress. In a way, I want to be quiet, not to exaggerate. I don't like the spotlight. Directors have asked me in the past to participate in their films and I always said 'no'. You know why? Because I won't take a job and a role from another actress."
Has she formed close friendships with any actors or actresses?
"Liam Neeson, he's really like my little brother. He is very special to me. He's not just a performer for me, he's a person I appreciate and am happy to help in any way I can."
Was there ever an actor whom she thought would become a star, but it didn't quite happen?
"Hmm, let me think about it. I'll answer this question and say that eventually, anyone I think will be a star - will eventually be a star. Without a specific date, okay? For Giancarlo Esposito, who I discovered when he was young, it took time to break out and later he did 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul'. I knew his success would come, because he's an excellent actor. I was at a party a few years ago in honor of a new Eddie Murphy movie, and suddenly I noticed Giancarlo. I patted him on the shoulder and said, 'Hey, it's me, it's Bonnie!' and he was so excited to see me and hugged me. I was excited too. I love it when people I discovered eventually succeed. By the way, when I went over old auditions for 'Bonnie' - Giancarlo's audition made me cry."
"I'm busier than I've ever been"
Timmerman is not just satisfied with casting. Nowadays, she has also ventured into production. "I enjoy stretching my areas of work, finding a budget, a team, working on the story," she says. Presently, she is juggling multiple projects at once, with no intention of retiring ("I'm busier than I've ever been," she said). This led her to produce Liam Neeson's recent film, In the Land of Saints and Sinners, filmed in Ireland and revealed at the most recent Venice Festival. The film is set to release in Israel this week. One of the producers is also Ehud Bleiberg, an Israeli-Hollywood producer. In the Land of Saints and Sinners tells the story of a retired hitman who has hidden away in a small town on the coast of Ireland. When a terrorist group takes refuge in the town, the hitman is forced to take up arms once again to protect the townsfolk.
"I worked with Liam early on in his career - I cast him for a guest role in 'Miami Vice', and since then, I've kept offering him various scripts and books to which he always declined. A few years ago, I said to him: 'You always say no to me, so this time I want to ask you if there's something you want to do that you can share with me?' Liam then gave me the script for In the Land of Saints and Sinners, which I really liked, and we ended up making the film together. It was a gift for me. When you work as a casting director and form connections with actors, it comes back to you in a positive way. The shooting in Ireland was spectacular. Liam is a perfect gentleman and it was a delight to work with him. I'm thrilled that in Israel they will show Bonnie and In the Land of Saints and Sinners, and I hope they will bring joy to people."
Recently, Timmerman was involved in the production of "The Good Ending," a film adaptation by directors Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit of a play written by Anat Gov. The story revolves around an actress who discovers she is terminally ill and stars Andie MacDowell. Filmed in Wales, Timmerman's co-producers were Israelis - Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman-Keren of Pie Films - who are currently carving out an impressive international career, along with Tamira Yardeni. "'The Good Ending' was a splendid production," Timmerman proclaims. "I took great pride in collaborating with Asnat and Talia, and I look forward to the possibility of future joint projects. They are exceptional producers."
In the wake of the October 7 massacre and the subsequent outbreak of war in Gaza, Timmerman's thoughts were naturally with her Israeli friends and the residents of the region at large. "It's a really sad time, for everyone. The situation is terrible, it breaks my heart. My parents were Jews, and my heart goes out to all the people," she shares during a phone call I had with her this week. Throughout this conversation, she adopted a diplomatic stance when discussing the behavior of Hollywood stars, particularly their silence on the issue of kidnappings and abductions, even during the Oscar ceremony. "People feel tremendous sadness for Israel just like after the fall of the Twin Towers, and I don't know if I can say anything else beyond that. I long for peace in the whole world."
Has she encountered any instances of antisemitism recently?
"I haven't personally come across it, but I'm currently residing in Quebec, Canada, and occasionally visit our apartment in New York. My husband is Canadian, and during the Corona pandemic, we chose to stay in a small, charming town, which allowed us to maintain our health, enjoy walks and isolate - to be with ourselves. We are content here. To be honest, I'm somewhat separated from the ongoing events in Israel due to our location, and I haven't encountered antisemitism. I wish I had a magic wand to bring everyone in the Middle East to a consensus. I pray and hope for a solution."