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Film Florida

Ellen Jacoby, Casting Director

May 10, 2026 · 31 min · 14 segments

Florida resident Ellen Jacoby is an extremely accomplished Casting Director having worked on many of Florida’s most notable projects including Burn Notice, The Waterboy, The Truman Show, Contact…

Florida resident Ellen Jacoby is an extremely accomplished Casting Director having worked on many of Florida’s most notable projects including Burn Notice, The Waterboy, The Truman Show, Contact, Flipper, The Birdcage, True Lies, My Girl, and all the way back to Miami Vice, just to name a few. Ellen’s esteemed career spans decades in the industry across multiple continents in commercials, movies and television. She also teaches acting classes, trying to give back some of the knowledge she has acquired casting more than 50 major films and TV shows, as well as over 500 commercials, in both English and Spanish help...

Florida resident Ellen Jacoby is an extremely accomplished Casting Director having worked on many of Florida’s most notable projects including Burn Notice, The Waterboy, The Truman Show, Contact…

Speakers: Ellen JacobyGuestJohn LuxHost

Top entities: Florida×22 Miami×13 The Truman Show×10 True Lies×7 Miami Vice×4

From Performer to Casting Director1:37 – 4:39

J

1:37

Welcome to the Film Florida Podcast, Ellen.

J

1:40

Why, thank you, John.

J

1:42

So give us your backstory.

J

1:43

Help people understand where you're from.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

1:46

I was born in Miami, raised in New York and New Jersey, and my parents wouldn't let me leave home until I was 21.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

1:54

When I was 21, I moved back to Miami.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

1:57

I...

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

1:58

I was very young.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:00

I was in high school at 11 and college at 15.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:03

So I had my degree at 19.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:05

I still couldn't leave home.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:07

But then I did.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:08

I moved to Florida.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:10

And I had been studying singing and dancing my whole life and acting.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:16

And I started singing professionally when I came to Florida.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:20

And then I fell off the stage, broke my back, and then things started changing.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:25

And then I started playing backgammon.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:28

I saw that.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:31

And I started playing.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:32

I was 22 years old, playing all over the world.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:34

I became an international champion.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:37

My friends were Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:39

I was a 22-year-old lunatic, yeah.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:42

And then a friend of mine was opening up a casting office and said, why don't you try it with me? My parents kept complaining.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:47

What is this jet-setting all over the world kind of thing? Be a teacher.

FloridaAdministrative AreaUS state
99%22 mentions
MiamiCityCity in Florida
96%13 mentions
The Truman ShowMovie1998 film
93%10 mentions
True LiesMovie1994 film
90%7 mentions
Miami ViceTV SeriesAmerican drama series
86%4 mentions
The BirdcageMovie1996 film
86%4 mentions
The WaterboyMovie1998 film
82%3 mentions
Jim CarreyPersonCanadian-American actor and comedian
79%6 mentions
Ellen JacobyPersonCasting director
76%1 mention
OrlandoCityCity in Florida
74%4 mentions
Ron HowardPersonAmerican filmmaker and actor
71%4 mentions
SWATEntity
68%8 mentions
Burn NoticeTV SeriesAmerican comedy-drama series
65%4 mentions
ParenthoodMovie1989 film
63%1 mention
EnglishEntitySpoken language
60%2 mentions
New JerseyAdministrative AreaUS state
57%2 mentions
EvergladesBody of WaterNatural region in Florida
54%2 mentions
SpanishLanguageSpoken language
51%2 mentions
New YorkCityCity in New York State
49%3 mentions
Ace Ventura: Pet DetectiveMovie1994 film
46%3 mentions
NASAGovernment OrganizationGovernment agency
43%3 mentions
Social mediaEntity
40%1 mention
HollywoodAdministrative AreaNeighborhood in Los Angeles, California
38%3 mentions
Fort LauderdaleCityCity in Florida
35%2 mentions
SAG-AFTRACompanyCommercial organization
32%3 mentions
Johnny CarsonPersonAmerican television host and comedian
28%1 mention
Lucille BallPersonAmerican comedian and actress
28%1 mention
Disney's Hollywood StudiosAmusement ParkTheme park in Bay Lake, Florida
24%1 mention
South AfricaCountryCountry in Southern Africa
21%2 mentions
Tom CruisePersonAmerican actor and film producer
18%1 mention
Academy AwardsEntityAward
15%1 mention
CaliforniaAdministrative AreaUS state
13%1 mention
Will SmithPersonMovie actor
10%1 mention
DestinCityCity in Florida
7%1 mention
Las VegasCityCity in Nevada
4%1 mention
United StatesCountryCountry in North America
1%1 mention

FloridaGeography > United States
Entertainment CareersEntertainment
Television CastingTelevision > Television Production
Acting CareersEntertainment > Entertainment Careers
Casting Director PracticesFilm > Film Industry > Casting
Principal and Background Talent SelectionFilm > Film Industry > Casting > Casting Director Practices
Audition and Callback ProcessesTelevision > Television Production > Television Casting
Actor Performance EvaluationTelevision > Television Production > Television Casting > Audition and Callback Processes
Audition PreparationEntertainment > Entertainment Careers > Acting Careers
Self-Taping and Virtual Audition TechniquesEntertainment > Entertainment Careers > Acting Careers > Audition Preparation
Florida Film ProductionGeography > United States > Florida
Florida Locations and Production ResourcesGeography > United States > Florida > Florida Film Production
Talent Industry ScamsBusiness > Entertainment Business > Talent Representation
Casting and Agent LegitimacyBusiness > Entertainment Business > Talent Representation > Talent Industry Scams
United StatesGeography
Television ProductionTelevision
CastingFilm > Film Industry
Entertainment BusinessBusiness
Film IndustryFilm
Entertainment
Business
Television
Talent RepresentationBusiness > Entertainment Business
Film
Geography

From Performer to Casting Director1:37 – 4:39

J

1:37

Welcome to the Film Florida Podcast, Ellen.

J

1:40

Why, thank you, John.

J

1:42

So give us your backstory.

J

1:43

Help people understand where you're from.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

1:46

I was born in Miami, raised in New York and New Jersey, and my parents wouldn't let me leave home until I was 21.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

1:54

When I was 21, I moved back to Miami.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

1:57

I...

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

1:58

I was very young.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:00

I was in high school at 11 and college at 15.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:03

So I had my degree at 19.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:05

I still couldn't leave home.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:07

But then I did.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:08

I moved to Florida.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:10

And I had been studying singing and dancing my whole life and acting.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:16

And I started singing professionally when I came to Florida.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:20

And then I fell off the stage, broke my back, and then things started changing.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:25

And then I started playing backgammon.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:28

I saw that.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:31

And I started playing.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:32

I was 22 years old, playing all over the world.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:34

I became an international champion.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:37

My friends were Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:39

I was a 22-year-old lunatic, yeah.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:42

And then a friend of mine was opening up a casting office and said, why don't you try it with me? My parents kept complaining.

E

Ellen JacobyGuest

2:47

What is this jet-setting all over the world kind of thing? Be a teacher.

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