Monday, December 26, 2016

Casting Director Joan D'Incecco Has Passed Away

Joan D'Incecco
Legendary ABC daytime casting director Joan D'Incecco passed away on Friday, December 16.

D'Incecco graduated from Marquette University with a Ph.B. and received her M.S. from the University of Wisconsin, and served as a casting director for many television shows including Kojak, Car 54, Where are You? and The Patty Duke Show.

She later became casting director for ABC soap operas All My Children and One Life to Life, working over 20 years for the network.

She was best known for casting Susan Lucci as Erica Kane on All My Children. When she received her Emmy for the role in 1999, Lucci thanked D'Incecco, calling her "the legendary casting director, who saw me as more than just an ethnic type and saw that I could play Erica Kane."

Lucci spoke to NorthJersey.com last week about D'Incecco.

"At the time I was told I could not work in television because I was too ethnic looking -- I had dark eyes and an olive complexion -- but Joan was able to look past that and was very warm and encouraging," Lucci said, adding that D'Incecco made good on her promise to call her back in six months. At the second meeting, with Mrs. D'Incecco, show creator Agnes Nixon and other producers in attendance, Lucci won the part of Erica Kane.

"Joan remained as accessible, warm and smart as the first day I met her," said Lucci. The actress said she was able to get a message of gratitude to the casting director in the days before she died.

Among the many other actors cast by D'Incecco over the years were Erika Sleza as Victoria Buchanan on One Life to Live, and Kelly Ripa as Hayley Vaughan in All My Children.

D'Incecco's film work included the original Mel Brooks movie, The Producers, as well as The Subject was Roses, which led to Jack Albertson winning an Academy Award for Best Actor and Patricia Neal being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

D'Incecco was the winner of the Casting Society of America's prestigious Artios Award in 1985, 1989, 1991, and 1992 and was nominated for the award three additional times.

D'Incecco is survived by her son, John and his wife, Meg, and daughter, Nicole and her husband Ian; and her grandchildren; L.J., Benjamin and Sam and sister, Doris Mueller.

A memorial service to celebrate D'Incecco's life is planned for New York City in early 2017.

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Watch Susan Lucci thank Joan D'Incecco in the video below during her Daytime Emmy Award acceptance speech in 1999.



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