Lynn Arlen Stalmaster (November 17, 1927 – February 12, 2021) was an Americancasting director. He was noted as the first casting director to be conferred an Academy Award, having received anHonorary Oscar in 2016.

Stalmaster was born inOmaha, Nebraska, on November 17, 1927.^[2] He was the son of Estelle (Lapidus) and Irvin A. Stalmaster, a lawyer who became a judge.^[3] Irvin was the firstJew, as well as the youngest person, to be appointed to a Nebraska district judgeship.^[4][5] He was also active in the local Jewish community, serving as president of the OmahaB'nai B'rith.^[6] Lynn Stalmaster's younger brother is actorHal Stalmaster (born 1940), best known for his starring role in the Disney filmJohnny Tremain.^[7]

Stalmaster initially attended Dundee Elementary School in Omaha'sDundee–Happy Hollow Historic District.^[4] In order to ameliorate his severeasthma, his family later relocated toBeverly Hills, California, where he attendedBeverly Hills High School.^[2][8] There he overcame his shyness by immersing himself in theatre and radio.^[4] After serving in theU.S. Army duringWorld War II, he studied theater arts at theUCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, obtaining aMaster of Arts in 1952.^[1][8][3]

Stalmaster got his first job in show business as an actor, appearing in the war moviesThe Steel Helmet (1951),The Flying Leathernecks (1951),^[9] and the TV seriesBig Town.^[10] As a fail-safe plan, he was employed by Grosse-Krasne as a production assistant.^[8][10] He subsequently became casting director after the incumbent retired,^[2][11] and went on to cast five on-air series.^[8]

After several years in that capacity, Stalmaster became an independent casting director.^[10][11] He established himself quickly as a solid casting director, finding steady work in both television and motion pictures. He was credited with casting more than 60 movies of the decade, among them;Fiddler on the Roof,Harold and Maude,The Cowboys,Deliverance,Rollerball,Silver Streak,Black Sunday,Coming Home,Convoy,The Rose,Superman andBeing There.^[9]

Stalmaster was responsible for casting TV shows such asGunsmoke,^[8]The Untouchables, andMy Favorite Martian.^[10][11] He was also a part ofAcademy Award winning movies such asIn the Heat of the Night,The Thomas Crown Affair,The Right Stuff,^[9] andBrian De Palma'sThe Untouchables.^[12]

Stalmaster was the first casting director to receive credit on a separate card in the main titles of a feature film, starting withThe Thomas Crown Affair in 1968.^[8][11] His name subsequently appeared in the main titles of over 180 films,^[8] credited as "Casting by Lynn Stalmaster."^[13]

Stalmaster was conferred the Career Achievement Award by theCasting Society of America (CSA) in 2003.^[8] Thirteen years later, in November 2016,^[2] he received anAcademy Honorary Award from theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[14][15] He was the first casting director to receive an Academy Award.^[16] Two years later, the Casting Society of America began honoring entertainment professionals with the Lynn Stalmaster Award for Career Achievement. Recipients includeAnnette Bening,^[17]Laura Dern,^[18] andGeena Davis.^[19]

Stalmaster died on the morning of February 12, 2021, at his home inLos Angeles. He was 93.^[2][11]

• Lynn Stalmaster atIMDb
• Lynn Stalmaster atThe Interviews: An Oral History of Television

• 1927 births
• 2021 deaths
• 20th-century American Jews
• 21st-century American Jews
• Academy Honorary Award recipients
• American casting directors
• Beverly Hills High School alumni
• Film people from Los Angeles
• Jewish American military personnel
• Jews from California
• Jews from Nebraska
• Military personnel from Los Angeles
• Military personnel from Omaha, Nebraska
• UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television alumni
• United States Army personnel of World War II
• Writers from Omaha, Nebraska

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from February 2021
• Articles with hCards
• The Interviews name ID same as Wikidata