The Hollywood icon who served as the casting director for The Godfather has died. As reported by Page Six, Andrea Eastman reportedly passed away in her sleep at 86 years old.
A spokesperson for the family confirmed her tragic passing. They explained that she had passed away in her sleep in her Santa Barbara home on Wednesday.
This comes months after she had advocated for assisted dying. An unnamed source which was close to her explained "she had mentioned it, but it was like a cup of coffee". The source added, "She said it in such a nonchalant a way, but she was seriously considering [medical aid in dying]".
Despite this, her spirit "seemed up", and it was "shocking to receive a phone call about her death" to the source.
Eastman had previously gone through some pretty serious health woes. In 2020, she had undergone open heart surgery. It is however unclear whether she herself had undergone any sort of medical assistance in dying.
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The Hollywood Icon Picked the Best 'Godfather' Cast Members
Eastman was the driving force behind the now-iconic cast choices in The Godfather. She was the one who brought James Caan into his role as Sonny Corleone, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Of the casting experience for The Godfather, she recalled in 2023, "You make endless lists when you are a casting director. When you do a movie, you try to think out of the box. For The Godfather, it was endless casting. We worked seven days a week. I was dreaming of Italians all night, every night."
She said that Carmine Caridi was meant to be Sonny originally, but she had put her foot down. "We all worked as a team, but I am responsible for Jimmy Caan getting the part of Sonny." She also referred to The Godfather as "the happiest part" of her career.
But she was also known for casting some other pretty incredible things. For one, she was the driving force behind Jaws being directed by Steven Spielberg and Roy Scheider. But, arguably more impressively, she was the manager for Sylvester Stallone during his prime era - the Rocky era!
This is a huge loss to the Hollywood scene. May she rest in peace!
