Dianne Crittenden, the casting director on the original Star Wars who also worked on Pretty Woman, Spider-Man 2 and dozens of other films during a 50-year career, died March 19 at her home in Pacific Palisades. She was 82.
Her friend and colleague Ilene Starger confirmed her passing to Deadline.
Born on August 6, 1941, in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, NY, Crittenden got her start in the entertainment industry working with Howard Zieff, a photographer and director. They worked on advertising campaigns, TV commercials and films.
Her first project as casting director was Terrence Malick’s 1973 drama Badlands, starring Martin Sheen-Sissy Spacek, on which Bruce Springsteen based his song “Nebraska” a decade later. Crittenden worked on a few other films and TV shows, including the Emmy-winning 1976 Sally Field miniseries Sybil, before land the casting-director role of a lifetime — a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
After working with George Lucas on the iconic Star Wars, Crittenden went on to serve as casting director on dozens of films by such top directors including Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978) and The Thin Red Line (1998), Howard Zieff’s Hearts of the West (1975) and The Main Event (1976), Carl Reiner’s Oh, God!, Arthur Hiller’s The In-Laws (1979), Best Picture nominee On Golden Pond (1981), Peter Weir’s Witness (1985) and Green Card (1990), Garry marshall’s Pretty Woman (1990), Risdley Scott’s Black Rain (1991), Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 (2004) and dozens more.
Crittenden’s final film credit as casting director was the 2015 drama Little Boy. She also worked in the casting department on Paul Mazursky’s Harry and Tonto (1974), John Schlesinger’s The Day of the Locust (1975), A Star Is Born (1976) and others. She also had onscreen bit roles in three films including Crocodile Dundee II.
Crittenden is survived by her brother, Donald Derfner; sister, Dori Carter; stepdaughter, Jennifer Crittenden; sister-in-law, Brenda Derfner; brother-in-law Chris Carter; and five nephews.
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