Russell Boast

Russell Boast, the former president of the Casting Society of America, has been with Dodge College since Fall 2021. Previously an adjunct professor, he became head of casting and the co-head of the screen acting program in August 2023.

A native of South Africa, Boast has worked as an independent casting director for all the major Hollywood networks and studios for more than two decades. He has cast and collaborated with scores of professional actors including Samuel L. Jackson, Juliette Binoche, Don Johnson, John Goodman, Santiago Cabrera and Brian Cox, among many others.

Recent casting credits include the upcoming feature films Park Avenue, starring Katherine Waterston, Fiona Shaw and Chaske Spencer; and Fresh Kills, starring Jennifer Esposito, which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

As president of the Casting Society of America, a post he held from 2019 to 2021, Boast spearheaded the organization’s Inclusion & Diversity and Training & Education committees. His commitment to diversity and inclusion has led to dozens of roundtable and teaching events over the years.

In 2018, he and his team were awarded the Media Access Award for their significant contribution in raising the visibility and awareness of disability issues in the broadcast, sound recording and entertainment industry as whole. All who are accepted into the Casting Assistant Pathway Program receive full scholarships, funded by studios and networks, providing a conduit for underrepresented communities interested in casting careers.