Sharyland grad helped cast Golden Globe-winning film "The Wrestler"

One of the people Mickey Rourke forgot to thank when he accepted his Golden Globe for best actor last Sunday night was Sharyland's own Lindsay Graham.

The 25-year-old casting associate was part of the team at Betty Mae, one of the industry's top casting agencies, that helped fill the roles for The Wrestler, a gritty drama which is earning Rourke the acclaim that has seemed to elude him throughout his career. Rourke's career as leading man hit a peak in the mid-1980s with a steamy turn opposite Kim Basinger in 9 ½ Weeks. His early promise soon faded, and the actor found himself stuck in B-movie hell (e.g. Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man) - until he landed the title role in The Wrestler, playing a washed-up pro wrestler who has to choose between leading a mundane normal life or risking death for the only career he's ever had.

Graham gave Festiva a little backstage insight on the beginnings of the hit indie film.

>>> LINDSAY GRAHAM

GRADUATE OF: Sharyland High School, 2001

TITLE: Casting associate, Betty Mae in Los Angeles

DUTIES: Meets and reads with various actors, works with the filmmakers to "cast the person who could contribute a performance that best reflects the director's vision of the character."

HOW IT WORKS: After receiving the script and info on a movie in the making from its producer or director, Graham brainstorms movie stars for the lead roles and passes along character breakdowns for supporting and smaller roles to various agents. The first-choice big names are courted into meetings and sometimes offered the role directly, but additional actors are brought in to try out nonetheless.

How did you participate in the casting of The Wrestler?

Most of the film was cast out of New York since it was filmed in New Jersey, and they wanted to have a very authentic feel. In Los Angeles, we primarily focused on getting the lead actors attached while (director) Darren Aronofsky was in town. I conducted numerous auditions for Marisa Tomei's character (Rourke's favorite stripper/love interest) as well as Evan Rachel Wood's character (Rourke's estranged daughter, whom he suspects is a lesbian).

First thoughts?

I read so many scripts that are just not great material and it is hard to get through them a lot of the time, but I could not put this one down! Darren Aronofsky has a brilliant mind and it translates well in his films.

Wasn't Nicolas Cage set to play the lead role first?

Mickey was always at the top of our lists for this part because he was absolutely perfect for it. He didn't have to audition. We made him a straight offer. Numerous reasons go into why roles are recast and it happens very often. Unfortunately it is not my place to disclose those details. (Director Darren Aronofsky went into more detail in a recent interview with slashfilm.com: "Basically no one wanted to make it with Mickey Rourke ... Mickey just (didn't) have enough for what we needed. So there was a brief flirtation with Nic Cage because Nic really liked the script. Nic was a complete gentleman, and he understood that my heart was with Mickey and he stepped aside.")

Give us gossip.

I'll never tell. :)  I will tell you that a lot of what you read is not true, and there are a lot of controversial things that never make it to the tabloids and are kept under wraps. I unfortunately did not get to meet Mickey (Rourke) or Marisa (Tomei) because they arebased out of New York, but I have met Evan (Rachel Wood) a few times.

Can Festiva be your date to the Oscars?

I don't think I will get to go to any of the awards ceremonies this year, but hopefully I will one day. I am sure we will attend a (post-awards) Oscar party!

So what's next?

The main film I'm working on is called The Killer Inside Me starring Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, and Jessica Alba. It is being directed by Michael Winterbottom who recently directed Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart. It will probably begin shooting this Spring. I am also working a film called Keep Coming Back that is being directed by William H. Macy.