During her two-decade career as a Hollywood Manager and Casting Executive, Beverlee Dean had many fabulous clients; two notable clients that she discovered and helped guide their
careers were Jim Caviezel and Reese Witherspoon. In the “Payback” episode (see above), she recounts her first meeting with Jim and how his audition blew her away.
Ms. Dean discovered Reese Witherspoon when Reese was 13 years old and helped cast Reese in her onscreen debut, “The Man in the Moon”. She also discovered other actors including
Kevin Sorbo, Jeremy London, and Jason London.
After discovering Jim Caviezel, Ms. Dean served as Jim’s manager for over a decade. Jim described their relationship in the “Payback” episode, “It was like a mother-son thing.
She never gave up on me, she always believed in me.”
Originally from Milwaukee, Ms. Dean had considered becoming a nun early on. After a grim cancer diagnosis followed by a miraculous remission that Ms. Dean, a devout Catholic,
attributed to St. Anthony, she came to serve in another manner when in the 1960s, she worked at a Chicago LSD rescue center. There she dreamed of helping children to honor St. Anthony
and worked to raise funds to launch the St. Anthony Hope Without Dope center in Colorado. Jim remembered her first warning to him when they met, “The first thing she ever said to me
when I met with her was, ‘If you ever do drugs, you’re gone.”
In the late 60’s/early 70’s, Ms. Dean made the move to California in hopes of raising money needed for the center by creating game shows, a highly popular genre during the time. She
spent a decade creating ABC game show pilots with talented actors embarking on their careers, such as Suzanne Somers and David Letterman. During this adventure, she found her way to
help children, teens, and young adults when she began working with casting director, Shari Rhodes, to cast movies.
Switching directions, Ms. Dean established her own talent management firm and became “a safe haven” for young actors to grow their talent and learn how to navigate the pitfalls of
Hollywood which included steering her clients away from drugs and protecting them from the “anything goes” raunchy job choices such as on-screen nudity. Her offices were always open
for young actors to drop-in for advice on personal or career issues, to practice improv with other talents and potentially be seen by other producers/directors/casting agents, or to
enjoy a tasty homemade pasta dinner.
On Nov. 21, 2017, Ms. Dean passed after a long battle with dementia.
References:
“Beverlee Dean, Manager and Casting Executive, Dies at 79”
“She has faith in her charges”
