Remembering Jackie Burch: A Pioneering Casting Director and Advocate for the Arts
Jackie Burch, a celebrated casting director and former teacher of the deaf, has passed away at the age of 74. She died peacefully at her Atlanta home on Sunday after a courageous four-month battle with endometrial cancer. Her friend and fellow casting director, Gail Goldberg, shared the news of her passing.
Burch’s remarkable career in the film industry began after she transitioned from teaching deaf education to casting. She made her mark by collaborating closely with iconic directors such as John Hughes and John Landis. Burch played a pivotal role in casting classic films like Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Weird Science (1985), as well as Into the Night (1985), Three Amigos! (1986), Coming to America (1988), Oscar (1991), and Beverly Hills Cop III (1994).
Her impressive casting repertoire includes blockbuster hits featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, such as Commando (1985), Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987), and Red Heat (1988). Notably, she was instrumental in casting Alan Rickman as the iconic villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988), a role that solidified Rickman’s legacy in cinema.
Throughout the 2010s, Jackie Burch continued to showcase her expertise by overseeing local casting for major productions, including Iron Man 3 (2013), Hidden Figures (2016), and four films in the Hunger Games franchise, starting with the original in 2012.
Born on March 25, 1951, in Newburgh, New York, Burch’s journey began in Los Angeles as a teacher for the deaf. Her career took a pivotal turn when she substituted for an assistant at Universal Studios, igniting her passion for the film industry. Some of her early casting credits include Psycho II, Smokey and the Bandit Part III, and D.C. Cab, all released in 1983.
Her prolific body of work also encompasses films like Mask (1985), Road House (1989), Die Hard 2 (1990), Predator 2 (1990), and Judge Dredd (1995), among many others. Burch received an Emmy nomination for her work on the HBO telefilm Bessie (2015), featuring Queen Latifah as the legendary blues singer Bessie Smith. She was honored with an Artois Award in 2017 for her contributions to Hidden Figures, accumulating a total of seven nominations throughout her career. Her final project, This Is the One They’ll Remember Me By, is set to be released next year.
Jackie Burch is survived by her daughters, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Samy Burch (May December) and Molly Burch, a former singer-songwriter who leads Picnic Studio, a nonprofit art space for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is also survived by her sons-in-law, Alex and Dailey; her twin sister, Janice; and her beloved poodle, Jack.
A memorial service in her honor will take place in Los Angeles, with details forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The National Association of the Deaf.
In a heartfelt statement, her daughters shared, “We are heartbroken and in shock at the prospect of living without our vibrant, charming, funny, special, and incredibly loving mom. Her generous spirit touched so many lives—both professionally and personally—and we are endlessly proud of the legacy she leaves behind.”
Jackie Burch will be remembered not only for her significant contributions to the film industry but also for her compassion and dedication to nurturing talent and promoting inclusivity.
