Johanna Ray

Johanna Ray is an American film and television casting director and producer. She is a frequent collaborator with film-maker David Lynch.

Career

Johanna Ray was born as Johanna Bennett. She made her entry in the show business in 1980, working as extras coordinator on the Adrian Lyne-directed drame, Foxes. The following year, she was hired as the casting director for Tom DeSimone's horror-thriller, Hell Night. Since then, she has worked as the casting director for numerous successful films including, Wild at Heart (1990,) Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992,) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992,) From Dusk Till Dawn (1996,) Mulholland Drive (2001,) and Inglourious Basterds (2009,) among others.

In 2017, she worked on 18 episodes of the hit television crime/drama, Twin Peaks: The Return, as casting director and associate producer.  

She was part of the 2007 documentary on Twin Peaks, Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks - a documentary that interviews the key creative people involved in creation of the wildly popular show.

Currently (August 2019,) she has been working as casting director on television comedy, The Roommates, and Duwayne Dunham-directed film, The Happy Worker.

Personal life

Johanna married actor Aldo Ray in 1960. The married ended in a divorce in 1967; the couple had three children. Noted actor Eric Da Re is their son; he was also a cast member of various episodes of Twin Peaks television series and of 1992 film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.

Awards and nominations

Artios awards:

• Nominated, 1987, Best Casting Feature for Film, Drama for: Blue Velvet (shared with Pat Golden)
• Nominated, 1988, Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama for: Gaby: A True Story
• Won, 1990, Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Episodic for: Twin Peaks
• Nominated, 1991, Best Casting for TV, Beverly Hills, 90210: Class of Beverly Hills (pilot episode)
• Nominated, 2002, Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama for: Mulholland Drive

Filmography