Montana
Carol Goldwasser, ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘Austin & Ally’ Casting Director, Dies at 67
Carol Goldwasser, a casting director who found actors for such popular kids-focused TV shows as Hannah Montana, Austin & Ally, Dog With a Blog and Cousins for Life, has died. She was 67.
Goldwasser died unexpectedly Dec. 5 at her home in Palm Springs after minor surgery, her friend and manager, Theodore Gekis, announced.
Known for her signature “Hi, Doll!” greeting and for nurturing such talent as Zac Efron, Khary Payton and Alison Brie, Goldwasser handled castings in Los Angeles and New York for more than two decades.
“Carol was a wonderfully talented casting director and a delight to be in the same room with,” Marc Hirschfeld, former executive vp casting at NBC, said in a statement. “Always positive, enthusiastic and with an annoyingly sunny disposition. The world will be a little less sunny without her.”
Born on Aug. 3, 1957, in Freeport, New York, Goldwasser excelled as a piano student as a youngster, graduating as salutatorian from East Meadow High School in 1975.
Earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance and education, summa cum laude, from the University at Buffalo, she originally intended to teach music but soon realized that the entertainment industry was for her.
Goldwasser began at Breakdown Services but launched her casting career as an assistant to Stuart Howard in New York City. In 1991, she ventured out to Los Angeles with no job but quickly became a casting associate for Fox’s Melrose Place and for the 1993 pilot of ABC’s My So-Called Life.
From 1994-96, she was manager of casting at Disney/Touchstone Television, where she supervised casting of all Disney/Touchstone pilots, series and movies of the week, then was director of casting for Disney/Touchstone Television in New York from 1996-98.
After working on such shows as UPN’s The Hughleys and NBC’s Inside Schwartz, Goldwasser used her expertise to help shape the Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana (2006-11), Austin & Ally (2011-16) and Dog With a Blog (2012-15) and Nickelodeon’s Cousins for Life (2018-19), which she cast with former partner Howard Meltzer.
She thrived as an independent casting director for more than a decade until her retirement to Palm Springs in 2019.
Goldwasser, who served as chairperson of the diversity committee for the Casting Society of America, received two CSA Artios Awards off 11 nominations as well as a nom for television casting director of the year from the Heller Awards during her career.
Survivors include her sister, Diana; her brother-in-law, Philip; and her beloved kitty, Nala. A celebration of her life will be held in January, with details to be announced.
“After Carol’s long and successful career in casting, I was excited for her to forge a new path and find deep happiness in her retirement. She was thriving,” her friend Ann Maney said in a statement. “I will miss my dear friend. Goodbye, Doll!”
Montana
French Montana Shares Rare Insight into Khloe Kardashian Relationship
Where Khloe Kardashian Stands With Ex French Montana More Than 10 Years After Breakup
French Montana is done keeping up with reality TV.
In fact, he only agreed to appear on Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Kourtney & Khloé Take the Hamptons over a decade ago as a favor to then-girlfriend Khloe Kardashian.
“She said to get on the show,” he exclusively told E! News at the BET Awards on June 28. “And I got on the show. Shout out to Khloe.”
The “Ever Since U Left Me” rapper, who split with Kardashian in December 2014 after eight months of dating, said the experience was “fun” because her family kept it real.
“They filmed their real life,” he continued. “And we were part of something together that one time. So it felt great. It didn’t feel like work because they film what they do everyday.”
As for his future in reality TV, the 41-year-old said those days are over, shutting down any prospective offers with a simple, “Negative.”
Although the “Unforgettable” artist—whose real name is Karim Kharbouch—may not be returning to television anytime soon, he has no problem hanging out with his ex-girlfriend these days.
Montana
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Montana
Montana nurse and Guard member earns national Air Force recognition
GREAT FALLS — For Staff Sgt. Brianna St. Lawrence-Brody, service does not only happen in uniform.
Outside the gates of the base, she works at Benefis as a nurse, Great Falls Public Schools as a school nurse, and comes home as a wife and mom of four. For the Montana Air National Guard, she serves as a command post controller with the 120th Airlift Wing in Great Falls.
(WATCH: Montana nurse and Guard member earns national Air Force recognition)
Montana nurse and Guard member earns national Air Force recognition
This year, St. Lawrence-Brody was named the U.S. Air National Guard’s Outstanding Airman of the Year in the Non-Commissioned Officer category.
She said the recognition came as a surprise, especially because her path into the Guard started later than others.
“I joined very late in life,” St. Lawrence-Brody said. “I joined the Guard right before I turned 40. So for me, every opportunity that’s presented, I want to take the bull by the horns and just run with it and do the best of my ability.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she joined the Guard after finishing nursing school. She said she went straight from nursing school into helping open a COVID unit, while also working at Benefis.
She said that experience was the start of one journey, but not the whole of what she wanted to accomplish.
St. Lawrence-Brody joined the Guard for the opportunities, the challenge and to help build a future for her four children.
“It’s a little bit of a competition for myself,” she said. “Like, if I can do it, why not try my best to achieve it?”
120th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
As a command post controller, she assists in helping move information during emergencies and major events.
“Outside, obviously, I’m a nurse. Inside the Guard, I have nothing to do with the medical field, which is kind of amazing,” St. Lawrence-Brody said. “It keeps me on my toes.”
She explained balancing the Guard, two civilian jobs and four children takes support from her family, her employers and her unit. She said Benefis and GFPS have been supportive of her military service.
Her nomination included her deployment experience, training work overseas and involvement across the wing. St. Lawrence-Brody said she deployed to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where she worked with an operations center supporting entities connected to Africa.
But, she says this recognition is not the finish line.
“This award, it’s not necessarily a landing pad for me,” St. Lawrence-Brody said. “I want to use it as a springboard.”
120th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
St. Lawrence-Brody hopes her story encourages others to keep taking on new opportunities, even when they feel uncertain.
“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and be okay with doing things afraid,” she said. “I think when you get to be okay with doing things afraid, that’s where you’re going to find the growth.”
She has already won at the Air National Guard level, but she recently traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of the broader Air Force Outstanding Airman of the Year process, which includes nominees from the Guard, Reserve and major commands across the Air Force.
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