Cassandra Kulukundis etched her name into history at the illustrious 2026 Oscars, triumphantly winning the inaugural Academy Award ever bestowed for casting. The seasoned casting director's name was echoed amidst a sea of awe as she collaborated with her stalwart auteur, Paul Thomas Anderson, on his masterpiece, "One Battle After Another." She emerged victorious over the inaugural nominees, including Francine Maisler ("Sinners"), Nina Gold ("Hamnet"), Jennifer Venditti ("Marty Supreme"), and Gabriel Domingues ("The Secret Agent").
To celebrate this monumental achievement, the Oscar ceremony producers generously donated a significant portion of the broadcast to this historic moment, inviting five actors who represented the casting directors and their respective films. Hamnet's Paul Mescal, Marty Supreme's Gwyneth Paltrow, One Battle's Chase Infiniti, The Secret Agent's Wagner Moura, and Sinners' Delroy Lindo had the honor of presenting the trophy together. Each actor took a moment to pay homage to their film's nominee before the envelope was opened by Paltrow, who announced Kulukundis' name. The veteran casting director appeared genuinely shocked and rushed to the stage, celebrating with Anderson and giving him a high five.
Infiniti, whom she discovered after an exhaustive search, looked elated and emotional. They embraced as Kulukundis reached the microphone. "I must express my gratitude to the Academy for even introducing this category and to the casting directors who fought relentlessly to make it a reality, despite countless obstacles," she said at the commencement of her speech. "This award is dedicated to you and to the casting directors who never had the chance to be nominated or even have their names on a movie. This is for you."
Turning her attention to Anderson, she said, "When Paul Thomas Anderson calls, you enter the PTA Witness Protection Program, and you literally disconnect from your friends and family unless they have someone suitable for the film." She concluded, "I thank you for 10 movies. We've grown together through the years, and this is absolutely insane. I have one more before you, which is also crazy. So, yeah, I hope you get one tonight."
Shortly after Kulukundis' win, Anderson also claimed his maiden Oscar, winning Best Adapted Screenplay for "One Battle After Another." He received a standing ovation from the audience.
As she mentioned, Kulukundis has a rich history of collaborating with Anderson on films such as "Magnolia," "Punch-Drunk Love," "There Will Be Blood," "The Master," "Phantom Thread," "Inherent Vice," and "Licorice Pizza." Her other credits include "The Brutalist," "The Greatest Hits," "Gossip Girl," "Vox Lux," "Her," "Breach," "The Elephant King," "Art School Confidential," "Haven," "Shattered Glass," and "Ghost World."
Infiniti, a first-time film actress who plays Willa alongside veterans like Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn in the film, praised Kulukundis' work. "I'm standing here tonight because of a casting director, Cassandra Kulukundis," she said. "She spent years searching for Willa and saw something in me that I didn't even know existed. Her faith in me helped me believe in myself. Thanks to her determination, imagination, and instinct, I was cast in my first feature film, 'One Battle After Another,' which has 13 Oscar nominations tonight. Great casting directors like Cassandra know how to unite actors we love with fresh faces, making a film feel unexpectedly original."
The casting award marked the first new Oscar introduced since the Academy added a Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2002. The recognition for casting directors had been gaining traction over many years since the Academy created a new branch for casting directors in 2013.
