Casting Director Stuck in Traffic After Choosing to Go in Another Direction

by Matt Keeley. @reallymattkeeley.

LOS ANGELES – In a predicament wholly unique to his profession, casting director Martin Pennington found himself staring down standstill traffic after choosing to go in another direction.

“We truly had incredible options today, and choosing our path forward was a decision not made lightly,” explained Pennington, calling ahead to inform their client they’d unexpectedly be running 40-55 minutes behind. “We could have taken the suggested route along the expressway like everyone else, or a back route through local streets to avoid the construction slowdown. That risk could have paid off — if only everyone else hadn’t thought of it too.”

While initially frustrated with the excessive stop-and-start momentum of the drive, Pennington and his team remained confident in their decision-making.

“You know, you can be so certain about going one way for so long, but if your heart tells you to follow in a different direction, you gotta go!” emphasized assistant casting director and unofficial snack duty passenger Piper Garcia, riding shotgun. “We’re more than just a computer program considering every option and selecting the quickest way forward. Sure, we know the 405 does everything we need, but would you pass over a road that’s part of the PCH family?”

Nevertheless, the casting team optimistically acknowledged the inherent setbacks that a poor gamble might lead to.

“Do I ever regret changing course? Never. It’s my profession to dutifully consider all options and decisively proceed with the best possible option, pending no flights of fancy causing me to reconsider, naturally,” mused Pennington, skipping the tenth song in a row from his Spotify road trip playlist on shuffle.

“And I know from experience that there will always be multiple directions that get us there. What is life if we always choose the path suggested before us? If I see a road on TikTok that’s been taken by tens of thousands of other drivers, I know there’s gotta be something to it! Sometimes the 28 minute slowdown through a closed lane is what helps to inspire a brand new way to navigate that you wouldn’t have even considered before! Oh crap, did I just miss the exit? No matter!”

Reports indicate that the casting team had last been seen pulling into the drive-thru of the nearest In-N-Out for lunch, but had stalled on whether to order their fries Equity style.