Meet Coco Kleppinger | Casting Director and Acting/Dialect Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Coco Kleppinger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Coco, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I come from grassroots theater which is fiercely artistic and familial-loyal and deeply energetic. Because it’s so hard to get a show put up in those spaces, we often ask, “Why this story? Why this story NOW? Why this story with these people?” I think those questions are more important than ever when looking at film, television and online content today. There is a LOT of content being put out and so I feel it’s vital to take on stories that I will be proud of when I look back from a later date in history, to curate my storytelling and career, to make sure I’m telling stories that will hopefully make an impact. I believe content can be entertaining, yes. I don’t think we have to sacrifice that piece. Laughter is important – the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down – but at my heart I will always strive to be an artist. I want to strive to tell stories that make people feel deeply and make people think a little bit differently – that can be animation or horror or comedy or drama. I’ve seen excellent films of all kinds as long as they were thoughtfully and carefully made, not just made for box office dollars. At the highest level, the ideal is to make a small difference in my little corner of the world. I love working with actors and I love reading scripts. I have been in love with this industry since I was thirteen years old, achingly so. I believe art can save someone’s life. I know that because it’s saved mine. It’s then that person’s job, with that life, to do their part to change the world.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
None of the life of an artist is easy, but it’s absolutely worth it if you truly love it. I was an actress for 13 years, from 13 to 30. I studied at the UWyo and UCLA (twice – once to get my BA in theater and once to get my MFA in theater). The MFA was killer. Anyone who’s gotten one will tell you it’s such hard work. I spent my twenties poor as anything, scared, acting, coaching dialects for various theaters around LA, teaching and waiting tables. I just remember the plays and the amazing friends and getting to act in the Edinburgh festival and the art I was doing. When I was 30 I started to understand that I hated being on set and I knew that was a serious problem for an actor. It was pretty heartbreaking, a dream dying in a way. I then got really lucky to find a new stepping stone, I suppose, but I was also really prepared to leap. When I emailed Rich Delia saying I wanted to go into casting I had a lot going for me that I didn’t realize. He took me on three weeks later. We worked together for nearly a decade and cast some really incredible films together. It was incredibly hard work. I was sometimes on 3-5 films at a time. I got two ulcers. I cried a lot. But I loved all of it. Every single film. I was awarded Associate of the Year by the TMA. Then the pandemic. Rich had been encouraging me to go out on my own. It was time. I worked for some women to see how they manage in the industry. Carmen Cuba was amazing. I started my company in 2021. It hasn’t been easy at all but we’ve kept the lights on and I’m proud of my films. I love them. They’re a miracle to me. I LOVE the actors. I’m a natural working with them and I take good care of them. And I now have 30 years of loving stories and working on stories analyzing and telling stories nearly every day. That helps make me very good at my job. I’ve gotten very good at working the camera and the technical part as well. But mostly the actors. I can bring out their heart, the best of them in a scene. I can make them see moments they’ve missed and they trust me. That’s huge for me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
LA is a magical city. Seriously. I’d take you to the Huntington Gardens, the Griffith Observatory, the Getty. I love Los Feliz and I love the museums downtown. One of my best friends recently introduced me to the movie theater experience that is the Alamo Drafthouse downtown and I don’t know how I have lived without it. My dad is actually coming into town and we’re taking him to see a UCLA women’s softball game because the team is amazing – best in the country (they’re my team!!). I’m not huge on sports or the beaches (I’m a pale arts girl) but in the summer I love a good Dodgers game and there are some quieter beaches that I really love – the Manhattan Beach Pier is a place that will forever have my heart. And the THEATER. There is SO much cool theater in LA. I could see three plays a week and be a happy camper, though my guest would klll me. As far as food, LA is a foodie’s paradise. We have the best food from all over the world here. I love the sushi, authentic Mexican, Indian, Armenian. . . there’s a street called Lille Ethiopia which has some amazing restaurants. I have a favorite Italian restaurant on Vermont in Los Feliz and the food trucks are all over here. There’s a really cool tiki bar/restaurant that looks like a sunken ship in Burbank that is so fun. I took some friends there once and then took them to see a psychic. Just for fun. It was a great day. The fun of LA is the random fun you can get into. The weirdness. My friend Efrain once took me to a bar/Clown museum and at the end we ended up in someone random’s back patio watching a film tribute to their dead friend. At first I was convinced I was going to be murdered and was so weird but by the end I felt like I’d lived through a David Lynch film and I will never forget it. I LOVE LA.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to thank Jason Ellis, my manager who supports my work, Paul Wagar, April Shawhan and Lou Anne Wright who taught me how to hone my skills, Brian McCulley who taught me where my imagination lived, Bill Downs who taught me to rage against the machine, Peter who taught me how to stand, My family and friends who are family who are my heart and home.

Website: https://cocokcasting.com

Instagram: @cocoseestheworld

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coco-kleppinger-5726581b8/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CocokcastingLA/