Marty Keener Cherrix spent every Saturday afternoon of her childhood at the local movie theater. When it was closed, you could find her at the library, reading 5+ books a week. Telling stories fascinated her from a young age and into adulthood. With a degree in Communications and a knack for sales, she spent her early career in advertising. When the time came to shift careers, there was never a question that she would go back to her first love—storytelling.

For the past 20 years, Marty has been helping tell stories on film. She’s cast hundreds of actors for movies, television and commercials. Her substantial resume includes film credits on Academy Award-winning films like The Cider House Rules, Into The Wild, The Clearing, Chocolat and Contact, with acclaimed directors, Lasse Halstrom, Robert Redford, Robert Zemeckis and Sean Penn. Eventually Marty formed Cherrix Casting Inc. to better serve multiple markets and projects outside of Los Angeles and New York. “It’s amazing how diamonds in the rough are found outside of huge markets, she says. “Everyone looking for an opportunity to be a working actor .”

In 2009, Marty turned her attention to television, as the Atlanta Casting Director for the CW’s runaway hit series, The Vampire Diaries. The show’s success spawned the much- anticipated spin-off, The Originals, and Marty is currently working on Season 5.

While Marty casts a variety of roles for different types of projects, she specializes in finding talented children.  In films like The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Marty held nationwide talent searches looking for undiscovered child actors. “Kids are natural pretenders,” she says. “Tapping into their sense of play and imagination can make even an inexperienced child actor perform like a pro.”

When Marty isn’t working, she’s likely taking in a film festival or traveling, but in many ways, she’s always working, on the lookout for a new face or an unknown talent.