Ellen Novack has had a long and varied career with one consistent theme: working with and helping actors. She is currently teaching at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, where she’s been preparing students to both audition and work in film and TV for 18 years. She has also taught on-camera auditioning at The Juilliard School, American Conservatory Theatre, The New School, New York University, Rutgers University, Columbia University, and the National Theatre Institute. Over the years, her students have included Yahya Abdul-Mateen, Mamoudou Athie, Molly Bernard, Brett Dalton, Winston Duke, Corey Hawkins, Brian Tyree Henry, Aja Naomi King, Lupita Nyong’o, and Allison Williams among many others.

Ellen was a casting director for over 25 years working in TV, film and theatre. She gave early jobs to Nathan Fillion, Anne Heche, Ryan Phillippe, and Hayden Panettiere (when she was 4!).  She was a casting director at the NY Shakespeare Festival, casting the original NY productions of Top Girls and Fen, as well as Plenty and Mystery of Edwin Drood, both of which went to Broadway. She directed, co-produced and co- wrote two short films, which were Official Selections at many festivals throughout the country and won several awards. She was Managing Director for Classic Stage Company (CSC) in New York, and also cast plays for them with such actors as John Turturro, Tony Shalhoub, David Strathairn, Jean Stapleton, and Joe Morton. She cast the soap operas As the World Turns, Another World and One Life to Live, which she went on to produce as well. She is the winner of two Artios Awards for Casting.
 
To support actors who are new to the business or whose careers have stalled, Ellen started ActorLaunch, a one-on-one consulting service. For four years, she was also a consultant to Authentic Talent and Literary Managers. She’s so happy to be back at the Freeman Studio!