Ronnie Yeskel, casting director of “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” died on Jan. 4 at The Motion Picture & Television Fund Retirement Home in Woodland Hills after an extended battle with cancer, AMPAS Governor Richard Hicks confirmed. She was 76.
Yeskel’s career in casting spanned more than three decades, including work across film and television. Her collaborations with Quentin Tarantino included “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs,” with other ’90s film credits including “Bean,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” and “Hope Floats.” In the early 2000s, Yeskel’s work included “Blade Trinity,” “Orphan” and casting Kieran Culkin in his first lead role in “Igby Goes Down.”
“Ronnie touched the lives and careers of so many of us with her passion and her talent,” said friend and actor Matt O’Toole. “She always fought for the actor with great respect and kindness. She was so joyful.”
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Yeskel was born in raised in New Jersey and developed a passion for New York theater at an early age. She worked as a stage manager off-Broadway after graduating from the University of Maryland, and segued to casting for theater in New York and Washington, D.C. before moving to Los Angeles.
In the late ‘90s, Yeskel served on the board of the Casting Society and earned 10 CSA Artios Award nominations and won three for “Pulp Fiction” (shared with casting director Gary Zuckerbrod), “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (with Hicks) and “The Sessions.” Yeskel was a member of the Casting Directors branch of AMPAS.
Yeskel was described as “unique” and “a proud hippie” who “led with her heart and was loved in return.” She is survived by her brother David, daughter Emily, son-in-law David Jones and grandchildren Bentley and Luna. A celebration of life will be held in the spring, with details to be announced soon.