James Gunn continues to keep it in the family, so to speak. He’s known for casting those close to him in movies and television.
The director and producer specifically has his wife, Jennifer Holland, and brother, Sean Gunn, as part of his projects. Gunn played Kraglin in “Guardians of the Galaxy” while Jennifer Holland played Emilia Harcourt in “The Suicide Squad.” To name a few.
Holland was asked about how her husband manages to include her and Sean in such things.
Jennifer Holland Gives Sweet Answer Why Husband James Gunn Casts Family, Friends in Movies
“I don’t know if that’s gonna continue, but I hope it does, because we’ve created such a bond with all of these people, but it is still very lonely,” she told Cinemablend. “You don’t have all of your friends and family with you, so as much as he can include friends and family in his movies, he tries. That gives them an excuse to be around, and he really thrives on that.”
Despite his independence, James doesn’t mind being around people — especially those he’s the most comfortable with. Especially the furry ones. His dog, Ozu, inspired “Krypto” the dog in “Superman” and “Supergirl.”
“As much as he is a loner when it comes to sitting in an office, you know, typing on his computer, writing the movies and all of that stuff, he really is inspired by and revived by true relationships just like he was inspired with Krypto by his relationship to Ozu and all of that.”
Ultimately, the casting is about love.
At the End of the Day, James Gunn’s Casting Choices Are About Love
“It really just comes about because James loves to have his friends and family around him all the time,” Holland added. “It’s hard to make movies; it’s lonely. You’re stuck in like a place that’s not your home for a very long period of time. He’s made great friends with a lot of the crew that he’s been able to continue working with over and over again, luckily, because they keep trying to pull us out of the United States, but fortunately, we keep getting to stay.”
GettyHolland’s voice talents were also utilized when she voiced a robot in the “Fortress of Solitude.”
Now despite his brother being in “Guardians of the Galazy,” Sean admitted making that film was the most difficult of his career.
“With ‘Guardians,’ you were building a corner of the universe that felt completely different from everything else Marvel was doing at the time,” he told Variety in January 2025.
He mentioned his loyalty to those outside of his family who still give him a sense of comfort on the job.
“I’ve worked with many of these people for years. Beth Mickel, my production designer, has been with me on the last three films,” he said.
