Archive · 24 Jan 2026
Nessa Hyams, Legendary Casting Director, Dies at 84
Nessa Hyams was a very important person in the movie and TV industry.
She helped choose actors for famous movies like The Exorcist and Blazing Saddles.
She also directed a popular TV show called Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
She was one of the first women to have a big job in Hollywood.
She was married twice and had a long career in entertainment.
She recently passed away at her home in New York.
Nessa Hyams, a pioneering casting director, died on January 9, 2024, at her home in Manhattan at the age of 84.
She was known for her work on iconic films like The Exorcist, Blazing Saddles, and What's Up, Doc?
Hyams was one of the highest-ranking female executives in Hollywood, serving as head of casting at Warner Bros. and vice president of creative affairs at Columbia Pictures.
She directed 105 episodes of the groundbreaking TV show Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Hyams was married to Hollywood executive David V. Picker and later to commercial real estate broker Jonathan Miller, who died in 2022.
- Who
- Nessa Hyams, a pioneering casting director and television director.
- What
- Her death at the age of 84.
- When
- January 9, 2024.
- Where
- At her home in Manhattan.
- Why
- Cause of death not specified.
- Full Name
- Nessa Hyams
- Date of Birth
- November 21, 1941
- Date of Death
- January 9, 2024
- Notable Works
- The Exorcist, Blazing Saddles, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
- Spouses
- David V. Picker (divorced), Jonathan Miller (deceased)
- Survivors
- Sister Danna Hyams, stepdaughters Caryn and Pam Picker, nephews Chris, John, and Nick Hyams