'Beautiful' Ones Speak Part 5: Sarah Himadeh

Audition

I think that from the start, from the audition process to wrap of the shoot, he's [Keith] been, actually 'til today he's been so amazing and such a pleasure to work with. Like from the audition, he makes the environment safe so you can go wherever. You feel you can get into the character that your suppose to get into. Be yourself, when you guys are talking about the character or talking about the shoot, the film...or talking about life in general. So he really does create that environment; you feel completely comfortable. I went through the monologue at the audition and it's a monologue where you go into places that are private and intimate, it was just so effortless. I felt like nobody was in the room. He's got such a presence but it's so graceful and elegant and effortless when he's there.

On the set

During the shoot he's just so great generous and kind in transmitting the idea of what the character should be like...he encourages discussion. The character that he paints is just so vivid in front of you. If there were any hiccups we had he was there to clarify it. During the shoot he was just so...I've never worked with a director so gentle and present with the actor and making sure that the actor is okay. It makes it so pleasant...it really allows you to go there. It doesn't matter, any mistakes you make, you just jump in...

He cast so well, all the women that we work with were so talented, gracious, and you can tell it was very well selected.  I remember the [woman-(Connie Romano)] that played my aunt we instantly had chemistry, he was able to cast so well that, without a chemistry read, was able to put us together in a room and it was just instant sparks.

The crew treated us so well. So yes, he brings a great energy around him...and you can tell that he treats unto others the way he wants to be treated and it really does pay off.

Favorite memory

My favorite memory of him is the last day [of] the shoot I had to catch a flight for work and it was a climax; a breakdown scene. I had found my aunt who pasts away we did the scene in a take or two, two [takes] max. He wrapped it, I ran out of there, and ran as fast as I could to the subway so I could catch my flight. He just opened a path for me to run and get out of there as fast as possible. He's just so understanding is basically what he is. And so human...we love Keith.