Live Read
Live Read is a monthly live staged reading of a film script and a part of the Film Independent at LACMA film series at the Bing Theater directed by Jason Reitman and hosted by Elvis Mitchell from 2011 to 2016. In 2019, Film Independent brought the series back as part of Film Independent Presents... at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, produced by director of events, Rachel Bleemer. A guest director reads the stage directions in the scripts while images from the film would be projected behind the cast. The script is typically announced days before the event and while some actors were announced beforehand, full cast lists and the role each actor would play were kept secret until the event itself. The actors do not rehearse ahead of time.
The readings are one-night-only and are not recorded due to rights issues. Because of this, tickets for the 500 seats, go on pre-sale to members of Film Independent one week ahead of the general public, and sell out almost immediately.
The series is to show audiences how actors create characters.
Readings
directs and reads the stage directions unless otherwise noted. Many of the actors play multiple supporting roles. Specific roles are stated only when information is known.2011
October (''The Breakfast Club'')
The Breakfast Club by John Hughes;Cast
- Jennifer Garner as Claire
- James Van Der Beek as Andy
- Mindy Kaling as Allison
- Patton Oswalt as Brian
- Aaron Paul as Bender
- Michael Chiklis as Mr. Vernon
- J. K. Simmons as Carl the janitor
November (''The Apartment'')
;Cast
- Steve Carell as C.C. Baxter
- Natalie Portman as Fran Kubelik
- Pierce Brosnan as Mr. Sheldrake
- Ken Jeong as Mr. Dobisch and the Rickshaw restaurant waiter
- Jake Johnson as Dr. Dreyfuss
- Nick Kroll as Mr. Kirkeby
- Collette Wolfe as Sylvia
- Mindy Kaling as Miss Olsen
December (''The Princess Bride'')
;Cast
- Mindy Kaling as Princess Buttercup
- Paul Rudd as Westley
- Cary Elwes as Prince Humperdinck
- Nick Kroll as Count Rugen and the Impressive Clergyman
- Goran Višnjić as Inigo Montoya
- Bill Fagerbakke as Fezzik
- Patton Oswalt as Vizzini
- Kevin Pollak as Miracle Max and other male roles
- Collette Wolfe as Valerie and other female roles
- Rob Reiner as the Grandfather
- Fred Savage as the Grandson
2012
January (''Shampoo'')
Shampoo by Robert Towne and Warren Beatty;Cast
- Bradley Cooper as George Roundy
- Olivia Wilde as Jackie
- Kate Hudson as Jill
- Diane Lane as Felicia Karpf
- J. K. Simmons as Lester Karpf
- Nick Kroll as Johnny Pope and others
- Patton Oswalt as Norman and others
- Lena Dunham as Lorna Karpf and others
February (''Reservoir Dogs'')
;Cast
- Laurence Fishburne as Larry "Mr. White" Dimmick
- Cuba Gooding Jr. as Freddy "Mr. Orange" Newandyke
- Terrence Howard as Vic "Mr. Blonde" Vega
- Anthony Mackie as Mr. Pink
- Anthony Anderson as "Nice Guy Eddie" Cabot
- Chi McBride as Joe Cabot
- Common as Mr. Brown and Officer Marvin Nash
- Patton Oswalt as K-Billy DJ, Officer Holdaway, and others
March (''The Big Lebowski'')
;Cast
- Seth Rogen as The Dude
- Rainn Wilson as Walter Sobchak
- Hank Azaria as Donny Kerbatsos, Karl Hungus, Da Fino, George Bush, and others
- Jason Alexander as the Big Lebowski
- Christina Hendricks as Maude Lebowski
- Catherine Reitman as Bunny Lebowski and others
- Fred Savage as Brandt, Smokey, a nihilist, and others
- Sam Elliott as The Stranger
- Nick Kroll as Jackie Treehorn, Jesus Quintana, a nihilist, and others
April (''The Apartment'')
;Cast
- Paul Rudd as C.C. Baxter
- Emma Stone as Fran Kubelik
- James Woods as Mr. Sheldrake
- Tom Cavanagh as Mr. Dobisch and the Rickshaw restaurant waiter
- David Wain as Dr. Dreyfuss
- Jason Sudeikis as Mr. Kirkeby
- Greta Gerwig as Sylvia
- Carla Buono as Miss Olsen
September (''American Beauty'')
;Cast
- Bryan Cranston as Lester Burnham
- Christina Hendricks as Carolyn Burnham and others
- Mae Whitman as Jane Burnham and others
- Adam Driver as Ricky Fitts
- Sarah Gadon as Angela Hayes and Barbara Fitts
- Nick Kroll as Colonel Frank Fitts and others
- Paul Scheer as Buddy Kane and others
- George Strombolopoulos as Jim Olmeyer and others
October (''Bull Durham'')
Bull Durham by Ron Shelton;Cast
- J. K. Simmons as "Crash" Davis and Jimmy
- Susan Sarandon as Annie Savoy
- Andy Samberg as "Nuke" LaLoosh
- Ron Shelton as Skip
- David Koechner as Larry
- Johnny Simmons as Bobby
- Mae Whitman as Millie
- Jason Mantzoukas as Teddy
November (''Manhattan'')
;Cast
- Stephen Merchant as Isaac Davis
- Olivia Munn as Mary Wilkie
- Shailene Woodley as Tracy
- Fred Savage as Yale Pollack
- Mae Whitman as Emily Pollack
- Erika Christensen as Jill Davis
- Jason Mantzoukas as Dennis
December (''Ghostbusters'')
;Cast
- Seth Rogen as Peter Venkman
- Jack Black as Ray Stantz
- Rainn Wilson as Egon Spengler
- Phil LaMarr as Winston Zeddmore
- Kristen Bell as Dana Barrett
- Kevin Pollak as Walter Peck, Larry King, and Casey Kasem
- Mae Whitman as Janine Melnitz
- Paul Rust as Louis Tully
- Paul Scheer as the mayor, the male ESP volunteer, and others
2013
January (''His Girl Friday'')
His Girl Friday by Charles Lederer, based on the play The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthurGuest director: Fred Savage
;Cast
- Jason Bateman as Walter Burns
- Anne Hathaway as Hildy Johnson
- Adam Scott as Bruce Baldwin
- Paul Scheer as Sheriff Hartwell
- Nick Kroll as the Mayor
- Fred Willard as Earl Williams
- Mae Whitman as Mollie Malloy
- Jason Mantzoukas as Eggelhoffer
February (''Glengarry Glen Ross'')
;Cast
- Robin Wright as Ricky Roma
- Catherine O'Hara as Shelley Levene
- Maria Bello as Dave Moss
- Melanie Lynskey as George Aaronow
- Mae Whitman as John Williamson
- Carla Gugino as Blake
March (''The Usual Suspects'')
;Cast
- Kevin Pollak as Dean Keaton
- Michael C. Hall as Verbal Kint
- Chi McBride as Special Agent Dave Kujan
- Adam Brody as Michael McManus
- Mark Duplass as Todd Hockney
- Nick Kroll as Fred Fenster
- Mae Whitman as Kobayashi and Edie
- Jason Mantzoukas as Special Agent Jack Baer
July (''Breaking Bad'''s pilot episode)
;Cast
- Rainn Wilson as Walter White
- Mae Whitman as Jesse Pinkman
- Annie Mumolo as Skyler White
- Chi McBride as Hank Schrader
- Ellie Kemper as Marie Schrader
- Paul Rust as Walter White, Jr.
September (''Boogie Nights'')
;Cast
- Jesse Eisenberg as Dirk Diggler
- Josh Brolin as Jack Horner
- Dakota Fanning as Rollergirl
- Olivia Wilde as Amber Waves
- Jason Sudeikis as Buck Swope
- Dane Cook as Reed Rothchild and Maurice Rodriguez
- Marc-André Grondin as Scotty J
- Jarod Einsohn as Todd Parker
- Scott Thompson as The Colonel
- Jordan Hayes as Jessie St. Vincent
October (''Boogie Nights'')
;Cast
- Taylor Lautner as Dirk Diggler
- Don Johnson as Jack Horner
- Mae Whitman as Rollergirl
- Judy Greer as Amber Waves and Dirk's mother
- Jim Rash as Buck Swope and Little Bill Thompson
- Nick Kroll as Reed Rothchild, Maurice Rodriguez, Floyd Gondolli, and Rahad Jackson
- Nat Faxon as Scotty J
- Jarod Einsohn as Todd Parker
- Kevin Pollak as The Colonel
- Jurnee Smollett as Jessie St. Vincent and Becky Barnett
November (''Tootsie'')
Guest director: David Wain
;Cast
- Nick Kroll as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels
- Hannah Simone as Julie
- Michaela Watkins as Sandy
- Thomas Lennon as Jeff
- Rob Huebel as George
- Ken Marino as Ron
- Fred Melamed as John Van Horn
- Zandy Hartig as April
December (''Raising Arizona'')
Guest director: Patton Oswalt
;Cast
- Timothy Olyphant as H.I. McDunnough
- Amy Poehler as Edwina McDunnough
- Jeff Garlin as Nathan Arizona
- Keegan-Michael Key as Gale Snoats
- Jordan Peele as Evelle Snoats
- Michael McKean as Glen
- Rachael Harris as Dot
- Ron Perlman as Lenny Smalls
- Andy Daly as various characters
2014
January (''American Pie'')
American Pie by Adam Herz. Reitman gender-swapped the cast, with women playing the male roles and men playing the female roles.;Cast
- Ari Graynor as Jim
- Sarah Burns as Oz
- Olivia Wilde as Kevin
- Krysten Ritter as Finch
- Mike White as Michelle
- Topher Grace as Vicky
- Anna Kendrick as Stifler
- John Cho as Heather
- Michael Sheen as Nadia and Stifler's mom
- Sharon Stone as Jim's dad
February (''Pulp Fiction'')
Guest director: Evan Goldberg
;Cast
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Vincent Vega
- Jordan Peele as Jules Winnfield
- Lizzy Caplan as Mia Wallace and Honey Bunny
- Jonah Hill as Butch Coolidge and Pumpkin
- Michael Chiklis as The Wolf, Captain Koons, and Brett
- Rebecca Romijn as Fabienne and Esmarelda Villalobos
- Wendell Pierce as Marsellus Wallace
- Seth Rogen as Lance, Maynard, and Jimmy Dimmick
March (''Groundhog Day'')
;Cast
- Jason Bateman as Phil Connors
- Elizabeth Reaser as Rita
- Jeff Ross as Larry and others
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Ryerson
- Mae Whitman as Nancy and others
April
''The Graduate''
April 17: The Graduate by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Based on the novel by Charles Webb.;Cast
- Sharon Stone as Mrs. Robinson
- Jay Baruchel as Benjamin Braddock
- Mae Whitman as Elaine Robinson
- Paul Scheer as Mr. Braddock and others
- Kevin Pollak as Mr. Robinson and others
- Tig Notaro as Mrs. Braddock
''The Hateful Eight''
Guest director: Quentin Tarantino
;Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren
- Kurt Russell as John "The Hangman" Ruth
- Amber Tamblyn as Daisy Domergue
- Walton Goggins as Chris Maddox
- Bruce Dern as Confederate General Smithers
- Michael Madsen as John Gage
- Tim Roth as Oswaldo Mobray
- James Parks as O.B.
- Denis Ménochet as Bob
- James Remar as Jody
- Dana Gourrier as Minnie
- Zoë Bell as Six Horse Judy
October (''American Beauty'')
;Cast
- Adam Sandler as Lester Burnham
- Rosemarie DeWitt as Carolyn Burnham and Barbara Fitts
- Kaitlyn Dever as Jane Burnham
- Travis Tope as Ricky Fitts
- Olivia Crocicchia as Angela Hayes
- Dean Norris as Colonel Frank Fitts and others
- Phil LaMarr as Buddy Kane and Jim Olmeyer and others
November (''Diner'')
;Cast
- Mark Duplass as Boogie
- Nadine Velazquez as Barbara
- Stephen Rannazzisi as Eddie
- Katie Aselton as Beth
- Rob Huebel as Billy
- Jason Mantzoukas as Modell
- Paul Scheer as Shrevie
- Nick Kroll as Fenwick
December (''The Empire Strikes Back'')
;Cast
- Aaron Paul as Luke Skywalker
- Ellen Page as Han Solo
- Jessica Alba as Princess Leia Organa
- Dennis Haysbert as Lando Calrissian
- Stephen Merchant as C-3PO
- Jason Reitman as R2-D2, in addition to his usual reading of stage directions
- J. K. Simmons as Darth Vader
- Kevin Pollak as Yoda and others
- Rainn Wilson as Chewbacca
- Mark Hamill as Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Emperor
2015
January (''Goodfellas'')
Goodfellas by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese. Based on Wiseguy by Pileggi.;Cast
- Fred Savage as Henry
- Eric André as Tommy
- Laurence Fishburne as Jimmy
- Michaela Watkins as Karen
- Joe Manganiello as Paul
- Mae Whitman as Sandy
- Dane Cook as Morris
February (''Sideways'')
;Cast
- Josh Gad as Miles Raymond
- Keegan-Michael Key as Jack Cole
- Michaela Watkins as Maya Randall
- Lake Bell as Stephanie
- Catherine Reitman as Victoria
March (''Dazed and Confused'')
;Cast
- James Van Der Beek as Randall “Pink” Floyd
- Travis Tope as Mitch Kramer
- Nick Kroll as Ron Slater, Tony Olson, and Fred O’Bannion
- Mae Whitman as David Wooderson and Sabrina Davis
- Eric André as Don Dawson
- Michaela Watkins as Jodi Kramer and Cynthia Dunn
- Catherine Reitman as Kaye Faulkner
- Jason Mantzoukas as Mike Newhouse
- Whitney Cummings as Julie Simms and Darla Marks
- Paul Scheer as Kevin Pickford and Clint Bruno
- Jonathan Tucker as Benny O'Donnell
April (''Major League'')
Guest director: Joe Manganiello. In a departure from Live Read tradition, Manganiello did not read the stage directions, but instead played a character. He cast sportscaster Rich Eisen as the narrator.
;Cast
- Joe Manganiello as Jake Taylor
- Brian Wilson as Ricky Vaughn
- Rob Huebel as Roger Dorn
- Sharon Osbourne as Rachel Phelps and Suzanne Dorn
- Billy Gardell as Lou Brown
- Ming-Na Wen as Lynn Wells
- Robbie Jones as Willie Mays Hayes
- Eric Stonestreet as Charlie Donovan and Eddie Harris
- Sofía Vergara as Pedro Cerrano
- Thomas Lennon as Harry Doyle
May ("The Wheel" from ''Mad Men'')
;Cast
- Colin Hanks as Don Draper
- Kaitlyn Dever as Peggy Olson
- Fred Savage as Pete Campbell and Glen Bishop
- Mickey Sumner as Betty Draper
- Ashley Greene as Joan Holloway, Annie and others
- Brian Klugman as Paul Kinsey
- Rob Huebel as Ken Cosgrove
- David Wain as Harry Crane
- Kevin Pollak as Bertram Cooper and Duck Phillips
June (''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'')
Guest director: Eli Roth
;Cast
- Logan Paul as Jeff Spicoli
- Lily Collins as Stacy Hamilton
- Haley Joel Osment as Brad Hamilton
- Kumail Nanjiani as Mike Damone
- Daryl Sabara as Mark "Rat" Ratner
- Lorenza Izzo as Linda Barrett
- Courtney Love as Mr. Hand
- Aaron Burns as Charles Jefferson
- Nik Keswani as Curtis Spicoli
July (''The Big Lebowski'')
;Cast
- Michael Fassbender as The Dude
- Patton Oswalt as Walter Sobchak
- Jennifer Lawrence as Maude Lebowski
- Olivia Munn as Bunny Lebowski
- Mae Whitman as Donnie
- Dennis Quaid as the Big Lebowski
- T.J. Miller as Brandt
- Mike Judge as The Stranger
- Martin Starr as The Jesus
September (''The Princess Bride'')
The Princess Bride by William Goldman, based on the novel by Goldman at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.;Cast
- Cary Elwes as Westley
- Rachel McAdams as Buttercup and Valerie
- Patrick Stewart as Prince Humperdinck
- Catherine Reitman and Gael García Bernal as Inigo Montoya
- Chris O'Dowd as Count Rugen and Miracle Max
- Georges Laraque as Fezzik
- Donald Glover as Vezzini and The Albino
- Rob Reiner as the Grandfather
- Gage Munroe as the Grandson
October (''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'')
Ferris Bueller's Day Off by John Hughes- Fred Savage as Ferris Bueller
- Martin Starr as Cameron Frye
- Catherine Reitman as Sloane Peterson
- Clark Gregg as Rooney
- Mae Whitman as Jeannie Bueller
- Michaela Watkins as Grace
- Richard Speight Jr. as Economics Teacher
- James Van Der Beek as Boy in Police Station
November (''Network'')
Guest director: Scott Sternberg
- Aaron Sorkin as Howard Beale
- Minnie Driver as Diana Christenson
- Tony Goldwyn as Max Schumacher
- Dermot Mulroney as Frank Hackett
- Fred Willard as Arthur Jensen
- Nick Kroll as Nelson Chaney and Great Ahmet Kahn
- Alex Borstein as Louise Schumacher
- Lauryn Whitney as Laureen Hobbs
- Chelsey Crisp as Walter C. Amundsen
- Warren Olney as Narrator
December (''True Romance'')
- Christian Slater as Clarence Worley
- Patricia Arquette as Alabama Whitman
- Mae Whitman as Dick Ritchie
- Paul Scheer as Elliot Blitzer
- J. K. Simmons as Cliff Worley
- Jon Favreau as Virgil
- Keegan-Michael Key as Drexl
- Kevin Pollak as Vincenzo Coccotti
- Jay Duplass as Detective Dimes
- Mark Duplass as Detective Nicholson
- Jason Segel as Floyd
2016
January (''Dr. Strangelove'')
Dr. Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern & Peter George. Based on the novel Red Alert by Peter George.Guest director: Mark Romanek
- Josh Gad as Captain Lionel Mandrake
- Catherine O'Hara as President Merkin Muffley
- Patrick Stewart as Dr. Strangelove
- Seth Rogen as General Buck Turgidson
- Shia LaBeouf as Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper
- Colin Hanks as Colonel Bat Guano
- Johnny Knoxville as T.J. "King" Kong
- P. J. Byrne as Alexei de Sadeski
- Olivia Wilde as Miss Scott
- Fred Willard as the narrator
- Fiona Apple sang "We'll Meet Again" to close out the reading. She was pied in the face by Johnny Knoxville.
February (''The Maltese Falcon'')
Guest director: Laurence Fishburne. LACMA curator and event host Elvis Mitchell read the stage directions.
- Laurence Fishburne as Sam Spade
- Cree Summer as Brigid O'Shaughnessy
- Orlando Jones as Joel Cairo
- Liza Lapira as Effie Perine
- Peter Mackenzie as Casper Gutman
- Spencer Garrett as Det. Tom Polhaus
- Langston Fishburne as Wilmer Cook
March (''Stand by Me'')
- Kaitlyn Dever as Gordie
- Ellen Page as Chris
- Molly Ephraim as Teddy
- Charlyne Yi as Vern
- Kristen Schaal as Ace
- Collette Wolfe as Charlie
- Rosemarie DeWitt as adult Gordie, the narrator
- Sarah Thyre as various characters
April (''Thank You For Smoking'')
- Courtney B. Vance as Nick Naylor
- Mae Whitman as Joey Naylor, Jack, and other roles
- Ashley Greene as Heather Holloway
- Rhea Seehorn as Polly Bailey
- Josh Gad as Bobby Jay Bliss and other roles
- Bill Simmons as Senator Ortolan Finistirre
- Tim Allen as the Captain
- Ron Livingston as B.R.
- Tommy Dewey as Jeff Megall and other roles
2018
December (''Casablanca'')
For the first time since April 2016, Reitman directed another live read, featuring an all-female cast, of Casablanca, by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch. The reading was sponsored by Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.- Ellen Page as Rick Blaine
- Kiersey Clemons as Ilsa Lund
- Olivia Wilde as Victor Laszlo
- Hannah Gadsby as Captain Louis Renault
- Emily Hampshire as Signor Ugarte
- Indya Moore as Carl
- Lea DeLaria
- Kate Moennig
2019
March (''My Dinner With Andre'')
Film Independent Presents, the producers of the Live Read series, resumed again with My Dinner With Andre by Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn with comedy stars Nick Kroll and John Mulaney. Hosted by Elvis Mitchell, the evening veered into a comedy put-on by Kroll and Mulaney, as the reading was staged with Michael Keaton and Paula Pell doing the main roles from the original script, heavily interrupted by Kroll and Mulaney's Oh, Hello characters Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland, respectively.- Michael Keaton as Andre
- Paula Pell as Wally
- Nick Kroll as Gil Faizon
- John Mulaney as George St. Geegland
June (''When Harry Met Sally...)''
Guest director: Randall Park. Park assembled a cast entirely of Asian-American actors. Film Independent curator and event host Elvis Mitchell read the stage directions.
- Steven Yeun as Harry
- Maya Erskine as Sally
- Jimmy O. Yang as Jess
- Liza Lapira as Marie
- Jae Suh Park as various characters
- Randall Park as various characters
- Performance of It Had to Be You and Our Love Is Here to Stay by singing duo Meg & Dia Frampton.
October (''Singles)''
Singles by Cameron Crowe.Guest director: James Ponsoldt. Ponsoldt read the stage directions and acted as the host encouraging the audience to "wear their flannel."
A nice treat leading into evening’s main event was an email from Crowe, which Ponsoldt read to the audience. “The movie came from a special time in my life,” Crowe said. “I’d fallen in love with Seattle, and so many of the soulful members of the community.” He went on to acknowledge the late Soundgarden frontman, who has a cameo in the film, saying: “Love live Chris Cornell!”
- Kelly Marie Tran as Janet Livermore
- Mamoudou Athie as Steve Dunne
- Karen Gillan as Linda Powell
- Bart Davenport as Cliff Poncier
- Lynn Shelton as Debbie Hunt
- Jay Duplass as various characters
- Kelvin Yu as various characters
- Singer-songwriter Bart Davenport took the stage to perform the Paul Westerberg classics “Dyslexic Heart” and “Waiting for Somebody,” two standouts from Singles’ classic alternative-rock-era encapsulating soundtrack ""
2020
February (''Breaking Away)''
Breaking Away by Steve TesichGuest directors: Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin, the creative team behind The Climb.
A live string quartet provided musical accompaniment.
- Taika Waititi as Moocher
- Dennis Christopher as Dave
- Michael Angelo Covino as Mike
- Skyler Gisondo as Cyril
- K Callan as Mom
- Paul Dooley as Dad
- Gayle Rankin as Katherine
- Andre Royo as Rod
March (''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)''
Guest director: Brett Haley
- Tessa Thompson as Clementine Kruczynski
- Martin Starr as Joel Barish
- Kiersey Clemons as Patrick
- Kelly Marie Tran as Mary
- Nick Kroll as Stan
- Jay Duplass as Dr. Mierzwiak
- Bridget Regan as Carrie
- Ryan Hunt as Rob
- Singer-songwriter Miya Folick performed selections from Jon Brion's soundtrack as well as a rendition of "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime," which was covered by Beck for the film.
Trivia
- As of April 2020, the following actors have participated in multiple readings:
- * Seventeen: Mae Whitman
- * Fourteen: Nick Kroll
- * Eight: Kevin Pollak
- * Seven: Paul Scheer
- * Six: Jason Mantzoukas, Fred Savage
- * Five: Rob Huebel, Patton Oswalt, J. K. Simmons, Catherine Reitman, Michaela Watkins, Olivia Wilde
- * Four: Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson
- * Three: Kaitlyn Dever, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Laurence Fishburne, Josh Gad, Mindy Kaling, Keegan-Michael Key, Chi McBride, Martin Starr, James Van Der Beek, Fred Willard, Collette Wolfe, Ellen Page
- * Two: Eric André, Jason Bateman, Michael Chiklis, Kiersey Clemons, Dane Cook, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jarod Einsohn, Cary Elwes, Ashley Greene, Colin Hanks, Christina Hendricks, Phil LaMarr, Liza Lapira, Thomas Lennon, Joe Manganiello, Stephen Merchant, Olivia Munn, Catherine O'Hara, Aaron Paul, Jordan Peele, Rob Reiner, Paul Rudd, Paul Rust, Patrick Stewart, Sharon Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Travis Tope, Kelly Marie Tran, David Wain
- Bryan Cranston, Dennis Haysbert, Christina Hendricks, Samuel L. Jackson, Phil LaMarr, Michael Madsen, Dean Norris, Aaron Paul, Kevin Pollak, Dennis Quaid, Tim Roth, Fred Savage, J. K. Simmons and Robin Wright all played a character in one of the original films or episodes and have read for a character at a reading of another film or episode. Quentin Tarantino played characters in two of the original films and directed a reading.
- John Cho, Cary Elwes, Mark Hamill, and Kevin Pollak have each read a screenplay they have appeared in, reading roles they hadn't originally played.
- Patricia Arquette, Dennis Christopher, Paul Dooley, Sam Elliott, Cary Elwes, Susan Sarandon, Fred Savage, Christian Slater, and Stephen Tobolowsky have each read a screenplay they have appeared in, reading roles they originally played. Zoë Bell, Bruce Dern, Walton Goggins, Dana Gourrier, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Madsen, James Parks, Tim Roth, and Kurt Russell all read for characters that they eventually played in The Hateful Eight.
- Four screenplays written by Quentin Tarantino have been read, including the then-unreleased The Hateful Eight. Two screenplays each by the Coen brothers, Cameron Crowe, John Hughes, and Harold Ramis have been read.
Other events
- Blake Griffin as Michael Jordan
- Seth Green as Bugs Bunny
- Nick Kroll as Daffy Duck and Bill Murray
- Danielle Fishel as Lola Bunny, Juanita Jordan, Nick Van Exel and others
- Ralph Garman as Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian and others
- Paul Scheer as Stan Podolak
- DeAndre Jordan as Charles Barkley and Mr. Swackhammer
- Jerrod Carmichael as Muggsy Bogues, Marcus Jordan, James Jordan Sr. and others
- Ben Schwartz as Zilch, an amalgamation of all of the Nerdlucks/Monstars