India, Aug. 29 -- Andrea Eastman, the trailblazing casting director behind cinematic milestones such as The Godfather and a pioneering female superagent who shaped the careers of generations of Hollywood icons, has died at the age of 86. A family spokesperson confirmed to media outlets that Eastman passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday at her home in Santa Barbara, California, marking the end of an extraordinary chapter in American cinema.

Rising through the ranks during the tumultuous and creatively vibrant New Hollywood movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Eastman established a reputation for identifying raw, unconventional talent and steering major studio projects toward unprecedented artistic heights.

Andrea Eastma...