Local Hero: Candido Cornejo, Advocate for Diversity and Inclusion

Nominee Name: Candido Cornejo
Title: Casting Director, Casting Society of America

About Candido Cornejo

Candido is a proud Latine-indigenous trans casting professional with over 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry. She has worked with prestigious casting offices including Ronnie Yeskel, Fern Champion, Scott Genkinger, Pam Dixon, and The Telsey Office. Prominent credits include "The Hatfields & McCoys," "Kiss Of The Spider Woman", the Freeform hit show "The Fosters’" and the Artios award winning CTG production of ‘"Zoot Suit."

Candido is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, particularly for the Latine, Native/Indigenous, and trans/nonbinary communities. As of recent, the indie film "Say A Little Prayer" premiered at LALIFF, executive produced by Eddie James Olmos and Nancy De Los Santos; starring Luis Fonsi, Jackie Cruz, Vanesa Vasquez, Tatanka Means, and Angelica Maria. Her proudest achievements are "The Roof" and "Beautiful FL," which aired on "Launchpad" Season 2 on Disney+, where she did a North American search for a Two Spirit Teenager for the first ever of its kind.

Candido was an appointed Board Member of the Casting Society for two years and helped launch the 2023 “Mi Gente!” Global Open Call for Latine Actors Initiative.