RIP Jackie Burch

 

Jackie Burch, Casting Director Behind ‘Die Hard,’ ‘The Breakfast Club,’ Dies at 74

Variety

By Leia Mendoza

October 13, 2025

 

Jackie Burch, a casting director known for her work in “Die Hard,” “Sixteen Candles,” and “The Breakfast Club” died on Oct. 12 in Atlanta. She was 74.

Burch’s family said that Burch died after a four month battle with endometrial cancer. “We are heartbroken and in shock at the prospect of living without our vibrant, charming, funny, special, and incredibly loving mom. Her generous spirit touched so many lives – professionally and personally – and we are endlessly proud of the legacy she leaves behind,” her family wrote in a statement.

Born in Newburgh, N.Y., Burch began her career in Los Angeles as a deaf education teacher. While subbing for an assistant who worked for an executive at Universal, Burch became interested in the film industry. She began her casting career in the early 1980s, where she served as the casting director for features such as “Psycho II,” “Forbidden World,” “DC Cab,” and “Smokey and the Bandit Part 3.”

Burch became a frequent collaborator with director John Hughes, where she oversaw casting for “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club” and “Weird Science.”

Burch worked on various films throughout the 1980s such as “The Running Man,” “Dick Tracy,”  “Coming to America,” “Three Amigos,” “Mask,” “42,” “Hot Shots! Part Deux and Mafia.” In 1988, Burch cast Bruce Wills as John McClane in “Die Hard,” which grossed over $143 million in the global box office. Burch went on to cast its 1990 sequel “Die Hard 2.”

Throughout the 2010s, Burch oversaw the casting for “The Hunger Games” series, “Iron Man 3,” “Hidden Figures,” and “Bessie.” Her final project, “This Is the One They’ll Remember Me By” will be released in 2026. 

In addition to her work as a casting director, Burch was an active member of Casting Society and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Burch is survived by her daughters Samy, a screenwriter and Molly, a former singer-songwriter; sons-in-laws Alex Mechanik and Dailey Toliver, and her twin sister, Janice Papolos.

BURCH, Jackie

Born: 3/25/1951, Newburgh, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 10/12/2025, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

 

Jackie Burch’s westerns – casting director:

Three Amigos – 1986

Tall Tale – 1995

Ponderosa (TV) – 2001-2002