In this case, its Jane, only in the fact that the public did not know that she was a singer. But what the self-taping does is give so many more people opportunities because we can see 25 actors for a role. He was a huge part of why we got her it was a lot of working out schedules; we dont just get to read in a room with actors all the time. Did Scott have to break some legs to get it done? And I have now grown to see what a great dramatic actor he is, in the role of Zoeys brother, says Ulrich. Sherry Thomas: Well, its crazy. Its about finding complex and compelling actors that can bring nuance even to comedy. I dont know if theres a generic answer that fits every person when it comes to managing work/life balance, though. Learn how your comment data is processed. Hes a very soulful actor and person, and his craft is unbelievable. Its a visceral feeling, says Ingram, when you see an actor who you really know should be in a role., [Brandee] really had the strength and the forcefulness and chutzpah that [lead dancer] Mercedes needs, Hopkins says. Photo Credit: Deanna Baldwin Boyd, courtesy of Sherry Thomas. Five seasoned entertainment journalists predict the shows and performances the Television Academy will honor with Emmys; do you agree with their picks? But then she had also read with us on Danny McBrides Vice Principles. RS: It was a very extensive search. Sherry Thomas: Yeah. Do you think you guys will rely on that still? I get on the phone with agents, and the casting process goes on from there. The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. Sherry Thomas: I think it is a little bit of both. I appreciate that insight into collaborating with such a talented multi-hyphenate. Sauls Rhea Seehorn was one they called in many times before she booked the key Kim Wexler role. You dont have to try to crack jokes and just be yourself. RT: Can we just put Rhea Seehorn in here? She had a feeling I was going to end up in casting, but I wasnt so sure at the time. So that bar was set very high., She had been finishing up something and was not available, Thomas says of the actress who plays E.B. The age had to be appropriate so there would be chemistry with Linda. How did you come to realize that casting was the job for you? ST: Not for us particularly. Co-Owner Bialy Thomas & Assoc. Okay. Sherry Lansing. Its all so seamless, though, that you cant see any of those divisions in his performance. He is so wonderful. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? I get told all the time that I remind people of Melissa McCarthy. In Season 1, says Keller, Harvey Guilln, who costars as Guillermo, familiar to one of the vampires, starts talking to this other familiar at a party, and it was a very nondescript part. Big titles like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and The Handmaids Tale may first come to mind. I started exploring acting once I got to LA and met a casting director named Victoria Burrows, who kind of took me under her wing. [Tatiana is] someone we really believed in and highly recommended to Tim and the producers., [Gayle was] the only one who read, Thomas says. And, speaking from first hand experience, they are the best people to audition for. Thomas says, Damon tried to give me a hint: He should be a little unusual. My associate, Elizabeth, who knows the comics very well, she guessed it.. Everybody knows he is a wonderful actor. Hes coming in this week. . And especially for kids, dont try that hard in the slate to be liked and all of that, its just, Hey, Im Lance Carter, Im five foot 10. Sherry Thomas: Yeah. What is the craziest audition story that you have? It is one of our most rewarding jobs., [John McEnroe] was in the original script, and I remember nobody was dealing with it. Pros from five of the years newest dramas and comedies including 'Perry Mason' and 'We Are Who We Are' also reveal the surprising obstacles they hurdled before production began. Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. Casting Yvonne Strahovskis mother, we needed someone who could be formidable. He did come in and audition and just blew everybody away., The most fun bit of casting was the fact that Mo was written as a woman. It was the biggest new role of the season. I would own my own version of a Drybar. Deadline Media, Get our free, urgent prediction updates and news, 9 Emmy nominees you didnt know were already on Netflix: , Leaderboards: See All Past Prediction Accuracy Scores, Leaderboards: Best Prediction Accuracy Scores for Film, TV and Music Awards, Leaderboards: Best TV Show Predictions by Gold Derby Users, Find a User or Expert / Download Gold Derbys Free, New App. Its been a long time coming and were very proud of it., 9 Emmy nominees you didnt know were already on Netflix: Breaking Bad, Scandal, , If they do win the Emmy, they arent worried about getting kicked off the stage if their acceptance speech lasts too long. And then we pulled from that to go and seek out the right people for the roles. Its just a wonderful place to be to be able to cast these amazing actresses from Frances Conroy to Katey Sagal to Valerie Mahaffey. Sherry Thomas: Theres an energy. Sign up to get must-read entertainment headlines and audition advice delivered to your inbox every weekday. Sharon and I have been business partners for 25 years, and were very inserted in each others lives at this point. And sometimes the sides are fake. Slowly they realized that Maitreyi and Jaren have this really great chemistry, so it naturally evolved into this love triangle, which was really fun to see., Finding stars for a show that centers entirely on musical numbers is not the daunting task one imagines especially if you were the casting director of Glee and have an enormous roster of singing actors at your disposal. This weekend, we'll hear from three more guilds: the ACE (Eddie Awards), the ASC, and the WGA. Victoria Thomas, who is nominated this year for casting both Insecure (with Matthew Maisto) and Watchmen (with Megan Lewis), said the latter had unusual secrecy concerns: There were dummy sides or fake names on a breakdown. So, I didnt necessarily find casting it found me. Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors. A lot have to be able to do comedy, drama, all of it.. It is how we really modulate a performance. And at that time, there were not vaccination mandates in place. So we can say, No, this is the Bob Odenkirk character youre reading with. And its like, oh, a light bulb goes off, but we cant in email. We rely so heavily on the loudness, and the shoutiness, and the calling out ideas and really kind of collaborating in that way. You do a dark show and they go, lets get the girls to do the dark show. [Showrunner Damon Lindelof] is pretty specific about what he wants, but if he cant really explain it, hell know it when he sees it. And it happens. Then he went to dinner with Regina and came back and said, Why didnt I just I feel so ashamed. Because here, on a plate, is this great actress. . Then, I go through my notes and consider actors that I love, as well as some new actors. What are some self-tape tips that you have? Sharon Bialy: I mean, I watch the whole thing. As a casting director, the joy is in discovering talent, says Ulrich. Let me try it. In person its almost distracting how gorgeous she is, says Ingram. As long as the work doesnt suffer, why cant we also participate in the lives of our kids? And it isnt so much that we only do dramas, we love comedies. We didnt want someone who would be instantly recognizable to the world. Yahya took a leap of faith. I brought in this guy from New York, hes actually a playwright, his name is Jeremy O. Harris. ST: I think this year is so off kilter. They have to be funny and in the moment with so few lines, and that is such a hard thing to do. We wanted the fans to believe this, too, like, Oh my God, hes so cute. The storylines and arcs are massive, and youre also in a period piece, so it was important to make sure that each actor [remained] defined within their own self, even if the character wasnt around all the time, says Thomas. Its hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas casting rsum. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. Sometimes Clement will become inspired by the actors. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. We thought wed cast an unknown. You can see a number of actors for an audition before that one person comes in, and everything just clicks. But Id love to work with her, so let me just say shed be my choice. Facebook Icon. We have been very lucky on this show. [Laughs] I love them, as well as my husband, and we all have fun together. Sharon Bialy: And it was the hardest thing in the world to not be hysterical, laughing when she wrote, I meant Michael Imperioli. And then we had to go through the audition and Im biting my lip so that I laugh. Scott says Dead to Me is a comedy, but its very down to earth. Were just gonna have a great time.. And also sometimes not having all the producers in the room gives the actor, even on a zoom call back with us, we can play with them more and theyre not trying to please everybody, theyre just concentrating on the work. I want to get a sense of who they are, and how they handle text, and what they bring to the table in terms of choices, well watch it the whole way through because were educating ourselves. Its great to virtually meet you, Sherry, and lets kick things off right at the beginning of your career. Its an amazing collaboration, and the work is very gratifying and just so much fun. Quickly send your headshot and resume to hundreds of casting directors, agents, and managers. And as a casting director, it feeds my soul to get to go through the whole collaborative process of finding that person who just pops in a role. AD: The biggest addition of the second season was the character of Michelle, who is played by Natalie Morales. Sherry Thomas: If a reader is really distracting, its not about the reader, its about the actor. She was the lead casting director on this one and what she did was really take actors that are known for one thing and respect them and the breath of their talent and say, Im going to try something else here. With Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd attached to it, if I went in for an audition, Id automatically think, this was like a more comedic sort of thing. Kay says, I met with [showrunners Jemaine Clement and Paul Simms] in the beginning, and they were like, You know, just bring us good faces. RS: We went through that entire process and read a lot of people. A lot of offices have become that even prior to pandemic, to COVID, but thats just never been the way that we like to generate the work. We ended up moving the schedule around a little bit for her through communication with her reps and our production team. Good lighting is typical, and shooting from the right angle, and just be yourself in the slate. Even Nate said, I cant believe Im in this part. He tapped into the soul of [kidnapped sons father] Matthew Dodson., He was in that initial conversation with Tim it was just determining which role, says Thomas of Patrick. 14.1k Followers, 269 Following, 782 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sharon Bialy (@sharonbialy) We also share information about your use of our website with our social media and web analytics partners. We actually hit the limit of how many emails Gmail can accept in a day. After Kaling posted the open call on her social media and more than 13,000 submissions poured in, the duo discovered Toronto-based, then-17-year-old Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. When you guys watch a self-tape, how long do you spend on it until you move on. Sign up for emails from Casting Networks News. We were finding choices and some incredible singers, but it just clicked when it became Alex. My mom passed away when I was young, but she used to be a very successful hairdresser back east. She read the whole book in like 48 hours. We wanted to see her because we were such huge fans from all the things that shes done, especially The Night Of. ST: It is a challenge when there are so many components beyond Are they a great actor? and Are they right for the part? The age had to be right so that it felt right appropriate for Diana. I didnt know anyone here, but was a manager at The Gap at the time and got transferred to an LA location of the store. He doesnt necessarily work with people twice in a row, so we didnt immediately go to Regina, says Thomas. Sorry I had to jump in because he is very humble! I think Mindy had said she ran into him at a Vanity Fair party and said something to him. We will never, ever be an office that is strictly self-taped. Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas - casting directors HBO: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 2: Cindy Tolan - casting director Amazon: Russian Doll: Season 1: Christine Kromer - casting director Netflix: Veep: Season 7: Dorian Frankel and Sibby Kirchgessner - casting directors HBO: 2020s. The thing that Luca seemed to be connecting to is a real combination of, could they do the material, but also could he engage in real dialogue with them about what it means to be their age in this moment and incorporate that into the vision that he had., Jordan didnt even have an agent. Interview: Jeremy Davis on Playing Olaf in Frozen, Costume Mishaps and Making the Role His Own, Interview: Casting Director Kim Coleman on Five Days at Memorial, Self-Tape Tips and Portraying Real People, Interview: David Christopher Wells on His Role in To Kill a Mockingbird, Being an Understudy and Getting His MFA, Interview: Clifton Collins Jr. and Molly Parker on Jockey, Research and Bad Auditions, Ted Lasso Star Phil Dunster on How He Got the Role of Jamie Tartt, Theres No Such Thing As Chemistry In Acting. So weve always cast in a broad, worldly way. I personally just do my best to be as organized as possible and stay present in the moment, taking it one day at a time. Wow. When youre chasing after an actor with a name, you need them to trust you. Among them, theyre responsible for five of the shows nominated for casting Emmys this year as well as a host of others that have received acting nominations in the past. She gave so much more than was even on the page [in the role of Mercedes mom], Ingram says. Every time we had a conversation or auditioned actresses that werent a perfect fit, Russell would get on the phone and see if her availability changed. And our associate, Alyssa Morris, did the same with the smaller roles. This is my first experience with Luca, so the process involved me figuring out how he defines a lot of the things in the script. You might look at the character of Lil Murda and think you know this person, but you dont. She had to go to some places and the work was beautiful. I mean, I was still completely nervous, but I felt more comfortable in that sort of nervousness. With self-tapes and zoom callbacks. Thats what it is all about. Personnel: Sharon Bialy, Casting Director. I obviously knew of him, but he was a friend of Austins, so he suggested him, and he is so great on the show., John I also knew because he was in What/If. Thats a fantastic pick! That was a very, very challenging role, Thomas says of the eager young econowife character who comes to learn just how divorced love and marriage are in the Gilead dystopia. Listen, come to my office and Ill do your hair youll be fine. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. My partner Sherry Thomas, who casts the show with me, and I have a history of colorblind casting, so we're always looking for the best actor. A lot of times in these teenage parts, you have 20-year-olds playing 15, and that wasnt the case, says Cuba, who wanted the coming-of-age roles to be occupied by fresh faces. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The 2020 Emmys are closer than you think. [Tim] talks about the spirit and the soul of the actor marrying with the spirit and the soul of the character, says Thomas. That was a really nice way to come back into the second season. Legitimately dead? We had no idea that was the plan. But, just like any other season, we got the scripts and then talked with [co-creator/star] Bill [Hader] and [co-creator/showrunner] Alec [Berg] to hear what they were identifying within the new characters. He was playing a husband. He was kind of signing on to play the girl part., As to King (she and Abdul-Mateen II are nominated, along with costars Jovan Adepo, Louis Gossett Jr., Jeremy Irons and Jean Smart), the Oscar winner and three-time Emmy winner who worked on Lindelofs The Leftovers wasnt a slam dunk precisely because shed worked on Lindelofs The Leftovers.. But this is definitely a collaboration between Jack and Luca, and who teenagers are today, in this moment., [The character of Sam Pratchett] was really about mixing and matching with whoever [would be playing his girlfriend] Caitlin. Sherry Thomas (I) Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sherry Thomas was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. RS: A lot of times those small roles are the hardest to cast. Samira Wiley plays Moira in The Handmaids Tale, a performance that has brought her a third supporting actress Emmy nomination. The testing was very rigorous and I think production did such an amazing job with what they had to accomplish in the way that they had to accomplish it. Now, I would never assume that Melissa McCarthy would be so interested in my life that she would say yes to playing me in a series about it. Sherry Thomas: Yeah, it was. Luca is a director whos interested in the rawness and the grounding of truth., Because of City of God, [Alice] is somebody Ive always looked at and always been really curious about, says Cuba of the actress, who plays one of protagonist Frasers mothers, both in the military. He is fantastic. TV casting directors receiving multiple nominations include Alexa L. Fogel (The Politician, . From encouraging this writer about her questionable hair choices to estimating how many times shes forgotten to pick her kids up from school, Thomas candor in our interview provided an intriguing look into the person behind all the casting credits. Its interesting, because I think what happens to actors often happens to casting directors, Bialy explained. Its great for the world to see his story; something that youre certainly seeing more and more television, which is wonderful, but that you dont see every day., When putting together an ensemble in which one star cannot shine brighter than the others, theres a key to getting it right: You need strong people all around, people who can match each other talentwise, says casting director Billy Hopkins. Stars Sharon Bialy Theo Park Lucinda Syson See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist Photos Add photo Top cast The driving force was that this world felt real, [that] we could see these people living here, Ingram says. Alyssa Morris is our associate on this project and it was really, honestly the first time were working on a project where all of us are not together. gofund.me/2fffe14f Posts Reels Videos Tagged Search Log In Sign Up So he was intrigued. I knew him from The Glee Project and I just think he is one of the most extraordinary talents around. But what they don't realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might . Luca was intrigued [by Alice] and it seemed like a great match. We sent the audition, and Jemaine fell in love with him: We have to have him! And the next season, they wrote an episode for him, but he couldnt do it. A naturalistic performance, I think, is what was required in The Shrink Next Door. Actors often think casting directors hardly even pay attention during their auditions. Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. Sharon Bialy: I think theres going to be a hybrid. His instinct was that she was the perfect fit for the part, and he didnt give up. Thomas adds that they sometimes develop relationships with actors, calling them in time and again for reads. And then when I did it, you kind of jumped up in your chair. Like everyone else on the planet we love her. And I think that people know her in one lane and it was very exciting. He was shooting a really naturalistic portrait of this group, and so much of this was about how these kids are as themselves: How are they when theyre not doing the scene? What sets this young cast apart from many other series starring young adults is the actors age range. Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. We started back in February of 2020, right before everything shut down, so Covid added some new challenges and parameters that we had to work within. You were also nominated for your work on the third season of The Handmaids Tale. I think we got to try. And she says, You feel really passionately about it. Disclaimer: Daily Actor at times uses affiliate links to sites like Amazon.com, streaming services, and others. Heres what to know, From Chris Rock to the SAG Awards. Sherry Thomas, Casting Director. "I've known and worked with Sherry in different capacities over the past 7 years. Sharon Bialy: Right. ST: Vice versa for Linda Cardellini, who has typically been known for drama to come in and wow everyone with her great sense of timing and comedic skills without ever making it too big. I feel like I get him. Burrows eventually recommended Thomas for her first paying job in the industry, working as an assistant to the location casting director the person charged with hiring extras for movie and TV . Its definitely a world that were extremely interested in.. casting director Casts for Film, TV, Theatre, New Media California About Sharon Bialy Sharon Bialy is an award winning Casting Director for television, film and theater. I think we all miss being in the room with actors and I think a lot of the actors miss it as well, because theres something that you just get from being in the room with someone and the ability to play. [Niccos] brilliant, says Hopkins. One day, Damon said, Hey, theres this guy, Yahya! I went, Yeah. So find somebody who really is going to, give you a little bit of something to play off of, but not try to sort of make it about them, because thats not what theyre there for. Jeremy O. Harris was cast in a small role in FXs What We Do in the Shadows. Co-showrunner Jemaine Clement then wrote an episode just for him. Fuck yeah!. Mindy did, probably, because she had her on The Mindy Project. And then they would audition and then we would present the people that we really felt were the most right for it. So, I get an idea for the cadence and tone of the role, which I add to what I already have about it on paper. Im getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it. Michael was one of those extraordinarily talented people who did not make it onto the show, but I kept in mind and saw him in stage productions and For the Record. So, there you have it. If its somebody that we have known for a long time and we just say, not sure if its right, but just want to see if there is something there that connects the spirit of the actor to the spirit of the character, but its not right, then we can sort of move on and with respect because we know its not the perfect fit. ST: Our goal will always be to safely get back in the room with actors. Did it make your job easier or was it challenging having actors come in with a preconceived notion of what the show should be? Thats why you guys are so successful and all the shows you do, which are fantastic. I feel like this is not in my wheelhouse, or Im not right for this at all, but wanted to come and meet you guys.. Skylar is obviously a name, but hes also just a real standout, an extraordinary singer and actor., Michael Thomas Grant, who plays [rival coworker] Leif, I knew from The Glee Project, says the casting director. We would give a little context of the tone. AD: I imagine one of the more interesting challenges of that character is finding someone who can believably portray someone who has both dated Ana (Diana-Maria Riva) and Judy. The Shield was my favorite show at the time, and its still in my top five. It sounds like you didnt look back after the job found you. Casting Networks is a registered trademark of Casting Networks, LLC. We had readings for that part. They also discuss what its like to be casting directors in the middle of a pandemic and if they think their profession is permanently changed by it. All rights reserved. There was something she found the strength in that character, the fearlessness in her eyes., We werent identifying what roles would be people of color, adds her colleague Sherry Thomas. Did you specify that in the breakdowns or did you have to redirect people? She works constantly in New York, but she was this undiscovered gem to the rest of the world, and now everybody knows who she is., To populate Luca Guadagninos vision of an American Army base in coastal Italy, casting director Carmen Cuba knew she had to build her cast out from the kids at the center of the story. Sherry Thomas: They called him, pitched him and Sharon says, huh. We are very, very excited for season three. Liz Feldman has a great knowledge of actors and comedic actors. RT: I looked for her name before I even looked for ours. We ultimately will probably only send one take, unless were really questioning We dont edit it ourselves too much sometimes because the producers could come back and say, You know, theyre missing a moment, and thats exactly what was in the other take.
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