They tell the story of when they had to call Margolis in New York and ask him to put himself on tape, despite the fact that his character had no lines. Shes fantastic. I appreciate that insight into collaborating with such a talented multi-hyphenate. Now in the shows second season, casting directors Sherry Thomas and Russell Scott were tasked with the challenge of expanding on that world and filling out an ensemble that were able to keep up with Applegate and Cardellini. But going into the second season, the world knows the show, and we dont have to explain what it is. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. You guys cast this while everything was locked down. As long as the work doesnt suffer, why cant we also participate in the lives of our kids? We all miss it. However, theres a great deal of team Read More, Two in five Australians between the ages of 16 and 85 experience a mental disorder at some time in Read More, From college basketball tournaments to St. Pattys Day, the new month is synonymous with more than a few events. Read More, I believe there is some anxiety in the air over the expectations for commercial self tapes. We didnt want someone who would be instantly recognizable to the world. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. Exclusive: AMCs Emmy episode submissions for Breaking Bad & Mad Men, Even though Breaking Bad is over, Bialy and Thomas are still involved in that universe thanks to their casting of the spin-off series Better Call Saul. However, Bialy warns us, I cant tell you anything about Better Call Saul. Were sworn to secrecy! Theyre also keeping busy casting Halt and Catch Fire, which just ended its first season on AMC, Foxs upcoming comic-book series Gotham and TVs biggest ratings hit The Walking Dead., Hey, whats with all the dark shows on their resumes? I truly love doing hair and have always told people that if I somehow just sh-t the bed and was no longer able to be in casting, I would do hair instead. You are known for bringing in people who are looked at one way, and then you sort of have given this whole new sort of light, this new career almost to them. This website uses cookies. Do you guys prefer two takes on the self-tape? Primetime Emmy Awards. Its hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas casting rsum. So, theres support at every turn, but balancing a family and a career isnt easy. After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. In a COVID and post-COVID world do you think youre job will permanently change? We had read her for The Handmaids Tale one season, and we had read her for an independent movie that was a really deep and layered character. 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. 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. Sherry Thomas: Well, its crazy. I think in this particular project that Georgia [Pritchetts] writing was incredible, and the tone was on the page, but still it helped. Awards. You dont have to drive an hour and a half to two hours for an audition when youre getting the pages two or three days before. With larger roles, you have time to build an arc, but with something so small, the challenge is how to make it memorable. And whats exciting for us in casting, and it keeps us 23 years later together excited about things is to try new things, and to see an actor as a whole. Elaine Doremus. Its good to be (Regina) King: The Oscar winner might win her fourth Emmy for her portrayal of Angela Aybar/Sister Night in Watchmen., The Doctor is in: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was a surprise choice to play Dr. Manhattan in HBOs Watchmen.. You believed everything that was coming out of her mouth., We did an open call for Kamala and I feel like [Richa Moorjani] came in pretty early on. Instagram Icon And so I said, Oh my God, oh my God, Michael Rispoli is going to be in town from New York and we need to get him in. It is how we really modulate a performance. So theres some benefits to both. If its a co-star role and its one scene, a few lines, two takes. There was somebody we just couldnt hire recently that is absolutely not known for comedy. To see somebody with natural comedic timing who really got the nuances of the scenes and really got the multidimensional character she wasnt just reading lines. You really need to find actors who can do all of those things which can be challenging. In 1975 she joined MGM as an executive story editor. ST: Our goal will always be to safely get back in the room with actors. You learn what you want to change moving forward. RS: It was a very extensive search. For Austin Winsbergs musical extravaganza, Ulrich was asked to put together a cast that could sing, dance and pretend none of it is really happening. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys Shifting gears again, I have a true get-to-know-you question. At that point, I feel like Ive got it I know who the character is. He was the heart of the show the first season., Andrew is absolutely hilarious. She was shooting a movie here in LA. After a 2007 surgery that required general anesthesia, Steenburgen, who plays Zoeys mother, Maggie, began hearing original music in her head. Hes often the heavy for this, he was a father who had a lost son., We cast Chris in Gotham but have known him for years, says Thomas. AD: Except for Emmy voters for whatever frustrating reason. She had to go to some places and the work was beautiful. Alphonse is truly an incredibly skilled actor, Ingram says. It was fun to be able to draw on somebody that I had thought was so talented for so long.. Although the self Read More, Your email address will not be published. We have been very lucky on this show. sherrythomaslane Follow 284 posts 5,086 followers 587 following Sherry Thomas Lane Casting Director / Owner @ Bialy Thomas & Associates Blue collar Northampton, MA native who is Livin' the dream. And I think were all waiting for the moment in time where we can be together again, for sure. And I think that people know her in one lane and it was very exciting. DEAD TO ME - Sherry Thomas, Russell Scott, Sharon Bialy, Alyssa Morris (Associate) For the vampire mockuseries What We Do in the Shadows, nominees Gayle Keller, Jenny Lewis and Sara Kay find themselves looking for actors who dont look like typical actors. When you read that someone is meant to be beautiful, what does Luca think beautiful is? says Cuba. Sherry Thomas: Ive been a longtime fan of Casey. He once told me, Youre weird too. . I forgot to mention Casey Wilson. Everybody knows he is a wonderful actor. 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. Now, here comes my favorite question to ask, Sherry. New to Casting Networks? All Rights Reserved. Once we started to figure out that it was Jordan [Kristine Seamn], Ben was a perfect match. Legitimately dead? We had no idea that was the plan. Stars Sharon Bialy Theo Park Lucinda Syson See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist Photos Add photo Top cast 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. She had been around and doing guest star work, but to get a series regular gig was a big step for her., Poorna has for most of her career been a dramatic actress, and she was like, I never get to come in on comedies because nobody thinks Im funny, says Greenstein about the role of Devis mother for Jagannathan. So, there you have it. 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.. Russell Scott, Casting Director. I feel like I get him. 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. The Commander that Christopher Meloni played [Commander Winslow] was challenging because often times the first script doesnt tell you what the journey is going to be. And it worked! Luckily he did. When we circled back, I remember looking at the date and I was like, Holy shit, I think shes available. , Theres an assuredness to Sister Alice that the audience has to buy because she believes [her evangelism] so strongly, Bialy says. 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. Type above and press Enter to search. She and Bialy relied on their stable of talent from decades in the profession. The Cherry Lane Theatre is the oldest continuously running off-Broadway theater in New York City. Weve been bringing him in and casting him for some time, so he was somebody right from the start. That helps give me the essence of what Bill has in mind, and then as I get him going, hell just start going into the characters dialogue in a voice that reflects how he hears it in his head. Thats how we kept bringing up Natalie Morales. 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. Jonathan [Masons employer], was the first one. Sherry Thomas: Yeah, it was. You do a drama and they say you can only do drama. Its when I really first started, when I was having a lot of autonomy with Sharon. Join Facebook to connect with Sherry Thomas Lane and others you may know. If someone made a series about your life story, which actor would you cast to play the role of Sherry Thomas? Liz responds to actors who arent hitting the jokes but have a sense of humor, not typical sitcom, playing-to-the-audience types you might see on traditional multi-camera shows. Sorry I had to jump in because he is very humble! Yahya took a leap of faith. Im fully vaxed. Boom. Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors. We also share information about your use of our website with our social media and web analytics partners. Facebook Icon. And then we pulled from that to go and seek out the right people for the roles. The Robert Downey Jr. -produced HBO series Perry Mason -which places the famed criminal defense lawyer played by Matthew Rhys in the era he debuted in literature, the 1930s-features a stellar cast. Shes amazing with hair, and I have a love for it, too. Do you think you guys will rely on that still? But Thomas and Scott have been able to channel their passion into rounding out the ensemble of the second season with big name guest stars from Frances Conroy and Katey Sagal to utilizing some of the best character actors working today. She then added, To be perfectly honest with you, I think that were all in the reality that there are several other huge nominees in there, and so were blessed and honored to be there. [Laughs] I love them, as well as my husband, and we all have fun together. A naturalistic performance, I think, is what was required in The Shrink Next Door. Look, I think Bill Hader is in a category all his own. 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. 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. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. The Shield was my favorite show at the time, and its still in my top five. And people. , Keller says, They said they wanted boring. Like if you were to go to a town meeting to talk about zoning.. It has all come down to this, friends. 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. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company. But oddly enough, on this show, because on others, we have done producer callbacks over Zoom, we didnt do any. For Perry Mason (originally set to star Robert Downey Jr., who serves as executive producer with his wife, Susan), casting directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas discussed their suggestions for . ST: I think thats one of the reasons we love to be in the room with actors and why right now it is really hard with the world of COVID. And one of the first things that we did together as Bialy/Thomas was The Unit with Shawn Ryan and David Mamet and Eric Haney. But Luca is very connected to the human side of actors, so I think he connected with her., Chlo [as Frasers other mother] is someone I have loved from the beginning. Literally, we were all just howling because she just got it., We needed a Jake from Sixteen Candles, someone brooding and obviously swoon-worthy and somebody that Devis going to have a mad crush on, Greenstein says of the protagonists love interest, Paxton Hall-Yoshida. 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. Sometimes the casting session is slammed, and you have several actors in the waiting room. 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. 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. There were large party scenes, and large office scenes, and so you had to be very, very careful. And if an actor does the wrong choice and they come in the room, you can easily give them direction and play with it and get them more relaxed and support them. Gohar Gazazyan, Casting Director. Sometimes Clement will become inspired by the actors. So, even though they might be doing under five lines, theyve got to be able to hold their own. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. RS: A lot of times those small roles are the hardest to cast. If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? Sherry Thomas: Yeah. 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. Its also a thriller. 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? Liz Feldman, Christina Applegate, Jessica Elbaum, and all of our producers fell in love with working with him and figuring out a complex way to bring him back. Sign up to get must-read entertainment headlines and audition advice delivered to your inbox every weekday. She is a positive, light person, and that carries into her portrayal of [dancer] Gidget. Sometimes our job is basically that of a casting director/producer. ST: The challenge too isnt necessarily one particular role. Instead its all of the supporting players, the day players, because you have to have great actors, the majority of who are in scenes with Christina and Linda. Get to Know the Casting Director: Sherry Thomas Cat Elliott August 2, 2022 It's hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas' casting rsum. Craig Fincannon (Location Casting Director) 2010 Nominee Artios Award: Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Series - Drama Breaking Bad (2008) Shared with: Sharon Bialy. What can you tell us about the process of assembling the cast for its long-awaited third season? She is known for Breaking Bad (2008), Barry (2018) and The Handmaid's Tale (2017). The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. She gave so much more than was even on the page [in the role of Mercedes mom], Ingram says. And I write on something next to me, I had Michael Imperioli in my head. But I dont believe she had ever been a series regular before. [Niccos] brilliant, says Hopkins. Survivor Users Leaderboard Coming Soon! Luca was definitely familiar with his music [as Kid Cudi] and loves 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. I think within that the process will change a bit. This interview has been edited and condensed. Even the actor didnt know until that episodes script rolled around. Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. 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. Thats what it is all about. Over the course of my daughters lives my oldest is going to be 12 in September and my youngest is 10 Ive probably forgotten to pick them up from school about 20 times. The second it became Alex, I ran with it, pushed it, said its a way to really enlighten the world. I think actors dont think it happens, and it does. Name one of your favorite television shows and its a sure bet that Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas were the casting directors for at least one of them. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. ST: I think this year is so off kilter. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. AD: The biggest addition of the second season was the character of Michelle, who is played by Natalie Morales. 2023 Oscar Predictions Who Are the Oscar Voters? Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sharon Bialy is known for Rudy (1993), The Handmaid's Tale (2017) and Barry (2018). We had to make sure all of the players were lined up, and from there, it was a lot of immediate yess. Her emotional depth and ability, in the scene, to always find the deepest but most surprising way to play it, is amazing and then to be able to sing on top of it. Thomas called Sweeney wise and mature beyond her years. It was really about getting Devi and her mother cast, as they are the heart of the story, says Greenstein. But it really feels good to be recognized by our peers. She gets it. Im getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it. 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. All of a sudden were like, Guys, shouldnt we make sure he wants to do this? recalls Collin Daniel of the role that was part narrator, part Voice of God, and all affectionate snark. She created a book this big between her read with casting and her read with Bruce, of her story as the character. Bialy, Thomas and Russell Scott are nominated twice this year, for Dead to Me along with Handmaids Tale. Another of their shows, Better Call Saul, now has 11 acting nominations. Aug. 21, 2020 2 PM PT. 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. And it isnt so much that we only do dramas, we love comedies. Shes just perfect. She cites the scenes with Mark Proksch as energy vampire Colin Robinson in his workplace. Sharon Bialy: I mean, I watch the whole thing. What are some self-tape tips that you have? Im just blown away with how Bill can be in a scene, fully connected to it as an actor, even when I know his eye as the director and ear as the writer are simultaneously at work. We were able to find actors like Ericka Kreutz who played Shandys mother, and you had Adora Bricher who played Shandy who is amazing as the dark, dark little girl. Hes daring. These are edited excerpts from that conversation. Sherry Thomas: Fortunately, I feel like everybody did a little bit of research, which was interesting. Casting Networks is a registered trademark of Casting Networks, LLC. Lets try it. John Ennis is a character actor weve known for a long time and he was amazing as the exterminator. You also have to believe that that actor is capable of things you havent seen them do before. We can explain things like tone. It all kind of comes together. I wrote a brief commentary of why there was only one Emily Dodson [mother of kidnapped boy]. RT: I looked for her name before I even looked for ours. Seriously. For the full interview, check out the video below or on YouTube. In the meantime, make your predictions for Best Drama Series below the interview using our easy drag-and-drop menu. Sign up for emails from Casting Networks News. Thats what I did back in 2012 after my second daughter was born. But honestly, I had no idea how well Jane could sing., I knew she could sing because she had been on Broadway, and she just brought such a fun element to the show, says Ulrich of the Gilmore Girls and Parenthood vet, who made her Broadway debut in a 2009 revival of the musical comedy Guys and Dolls; Graham plays Zoeys boss. ST: Not for us particularly. Did you specify that in the breakdowns or did you have to redirect people? The actors dont care that they come in 10 times and didnt get the part, because they know that one time with us they will., Once you have Matthew Rhys, you want to make sure whoever is opposite isnt wiped off the screen, says Bialy of their lead.

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