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. 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. ST: We hadnt discussed the idea in general, probably because of the previous relationship with Christina, and we didnt want to pull anybody out of it. Sherry Thomas: Good reader whos not too close to the camera and not trying to audition for themselves. Unsurprisingly, the series' casting directors are Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas, who have each been nominated for seven Emmy Awards for casting. Well, Russell was able to work with production to make it happen, adds Thomas. It's a game A Tale of Two Cities One City: The BAFTA voters chose to give just one award to Everything, Everywhere All 2023 Golden Reel Award Sound Editorial Winners Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing Feature Dialogue / ADR The Banshees of 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme. Wiley plays the rebellious Moira on Handmaids and has one Emmy win in three nominations for the role. Russell Scott: The show is a comedy, but tonally it is pretty tricky because its also a mystery. She needed the right role to be able to show that shes not just someone whos gorgeous, and Mississippi allows her to do that., Elarica [as dancer Autumn Night] has a very openhearted vulnerability that comes forward when you just look in her eyes, says Ingram. She and Bialy relied on their stable of talent from decades in the profession. Do you guys prefer two takes on the self-tape? When youre chasing after an actor with a name, you need them to trust you. And then we pulled from that to go and seek out the right people for the roles. What can you tell us about the process of assembling the cast for its long-awaited third season? AD: One of the reasons the show has become so popular is because of the way it straddles this really thin line between comedy and drama in ways we rarely see on television. Id read about her ability, Ulrich says of the Oscar winner, a prolific singer-songwriter. We got so many emails from agents asking, Where did you find these actors? Everybody was blown away, says Greenstein. We also share information about your use of our website with our social media and web analytics partners. ST: Not for us particularly. He was the heart of the show the first season., Andrew is absolutely hilarious. ST: I dont think any character was as challenging as Natalies. In person its almost distracting how gorgeous she is, says Ingram. RS: With Katey, we wanted someone who is very special because there is a lot to unpack there with Lindas mother being in prison. Our job is to connect with people to bring out the best performance. I brought in this guy from New York, hes actually a playwright, his name is Jeremy O. Harris. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. Required fields are marked *. Luckily he did. 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. Instagram Icon Its really wonderful to see that. So, we really didnt do any producer sessions over Zoom. Legitimately dead? We had no idea that was the plan. I mean, that had to have been completely It was all brand new. 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. Toothpicks and blue jeans. The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. In the case of Lawrence Gilliard, that role was. 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. Thomas called Sweeney wise and mature beyond her years. And so, were sitting in the session, and he walks in and everybody says, hi. Hes a wonderful actor. Oscars 2023: Preview and Predictions + Contest! Its about finding complex and compelling actors that can bring nuance even to comedy. 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. He just had a great rawness and innocence., As Sams older brother Craig, Corey had not had any experience. 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. It sounds like you didnt look back after the job found you. I appreciate that insight into collaborating with such a talented multi-hyphenate. 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. So, I didnt necessarily find casting it found me. Weve read her over the years and have been a fan of hers, says Daniel of the role Moorjani eventually landed, as the cousin who initially inspires envy in Devi. How do you like the way casting is right now? She had a feeling I was going to end up in casting, but I wasnt so sure at the time. 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. And it isnt so much that we only do dramas, we love comedies. 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. Now, here comes my favorite question to ask, Sherry. 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. Its also a thriller. And our associate, Alyssa Morris, did the same with the smaller roles. Often times we are reading more people for those roles than anything else. 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. She came in and was so natural, so funny. Its just a wonderful place to be to be able to cast these amazing actresses from Frances Conroy to Katey Sagal to Valerie Mahaffey. It was the biggest casting search weve ever done in our career, says Daniel. So he was intrigued. [Tatiana is] someone we really believed in and highly recommended to Tim and the producers., [Gayle was] the only one who read, Thomas says. 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. He put himself on tape, and Tim really responded to his audition [for the beat-cop role].. Stacia Kimler, Casting . Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. 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. Its all so seamless, though, that you cant see any of those divisions in his performance. So theres some benefits to both. If you have one weak link, it becomes obvious. According to Ashley Ingram, who also served as casting director on the show, an added challenge of populating the struggling Mississippi Delta strip joint was the desire for authenticity over recognizability. So, even though they might be doing under five lines, theyve got to be able to hold their own. To say I was enthused was another thing. There were large party scenes, and large office scenes, and so you had to be very, very careful. You really need to find actors who can do all of those things which can be challenging. ST: Russell worked very, very hard on that. I hope she never sees us. Thomas says of the then-not-so-well-known Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, I kind of always knew Yahya was it. After a 2007 surgery that required general anesthesia, Steenburgen, who plays Zoeys mother, Maggie, began hearing original music in her head. Lets try it. And sometimes the sides are fake. I think she had auditioned for Rocky Horror Picture Show several years before, so I knew she could sing. One thing I love about casting this show is that its not just a lot of offers. Sometimes the casting session is slammed, and you have several actors in the waiting room. We can explain things like tone. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys 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. Now in the show's 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. It all kind of comes together. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming. Her role in "Barry" came about thanks to its casting director, nine-time Emmy nominee Sherry Thomas, as well as the Hollywood satire's dedication to meta humor. Sherry Thomas: Well, its crazy. Although the self Read More, Your email address will not be published. Everybody knows he is a wonderful actor. 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. Thank God. But going into the second season, the world knows the show, and we dont have to explain what it is. Heres what to know, From Chris Rock to the SAG Awards. Thats how we kept bringing up Natalie Morales. 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. Sharon Bialy: Right. Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. I knew that Mary could sing. And I also just love her as a person. And then when I did it, you kind of jumped up in your chair. For the full interview, check out the video below or on YouTube. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. But Id love to work with her, so let me just say shed be my choice. If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? 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. We rely so heavily on the loudness, and the shoutiness, and the calling out ideas and really kind of collaborating in that way. Did it make your job easier or was it challenging having actors come in with a preconceived notion of what the show should be? They met and he loved him, and that was that., There is no shortage of star wattage in the dark origin story of the legendary defense lawyer, but there is an art to combining such talent. It was really about getting Devi and her mother cast, as they are the heart of the story, says Greenstein. Learn more about how we use cookies. Were in a very different time and our priorities are a little different, but it doesnt take away from the pride of it and the love and passion we have for it. But now that the show has cooked its last batch of blue meth and said goodbye to the Albuquerque sunset, Bialy and Thomas finally heard their names called on nominations morning, along with Kiira Arai, in the Best Drama Casting category. RS: We went through that entire process and read a lot of people. We were really happy with the outcome of that! After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. Oscars 2023 Voting Begins Dear Oscar, Hear My Plea, Why Steven Spielberg Deserves to Win His Third Best Directing Oscar. A naturalistic performance, I think, is what was required in The Shrink Next Door. Shes fantastic. Better Call Saul, were not even allowed to give you anything. Casting Director. 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. We knew her, but I wouldnt say that a lot of people knew her, Greenstein adds. When you read that someone is meant to be beautiful, what does Luca think beautiful is? says Cuba. We had lots of auditions. 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. But what they dont realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might actually be looking straight into the actors souls. And I write on something next to me, I had Michael Imperioli in my head. If someone made a series about your life story, which actor would you cast to play the role of Sherry Thomas? Yahya took a leap of faith. Year Program Casting Network SB: It will change, but we are hoping once this is over to be able to go back to that mixture of in-person and self-tapes. Five seasoned entertainment journalists predict the shows and performances the Television Academy will honor with Emmys; do you agree with their picks? You were also nominated for your work on the third season of The Handmaids Tale. And he even was like, Im not right for this, but Im here. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. We went back to our theatre brains, and Laila Robins is someone I had seen over 25 years ago doing The Real Thing opposite Jeremy Irons. We didnt want someone who would be instantly recognizable to the world. We were trying to find the perfect person that would excite Liz to the point where she would want to continue writing for if the character came back. I feel like I get him. 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. Do you think you guys will rely on that still? I would own my own version of a Drybar. As part of our inaugural BackstageFest, longtime casting directors Theo Park ("Ted Lasso," "Master of None"), Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas ("Perry Mason," "The Comey Rule," "The. And my sister has had her own salon for about 35 years now its called the Hairspace Salon in Easthampton, Massachusetts. And Peter [Gallagher, as Maggies husband, Mitch] obviously had been on Broadway. I get told all the time that I remind people of Melissa McCarthy. John Lithgow, for E.B. Get to Know the Casting Director: Sherry Thomas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. Sherry Thomas: Ive been a longtime fan of Casey. Robin Bartlett, we have cast many times and she is, kind of in my brain, there was nobody else for it. In 1975 she joined MGM as an executive story editor. Elarica leads more with vulnerability, and Brandee leads more with strength. Sharon Bialy: I mean, I watch the whole thing. And I think you can do that because you have more time, youre at home. Part of our journey is the process of learning about the actor, says Bialy. We will never, ever be an office that is strictly self-taped. You can see so many more people for a role, because you can take chances because you dont have to slot people in to 15-minute time periods with the producers. 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. Despite the mega success of Breaking Bad at the Emmys including three acting wins for Bryan Cranston, a pair for Aaron Paul and one for Anna Gunn casting directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas have been mysteriously overlooked by the TV Academy year after year. 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Send it to the producers. Sherry Thomas: Theres an energy. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys 1 win & 41 nominations total Photos Known for Rudy 7.5 Casting Director 1993 The Handmaid's Tale 8.4 As for the ladies favorite guest stars over the years, they bring special attention to Charles Baker (Skinny Pete), Matt Jones (Badger) and Daniel and Luis Moncada (the Cousins), but they admit that Emmy nominee Mark Margolis may be their favorite casting scoop for the show. Once I opened that door, though, there was no going back. She was channeling her own mother, is what she told us. My wife is my reader and shes terrible. And thats part of our job is to continue education. Sherry Thomas. Shes the real deal.. With larger roles, you have time to build an arc, but with something so small, the challenge is how to make it memorable. Actors often think casting directors hardly even pay attention during their auditions. Good lighting is typical, and shooting from the right angle, and just be yourself in the slate. 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. This cast is definitely a combination of people who Luca knew hed have to shepherd along. Of Seamn, whose outwardly confident Caitlin struggles with gender identity, Cuba adds, But its funny, because we thought this going in, and then Jordan turned out to somehow be a savant and know how to do everything, even though shed had no experience., I have auditioned [Scott] over the years for various things. It was really sort of a meeting of the minds and people coming together on the choices. 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. Im pretty sure Im the loudest, so I think whoevers the loudest wins, joked Thomas. The Shield was my favorite show at the time, and its still in my top five. Russell Scott, Casting Director. No. [Laughs] I love them, as well as my husband, and we all have fun together. Quickly send your headshot and resume to hundreds of casting directors, agents, and managers. We talk about what hes looking for, and I like to ask if he has any prototypes dead or alive for the characters. She even officiated when my husband and I were married. Having her name value in that role grounded the whole office., For Skylars role, we auditioned lots and lots of great people, says Ulrich of the co-worker character with romantic potential. 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 Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. If we cant connect its very hard to do our jobs. We really kind of leave it up to the actor. Sign up to get must-read entertainment headlines and audition advice delivered to your inbox every weekday. So, I was working with Shawn Ryan and Sharon was working with David Mamet, I mean, it was like a big deal. And thats exciting when were able to do that. AD: What character in the second season proved to be the most challenging? Sherry Thomas is represented by the brilliant Kristin Nelson of . Sherry Thomas: Fortunately, I feel like everybody did a little bit of research, which was interesting. Sherry Thomas: I think it is a little bit of both. Fuck yeah!. And when they feel that support, they just blossom right in front of the camera. Your email address will not be published. We are very passionate about not pigeonholing actors. ST: I mean I cant even Its ridiculous. [Laughs] Sharon always says that she spends a lot of money to get her hair done for special events like the Emmys, only to ultimately wind up at my house so I can fix it. Its when I really first started, when I was having a lot of autonomy with Sharon. Primetime Emmy Awards. Thomas says, His agent called me: Oh my God, Vicky, we just learned who he was! and they screamed. 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. When you work in television and when you work with really great material, you do get excited for this time of year. All Rights Reserved. So weve always cast in a broad, worldly way. As long as the work doesnt suffer, why cant we also participate in the lives of our kids? Were just gonna shove everybody out of the way! Type above and press Enter to search. You dont have to try to crack jokes and just be yourself. As a casting director, the joy is in discovering talent, says Ulrich. For Season 2 of Handmaids, we were surprised with Sydney Sweeney [as Eden]. Top Gun: Maverick, Banshees of Inisherin, All Quiet on the Western Front Win at MPSE. Its a natural human thing to think of somebody in one way. Gohar Gazazyan, Casting Director. And I think were all waiting for the moment in time where we can be together again, for sure. 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.. THE PHIL SPECTOR BIOPIC (HBO Movie): David Mamet, Writer-Director Barry Levinson, Michael Hausman, Exec Producers Starring: Al Pacino, Helen Mirren, Jeffrey Tambor, Chiwetel Eji of or (HBO) WIDOW DETECTIVE (pilot): Carol Mendelsohn, David Hubbard, Julie Weitz, Davis Guggenheim, Exec Producers Because they're not "pro-life". But in a series that tonally feels more like an independent feature, not just any teenagers would do. But what the self-taping does is give so many more people opportunities because we can see 25 actors for a role. So youll see Breaking Bad is peppered with stand-up guys doing their first drama., Join the fiery discussion of Breaking Bad in our forums, Thomas added, But really what we just love to do is great material and hire really interesting actors. Theres a lot of complexity to the role and we needed someone funny. For Dead to Mes second season, Scott said the main task was finding the new love interest for Linda Cardellinis character. If its somebody who were like, Ive never seen them audition for us before. It was fun to be able to draw on somebody that I had thought was so talented for so long.. Creator Katori Hall made a short film of her intended pilot that featured several castmembers, but the search still encompassed thousands of auditions and extensive chemistry reads. I think we will all be more mindful of that process, but I also dont want to be in a room with an actor with a giant piece of plexiglass between us. 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. Did you specify that in the breakdowns or did you have to redirect people? Production was able to move around a lot of stuff, he says. We wanted the fans to believe this, too, like, Oh my God, hes so cute. We wanted to see her because we were such huge fans from all the things that shes done, especially The Night Of. He was pursuing editing work on the side. Weve been able to give multiple women over a certain age really complex material. Hes like 6-foot-5, hes got this huge fro. A lot have to be able to do comedy, drama, all of it.. As an art form, acting is often viewed as a personal endeavor. Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sharon Bialy is known for Rudy (1993), The Handmaid's Tale (2017) and Barry (2018). 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 may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Sherry Thomas: If a reader is really distracting, its not about the reader, its about the actor. Then there are recent series like Vanessa Bayers I Love That for You and Danny McBrides The Righteous Gemstones. We needed him to feel younger than the other boys, other than Jack. 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. He goes right to the edge, and it works. DEAD TO ME - Sherry Thomas, Russell Scott, Sharon Bialy, Alyssa Morris (Associate) If its a co-star role and its one scene, a few lines, two takes. 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. The external is not whats important to him. The main cast may seem only six actors deep, but to the casting directors, the world was expansive. We discussed a bunch of people [for the role of Caitlins father, an Army lieutenant] and then it just felt natural for Scott and Luca to meet. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. AD: The second season also featured two major guest stars in Frances Conroy and Katey Sagal. 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. And before we wrap, can you share your secret for managing work/life balance? Id imagine that at this point, after collaborating with Hader since the first season of Barry, you all are very familiar with how you work together. I think Mindy had said she ran into him at a Vanity Fair party and said something to him. 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.. 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. Closing out the conversation we were joined by their casting partner Sharon Bialy to discuss their second nomination of the year for their work on The Handmaids Tale. Sharon Bialy: Also, because sometimes youre only getting a couple of pages, so you have to guess and when youre in the room, we can give you context. I grew up thinking that acting was going to be my path in life, so when I was 22, I packed up my car and drove cross-country to LA with just 150 bucks in my pocket. Sign up for emails from Casting Networks News.
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