You really need to find actors who can do all of those things which can be challenging. Like with Colins office mates; they have like one line here and there and Jemaine said, I need them all back. You dont see loyalty like that a lot.. 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 Primetime Emmy Awards. Sharon Bialy: I think theres going to be a hybrid. AD: As our readers can imagine, casting can be a very hands-on role where you are meeting dozens of new people every day. [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. The parameters of that character were a tall order to fill. I dont know if theres a generic answer that fits every person when it comes to managing work/life balance, though. These are edited excerpts from that conversation. 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. Photo Credit: Deanna Baldwin Boyd, courtesy of Sherry Thomas. Speaking with Awards Daily, the 2020 Emmy nominees walked us through the challenges of the second season from chasing down Natalie Morales as the second seasons biggest addition to a number of high-profile cameos. What kind of challenges are there for a show like that where you are three seasons in already? (photo: Mark Seliger/FOX) Welcome to tvDownload's " Ask a Casting Director ," a new series in which we talk to the men and women . Sharon Bialy: Right. Of course she would have a crush on him. Darren was somebody who had this quality that was a little mysterious, obviously very handsome and surprisingly funny., We never really expected there to be a love triangle, because in the pilot Devi and Ben are just so nasty and mean toward each other. Sign up for emails from Casting Networks News. Sometimes the nomination day is like Christmas morning, but this year we completely forgot. We checked in on her, and the challenging part was convincing producers to take a chance on an actor that youre very familiar with but they might not be. But going into the second season, the world knows the show, and we dont have to explain what it is. 2023 Oscar Nominee: Director Santiago Mitre on Why the Message Behind Argentina, 1985 Remains More Relevant Than Ever, 2023 Oscar Nominee Fire of Love: How Editors and Co-Writers Erin CasperandJocelyne Chaput Crafted the Krafft Love Story, Double Oscar Nominee & Producer Shane Boris Talks What Fire of Love & Navalny Have in Common, Inaugural Television Publicity Executives Committee (TPEC) Submissions Are Now Open, Amazons Daisy Jones and the Six is the First Great Limited Series of 2023, Melissa Rauch On Presiding Over a New Night Court Era, 'The Morning Show' Director Mimi Leder on Why Cable is Better for Female Characters. 2006 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. How do you like the way casting is right now? She gets it. In the case of Lawrence Gilliard, that role was. I dont have to deal with traffic or anything like that, but being in the room, I totally miss. 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. New to Casting Networks? I knew him from The Glee Project and I just think he is one of the most extraordinary talents around. 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. So, I knew Id have a paycheck once I arrived and took my two weeks vacation to make the trip over and get settled. I mean, I was still completely nervous, but I felt more comfortable in that sort of nervousness. There were large party scenes, and large office scenes, and so you had to be very, very careful. 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. Luckily he did. The cast of Gotham. 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. How did you guys bring her on? We are very passionate about not pigeonholing actors. And, Id imagine, completely challenging. And also, it was shot in LA, in Los Angeles, so everything is large and on a big scale. She was shooting a movie here in LA. I think she had auditioned for Rocky Horror Picture Show several years before, so I knew she could sing. We were like, Wait, did we just see somebody who literally has zero acting experience and was that great? says Brett Greenstein. Alice Lee was just a discovery. And I think were all waiting for the moment in time where we can be together again, for sure. And my sister has had her own salon for about 35 years now its called the Hairspace Salon in Easthampton, Massachusetts. By Vinnie Mancuso 12/30/15 10:00am. But Id love to work with her, so let me just say shed be my choice. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys I appreciate that insight into collaborating with such a talented multi-hyphenate. Liz Feldman has a great knowledge of actors and comedic actors. 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. And I write on something next to me, I had Michael Imperioli in my head. 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. Once the lead was in place, the other puzzle pieces of this ethnically and neuro-diverse cast started to land. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. Sherry Thomas: Fortunately, I feel like everybody did a little bit of research, which was interesting. Thats why you guys are so successful and all the shows you do, which are fantastic. 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. It was really sort of a meeting of the minds and people coming together on the choices. One of their latest shows, the wonderful The Shrink Next Door, just finished its run on Apple+ and the pair took some time out of their busy schedule to talk about casting the show, their thoughts and advice on self-tapes and much more! 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. The second it became Alex, I ran with it, pushed it, said its a way to really enlighten the world. So, I got that part covered. Its an amazing collaboration, and the work is very gratifying and just so much fun. She created a book this big between her read with casting and her read with Bruce, of her story as the character. Get ready with our TV viewers guide, Damon Lindelof] is pretty specific about what he wants, The Buzzmeter: Our experts predict the 2020 Emmy winners - and so can you, The secret to What We Do in the Shadows success? Toothpicks and blue jeans. 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. Being in the room with actors is so exciting, especially when youre discovering talent. That was a really nice way to come back into the second season. 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. 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. AD: What character in the second season proved to be the most challenging? That makes sense. And people. , Keller says, They said they wanted boring. Like if you were to go to a town meeting to talk about zoning.. So, I didnt necessarily find casting it found me. Sherry Thomas: Yeah. You always want to work with people who inspire you and who you can learn from, and Bill is one of those people. Its also a thriller. WEBN Reporter Ali Inglese sat down with "Breaking Bad" Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas. I brought in this guy from New York, hes actually a playwright, his name is Jeremy O. Harris. Luca was definitely familiar with his music [as Kid Cudi] and loves it. And Peter [Gallagher, as Maggies husband, Mitch] obviously had been on Broadway. 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. You really want to buy into that environment. RT: I looked for her name before I even looked for ours. 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. 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. RT: Can we just put Rhea Seehorn in here? And thats part of our job is to continue education. 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. Thats why the character [club owner Uncle Clifford] is so exciting and real because Nicco is willing to take those risks., Shannon [as dancer Keyshawn] is shockingly gorgeous. She came in and was so natural, so funny. 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 . Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. 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. 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. When Breaking Bad started, we really rebelled and kept looking for stand-up actors. 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. Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors. While eager to gather a diverse troupe for Mindy Kaling and Lang Fishers series, casting directors Collin Daniel and Brett Greenstein quickly realized that until they had nailed down their series leads, there was no ensemble to assemble. Sherry Thomas (I) Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sherry Thomas was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. I forgot to mention Casey Wilson. Keep reading for a window into everything from how she works including her Emmy-nominated casting of Barrys third season to what shed be doing if her chosen profession werent an option. 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 That is such a skill, and one I wish I had. She even officiated when my husband and I were married. All of the shows we do from The Walking Dead to Better Call Saul to The Righteous Gemstones are all over the country. 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. And I think that people know her in one lane and it was very exciting. 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. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? It might help for other projects more so than this, just to get a sense of it when youre in the room with us. It felt like he was going to be her enemy the whole time, Greenstein says of Lewisons character, Ben Gross. Wiley plays the rebellious Moira on Handmaids and has one Emmy win in three nominations for the role. 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. He was a great audition, for sure, but he also really interested Luca as a person. It has all come down to this, friends. 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. 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. We really needed someone for that role who would be able to come in and immediately keep up with Linda, Christina, and James who had already gelled. But in a series that tonally feels more like an independent feature, not just any teenagers would do. 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. I was doing a virtual Pilates class when I got a text from Christina that said, Congrats lady! Im not just saying that because hes my boss Im saying that because Ive had the privilege of watching the dailies [raw, unedited footage shot during a filming day] for Barry and have gotten to see his work from all angles. They have to be funny and in the moment with so few lines, and that is such a hard thing to do. 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? I feel like I get him. Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sharon Bialy is known for Rudy (1993), The Handmaid's Tale (2017) and Barry (2018). Even the actor didnt know until that episodes script rolled around. But filling the role of a Sherman Oaks-grown teenager of South Asian heritage proved harder than expected. 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. Bruce and Lizzie were thrilled with him. We also share information about your use of our website with our social media and web analytics partners. 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. Affiliate links provides compensation to Daily Actor which helps us remain online, giving you the resources and information actors like you are looking for. At that point, I feel like Ive got it I know who the character is. You guys cast this while everything was locked down. 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. Specialties: Catastrophe Modeling<br>Portfolio Management<br>Reinsurance Pricing | Learn more about Sherry Thomas's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn My wife is my reader and shes terrible. Its interesting, because I think what happens to actors often happens to casting directors, Bialy explained. We needed him to feel younger than the other boys, other than Jack. Sherry Thomas: They called him, pitched him and Sharon says, huh. Look, I think Bill Hader is in a category all his own. Sherry Thomas: Yep. AD: This wasnt your only nomination this year. What can you tell us about the process of assembling the cast for its long-awaited third season? And so, were sitting in the session, and he walks in and everybody says, hi. Hes a wonderful actor. 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. 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 . Good lighting is typical, and shooting from the right angle, and just be yourself in the slate. Thank God. 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. Theyre opposite sides of a coin., Skyler has an exuberance that is hard to describe, Ingram says. When we got the initial call we looked at each other, and were like Isnt he dead? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The 2020 Emmys are closer than you think. Often times we are reading more people for those roles than anything else. Its hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas casting rsum. And when they feel that support, they just blossom right in front of the camera. 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. 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. Casting Director. I think Chris Meloni brought so much value to that role. And then there were some people that we redirected and from the day players up to our more significant roles that were prominent in the piece. Jonathans secretary. So, I love self-tapes. Were just gonna shove everybody out of the way! Once I opened that door, though, there was no going back. She read the whole book in like 48 hours. It was the biggest casting search weve ever done in our career, says Daniel. 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. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. ST: I think this year is so off kilter. After a 2007 surgery that required general anesthesia, Steenburgen, who plays Zoeys mother, Maggie, began hearing original music in her head. For the full interview, check out the video below or on YouTube. 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.. It is how we really modulate a performance. The others laugh a little. In 1975 she joined MGM as an executive story editor. Do you think you guys will rely on that still? Im pretty sure Im the loudest, so I think whoevers the loudest wins, joked Thomas. Join Facebook to connect with Sherry Thomas Lane and others you may know. 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. So, even though they might be doing under five lines, theyve got to be able to hold their own. And, speaking from first hand experience, they are the best people to audition for. With larger roles, you have time to build an arc, but with something so small, the challenge is how to make it memorable. gofund.me/2fffe14f Posts Reels Videos Tagged Search Log In Sign Up 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. You can see a number of actors for an audition before that one person comes in, and everything just clicks. AD: Im sure you cant say anything about the final season, but Im curious if you have a dream guest actor that you think would fit perfectly into the world of the show? The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. Lets try it. 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. Sorry I had to jump in because he is very humble! Yahya took a leap of faith. 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. As continuing shows, all three series have established universes and tones, says Thomas. I wrote a brief commentary of why there was only one Emily Dodson [mother of kidnapped boy]. When youre chasing after an actor with a name, you need them to trust you.
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