We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. The age had to be appropriate so there would be chemistry with Linda. We knew her, but I wouldnt say that a lot of people knew her, Greenstein adds. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company. 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.. [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. No. 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. One thing I love about casting this show is that its not just a lot of offers. Alice Lee was just a discovery. How did you come to realize that casting was the job for you? Someone was really good when they read for Better Call Saul, a drama, but theres something there. 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. Sherry Lansing - IMDb Kids is the movie that made me recognize that this was something I could do, and the first movie I did on my own as a casting director was a movie called Bully, which was by the same director as Kids [Larry Clark]. You were also nominated for your work on the third season of The Handmaids Tale. ST: The challenge too isnt necessarily one particular role. 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. We were finding choices and some incredible singers, but it just clicked when it became Alex. So, there you have it. If someone made a series about your life story, which actor would you cast to play the role of Sherry Thomas? I appreciate that insight into collaborating with such a talented multi-hyphenate. And he even said, coming in, I dont really know why Im here. Wiley plays the rebellious Moira on Handmaids and has one Emmy win in three nominations for the role. Casting a Casting Director: How Allison Jones Ended Up in Front of the Matthew Dodsons father is not a role he typically plays. Jonathan [Masons employer], was the first one. ST: Not for us particularly. Type above and press Enter to search. We always want to be readily available to talk as they prepare their tapes so that there is that sense that weve been in the room with them. 2023 Gold Derby Media, LLC. Gohar Gazazyan, Casting Director. Okay. I have no history with her. I think within that the process will change a bit. Hes like 6-foot-5, hes got this huge fro. [Tim] talks about the spirit and the soul of the actor marrying with the spirit and the soul of the character, says Thomas. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. 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. Backstage provides its members with the best tools to grow their careers in the performing arts. I mean, that had to have been completely It was all brand new. Sharon Bialy: I think thats a really good note. Awards. It was fun to be able to draw on somebody that I had thought was so talented for so long.. 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. 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. Twitter Icon Oftentimes you have to stay on your leading guy because other actors cant hold [their own]., The challenge is getting that first person of well-known stature to say yes, then you build from there, says Thomas. I had the highest hopes and no idea that he could sing as well as he could sing. When youre chasing after an actor with a name, you need them to trust you. Sharon Bialy: I mean, I watch the whole thing. [Tatiana is] someone we really believed in and highly recommended to Tim and the producers., [Gayle was] the only one who read, Thomas says. But if you feel like you want to give it a shot. And our associate, Alyssa Morris, did the same with the smaller roles. And thats exciting when were able to do that. The others laugh a little. 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. Mercedes is the one who draws all the crowds into The Pynk, so you have to have someone that has this magnetism about them., Oh, what can you say? She has been nominated for eight Emmys (The Handmaid's Tale, Barry, Breaking Bad) and 19 CSA nominations. Shes fantastic. Your email address will not be published. That is such a skill, and one I wish I had. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. What kind of challenges are there for a show like that where you are three seasons in already? But going into the second season, the world knows the show, and we dont have to explain what it is. 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? Sharon Bialy: I think actors often think, Oh, they only think of me for this. Its really wonderful to see that. 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. And it isnt so much that we only do dramas, we love comedies. It might help for other projects more so than this, just to get a sense of it when youre in the room with us. And from there, we would have further discussion or conversation. And so, were sitting in the session, and he walks in and everybody says, hi. Hes a wonderful actor. 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. RT: Can we just put Rhea Seehorn in here? And my sister has had her own salon for about 35 years now its called the Hairspace Salon in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Thomas called Sweeney wise and mature beyond her years. We were really happy with the outcome of that! Sherry Thomas retweeted. She gets it. 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 Heres what to know, From Chris Rock to the SAG Awards. Top Gun: Maverick, Banshees of Inisherin, All Quiet on the Western Front Win at MPSE. NORTHAMPTON When she was growing up in Florence, Sherry Thomas Sorry I had to jump in because he is very humble! Weve always requested self-tapes and explored actors from all over the world. That openheartedness that Gidget needed to have, Skyler innately has., J. 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. Q&A with casting directors from several Apple TV+ series; Lucinda Syson (Foundation), Theo Park (Ted Lasso) and Sherry Thomas and Sharon Bialy (The Shrink Next Door). We are very passionate about not pigeonholing actors. To say I was enthused was another thing. At the time, there wasnt really a choice you had to prove yourself at work by being at your desk. He is so wonderful. 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Yahya took a leap of faith. In the case of Lawrence Gilliard, that role was. And, speaking from first hand experience, they are the best people to audition for. Required fields are marked *. 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. Seriously. And sometimes the sides are fake. Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas Explain The Art of Casting 2023 Oscar Predictions Who Are the Oscar Voters? She even officiated when my husband and I were married. In a COVID and post-COVID world do you think youre job will permanently change? 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. Did it make your job easier or was it challenging having actors come in with a preconceived notion of what the show should be? Women of that level and age arent coming in to read at that point in their careers, so we kept combing through this huge list. At that point, I feel like Ive got it I know who the character is. Toothpicks and blue jeans. I knew him from The Glee Project and I just think he is one of the most extraordinary talents around. Sherry Thomas: They called him, pitched him and Sharon says, huh. Sharon Bialy & Sherry Thomas Q&A: 'Breaking Bad' casting So, theres time to do a little bit of research and we tried to educate people as much as possible that this was based on the podcast based on a true story. After a 2007 surgery that required general anesthesia, Steenburgen, who plays Zoeys mother, Maggie, began hearing original music in her head. Co-Owner Bialy Thomas & Assoc. Were just gonna shove everybody out of the way! 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. So, you give each actor more of an opportunity to really get the role in some ways. [Laughs] I love them, as well as my husband, and we all have fun together. Awards Daily: What was it like jumping back into Dead to Me after the first season became such a breakout hit? Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Sherry Thomas: Yeah. The second it became Alex, I ran with it, pushed it, said its a way to really enlighten the world. We put out the offer, and he was on board. 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. Thats a fantastic pick! Sign up to get must-read entertainment headlines and audition advice delivered to your inbox every weekday. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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? She gave so much more than was even on the page [in the role of Mercedes mom], Ingram says. It feels like thats not as much of a requirement anymore, though, and I want to help fully facilitate that change for the next generation of women. Sherry Thomas is represented by the brilliant Kristin Nelson of . For Season 2 of Handmaids, we were surprised with Sydney Sweeney [as Eden]. 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 . Its about finding complex and compelling actors that can bring nuance even to comedy. All of the shows we do from The Walking Dead to Better Call Saul to The Righteous Gemstones are all over the country. Thomas adds that they sometimes develop relationships with actors, calling them in time and again for reads. From Thomas passion for her work to her passion for her family, this has been a candid look into the person behind all the casting credits. My wife is my reader and shes terrible. 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. And I think you can do that because you have more time, youre at home. Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors. Listen, come to my office and Ill do your hair youll be fine. How did you end up finding her for the role? 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! Samira Wiley plays Moira in The Handmaids Tale, a performance that has brought her a third supporting actress Emmy nomination. Russell Scott: The show is a comedy, but tonally it is pretty tricky because its also a mystery. ST: I mean I cant even Its ridiculous. At some point Sherry suggested Katey Sagal. TV casting directors receiving multiple nominations include Alexa L. Fogel (The Politician, . 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. Sharon Bialy: I think theres going to be a hybrid. It was really sort of a meeting of the minds and people coming together on the choices. It was a surprise to us. It felt like he was going to be her enemy the whole time, Greenstein says of Lewisons character, Ben Gross. AD: The second season also featured two major guest stars in Frances Conroy and Katey Sagal. I hope she never sees us. Thats me, Thomas says. Our job is to hopefully bring her people that she doesnt know yet. And then they would audition and then we would present the people that we really felt were the most right for it. 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. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Thomas says of the then-not-so-well-known Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, I kind of always knew Yahya was it. This weekend, we'll hear from three more guilds: the ACE (Eddie Awards), the ASC, and the WGA. RS: A lot of times those small roles are the hardest to cast. Sherry Thomas: Good reader whos not too close to the camera and not trying to audition for themselves. Sherry Thomas Lane (@sherrythomaslane) - Instagram 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? It is one of our most rewarding jobs., [John McEnroe] was in the original script, and I remember nobody was dealing with it. Quickly send your headshot and resume to hundreds of casting directors, agents, and managers. Sharon Bialy: What a nice way to start the day. Sherry Thomas: Yeah. We had lots of auditions. We didnt want someone who would be instantly recognizable to the world. I was doing a virtual Pilates class when I got a text from Christina that said, Congrats lady! Wow. Bradley Whitford @BradleyWhitford 10 months ago. Shifting gears again, I have a true get-to-know-you question. 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. 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. Every actor that comes in, even if they dont get the job, we keep a lot of notes . Well often write notes like, Remember for BCS because theres a naturalistic approach to the acting on the show; its not showy at all. Hes not afraid to try things. 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. 2006 We had to make sure all of the players were lined up, and from there, it was a lot of immediate yess. I mean, its just, its incredible. 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. 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. Christina Applegate has done amazing dramatic work on the show, but she has largely been known as a comedic actor. Sometimes our job is basically that of a casting director/producer. 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. She is a positive, light person, and that carries into her portrayal of [dancer] Gidget. In person its almost distracting how gorgeous she is, says Ingram. 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. And I also just love her as a person. 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 seems that reboots are a dime a dozen these days. Sharon Bialy is on Instagram 782 posts on their profile After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. WEBN Reporter Ali Inglese sat down with "Breaking Bad" Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas. Finding actors that can understand the unique tone of the show, one that balances gut-wrenching trauma with unexpected comedy, is an intricate task. Jonathans secretary. So, we really didnt do any producer sessions over Zoom. 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. A naturalistic performance, I think, is what was required in The Shrink Next Door. Aug. 21, 2020 2 PM PT. Instagram Icon Photo Credit: Deanna Baldwin Boyd, courtesy of Sherry Thomas. She created a book this big between her read with casting and her read with Bruce, of her story as the character. 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. Theres a lot of complexity to the role and we needed someone funny. 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. 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 . He put himself on tape, and Tim really responded to his audition [for the beat-cop role].. If its somebody who were like, Ive never seen them audition for us before. When you work in television and when you work with really great material, you do get excited for this time of year. So weve always cast in a broad, worldly way. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. But in a series that tonally feels more like an independent feature, not just any teenagers would do. They have to be funny and in the moment with so few lines, and that is such a hard thing to do. 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. Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sharon Bialy is known for Rudy (1993), The Handmaid's Tale (2017) and Barry (2018). AD: What character in the second season proved to be the most challenging? The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. I dont want to make it sound so righteous, but I think it was just a good, interesting, and different way to go. 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 .