It is one of our most rewarding jobs., [John McEnroe] was in the original script, and I remember nobody was dealing with it. Jonathans secretary. We knew her, but I wouldnt say that a lot of people knew her, Greenstein adds. But, just like any other season, we got the scripts and then talked with [co-creator/star] Bill [Hader] and [co-creator/showrunner] Alec [Berg] to hear what they were identifying within the new characters. I think Chris Meloni brought so much value to that role. 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? 2021 Nominee Primetime Emmy: Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series . Quickly send your headshot and resume to hundreds of casting directors, agents, and managers. Often times we are reading more people for those roles than anything else. But Id love to work with her, so let me just say shed be my choice. Our approach to that is a direct line of communication. 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. Bialy says, For Better Call Saul, we have an inside joke in the office that theyre a Vince-Peter type of an actor [co-showrunners Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould]. 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. He doesnt necessarily work with people twice in a row, so we didnt immediately go to Regina, says Thomas.
Contact | Sherry Thomas Bradley Whitford @BradleyWhitford 10 months ago. She is known for Breaking Bad (2008), Barry (2018) and The Handmaid's Tale (2017). 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. 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. 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]. AD: Except for Emmy voters for whatever frustrating reason. We needed him to feel younger than the other boys, other than Jack. In a COVID and post-COVID world do you think youre job will permanently change? I dont have to deal with traffic or anything like that, but being in the room, I totally miss. Id actually liken it to the audition process. 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. It was really sort of a meeting of the minds and people coming together on the choices. Shes just perfect. I really hope the industry is changing to be better in that area, especially for women who want to work and also be moms. I can tell you that after 22 years of covering the Oscars that they are mostly meaningless. 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. Luckily he did. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys So, we really didnt do any producer sessions over Zoom. It has all come down to this, friends. Daisy Jones & the Six becomes the first fictional band to hit No. But I dont think that it is ever more important than having the right person. Of course, the greatest discovery of this musical comedy is its lead, Jane Levy, best known to viewers for her comedic skills on the ABC series Suburgatory. And from there, we would have further discussion or conversation. Listen, come to my office and Ill do your hair youll be fine. 2006 Robin Bartlett, we have cast many times and she is, kind of in my brain, there was nobody else for it. Sherry Thomas: But everybody was generous and kind. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Your email address will not be published. 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 . 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. Russell Scott: The show is a comedy, but tonally it is pretty tricky because its also a mystery. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.
Members | The Casting Society of America You do a dark show and they go, lets get the girls to do the dark show. And our associate, Alyssa Morris, did the same with the smaller roles. [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. It was fun to be able to draw on somebody that I had thought was so talented for so long.. 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). 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. Five seasoned entertainment journalists predict the shows and performances the Television Academy will honor with Emmys; do you agree with their picks?
Weve been able to give multiple women over a certain age really complex material. But it really feels good to be recognized by our peers. When we started out, I was her associate for about two years, and then we became partners. [Niccos] brilliant, says Hopkins.
Sharon Bialy - IMDb For Lady Sherlock series publicity inquiries (media coverage, review copies, and interviews), please contact Tara O'Connor at Penguin Random House But not even Thomas and Lewis knew who the character, a nice guy married to Regina Kings vigilante character, would later be revealed to be. Hes being very humble right now, but it took a lot of strategizing and basically producing. Sharon Bialy: What a nice way to start the day. Sherry Thomas: I think it is a little bit of both. She even officiated when my husband and I were married. Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sharon Bialy is known for Rudy (1993), The Handmaid's Tale (2017) and Barry (2018). He once told me, Youre weird too. . The Cherry Lane Theatre is the oldest continuously running off-Broadway theater in New York City. Elaine Doremus. As a freelance writer for me at Modern Luxury, NS magazine, Sherry pitched and wrote creative . Russell Scott, Casting Director. 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. Sharon Bialy: I mean, I watch the whole thing. #LucindaSyson #TheoPark #SherryThomas SharonBialy #CastingDirectorsQ&A with casting directors from several Apple TV+ series; Lucinda Syson (Foundation), Theo. AD: What character in the second season proved to be the most challenging? Good lighting is typical, and shooting from the right angle, and just be yourself in the slate. 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. Two different ways? So, I get an idea for the cadence and tone of the role, which I add to what I already have about it on paper. 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. So find somebody who really is going to, give you a little bit of something to play off of, but not try to sort of make it about them, because thats not what theyre there for. As an art form, acting is often viewed as a personal endeavor.
How to Get Cast on a TV Series via Self-Tape | Backstage And I think were all waiting for the moment in time where we can be together again, for sure. Three if theres one in there that you just want to give it a shot. 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. 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. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming. Okay. Someone was really good when they read for Better Call Saul, a drama, but theres something there. 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. We can be a force of nature in our career and still want to spend more than an hour and a half with our newborn baby. I mean, its just, its incredible. A lot have to be able to do comedy, drama, all of it.. 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. So, you have to just be mindful of the process or the questions and anticipate what theyre going to ask, the producers or the director. Type above and press Enter to search. Sometimes Clement will become inspired by the actors. 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. We were so touched that people were really moved by the show and actually watched it. 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. Weve been bringing him in and casting him for some time, so he was somebody right from the start. We really relied on people that we have cultivated relationships with over a period of time as casting directors do. 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.. I didnt know anyone here, but was a manager at The Gap at the time and got transferred to an LA location of the store. 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. I knew him from The Glee Project and I just think he is one of the most extraordinary talents around. Pros from five of the years newest dramas and comedies including 'Perry Mason' and 'We Are Who We Are' also reveal the surprising obstacles they hurdled before production began. 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. I get on the phone with agents, and the casting process goes on from there. 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. ST: Not for us particularly. Primetime Emmy Awards. We dont get the opportunity to give immediate feedback and really do the other part of our title which is direct. As continuing shows, all three series have established universes and tones, says Thomas. Then he was totally game to be in the last episode in front of the camera., After co-creator and executive producer Mindy Kaling tweeted an open casting call for series lead Devi Vishwakumar, the casting directors discovered newcomer Ramakrishnan. Its not recent, but it is really funny. Thomas says, His agent called me: Oh my God, Vicky, we just learned who he was! and they screamed. But who to play the enigmatic Dr. Manhattan? When you guys watch a self-tape, how long do you spend on it until you move on. Casting director Sherry Thomas (The Righteous Gemstones, Better Call Saul) explains if she has any tells when auditioning actors and how she wants them to fe. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. New to Casting Networks? 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 What kind of challenges are there for a show like that where you are three seasons in already? Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. 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. Its when I really first started, when I was having a lot of autonomy with Sharon. John Ennis is a character actor weve known for a long time and he was amazing as the exterminator. 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. ST: Russell worked very, very hard on that. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. And thats exciting when were able to do that. But Cornell Womack, hes a pro, we know him. So, there you have it. Sharon Bialy: Sometimes well know somebody really well and have them read and literally in two lines, Im like, thats it, shes the one. And I said, Yeah, I think its going to be really cool and really interesting. 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. In Season 1, says Keller, Harvey Guilln, who costars as Guillermo, familiar to one of the vampires, starts talking to this other familiar at a party, and it was a very nondescript part. Im pretty sure Im the loudest, so I think whoevers the loudest wins, joked Thomas. She gave so much more than was even on the page [in the role of Mercedes mom], Ingram says. Awards. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. And at that time, there were not vaccination mandates in place. After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. There was somebody we just couldnt hire recently that is absolutely not known for comedy. One thing I love about casting this show is that its not just a lot of offers. 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. We started talking with her agent, and they basically said to make sure this was the direction we wanted to go in because if Katey found out she would certainly want to do it. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. I mean, that had to have been completely It was all brand new. Thats how we kept bringing up Natalie Morales. Awards Daily: What was it like jumping back into Dead to Me after the first season became such a breakout hit? She had to go to some places and the work was beautiful. Sauls Rhea Seehorn was one they called in many times before she booked the key Kim Wexler role. And he even was like, Im not right for this, but Im here. Affiliate links provides compensation to Daily Actor which helps us remain online, giving you the resources and information actors like you are looking for. Thomas adds that they sometimes develop relationships with actors, calling them in time and again for reads. 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. It has this sense of urgency that I love and the tangible aspect of running a business, but then theres also the creative side of it. It was a surprise to us. We are very passionate about not pigeonholing actors. Its hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas casting rsum. One of the limited series biggest secrets spoiler alert: If you havent seen Watchmen, skip down several paragraphs was that perhaps the most iconic character from the comic would indeed appear in the show, set years after the source material.
Sherry Thomas - Managing Director, Global Strategic Advisory - Guy She came in for Mo [Zoeys neighbor, played by gender-fluid actor Alex Newell], and everybody remembered her when we were casting [Zoeys sister-in-law] Emily, says Ulrich. We were like, Wait, did we just see somebody who literally has zero acting experience and was that great? says Brett Greenstein. RS: We worked through a lot of hard work and cooperation between our production and the movie because she is someone who really understood the tone of the show. I forgot to mention Casey Wilson. No. The process when we started of course is making lists. Its definitely a world that were extremely interested in.. 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. We also share information about your use of our website with our social media and web analytics partners. 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 was doing a virtual Pilates class when I got a text from Christina that said, Congrats lady! I brought in this guy from New York, hes actually a playwright, his name is Jeremy O. Harris. 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. We have been very lucky on this show. The Envelope spoke with some of TVs top casting directors about their part in helping stories get told and actors get Emmy nominated. 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. If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? 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 . Sharon and I have been business partners for 25 years, and were very inserted in each others lives at this point. We rely so heavily on the loudness, and the shoutiness, and the calling out ideas and really kind of collaborating in that way. And I also just love her as a person. My mom passed away when I was young, but she used to be a very successful hairdresser back east.
Sherry Thomas - IMDb I think a lot of people have made that shift in their mentality. This interview has been edited and condensed. I dont know if theres a generic answer that fits every person when it comes to managing work/life balance, though. Required fields are marked *. But what the self-taping does is give so many more people opportunities because we can see 25 actors for a role. 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. When youre chasing after an actor with a name, you need them to trust you. This weekend, we'll hear from three more guilds: the ACE (Eddie Awards), the ASC, and the WGA.
Interview: Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas on 'The 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. The Shield was my favorite show at the time, and its still in my top five. The driving force was that this world felt real, [that] we could see these people living here, Ingram says. But filling the role of a Sherman Oaks-grown teenager of South Asian heritage proved harder than expected. 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. We can explain things like tone. 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. I appreciate that insight into collaborating with such a talented multi-hyphenate. I get told all the time that I remind people of Melissa McCarthy. Jeremy O. Harris was cast in a small role in FXs What We Do in the Shadows. Co-showrunner Jemaine Clement then wrote an episode just for him. Its just a wonderful place to be to be able to cast these amazing actresses from Frances Conroy to Katey Sagal to Valerie Mahaffey. 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. 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 . "I've known and worked with Sherry in different capacities over the past 7 years.
NORTHAMPTON When she was growing up in Florence, Sherry Thomas In some hypothetical situation in which you had to choose a different career, what would your profession be? Hes not afraid to try things. Oscars 2023: Just How Many Oscars Will Everything, Everywhere All at Once Win? I remember going in for you guys a couple times and unlike a lot of rooms, you guys made it so comfortable, and it was just so warm. 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. Im fully vaxed. Boom.
Sherry Lansing - Biography - IMDb In the case of Lawrence Gilliard, that role was. We had to make sure all of the players were lined up, and from there, it was a lot of immediate yess. Even the actor didnt know until that episodes script rolled around. Well, Russell was able to work with production to make it happen, adds Thomas. Its interesting, because I think what happens to actors often happens to casting directors, Bialy explained. Its a natural human thing to think of somebody in one way. And so, were sitting in the session, and he walks in and everybody says, hi. Hes a wonderful actor. Sometimes the casting session is slammed, and you have several actors in the waiting room. Natalie [Morales] was someone [showrunner Liz Feldman] had in mind from the beginning, but she was working on a movie. He is so wonderful. 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. Instagram Icon And were really fing funny! 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. He put himself on tape, and Tim really responded to his audition [for the beat-cop role].. So, even though they might be doing under five lines, theyve got to be able to hold their own.