Russell Scott: The show is a comedy, but tonally it is pretty tricky because its also a mystery. Thats me, Thomas says. He is so wonderful. 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 Gohar Gazazyan, Casting Director. And he even was like, Im not right for this, but Im here. 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. Producer: Indecent Proposal. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. Even the actor didnt know until that episodes script rolled around. ST: I mean I cant even Its ridiculous. We needed him to feel younger than the other boys, other than Jack. Liz Feldman has a great knowledge of actors and comedic actors. My mom passed away when I was young, but she used to be a very successful hairdresser back east. 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. She was kind of in my head when I read it. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. Im pretty sure Im the loudest, so I think whoevers the loudest wins, joked Thomas. We received a lot of calls from agents and managers who loved the show with their clients who would love to be a part of it. 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. Id actually liken it to the audition process. AD: Before we jump into the new characters of the second season, I wanted to talk about the shocking twist at the beginning of the season; the return of James Marsden with a new character. AD: As our readers can imagine, casting can be a very hands-on role where you are meeting dozens of new people every day. 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I knew him from The Glee Project and I just think he is one of the most extraordinary talents around. I wrote a brief commentary of why there was only one Emily Dodson [mother of kidnapped boy]. 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. 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. Sharon Bialy: There are always challenges, but this season there were a couple of roles that caused some particular challenges. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Casting Networks acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land throughout Australia. 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. 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.. Sharon Bialy: Right. And also, it was shot in LA, in Los Angeles, so everything is large and on a big scale. Lets try it. Casting just felt right for me. Sherry Thomas - IMDb Sharon and I have been business partners for 25 years, and were very inserted in each others lives at this point. Sherry Thomas. I can tell you that after 22 years of covering the Oscars that they are mostly meaningless. Get our L.A. The second it became Alex, I ran with it, pushed it, said its a way to really enlighten the world. We had read her for The Handmaids Tale one season, and we had read her for an independent movie that was a really deep and layered character. 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. The theater is located at 38 Commerce Street between Barrow and Bedford Streets in the West Village neighborhood of Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City.The Cherry Lane Theatre contains a 179-seat main stage and a 60-seat studio. Sherry Thomas is represented by the brilliant Kristin Nelson of . So now, if I leave at one oclock today [at time of interview] to go pick up my kids from camp, its OK. Shes fantastic. Those interested in learning more about the stacked list of TV and film titles on her rsum can find them listed on IMDb. You are known for bringing in people who are looked at one way, and then you sort of have given this whole new sort of light, this new career almost to them. Hes coming in this week. . We would give a little context of the tone. It felt like he was going to be her enemy the whole time, Greenstein says of Lewisons character, Ben Gross. Casting Yvonne Strahovskis mother, we needed someone who could be formidable. Its all so seamless, though, that you cant see any of those divisions in his performance. 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. 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. It was the biggest casting search weve ever done in our career, says Daniel. Luca was intrigued [by Alice] and it seemed like a great match. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys 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. 1 on iTunes Charts, Jussie Smollett finally appeals his conviction stemming from 2019 hate-crime hoax, Gayle King surprises Angela Bassett with her Whats Love Got to Do With It dress, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Daisy Jones & the Six review: Riley Keough fronts a rock soap opera, Sweetie Pies alum Tim Norman gets life sentence for planned execution of nephew, Fox News finally reveals its kryptonite: the bottom line, Unlike Andor, Mandalorian is going all in on Star Wars lore. 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. And tonally, youd had to have both here. 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. Do you guys prefer two takes on the self-tape? While leaving no stone unturned in his search for the perfect San Francisco enclave, Ulrich ended up with more than a few recognizable names of both stage and screen in key roles. Back in 2019, Jones played. Bradley Whitford @BradleyWhitford 10 months ago. We really kind of leave it up to the actor. These casting directors pull back the curtain on the process 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. We ended up moving the schedule around a little bit for her through communication with her reps and our production team. Its just a wonderful place to be to be able to cast these amazing actresses from Frances Conroy to Katey Sagal to Valerie Mahaffey. 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. 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. And people. , Keller says, They said they wanted boring. Like if you were to go to a town meeting to talk about zoning.. Production was able to move around a lot of stuff, he says. But what they dont realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might actually be looking straight into the actors souls. Sometimes Clement will become inspired by the actors. But what they don't realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might . If its a co-star role and its one scene, a few lines, two takes. 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. Did you experience a lot of actors who struggled to nail the specific tone and how did you help them get there in the audition room? Once the lead was in place, the other puzzle pieces of this ethnically and neuro-diverse cast started to land. I think in this particular project that Georgia [Pritchetts] writing was incredible, and the tone was on the page, but still it helped. 'Perry Mason' Casting Directors Reveal the Casting - Daily Actor Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas Explain The Art of Casting A naturalistic performance, I think, is what was required in The Shrink Next Door. I have no history with her. There would be years where people would be like, Where did you get all these drug addicts? . In a COVID and post-COVID world do you think youre job will permanently change? Thats what it is all about. We were really happy with the outcome of that! Sherry Lansing. There were large party scenes, and large office scenes, and so you had to be very, very careful. At the time [we started casting], she was working with one of my best friends on What/If, and I was hearing a lot about her and how she would sing karaoke. With larger roles, you have time to build an arc, but with something so small, the challenge is how to make it memorable. Casting Director. 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]. I was doing a virtual Pilates class when I got a text from Christina that said, Congrats lady! 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? We wanted to see her because we were such huge fans from all the things that shes done, especially The Night Of. I think she had auditioned for Rocky Horror Picture Show several years before, so I knew she could sing. And I said, Yeah, I really feel like it could be really cool, and okay, great. I brought in this guy from New York, hes actually a playwright, his name is Jeremy O. Harris. 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. ST: Russell worked very, very hard on that. Oscars 2023 Voting Begins Dear Oscar, Hear My Plea, Why Steven Spielberg Deserves to Win His Third Best Directing Oscar. 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. So, I knew Id have a paycheck once I arrived and took my two weeks vacation to make the trip over and get settled. Once I opened that door, though, there was no going back. We put out the offer, and he was on board. 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 . And from there, we would have further discussion or conversation. In some hypothetical situation in which you had to choose a different career, what would your profession be? Did you specify that in the breakdowns or did you have to redirect people? It all kind of comes together. Elarica leads more with vulnerability, and Brandee leads more with strength. Now in the shows second season, casting directors Sherry Thomas and Russell Scott were tasked with the challenge of expanding on that world and filling out an ensemble that were able to keep up with Applegate and Cardellini. [Showrunner Damon Lindelof] is pretty specific about what he wants, but if he cant really explain it, hell know it when he sees it. Im fully vaxed. Boom. But Cornell Womack, hes a pro, we know him. 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. 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. Press Esc to cancel. Id read about her ability, Ulrich says of the Oscar winner, a prolific singer-songwriter. It is how we really modulate a performance. 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. Although the self Read More, Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. 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. AD: The second season also featured two major guest stars in Frances Conroy and Katey Sagal. Casting directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas, who have worked on "Better Call Saul" and "The Walking Dead," say: "You tell where casting directors are making the effort.