I dont think it took an hour for every creative to say, Shes perfect. , The most exciting thing is taking that actor everybody sees one way and flipping expectations, Bialy says. You really want to buy into that environment. Sherry Thomas: If a reader is really distracting, its not about the reader, its about the actor. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. Our job is to hopefully bring her people that she doesnt know yet. 14.1k Followers, 269 Following, 782 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sharon Bialy (@sharonbialy) He goes right to the edge, and it works. 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. He put himself on tape, and Tim really responded to his audition [for the beat-cop role].. Livin' the dream. 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. Thats what it is all about. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The 2020 Emmys are closer than you think. When you guys watch a self-tape, how long do you spend on it until you move on. Im always thrilled when stunt casting works, because people immediately feel a sense of connection by knowing somebody from the past, he says. Sherry Thomas: Yeah, it was. Sherry Thomas - Managing Director, Global Strategic Advisory - Guy We are very, very excited for season three. The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. That was a really nice way to come back into the second season. 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. AD: Except for Emmy voters for whatever frustrating reason. I recently got a perm, Sherry, and its been a real challenge. Now, here comes my favorite question to ask, Sherry. 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. 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. Samira Wiley plays Moira in The Handmaids Tale, a performance that has brought her a third supporting actress Emmy nomination. Weve always requested self-tapes and explored actors from all over the world. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys Interview: Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas on 'The For Austin Winsbergs musical extravaganza, Ulrich was asked to put together a cast that could sing, dance and pretend none of it is really happening. 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 . Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. 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. I would own my own version of a Drybar. We ultimately will probably only send one take, unless were really questioning We dont edit it ourselves too much sometimes because the producers could come back and say, You know, theyre missing a moment, and thats exactly what was in the other take. When Breaking Bad started, we really rebelled and kept looking for stand-up actors. Get to Know the Casting Director: Sherry Thomas Sherry Thomas: Yeah. Its all so seamless, though, that you cant see any of those divisions in his performance. Hes daring. The bar has been set and we set it for ourselves as creative people with high standards. 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? 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. Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. Robin Bartlett, we have cast many times and she is, kind of in my brain, there was nobody else for it. Its about finding complex and compelling actors that can bring nuance even to comedy. 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. These casting directors pull back the curtain on the process Get to Know the Casting Director: Sherry Thomas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. 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. Those things are leaps of faith, right? 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. 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. Sherry Thomas - Director of Creative Services - LinkedIn All rights reserved. So, I was working with Shawn Ryan and Sharon was working with David Mamet, I mean, it was like a big deal. 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 each role with director and executive producer Timothy Van Patten. Kay says, I met with [showrunners Jemaine Clement and Paul Simms] in the beginning, and they were like, You know, just bring us good faces. Bialy/Thomas & Associates - Casting Director | Backstage We were really happy with the outcome of that! You do a dark show and they go, lets get the girls to do the dark show. 2006 Was that hard at all? 2023 Gold Derby Media, LLC. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. Thomas called Sweeney wise and mature beyond her years. Its going to be hard for us because we love to be in the room with them. Shifting gears again, I have a true get-to-know-you question. Thats what I did back in 2012 after my second daughter was born. She works constantly in New York, but she was this undiscovered gem to the rest of the world, and now everybody knows who she is., To populate Luca Guadagninos vision of an American Army base in coastal Italy, casting director Carmen Cuba knew she had to build her cast out from the kids at the center of the story. I think Chris Meloni brought so much value to that role. Im getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming. For Season 2 of Handmaids, we were surprised with Sydney Sweeney [as Eden]. Instagram Icon Shes just someone Ive been watching. Mindy did, probably, because she had her on The Mindy Project. Im fully vaxed. Boom. I think Mindy had said she ran into him at a Vanity Fair party and said something to him. Even the actor didnt know until that episodes script rolled around. So now, if I leave at one oclock today [at time of interview] to go pick up my kids from camp, its OK. She read the whole book in like 48 hours. We had to make sure all of the players were lined up, and from there, it was a lot of immediate yess. You might look at the character of Lil Murda and think you know this person, but you dont. Its an amazing collaboration, and the work is very gratifying and just so much fun. AppleTV+ Casting Director Panel with Lucinda Syson, Theo Park, Sherry Yahya took a leap of faith. With larger roles, you have time to build an arc, but with something so small, the challenge is how to make it memorable. We were able to find actors like Ericka Kreutz who played Shandys mother, and you had Adora Bricher who played Shandy who is amazing as the dark, dark little girl. It might help for other projects more so than this, just to get a sense of it when youre in the room with us. 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. I think we all miss being in the room with actors and I think a lot of the actors miss it as well, because theres something that you just get from being in the room with someone and the ability to play. Sherry Thomas, Casting Director. Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas Explain The Art of Casting 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 . Sherry Thomas: Yeah. 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.. 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. We had lots of auditions. RS: We went through that entire process and read a lot of people. We really kind of leave it up to the actor. Defying past portrayals of female friendship on television, Dead To Me enamoredaudiences with its unexpected casting choices of Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. ST: It is a challenge when there are so many components beyond Are they a great actor? and Are they right for the part? The age had to be right so that it felt right appropriate for Diana. If we cant connect its very hard to do our jobs. For the full interview, check out the video below or on YouTube. But even with such a rsum, the highly sought-after casting director came across as nothing short of a grounded, down-to-earth individual when she sat down with Casting Networks via Zoom. 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.. But oddly enough, on this show, because on others, we have done producer callbacks over Zoom, we didnt do any. I think she had auditioned for Rocky Horror Picture Show several years before, so I knew she could sing. We wanted the fans to believe this, too, like, Oh my God, hes so cute. 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. 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It is one of our most rewarding jobs., [John McEnroe] was in the original script, and I remember nobody was dealing with it. And, speaking from first hand experience, they are the best people to audition for. 2023 Oscar Predictions Who Are the Oscar Voters? The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. And I think you can do that because you have more time, youre at home. And he even was like, Im not right for this, but Im here. Skylar is obviously a name, but hes also just a real standout, an extraordinary singer and actor., Michael Thomas Grant, who plays [rival coworker] Leif, I knew from The Glee Project, says the casting director. Casting Networks acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land throughout Australia. Im in LA. 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. 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. But what the self-taping does is give so many more people opportunities because we can see 25 actors for a role. And were really fing funny! 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. A lot of it is having support. Russell Scott, Casting Director. 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. Sauls Rhea Seehorn was one they called in many times before she booked the key Kim Wexler role. No. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Thats a fantastic pick! This website uses cookies. Liz Feldman has a great knowledge of actors and comedic actors. Id read about her ability, Ulrich says of the Oscar winner, a prolific singer-songwriter. Sometimes Clement will become inspired by the actors. 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. Sherry Thomas Says Casting Directors Are Therapists, Too 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 . For the vampire mockuseries What We Do in the Shadows, nominees Gayle Keller, Jenny Lewis and Sara Kay find themselves looking for actors who dont look like typical actors. We have to experience the duality of his life, and that heartbreak, and the choices he makes., I remember in the audition process, the actors had to say to Mississippi how they could take care of her abusive boyfriend, Ingram recalls.