Weve been able to give multiple women over a certain age really complex material. But if it is a more substantial role with several scenes, two is fine to send to us. 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. He is fantastic. Defying past portrayals of female friendship on television, Dead To Me enamoredaudiences with its unexpected casting choices of Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. You can see a number of actors for an audition before that one person comes in, and everything just clicks. AD: What character in the second season proved to be the most challenging? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Her role in "Barry" came about thanks to its casting director, nine-time Emmy nominee Sherry Thomas, as well as the Hollywood satire's dedication to meta humor. Its all so seamless, though, that you cant see any of those divisions in his performance. 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. He fell in love with doing the show. It sounds like you didnt look back after the job found you. We are very, very excited for season three. Big titles like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and The Handmaid's Tale may first come to mind. We started back in February of 2020, right before everything shut down, so Covid added some new challenges and parameters that we had to work within. The Envelope spoke with some of TVs top casting directors about their part in helping stories get told and actors get Emmy nominated. She came in and was so natural, so funny. 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. Jonathans secretary. Im fully vaxed. Boom. Shes just someone Ive been watching. Contact To get in touch with Sherry, use the contact form below or send her an email at sherry @ sherrythomas.com (w/o spaces). He was the heart of the show the first season., Andrew is absolutely hilarious. Sharon and I have been business partners for 25 years, and were very inserted in each others lives at this point. In some hypothetical situation in which you had to choose a different career, what would your profession be? 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. Thats why you guys are so successful and all the shows you do, which are fantastic. 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 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. 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. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Alphonse is truly an incredibly skilled actor, Ingram says. 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. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys And I think were all waiting for the moment in time where we can be together again, for sure. The process when we started of course is making lists. [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. This website uses cookies. And our associate, Alyssa Morris, did the same with the smaller roles. Wiley plays the rebellious Moira on Handmaids and has one Emmy win in three nominations for the role. Casting Yvonne Strahovskis mother, we needed someone who could be formidable. A lot of it is having support. No, but it made me feel like just more confident. Often times we are reading more people for those roles than anything else. From our perspective though we are still always trying to surprise the producers. Its a natural human thing to think of somebody in one way. Thats how we kept bringing up Natalie Morales. 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. She created a book this big between her read with casting and her read with Bruce, of her story as the character. Well, Russell was able to work with production to make it happen, adds Thomas. Its just a wonderful place to be to be able to cast these amazing actresses from Frances Conroy to Katey Sagal to Valerie Mahaffey. My wife is my reader and shes terrible. For Season 2 of Handmaids, we were surprised with Sydney Sweeney [as Eden]. 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. 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. If you have one weak link, it becomes obvious. According to Ashley Ingram, who also served as casting director on the show, an added challenge of populating the struggling Mississippi Delta strip joint was the desire for authenticity over recognizability. He just had a great rawness and innocence., As Sams older brother Craig, Corey had not had any experience. WEBN Reporter Ali Inglese sat down with "Breaking Bad" Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas. It seems that reboots are a dime a dozen these days. 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 Thomas have been mysteriously overlooked by the TV Academy year after year. 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. She had a feeling I was going to end up in casting, but I wasnt so sure at the time. "I've known and worked with Sherry in different capacities over the past 7 years. It was the biggest casting search weve ever done in our career, says Daniel. I would own my own version of a Drybar. As a casting director, the joy is in discovering talent, says Ulrich. But what they don't realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might . Part of our journey is the process of learning about the actor, says Bialy. When Breaking Bad started, we really rebelled and kept looking for stand-up actors. We got so many emails from agents asking, Where did you find these actors? Everybody was blown away, says Greenstein. 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. It all kind of comes together. ST: I think this year is so off kilter. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. She was shooting a movie here in LA. To say I was enthused was another thing. Matthew Dodsons father is not a role he typically plays. After a 2007 surgery that required general anesthesia, Steenburgen, who plays Zoeys mother, Maggie, began hearing original music in her head. In a COVID and post-COVID world do you think youre job will permanently change? Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. New to Casting Networks? Having her name value in that role grounded the whole office., For Skylars role, we auditioned lots and lots of great people, says Ulrich of the co-worker character with romantic potential. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. 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 She even officiated when my husband and I were married. Its a visceral feeling, says Ingram, when you see an actor who you really know should be in a role., [Brandee] really had the strength and the forcefulness and chutzpah that [lead dancer] Mercedes needs, Hopkins says. 2023 Oscar Predictions Who Are the Oscar Voters? Legitimately dead? We had no idea that was the plan. I really hope the industry is changing to be better in that area, especially for women who want to work and also be moms. 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. 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. Follow Gold Derby onFacebook,Twitter,Instagram,Tumblr,iTunesandYouTube, Gold Derby is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Shifting gears again, I have a true get-to-know-you question. Oscars 2023: Preview and Predictions + Contest! The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. Unsurprisingly, the series' casting directors are Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas, who have each been nominated for seven Emmy Awards for casting. What kind of challenges are there for a show like that where you are three seasons in already? His instinct was that she was the perfect fit for the part, and he didnt give up. And when they feel that support, they just blossom right in front of the camera. One thing I love about casting this show is that its not just a lot of offers. 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 . Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. We had lots of auditions. 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. 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. Big titles like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and The Handmaids Tale may first come to mind. The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. Its when I really first started, when I was having a lot of autonomy with Sharon. Sherry Thomas: If a reader is really distracting, its not about the reader, its about the actor. And I think that people know her in one lane and it was very exciting. 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 2023 Casting Networks, LLC. ST: I dont think any character was as challenging as Natalies. 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. It was really sort of a meeting of the minds and people coming together on the choices. And I think you can do that because you have more time, youre at home. I brought in this guy from New York, hes actually a playwright, his name is Jeremy O. Harris. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The 2020 Emmys are closer than you think. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming. But Id love to work with her, so let me just say shed be my choice. [Niccos] brilliant, says Hopkins. And he even said, coming in, I dont really know why Im here. Sherry Thomas (I) Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sherry Thomas was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. We can explain things like tone. Thomas says, His agent called me: Oh my God, Vicky, we just learned who he was! and they screamed. Get our L.A. 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. Once I opened that door, though, there was no going back. You learn what you want to change moving forward. Natalies name came up at the very beginning, and she is someone who Liz liked but we were originally told she wasnt available. This interview has been edited and condensed. 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. One day, Damon said, Hey, theres this guy, Yahya! I went, Yeah. She gave so much more than was even on the page [in the role of Mercedes mom], Ingram says. Sherry Thomas: I think it is a little bit of both. My partner Sherry Thomas, who casts the show with me, and I have a history of colorblind casting, so we're always looking for the best actor. With larger roles, you have time to build an arc, but with something so small, the challenge is how to make it memorable. And were really fing funny! Then there are recent series like Vanessa Bayers I Love That for You and Danny McBrides The Righteous Gemstones. You might look at the character of Lil Murda and think you know this person, but you dont. Although the self Read More, Your email address will not be published. Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sharon Bialy is known for Rudy (1993), The Handmaid's Tale (2017) and Barry (2018). 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. We put out the offer, and he was on board. I think we got to try. And she says, You feel really passionately about 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.