Its a natural human thing to think of somebody in one way. This weekend, we'll hear from three more guilds: the ACE (Eddie Awards), the ASC, and the WGA. Join Facebook to connect with Sherry Thomas Lane and others you may know. Was that hard at all? Were just gonna have a great time.. Facebook Icon. 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 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. Id read about her ability, Ulrich says of the Oscar winner, a prolific singer-songwriter. That is such a skill, and one I wish I had. And I also just love her as a person. [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. Keep reading for a window into everything from how she works including her Emmy-nominated casting of Barrys third season to what shed be doing if her chosen profession werent an option. AD: This wasnt your only nomination this year. 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. In person its almost distracting how gorgeous she is, says Ingram. He doesnt necessarily work with people twice in a row, so we didnt immediately go to Regina, says Thomas. No, but it made me feel like just more confident. 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. Backstage provides its members with the best tools to grow their careers in the performing arts. Was that something you were both conscious of when originally casting him? If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? Instead its all of the supporting players, the day players, because you have to have great actors, the majority of who are in scenes with Christina and Linda. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. We have been very lucky on this show. Weve been able to give multiple women over a certain age really complex material. But filling the role of a Sherman Oaks-grown teenager of South Asian heritage proved harder than expected. You do a drama and they say you can only do drama. Quickly send your headshot and resume to hundreds of casting directors, agents, and managers. We dont get the opportunity to give immediate feedback and really do the other part of our title which is direct. Instagram Icon 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). Bialy/Thomas & Associates - Casting Director | Backstage It is how we really modulate a performance. 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. Stars Sharon Bialy Theo Park Lucinda Syson See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist Photos Add photo Top cast I would own my own version of a Drybar. She gets it. Send it to the producers. 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. She then added, To be perfectly honest with you, I think that were all in the reality that there are several other huge nominees in there, and so were blessed and honored to be there. Apple TV+ Casting Director Panel with Lucinda Syson, Theo Park, Sherry NORTHAMPTON When she was growing up in Florence, Sherry Thomas Among them, theyre responsible for five of the shows nominated for casting Emmys this year as well as a host of others that have received acting nominations in the past. Sherry Thomas: Theres an energy. Thomas says, His agent called me: Oh my God, Vicky, we just learned who he was! and they screamed. 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. 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: Fortunately, I feel like everybody did a little bit of research, which was interesting. At the time, there wasnt really a choice you had to prove yourself at work by being at your desk. We can explain things like tone. I get told all the time that I remind people of Melissa McCarthy. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Even the actor didnt know until that episodes script rolled around. Bruce and Lizzie were thrilled with him. For the full interview, check out the video below or on YouTube. I mean, its just, its incredible. So, I love self-tapes. He is so wonderful. Jonathans secretary. New to Casting Networks? When Breaking Bad started, we really rebelled and kept looking for stand-up actors. 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. And he even said, coming in, I dont really know why Im here. Learn how your comment data is processed. Jonathan [Masons employer], was the first one. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 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. ST: I think this year is so off kilter. His instinct was that she was the perfect fit for the part, and he didnt give up. Theyre opposite sides of a coin., Skyler has an exuberance that is hard to describe, Ingram says. ST: I mean I cant even Its ridiculous. 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. A lot of casting people their choices have shifted to self-tapes and some of them only self-tapes, but for us our choice will always to be in the room with actors. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Sauls Rhea Seehorn was one they called in many times before she booked the key Kim Wexler role. I forgot to mention Casey Wilson. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. Sherry Thomas: Well, its crazy. Its just a wonderful place to be to be able to cast these amazing actresses from Frances Conroy to Katey Sagal to Valerie Mahaffey. 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. Part of our journey is the process of learning about the actor, says Bialy. 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. [Niccos] brilliant, says Hopkins. 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. When you read that someone is meant to be beautiful, what does Luca think beautiful is? says Cuba. Showing all 1 wins and 28 nominations. "I've known and worked with Sherry in different capacities over the past 7 years. As an art form, acting is often viewed as a personal endeavor. Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors. Hes not afraid to try things. Wiley plays the rebellious Moira on Handmaids and has one Emmy win in three nominations for the role. Sherry Thomas: Ive been a longtime fan of Casey. Casting Directors Help Achieve Diversity in Hollywood - Variety They also discuss what its like to be casting directors in the middle of a pandemic and if they think their profession is permanently changed by it. Five seasoned entertainment journalists predict the shows and performances the Television Academy will honor with Emmys; do you agree with their picks? Oscars 2023: Just How Many Oscars Will Everything, Everywhere All at Once Win? Lets try it. 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. Back in 2019, Jones played. So, there you have it. Its hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas casting rsum. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming. RT: I looked for her name before I even looked for ours. So weve always cast in a broad, worldly way. When you work in television and when you work with really great material, you do get excited for this time of year. I think in this particular project that Georgia [Pritchetts] writing was incredible, and the tone was on the page, but still it helped. AD: Except for Emmy voters for whatever frustrating reason. Thats how we kept bringing up Natalie Morales. Its OK because now youll get great volume when you blow dry it. And I said, Yeah, I think its going to be really cool and really interesting. Casting Directors From 'Never Have I Ever,' 'Zoey's Extraordinary Casting Networks uses cookies to analyze our traffic and to personalize content and ads. AD: As our readers can imagine, casting can be a very hands-on role where you are meeting dozens of new people every day. You dont have to try to crack jokes and just be yourself. I mean, that had to have been completely It was all brand new. Bradley Whitford @BradleyWhitford 10 months ago. We are very passionate about not pigeonholing actors. She came in and was so natural, so funny. Aug. 21, 2020 2 PM PT. Required fields are marked *. Hes a very soulful actor and person, and his craft is unbelievable. You can see a number of actors for an audition before that one person comes in, and everything just clicks. These are edited excerpts from that conversation. Sharon Bialy: There are always challenges, but this season there were a couple of roles that caused some particular challenges. 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. I hope she never sees us. Luca was intrigued [by Alice] and it seemed like a great match. Sherry Thomas - Awards - IMDb Contact | Sherry Thomas 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. Our job is to hopefully bring her people that she doesnt know yet. Wow. The process when we started of course is making lists. It all kind of comes together. 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. So now, if I leave at one oclock today [at time of interview] to go pick up my kids from camp, its OK. Big titles like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and The Handmaid's Tale may first come to mind. Hes being very humble right now, but it took a lot of strategizing and basically producing. He once told me, Youre weird too. . In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. Then he went to dinner with Regina and came back and said, Why didnt I just I feel so ashamed. Because here, on a plate, is this great actress. . You really need to find actors who can do all of those things which can be challenging. She had a feeling I was going to end up in casting, but I wasnt so sure at the time. A lot have to be able to do comedy, drama, all of it.. And also, it was shot in LA, in Los Angeles, so everything is large and on a big scale. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company. The Cherry Lane Theatre is the oldest continuously running off-Broadway theater in New York City. 2023 Gold Derby Media, LLC. 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. And at that time, there were not vaccination mandates in place. Its so much more fun when youre doing a musical, because people are singing and your days suddenly better, says Robert J. Ulrich. We got so many emails from agents asking, Where did you find these actors? Everybody was blown away, says Greenstein. With larger roles, you have time to build an arc, but with something so small, the challenge is how to make it memorable. Someone was really good when they read for Better Call Saul, a drama, but theres something there. We wanted the fans to believe this, too, like, Oh my God, hes so cute. Thats me, Thomas says. 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. 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]. [Tim] talks about the spirit and the soul of the actor marrying with the spirit and the soul of the character, says Thomas. Samira Wiley plays Moira in The Handmaids Tale, a performance that has brought her a third supporting actress Emmy nomination. 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. He was the heart of the show the first season., Andrew is absolutely hilarious. Sherry Thomas: If a reader is really distracting, its not about the reader, its about the actor. ST: The challenge too isnt necessarily one particular role. Its when I really first started, when I was having a lot of autonomy with Sharon. Finding actors that can understand the unique tone of the show, one that balances gut-wrenching trauma with unexpected comedy, is an intricate task. We wanted to see her because we were such huge fans from all the things that shes done, especially The Night Of. And I think you can do that because you have more time, youre at home. Through conversation and through hearing about what the role is about in detail and where it will go, the list gets smaller and smaller. 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. Name one of your favorite television shows and it's a sure bet that Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas were the casting directors for at least one of them.