We needed him to feel younger than the other boys, other than Jack. Awards. I knew him from The Glee Project and I just think he is one of the most extraordinary talents around. 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. And our associate, Alyssa Morris, did the same with the smaller roles. 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. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. 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. 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. Im pretty sure Im the loudest, so I think whoevers the loudest wins, joked Thomas. I obviously knew of him, but he was a friend of Austins, so he suggested him, and he is so great on the show., John I also knew because he was in What/If. Co-Owner Bialy Thomas & Assoc. 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. That openheartedness that Gidget needed to have, Skyler innately has., J. Three if theres one in there that you just want to give it a shot. It seems that reboots are a dime a dozen these days. Big titles like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and The Handmaids Tale may first come to mind. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming. 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. Id imagine that at this point, after collaborating with Hader since the first season of Barry, you all are very familiar with how you work together. After a 2007 surgery that required general anesthesia, Steenburgen, who plays Zoeys mother, Maggie, began hearing original music in her head. And my sister has had her own salon for about 35 years now its called the Hairspace Salon in Easthampton, Massachusetts. And from there, we would have further discussion or conversation. 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. 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. Specialties: Catastrophe Modeling<br>Portfolio Management<br>Reinsurance Pricing | Learn more about Sherry Thomas's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn Gohar Gazazyan, Casting Director. So, to be able to support her in a role like this, where she really gets to show what she can do as an actress and the layers and the levels that she has and that she is nuanced, is its exciting. John Lithgow, for E.B. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. Casting Networks acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land throughout Australia. Did you specify that in the breakdowns or did you have to redirect people? 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. Year Program Casting Network Its really wonderful to see that. He was the heart of the show the first season., Andrew is absolutely hilarious. But what the self-taping does is give so many more people opportunities because we can see 25 actors for a role. Bruce and Lizzie were thrilled with him. AD: One of the reasons the show has become so popular is because of the way it straddles this really thin line between comedy and drama in ways we rarely see on television. AD: I imagine one of the more interesting challenges of that character is finding someone who can believably portray someone who has both dated Ana (Diana-Maria Riva) and Judy. We really relied on people that we have cultivated relationships with over a period of time as casting directors do. 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. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. 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. Press Esc to cancel. And if an actor does the wrong choice and they come in the room, you can easily give them direction and play with it and get them more relaxed and support them. When people used to ask us, I used to say, Oh, our reward is working with Vince Gilligan every day, which we continue to do and thats still true, Bialy told Gold Derby during our recent webchat (watch below). We can explain things like tone. Awards Daily: What was it like jumping back into Dead to Me after the first season became such a breakout hit? Weve been able to give multiple women over a certain age really complex material. 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. Instagram Icon We really needed someone for that role who would be able to come in and immediately keep up with Linda, Christina, and James who had already gelled. What kind of challenges are there for a show like that where you are three seasons in already? It was the soul of the actor and what [showrunner Bruce Miller] was looking for.. 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. With self-tapes and zoom callbacks. TV casting directors receiving multiple nominations include Alexa L. Fogel (The Politician, . Once the lead was in place, the other puzzle pieces of this ethnically and neuro-diverse cast started to land. Do you think you guys will rely on that still? Producer: Indecent Proposal. And he even was like, Im not right for this, but Im here. We would give a little context of the tone. Shes just someone Ive been watching. Oh my God, this is completely the wrong actor that was in my head., And everybody was so nice and so lovely because hes a wonderful actor. In this case, its Jane, only in the fact that the public did not know that she was a singer. Its not recent, but it is really funny. But filling the role of a Sherman Oaks-grown teenager of South Asian heritage proved harder than expected. WEBN Reporter Ali Inglese sat down with "Breaking Bad" Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas. Stars Sharon Bialy Theo Park Lucinda Syson See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist Photos Add photo Top cast It felt like he was going to be her enemy the whole time, Greenstein says of Lewisons character, Ben Gross. I would own my own version of a Drybar. 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. I get told all the time that I remind people of Melissa McCarthy. Personnel: Sharon Bialy, Casting Director. We will never, ever be an office that is strictly self-taped. This weekend, we'll hear from three more guilds: the ACE (Eddie Awards), the ASC, and the WGA. Actors often think casting directors hardly even pay attention during their auditions. We are very, very excited for season three. Legitimately dead? We had no idea that was the plan. Samira Wiley plays Moira in The Handmaids Tale, a performance that has brought her a third supporting actress Emmy nomination. We really kind of leave it up to the actor. And at that time, there were not vaccination mandates in place. My mom passed away when I was young, but she used to be a very successful hairdresser back east. 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. 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. Required fields are marked *. Thats what I did back in 2012 after my second daughter was born. 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 . 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. Christina Applegate has done amazing dramatic work on the show, but she has largely been known as a comedic actor. After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. One day, Damon said, Hey, theres this guy, Yahya! I went, Yeah. If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? 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. In the meantime, make your predictions for Best Drama Series below the interview using our easy drag-and-drop menu. And, Id imagine, completely challenging. Thomas says, His agent called me: Oh my God, Vicky, we just learned who he was! and they screamed. Those things are leaps of faith, right? You were also nominated for your work on the third season of The Handmaids Tale. Its an amazing collaboration, and the work is very gratifying and just so much fun. Its so much more fun when youre doing a musical, because people are singing and your days suddenly better, says Robert J. Ulrich. Theyre opposite sides of a coin., Skyler has an exuberance that is hard to describe, Ingram says. 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. And so, were sitting in the session, and he walks in and everybody says, hi. Hes a wonderful actor. He fell in love with doing the show. 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. casting director Casts for Film, TV, Theatre, New Media California About Sharon Bialy Sharon Bialy is an award winning Casting Director for television, film and theater. A lot have to be able to do comedy, drama, all of it.. You can see so many more people for a role, because you can take chances because you dont have to slot people in to 15-minute time periods with the producers. Im always thrilled when stunt casting works, because people immediately feel a sense of connection by knowing somebody from the past, he says. So, theres support at every turn, but balancing a family and a career isnt easy. Sherry Thomas: Good reader whos not too close to the camera and not trying to audition for themselves. But what they don't realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might . Heres what to know, From Chris Rock to the SAG Awards. I think Mindy had said she ran into him at a Vanity Fair party and said something to him. [Tatiana is] someone we really believed in and highly recommended to Tim and the producers., [Gayle was] the only one who read, Thomas says. Weve been bringing him in and casting him for some time, so he was somebody right from the start. 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.