gofund.me/2fffe14f Posts Reels Videos Tagged Search Log In Sign Up 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. 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. Thats why you guys are so successful and all the shows you do, which are fantastic. Did you specify that in the breakdowns or did you have to redirect people? Do you think you guys will rely on that still? We have been very lucky on this show. So youll see Breaking Bad is peppered with stand-up guys doing their first drama., Join the fiery discussion of Breaking Bad in our forums, Thomas added, But really what we just love to do is great material and hire really interesting actors. Gohar Gazazyan, Casting Director. 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. Co-Owner Bialy Thomas & Assoc. Get our L.A. It was the soul of the actor and what [showrunner Bruce Miller] was looking for.. 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 . 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. Quickly send your headshot and resume to hundreds of casting directors, agents, and managers. We talk about what hes looking for, and I like to ask if he has any prototypes dead or alive for the characters. I feel like this is not in my wheelhouse, or Im not right for this at all, but wanted to come and meet you guys.. 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. Stars Sharon Bialy Theo Park Lucinda Syson See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist Photos Add photo Top cast Get to Know the Casting Director: Sherry Thomas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Deadline Media, Get our free, urgent prediction updates and news, 9 Emmy nominees you didnt know were already on Netflix: , Leaderboards: See All Past Prediction Accuracy Scores, Leaderboards: Best Prediction Accuracy Scores for Film, TV and Music Awards, Leaderboards: Best TV Show Predictions by Gold Derby Users, Find a User or Expert / Download Gold Derbys Free, New App. 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. Everybody knows he is a wonderful actor. We got so many emails from agents asking, Where did you find these actors? Everybody was blown away, says Greenstein. Our approach to that is a direct line of communication. I dont know if theres a generic answer that fits every person when it comes to managing work/life balance, though. [Laughs] I love them, as well as my husband, and we all have fun together. The Commander that Christopher Meloni played [Commander Winslow] was challenging because often times the first script doesnt tell you what the journey is going to be. I get told all the time that I remind people of Melissa McCarthy. Thomas says, His agent called me: Oh my God, Vicky, we just learned who he was! and they screamed. Oscars 2023: Just How Many Oscars Will Everything, Everywhere All at Once Win? [Tim] talks about the spirit and the soul of the actor marrying with the spirit and the soul of the character, says Thomas. But then she had also read with us on Danny McBrides Vice Principles. 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. Thomas adds that they sometimes develop relationships with actors, calling them in time and again for reads. And I think were all waiting for the moment in time where we can be together again, for sure. This is my first experience with Luca, so the process involved me figuring out how he defines a lot of the things in the script. 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. Now, here comes my favorite question to ask, Sherry. Showing all 1 wins and 28 nominations. Sometimes the nomination day is like Christmas morning, but this year we completely forgot. 'Breaking Bad' casting directors Sharon Bialy & Sherry Thomas 'very I wrote a brief commentary of why there was only one Emily Dodson [mother of kidnapped boy]. 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. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming. Even the actor didnt know until that episodes script rolled around. 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. Sherry Thomas. And say, Lets try them for this.. That is such a skill, and one I wish I had. Its going to be hard for us because we love to be in the room with them. But what they dont realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might actually be looking straight into the actors souls. We ended up moving the schedule around a little bit for her through communication with her reps and our production team. 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? Do you guys prefer two takes on the self-tape? Sherry Thomas: Ive been a longtime fan of Casey. We sent the audition, and Jemaine fell in love with him: We have to have him! And the next season, they wrote an episode for him, but he couldnt do it. ST: The challenge too isnt necessarily one particular role. Bradley Whitford @BradleyWhitford 10 months ago. 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.. RS: With Katey, we wanted someone who is very special because there is a lot to unpack there with Lindas mother being in prison. So, I didnt necessarily find casting it found me. 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 Well, Russell was able to work with production to make it happen, adds Thomas. Sherry Thomas: I think it is a little bit of both. 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 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. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Stacia Kimler, Casting . And he even was like, Im not right for this, but Im here. AD: As our readers can imagine, casting can be a very hands-on role where you are meeting dozens of new people every day. Twitter Icon Casting just felt right for me. It felt like he was going to be her enemy the whole time, Greenstein says of Lewisons character, Ben Gross. You guys cast this while everything was locked down. We discussed a bunch of people [for the role of Caitlins father, an Army lieutenant] and then it just felt natural for Scott and Luca to meet. And then they would audition and then we would present the people that we really felt were the most right for it. This interview has been edited and condensed. She came in and was so natural, so funny. It was fun to be able to draw on somebody that I had thought was so talented for so long.. Elaine Doremus. Sharon and I have been business partners for 25 years, and were very inserted in each others lives at this point. 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. All rights reserved. For Season 2 of Handmaids, we were surprised with Sydney Sweeney [as Eden]. We were so touched that people were really moved by the show and actually watched it. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. RT: I looked for her name before I even looked for ours. Pros from five of the years newest dramas and comedies including 'Perry Mason' and 'We Are Who We Are' also reveal the surprising obstacles they hurdled before production began. And from there, we would have further discussion or conversation. Sherry Thomas: Well, its crazy. As continuing shows, all three series have established universes and tones, says Thomas. Sherry Thomas: Yep. 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. 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. 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. Through conversation and through hearing about what the role is about in detail and where it will go, the list gets smaller and smaller. Survivor Users Leaderboard Coming Soon! Walking Dead's Casting Director On Finding Heroes, Villains & Zombies How did you guys bring her on? She is known for Breaking Bad (2008), Barry (2018) and The Handmaid's Tale (2017). AppleTV+ Casting Director Panel with Lucinda Syson, Theo Park, Sherry 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]. 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. Hes daring. That was a really nice way to come back into the second season. You also have to believe that that actor is capable of things you havent seen them do before. We would give a little context of the tone. And it happens. If its somebody who were like, Ive never seen them audition for us before. Exclusive: AMCs Emmy episode submissions for Breaking Bad & Mad Men, Even though Breaking Bad is over, Bialy and Thomas are still involved in that universe thanks to their casting of the spin-off series Better Call Saul. However, Bialy warns us, I cant tell you anything about Better Call Saul. Were sworn to secrecy! Theyre also keeping busy casting Halt and Catch Fire, which just ended its first season on AMC, Foxs upcoming comic-book series Gotham and TVs biggest ratings hit The Walking Dead., Hey, whats with all the dark shows on their resumes? Sharon Bialy: I think thats the exciting thing about casting, and Ill speak for my partner. And then when I did it, you kind of jumped up in your chair. 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. Lets try it. The Shield was my favorite show at the time, and its still in my top five. 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. When we got the initial call we looked at each other, and were like Isnt he dead? Three if theres one in there that you just want to give it a shot. The bar has been set and we set it for ourselves as creative people with high standards. Were just gonna shove everybody out of the way! Production was able to move around a lot of stuff, he says. 2006 Sometimes our job is basically that of a casting director/producer. 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 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. We can explain things like tone. Unsurprisingly, the series' casting directors are Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas, who have each been nominated for seven Emmy Awards for casting. A lot of it is having support. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The cast of Gotham. 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. 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. 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. . Once the lead was in place, the other puzzle pieces of this ethnically and neuro-diverse cast started to land. 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. As a freelance writer for me at Modern Luxury, NS magazine, Sherry pitched and wrote creative . Weve been able to give multiple women over a certain age really complex material. And I said, Yeah, I think its going to be really cool and really interesting. So, theres support at every turn, but balancing a family and a career isnt easy. She was shooting a movie here in LA. New to Casting Networks? Sorry I had to jump in because he is very humble! And then we pulled from that to go and seek out the right people for the roles. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. Thats a fantastic pick! We needed him to feel younger than the other boys, other than Jack. He is so wonderful. The storylines and arcs are massive, and youre also in a period piece, so it was important to make sure that each actor [remained] defined within their own self, even if the character wasnt around all the time, says Thomas. I hope she never sees us. So now, if I leave at one oclock today [at time of interview] to go pick up my kids from camp, its OK. Id actually liken it to the audition process. All of the shows we do from The Walking Dead to Better Call Saul to The Righteous Gemstones are all over the country. After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. Bialy, Thomas and Russell Scott are nominated twice this year, for Dead to Me along with Handmaids Tale. Another of their shows, Better Call Saul, now has 11 acting nominations. I brought in this guy from New York, hes actually a playwright, his name is Jeremy O. Harris. [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. No, but it made me feel like just more confident. Actors often think casting directors hardly even pay attention during their auditions. Natalie Morales, left, joined the cast of Dead to Me in Season 2 as the love interest for Linda Cardellini. 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. . Did it make your job easier or was it challenging having actors come in with a preconceived notion of what the show should be? I dont see it. Russell Scott: The show is a comedy, but tonally it is pretty tricky because its also a mystery. With larger roles, you have time to build an arc, but with something so small, the challenge is how to make it memorable. 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? That openheartedness that Gidget needed to have, Skyler innately has., J. It is one of our most rewarding jobs., [John McEnroe] was in the original script, and I remember nobody was dealing with it. My mom passed away when I was young, but she used to be a very successful hairdresser back east. 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.