If someone made a series about your life story, which actor would you cast to play the role of Sherry Thomas? And I think you can do that because you have more time, youre at home. Its all so seamless, though, that you cant see any of those divisions in his performance. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. So, I knew Id have a paycheck once I arrived and took my two weeks vacation to make the trip over and get settled. TV casting directors receiving multiple nominations include Alexa L. Fogel (The Politician, . Co-Owner Bialy Thomas & Assoc. Natalie [Morales] was someone [showrunner Liz Feldman] had in mind from the beginning, but she was working on a movie. But Id love to work with her, so let me just say shed be my choice. It felt like he was going to be her enemy the whole time, Greenstein says of Lewisons character, Ben Gross. Everybody knows he is a wonderful actor. You dont have to try to crack jokes and just be yourself. The process when we started of course is making lists. Affiliate links provides compensation to Daily Actor which helps us remain online, giving you the resources and information actors like you are looking for. Do you guys prefer two takes on the self-tape? The external is not whats important to him. The main cast may seem only six actors deep, but to the casting directors, the world was expansive. Weve always requested self-tapes and explored actors from all over the world. I can tell you that after 22 years of covering the Oscars that they are mostly meaningless. Its also a thriller. I dont want to make it sound so righteous, but I think it was just a good, interesting, and different way to go. He doesnt necessarily work with people twice in a row, so we didnt immediately go to Regina, says Thomas. So, there you have it. And I said, Yeah, I think its going to be really cool and really interesting. My wife is my reader and shes terrible. I think a lot of people have made that shift in their mentality. (photo: Mark Seliger/FOX) Welcome to tvDownload's " Ask a Casting Director ," a new series in which we talk to the men and women . Sherry Thomas: I think it is a little bit of both. Hes a very soulful actor and person, and his craft is unbelievable. But in a series that tonally feels more like an independent feature, not just any teenagers would do. 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. Sharon Bialy: Also, because sometimes youre only getting a couple of pages, so you have to guess and when youre in the room, we can give you context. Sherry Thomas: But everybody was generous and kind. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. He is so wonderful. 2021 Nominee Primetime Emmy: Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series . I knew him from The Glee Project and I just think he is one of the most extraordinary talents around. We had readings for that part. We ended up moving the schedule around a little bit for her through communication with her reps and our production team. You do a drama and they say you can only do drama. Although the self Read More, Your email address will not be published. And I think that people know her in one lane and it was very exciting. ST: I mean I cant even Its ridiculous. But then she had also read with us on Danny McBrides Vice Principles. 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. Three if theres one in there that you just want to give it a shot. No. We actually hit the limit of how many emails Gmail can accept in a day. After Kaling posted the open call on her social media and more than 13,000 submissions poured in, the duo discovered Toronto-based, then-17-year-old Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. 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. 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. Its really wonderful to see that. I want to get a sense of who they are, and how they handle text, and what they bring to the table in terms of choices, well watch it the whole way through because were educating ourselves. Its definitely a world that were extremely interested in.. The actors dont care that they come in 10 times and didnt get the part, because they know that one time with us they will., Once you have Matthew Rhys, you want to make sure whoever is opposite isnt wiped off the screen, says Bialy of their lead. For 'The. 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. He fell in love with doing the show. I knew that Mary could sing. Mindy did, probably, because she had her on The Mindy Project. We also share information about your use of our website with our social media and web analytics partners. You might look at the character of Lil Murda and think you know this person, but you dont. 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. Casting Networks is a registered trademark of Casting Networks, LLC. Sharon Bialy: I think actors often think, Oh, they only think of me for this. Now, I would never assume that Melissa McCarthy would be so interested in my life that she would say yes to playing me in a series about it. Get ready with our TV viewers guide, Damon Lindelof] is pretty specific about what he wants, The Buzzmeter: Our experts predict the 2020 Emmy winners - and so can you, The secret to What We Do in the Shadows success? Sharon and I have been business partners for 25 years, and were very inserted in each others lives at this point. We were so touched that people were really moved by the show and actually watched it. In a COVID and post-COVID world do you think youre job will permanently change? 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. Get to Know the Casting Director: Sherry Thomas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. RT: Can we just put Rhea Seehorn in here? But going into the second season, the world knows the show, and we dont have to explain what it is. 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. Thank God. And at that time, there were not vaccination mandates in place. Thats how we kept bringing up Natalie Morales. She created a book this big between her read with casting and her read with Bruce, of her story as the character. AD: This wasnt your only nomination this year. ST: Not for us particularly. I hope she never sees us. And I write on something next to me, I had Michael Imperioli in my head. Sherry Thomas: Yeah. That has been nice because so many of these shows are aged for younger women. She came in and was so natural, so funny. DEAD TO ME - Sherry Thomas, Russell Scott, Sharon Bialy, Alyssa Morris (Associate) As an art form, acting is often viewed as a personal endeavor. I think within that the process will change a bit. Bruce and Lizzie were thrilled with him. Shes fantastic. 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. And I have now grown to see what a great dramatic actor he is, in the role of Zoeys brother, says Ulrich. Sorry I had to jump in because he is very humble! But, just like any other season, we got the scripts and then talked with [co-creator/star] Bill [Hader] and [co-creator/showrunner] Alec [Berg] to hear what they were identifying within the new characters. 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. Showing all 1 wins and 28 nominations. So now, if I leave at one oclock today [at time of interview] to go pick up my kids from camp, its OK. He goes right to the edge, and it works. That makes sense. As for the ladies favorite guest stars over the years, they bring special attention to Charles Baker (Skinny Pete), Matt Jones (Badger) and Daniel and Luis Moncada (the Cousins), but they admit that Emmy nominee Mark Margolis may be their favorite casting scoop for the show. 2023 Oscar Nominee: Director Santiago Mitre on Why the Message Behind Argentina, 1985 Remains More Relevant Than Ever, 2023 Oscar Nominee Fire of Love: How Editors and Co-Writers Erin CasperandJocelyne Chaput Crafted the Krafft Love Story, Double Oscar Nominee & Producer Shane Boris Talks What Fire of Love & Navalny Have in Common, Inaugural Television Publicity Executives Committee (TPEC) Submissions Are Now Open, Amazons Daisy Jones and the Six is the First Great Limited Series of 2023, Melissa Rauch On Presiding Over a New Night Court Era, 'The Morning Show' Director Mimi Leder on Why Cable is Better for Female Characters. My mom passed away when I was young, but she used to be a very successful hairdresser back east. Sometimes the nomination day is like Christmas morning, but this year we completely forgot. If its somebody who were like, Ive never seen them audition for us before. And from there, we would have further discussion or conversation. 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. 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. Sherry Thomas is represented by the brilliant Kristin Nelson of . How do you like the way casting is right now? Sherry Thomas: Yep. All of the shows we do from The Walking Dead to Better Call Saul to The Righteous Gemstones are all over the country. Sharon Bialy: There are always challenges, but this season there were a couple of roles that caused some particular challenges. Good lighting is typical, and shooting from the right angle, and just be yourself in the slate. Personnel: Sharon Bialy, Casting Director. I love her performances and everything she does, and Luca felt the same way., Jack has a lot of experience in movies and TV, so he had a flexibility as far as craft goes, Cuba says. Shes just perfect. I think we got to try. And she says, You feel really passionately about it. In this case, its Jane, only in the fact that the public did not know that she was a singer. When we started out, I was her associate for about two years, and then we became partners. This weekend, we'll hear from three more guilds: the ACE (Eddie Awards), the ASC, and the WGA. 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 was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. But Thomas and Scott have been able to channel their passion into rounding out the ensemble of the second season with big name guest stars from Frances Conroy and Katey Sagal to utilizing some of the best character actors working today. As a casting director, the joy is in discovering talent, says Ulrich. Yahya took a leap of faith. 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I remember going in for you guys a couple times and unlike a lot of rooms, you guys made it so comfortable, and it was just so warm. You were also nominated for your work on the third season of The Handmaids Tale. 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. 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. It has all come down to this, friends. Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. 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. AD: The biggest addition of the second season was the character of Michelle, who is played by Natalie Morales. Hes often the heavy for this, he was a father who had a lost son., We cast Chris in Gotham but have known him for years, says Thomas. And it isnt so much that we only do dramas, we love comedies. I dont have to deal with traffic or anything like that, but being in the room, I totally miss. She gave so much more than was even on the page [in the role of Mercedes mom], Ingram says. 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've known and worked with Sherry in different capacities over the past 7 years. Did you specify that in the breakdowns or did you have to redirect people? Alphonse is truly an incredibly skilled actor, Ingram says. 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. 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. I mean, I was still completely nervous, but I felt more comfortable in that sort of nervousness. 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). He was a great audition, for sure, but he also really interested Luca as a person. In 1975 she joined MGM as an executive story editor. She had a feeling I was going to end up in casting, but I wasnt so sure at the time. The Envelope spoke with some of TVs top casting directors about their part in helping stories get told and actors get Emmy nominated. I have no history with her. We had lots of auditions. 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. Sherry Thomas: If a reader is really distracting, its not about the reader, its about the actor. Sherry Thomas: And the show director, Jesse Peretz, just really kind of took everybody and, everybody shines. 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. 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 What kind of challenges are there for a show like that where you are three seasons in already? You really need to find actors who can do all of those things which can be challenging.