sherry thomas lane casting director
fanduel account suspended locationWas that hard at all? 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. 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). Luca is a director whos interested in the rawness and the grounding of truth., Because of City of God, [Alice] is somebody Ive always looked at and always been really curious about, says Cuba of the actress, who plays one of protagonist Frasers mothers, both in the military. 2023 Gold Derby Media, LLC. 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. Its so much more fun when youre doing a musical, because people are singing and your days suddenly better, says Robert J. Ulrich. 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. [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. Those interested in learning more about the stacked list of TV and film titles on her rsum can find them listed on IMDb. 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. As a casting director, the joy is in discovering talent, says Ulrich. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming. Kids is the movie that made me recognize that this was something I could do, and the first movie I did on my own as a casting director was a movie called Bully, which was by the same director as Kids [Larry Clark]. All Rights Reserved. It has this sense of urgency that I love and the tangible aspect of running a business, but then theres also the creative side of it. 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. Learn more about how we use cookies. There would be years where people would be like, Where did you get all these drug addicts? . You believed everything that was coming out of her mouth., We did an open call for Kamala and I feel like [Richa Moorjani] came in pretty early on. In the case of Lawrence Gilliard, that role was. Unless it is really not Theres a couple things going into play. I brought in this guy from New York, hes actually a playwright, his name is Jeremy O. Harris. This cast is definitely a combination of people who Luca knew hed have to shepherd along. Of Seamn, whose outwardly confident Caitlin struggles with gender identity, Cuba adds, But its funny, because we thought this going in, and then Jordan turned out to somehow be a savant and know how to do everything, even though shed had no experience., I have auditioned [Scott] over the years for various things. We ended up moving the schedule around a little bit for her through communication with her reps and our production team. He was tied to a play in New York., Jemaine does that so much, says Kay. Being in the room with actors is so exciting, especially when youre discovering talent. Elarica leads more with vulnerability, and Brandee leads more with strength. The Emmys may be in September but its never too early to look out for potential nominees, including Succession, Schitts Creek and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. John Ennis is a character actor weve known for a long time and he was amazing as the exterminator. Sharon Bialy: I think thats a really good note. It was the biggest new role of the season. 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. How did you come to realize that casting was the job for you? 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. Send it to the producers. Robin Bartlett, we have cast many times and she is, kind of in my brain, there was nobody else for it. And I said, Yeah, I really feel like it could be really cool, and okay, great. He was pursuing editing work on the side. Hes a very soulful actor and person, and his craft is unbelievable. Everybody knows he is a wonderful actor. Awards. To say I was enthused was another thing. 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. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys 1 win & 41 nominations total Photos Known for Rudy 7.5 Casting Director 1993 The Handmaid's Tale 8.4 Casting Director. That was a really nice way to come back into the second season. 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. It was really sort of a meeting of the minds and people coming together on the choices. In some hypothetical situation in which you had to choose a different career, what would your profession be? Find out if Bialy and Thomas can win their very first Emmy for Breaking Bad when the Creative Arts Emmys are announced August 16. 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. And especially for kids, dont try that hard in the slate to be liked and all of that, its just, Hey, Im Lance Carter, Im five foot 10. But Luca is very connected to the human side of actors, so I think he connected with her., Chlo [as Frasers other mother] is someone I have loved from the beginning. Natalie Morales, left, joined the cast of Dead to Me in Season 2 as the love interest for Linda Cardellini. 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. She was shooting a movie here in LA. That is such a skill, and one I wish I had. Like with Colins office mates; they have like one line here and there and Jemaine said, I need them all back. You dont see loyalty like that a lot.. And people. , Keller says, They said they wanted boring. Like if you were to go to a town meeting to talk about zoning.. But who to play the enigmatic Dr. Manhattan? When you work in television and when you work with really great material, you do get excited for this time of year. 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? Once I opened that door, though, there was no going back. He goes right to the edge, and it works. There was something she found the strength in that character, the fearlessness in her eyes., We werent identifying what roles would be people of color, adds her colleague Sherry Thomas. The driving force was that this world felt real, [that] we could see these people living here, Ingram says. These are edited excerpts from that conversation. ST: Vice versa for Linda Cardellini, who has typically been known for drama to come in and wow everyone with her great sense of timing and comedic skills without ever making it too big. In 1975 she joined MGM as an executive story editor. [Tatiana is] someone we really believed in and highly recommended to Tim and the producers., [Gayle was] the only one who read, Thomas says. Let me try it. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. ST: Russell worked very, very hard on that. And he even was like, Im not right for this, but Im here. AD: Before we jump into the new characters of the second season, I wanted to talk about the shocking twist at the beginning of the season; the return of James Marsden with a new character. RS: We went through that entire process and read a lot of people. Bruce and Lizzie were thrilled with him. With Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd attached to it, if I went in for an audition, Id automatically think, this was like a more comedic sort of thing. It felt like he was going to be her enemy the whole time, Greenstein says of Lewisons character, Ben Gross. He hadnt done anything either. Im not saying he is like Fraser, because that was never our feeling. And it happens. Contact To get in touch with Sherry, use the contact form below or send her an email at sherry @ sherrythomas.com (w/o spaces). Thats what I did back in 2012 after my second daughter was born. Its a natural human thing to think of somebody in one way. 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 When we started out, I was her associate for about two years, and then we became partners. Sign up for emails from Casting Networks News. And then there were some people that we redirected and from the day players up to our more significant roles that were prominent in the piece. And tonally, youd had to have both here. As a freelance writer for me at Modern Luxury, NS magazine, Sherry pitched and wrote creative . Better Call Saul, were not even allowed to give you anything. Then there are recent series like Vanessa Bayers I Love That for You and Danny McBrides The Righteous Gemstones. Oftentimes you have to stay on your leading guy because other actors cant hold [their own]., The challenge is getting that first person of well-known stature to say yes, then you build from there, says Thomas. And it isnt so much that we only do dramas, we love comedies. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. By Vinnie Mancuso 12/30/15 10:00am. 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. We put out the offer, and he was on board. 14.1k Followers, 269 Following, 782 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sharon Bialy (@sharonbialy) 2021 Nominee Primetime Emmy: Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series . Its definitely a world that were extremely interested in.. Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. Through conversation and through hearing about what the role is about in detail and where it will go, the list gets smaller and smaller. #LucindaSyson #TheoPark #SherryThomas SharonBialy #CastingDirectorsQ&A with casting directors from several Apple TV+ series; Lucinda Syson (Foundation), Theo. Thats me, Thomas says. ST: We hadnt discussed the idea in general, probably because of the previous relationship with Christina, and we didnt want to pull anybody out of it. If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? So now, if I leave at one oclock today [at time of interview] to go pick up my kids from camp, its OK. After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. I dont have to deal with traffic or anything like that, but being in the room, I totally miss. Craig Fincannon (Location Casting Director) 2010 Nominee Artios Award: Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Series - Drama Breaking Bad (2008) Shared with: Sharon Bialy. Aug. 21, 2020 2 PM PT. 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. 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. One thing I love about casting this show is that its not just a lot of offers. Get our L.A. RT: Can we just put Rhea Seehorn in here? 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. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? 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. Were they names you wanted from the beginning, and did you go out of your way to reunite Katey and Christina Applegate? RS: We worked through a lot of hard work and cooperation between our production and the movie because she is someone who really understood the tone of the show. 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.. 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. 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. And it worked! He was the heart of the show the first season., Andrew is absolutely hilarious. We started talking with her agent, and they basically said to make sure this was the direction we wanted to go in because if Katey found out she would certainly want to do it. Shes just perfect. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company. And sometimes the sides are fake. Sharon Bialy: I mean, I watch the whole thing. But I dont believe she had ever been a series regular before. Sharon Bialy: Sometimes well know somebody really well and have them read and literally in two lines, Im like, thats it, shes the one. Survivor Users Leaderboard Coming Soon! You dont have to try to crack jokes and just be yourself. Livin' the dream. Its hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas casting rsum. When you guys watch a self-tape, how long do you spend on it until you move on. She cites the scenes with Mark Proksch as energy vampire Colin Robinson in his workplace. 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. And at that time, there were not vaccination mandates in place. Sign up to get must-read entertainment headlines and audition advice delivered to your inbox every weekday. 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. . We wanted to see her because we were such huge fans from all the things that shes done, especially The Night Of. Yahya took a leap of faith. Wiley plays the rebellious Moira on Handmaids and has one Emmy win in three nominations for the role. Slowly they realized that Maitreyi and Jaren have this really great chemistry, so it naturally evolved into this love triangle, which was really fun to see., Finding stars for a show that centers entirely on musical numbers is not the daunting task one imagines especially if you were the casting director of Glee and have an enormous roster of singing actors at your disposal. She is known for Breaking Bad (2008), Barry (2018) and The Handmaid's Tale (2017). It was really about getting Devi and her mother cast, as they are the heart of the story, says Greenstein. 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. I think in this particular project that Georgia [Pritchetts] writing was incredible, and the tone was on the page, but still it helped. But what they dont realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might actually be looking straight into the actors souls. ST: I mean I cant even Its ridiculous. I think Mindy had said she ran into him at a Vanity Fair party and said something to him. But Cornell Womack, hes a pro, we know him. 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. We will never, ever be an office that is strictly self-taped. Showing all 1 wins and 28 nominations. That helps give me the essence of what Bill has in mind, and then as I get him going, hell just start going into the characters dialogue in a voice that reflects how he hears it in his head. 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 . Russell Scott, Casting Director. And I said, Yeah, I think its going to be really cool and really interesting. I really hope the industry is changing to be better in that area, especially for women who want to work and also be moms. And then, Sherry, you redirected me to do something. Weve been able to give multiple women over a certain age really complex material. Thomas says, His agent called me: Oh my God, Vicky, we just learned who he was! and they screamed. 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. I get on the phone with agents, and the casting process goes on from there. You can see a number of actors for an audition before that one person comes in, and everything just clicks. Thomas called Sweeney wise and mature beyond her years. So, I knew Id have a paycheck once I arrived and took my two weeks vacation to make the trip over and get settled. Michael was one of those extraordinarily talented people who did not make it onto the show, but I kept in mind and saw him in stage productions and For the Record. 2023 Oscar Predictions Who Are the Oscar Voters? We can explain things like tone. Now, here comes my favorite question to ask, Sherry. 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. We make several-page lists of actors who might be a good fit. 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. She gave so much more than was even on the page [in the role of Mercedes mom], Ingram says. 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. 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? 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. Creator Katori Hall made a short film of her intended pilot that featured several castmembers, but the search still encompassed thousands of auditions and extensive chemistry reads. We had readings for that part. Then he was totally game to be in the last episode in front of the camera., After co-creator and executive producer Mindy Kaling tweeted an open casting call for series lead Devi Vishwakumar, the casting directors discovered newcomer Ramakrishnan. 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. And then we pulled from that to go and seek out the right people for the roles. I wrote a brief commentary of why there was only one Emily Dodson [mother of kidnapped boy]. And he even said, coming in, I dont really know why Im here. 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. He is so wonderful. 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 When Breaking Bad started, we really rebelled and kept looking for stand-up actors. You do a dark show and they go, lets get the girls to do the dark show. I mean, its just, its incredible. 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. The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. ST: I dont think any character was as challenging as Natalies. All rights reserved. Sherry Thomas is represented by the brilliant Kristin Nelson of . 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. Hes daring. But then she had also read with us on Danny McBrides Vice Principles. Sometimes our job is basically that of a casting director/producer. John Lithgow, for E.B. Its when I really first started, when I was having a lot of autonomy with Sharon. And my sister has had her own salon for about 35 years now its called the Hairspace Salon in Easthampton, Massachusetts. RS: It was a very extensive search. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I mean, that had to have been completely It was all brand new. Russell Scott: The show is a comedy, but tonally it is pretty tricky because its also a mystery. With self-tapes and zoom callbacks. They met and he loved him, and that was that., There is no shortage of star wattage in the dark origin story of the legendary defense lawyer, but there is an art to combining such talent. When youre chasing after an actor with a name, you need them to trust you. We thought wed cast an unknown. The Shield was my favorite show at the time, and its still in my top five. But what the self-taping does is give so many more people opportunities because we can see 25 actors for a role. Thats a fantastic pick! 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. Do you guys prefer two takes on the self-tape? Finding actors that can understand the unique tone of the show, one that balances gut-wrenching trauma with unexpected comedy, is an intricate task. Thats why the character [club owner Uncle Clifford] is so exciting and real because Nicco is willing to take those risks., Shannon [as dancer Keyshawn] is shockingly gorgeous. 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. I knew him from The Glee Project and I just think he is one of the most extraordinary talents around. TV casting directors receiving multiple nominations include Alexa L. Fogel (The Politician, . 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). Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. Facebook Icon. But Id love to work with her, so let me just say shed be my choice. 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. Backstage provides its members with the best tools to grow their careers in the performing arts. You guys cast this while everything was locked down. 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. What is the craziest audition story that you have? Sharon Bialy: What a nice way to start the day. Sherry Thomas: But everybody was generous and kind. And say, Lets try them for this.. It was a surprise to us. 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. 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. For Perry Mason (originally set to star Robert Downey Jr., who serves as executive producer with his wife, Susan), casting directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas discussed their suggestions for each role with director and executive producer Timothy Van Patten. So, I love self-tapes. It feels like thats not as much of a requirement anymore, though, and I want to help fully facilitate that change for the next generation of women.