In this case, its Jane, only in the fact that the public did not know that she was a singer. [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. The second it became Alex, I ran with it, pushed it, said its a way to really enlighten the world. As part of our inaugural BackstageFest, longtime casting directors Theo Park ("Ted Lasso," "Master of None"), Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas ("Perry Mason," "The Comey Rule," "The. Sherry Thomas is represented by the brilliant Kristin Nelson of . Its also a thriller. Sign up to get must-read entertainment headlines and audition advice delivered to your inbox every weekday. Press Esc to cancel. And now jumping to present day, congrats are in order regarding the recent Emmy nomination you received with Sharon Bialy for your teams work casting Barry. Your email address will not be published. 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. Its hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas casting rsum. For Dead to Mes second season, Scott said the main task was finding the new love interest for Linda Cardellinis character. 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. We all miss it. It was a surprise to us. We had lots of auditions. Showing all 1 wins and 28 nominations. Hes daring. I truly love doing hair and have always told people that if I somehow just sh-t the bed and was no longer able to be in casting, I would do hair instead. But going into the second season, the world knows the show, and we dont have to explain what it is. I get told all the time that I remind people of Melissa McCarthy. 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. 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. We were like, Wait, did we just see somebody who literally has zero acting experience and was that great? says Brett Greenstein. We rely so heavily on the loudness, and the shoutiness, and the calling out ideas and really kind of collaborating in that way. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. 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. I have no history with her. If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? WEBN Reporter Ali Inglese sat down with "Breaking Bad" Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas. Once the lead was in place, the other puzzle pieces of this ethnically and neuro-diverse cast started to land. 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.. Required fields are marked *. Sauls Rhea Seehorn was one they called in many times before she booked the key Kim Wexler role. 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. You can see a number of actors for an audition before that one person comes in, and everything just clicks. 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. Yahya took a leap of faith. It was really sort of a meeting of the minds and people coming together on the choices. 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. No, but it made me feel like just more confident. I can tell you that after 22 years of covering the Oscars that they are mostly meaningless. Thomas says of the then-not-so-well-known Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, I kind of always knew Yahya was it. It all kind of comes together. Bruce and Lizzie were thrilled with him. 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. We talk about what hes looking for, and I like to ask if he has any prototypes dead or alive for the characters. Sharon Bialy: I think thats a really good note. But filling the role of a Sherman Oaks-grown teenager of South Asian heritage proved harder than expected. To see somebody with natural comedic timing who really got the nuances of the scenes and really got the multidimensional character she wasnt just reading lines. Thomas says, Damon tried to give me a hint: He should be a little unusual. My associate, Elizabeth, who knows the comics very well, she guessed it.. Elaine Doremus. Do you think you guys will rely on that still? So, I got that part covered. 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Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors. 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. And I think that people know her in one lane and it was very exciting. But Id love to work with her, so let me just say shed be my choice. ST: Not for us particularly. Sorry I had to jump in because he is very humble! To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. And then when I did it, you kind of jumped up in your chair. He is fantastic. It was the biggest casting search weve ever done in our career, says Daniel. 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. We went back to our theatre brains, and Laila Robins is someone I had seen over 25 years ago doing The Real Thing opposite Jeremy Irons. It sounds like you didnt look back after the job found you. Speaking with Awards Daily, the 2020 Emmy nominees walked us through the challenges of the second season from chasing down Natalie Morales as the second seasons biggest addition to a number of high-profile cameos. 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. After first meeting the Massachusetts native a Masshole as she calls it you may feel as if youve known her for much longer. I would own my own version of a Drybar. I mean, that had to have been completely It was all brand new. Unless it is really not Theres a couple things going into play. Year Program Casting Network And sometimes the sides are fake. 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. Im pretty sure Im the loudest, so I think whoevers the loudest wins, joked Thomas. Sherry Thomas: But everybody was generous and kind. Everybody knows he is a wonderful actor. Alice Lee was just a discovery. Two different ways? 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. Because they're not "pro-life". How did you guys bring her on? But what they don't realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. You guys cast this while everything was locked down. 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 [Laughs] I love them, as well as my husband, and we all have fun together. [Niccos] brilliant, says Hopkins. The bar has been set and we set it for ourselves as creative people with high standards. Jonathans secretary. 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. How did you end up finding her for the role? But he also, as himself, has a real confidence and a unique and very modern feel, which I think really lends itself to Fraser. 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 think we all miss being in the room with actors and I think a lot of the actors miss it as well, because theres something that you just get from being in the room with someone and the ability to play. Primetime Emmy Awards. 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. Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. Im always thrilled when stunt casting works, because people immediately feel a sense of connection by knowing somebody from the past, he says. And my sister has had her own salon for about 35 years now its called the Hairspace Salon in Easthampton, Massachusetts. What she did to prepare for that role was incredible. We put out the offer, and he was on board. Its definitely a world that were extremely interested in.. Its so much more fun when youre doing a musical, because people are singing and your days suddenly better, says Robert J. Ulrich. 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. Sharon Bialy: What a nice way to start the day. He just had a great rawness and innocence., As Sams older brother Craig, Corey had not had any experience. Alphonse is truly an incredibly skilled actor, Ingram says. John Ennis is a character actor weve known for a long time and he was amazing as the exterminator. You do a drama and they say you can only do drama. But now that the show has cooked its last batch of blue meth and said goodbye to the Albuquerque sunset, Bialy and Thomas finally heard their names called on nominations morning, along with Kiira Arai, in the Best Drama Casting category. Sharon Bialy: Sometimes well know somebody really well and have them read and literally in two lines, Im like, thats it, shes the one. However, theres a great deal of team Read More, Two in five Australians between the ages of 16 and 85 experience a mental disorder at some time in Read More, From college basketball tournaments to St. Pattys Day, the new month is synonymous with more than a few events. Read More, I believe there is some anxiety in the air over the expectations for commercial self tapes. I started exploring acting once I got to LA and met a casting director named Victoria Burrows, who kind of took me under her wing. Name one of your favorite television shows and its a sure bet that Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas were the casting directors for at least one of them. Sherry Thomas: Good reader whos not too close to the camera and not trying to audition for themselves. 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. 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. We knew her, but I wouldnt say that a lot of people knew her, Greenstein adds. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. Shes just someone Ive been watching. ST: Not at all! And, speaking from first hand experience, they are the best people to audition for. Did it make your job easier or was it challenging having actors come in with a preconceived notion of what the show should be? Often times we are reading more people for those roles than anything else. 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. Contact To get in touch with Sherry, use the contact form below or send her an email at sherry @ sherrythomas.com (w/o spaces). Twitter Icon 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. 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. 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. I recently got a perm, Sherry, and its been a real challenge. Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. 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. So he was intrigued. If someone made a series about your life story, which actor would you cast to play the role of Sherry Thomas? But what they dont realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might actually be looking straight into the actors souls. In some hypothetical situation in which you had to choose a different career, what would your profession be? Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. The parameters of that character were a tall order to fill. 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. Shifting gears again, I have a true get-to-know-you question. He goes right to the edge, and it works. In person its almost distracting how gorgeous she is, says Ingram. "I've known and worked with Sherry in different capacities over the past 7 years. So weve always cast in a broad, worldly way. So, there you have it. 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But then she had also read with us on Danny McBrides Vice Principles. I get on the phone with agents, and the casting process goes on from there. Its great for the world to see his story; something that youre certainly seeing more and more television, which is wonderful, but that you dont see every day., When putting together an ensemble in which one star cannot shine brighter than the others, theres a key to getting it right: You need strong people all around, people who can match each other talentwise, says casting director Billy Hopkins. But what the self-taping does is give so many more people opportunities because we can see 25 actors for a role. 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. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. 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. The process when we started of course is making lists. 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. 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. But I dont think that it is ever more important than having the right person. Of course, the greatest discovery of this musical comedy is its lead, Jane Levy, best known to viewers for her comedic skills on the ABC series Suburgatory. How do you like the way casting is right now? 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. Co-Owner Bialy Thomas & Assoc. This interview has been edited and condensed. Casting Director. Its about finding complex and compelling actors that can bring nuance even to comedy. For the full interview, check out the video below or on YouTube. We wanted to see her because we were such huge fans from all the things that shes done, especially The Night Of. 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. Matthew Dodsons father is not a role he typically plays. Join Facebook to connect with Sherry Thomas Lane and others you may know. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. 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. ST: I think thats one of the reasons we love to be in the room with actors and why right now it is really hard with the world of COVID. Hes not afraid to try things. Sherry Thomas (I) Casting Director Casting Department Producer IMDbPro Starmeter See rank Sherry Thomas was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. You were also nominated for your work on the third season of The Handmaids Tale. This website uses cookies. When you guys watch a self-tape, how long do you spend on it until you move on. 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. We make several-page lists of actors who might be a good fit. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. Thats me, Thomas says. 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? 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. ST: The challenge too isnt necessarily one particular role. And I said, Yeah, I really feel like it could be really cool, and okay, great. Instagram Icon So that bar was set very high., She had been finishing up something and was not available, Thomas says of the actress who plays E.B. Oscars 2023: Preview and Predictions + Contest! 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. We also share information about your use of our website with our social media and web analytics partners. Sherry Thomas. I think within that the process will change a bit. Learn more about how we use cookies. Were in a very different time and our priorities are a little different, but it doesnt take away from the pride of it and the love and passion we have for it. We would give a little context of the tone. AD: What character in the second season proved to be the most challenging? In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. Awards Daily: What was it like jumping back into Dead to Me after the first season became such a breakout hit? 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. I love it you all sound like youre very close casting partners! It seems that reboots are a dime a dozen these days. Big titles like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and The Handmaid's Tale may first come to mind. Im fully vaxed. Boom. We ended up moving the schedule around a little bit for her through communication with her reps and our production team. 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. 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. He was shooting a really naturalistic portrait of this group, and so much of this was about how these kids are as themselves: How are they when theyre not doing the scene? What sets this young cast apart from many other series starring young adults is the actors age range. This weekend, we'll hear from three more guilds: the ACE (Eddie Awards), the ASC, and the WGA. Those things are leaps of faith, right? 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. The age had to be appropriate so there would be chemistry with Linda. In 1975 she joined MGM as an executive story editor. In 1975 she joined MGM as an executive story editor. And it worked! She works constantly in New York, but she was this undiscovered gem to the rest of the world, and now everybody knows who she is., To populate Luca Guadagninos vision of an American Army base in coastal Italy, casting director Carmen Cuba knew she had to build her cast out from the kids at the center of the story. 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. And thats part of our job is to continue education. Russell Scott, Casting Director. #LucindaSyson #TheoPark #SherryThomas SharonBialy #CastingDirectorsQ&A with casting directors from several Apple TV+ series; Lucinda Syson (Foundation), Theo. Unsurprisingly, the series' casting directors are Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas, who have each been nominated for seven Emmy Awards for casting. At that point, I feel like Ive got it I know who the character is. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Jonathan [Masons employer], was the first one. Type above and press Enter to search. Sometimes the nomination day is like Christmas morning, but this year we completely forgot. I think Chris Meloni brought so much value to that role. Once I opened that door, though, there was no going back. Our job is to connect with people to bring out the best performance. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The 2020 Emmys are closer than you think. 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. And he even said, coming in, I dont really know why Im here. We wanted the fans to believe this, too, like, Oh my God, hes so cute. You are known for bringing in people who are looked at one way, and then you sort of have given this whole new sort of light, this new career almost to them. 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. In a COVID and post-COVID world do you think youre job will permanently change? And also, it was shot in LA, in Los Angeles, so everything is large and on a big scale. 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).
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