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. He was tied to a play in New York., Jemaine does that so much, says Kay. 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. ST: I dont think any character was as challenging as Natalies. Im getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it. What is the craziest audition story that you have? From encouraging this writer about her questionable hair choices to estimating how many times shes forgotten to pick her kids up from school, Thomas candor in our interview provided an intriguing look into the person behind all the casting credits. So weve always cast in a broad, worldly way. Sherry Thomas Lane is on Facebook. Sherry Thomas retweeted. If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? Sharon Bialy: I think thats a really good note. Those interested in learning more about the stacked list of TV and film titles on her rsum can find them listed on IMDb. gofund.me/2fffe14f Posts Reels Videos Tagged Search Log In Sign Up So, I got that part covered. 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. . 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. 14.1k Followers, 269 Following, 782 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sharon Bialy (@sharonbialy) Thomas called Sweeney wise and mature beyond her years. Sometimes the nomination day is like Christmas morning, but this year we completely forgot. There were large party scenes, and large office scenes, and so you had to be very, very careful. Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. Our job is to connect with people to bring out the best performance. 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. 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]. When Breaking Bad started, we really rebelled and kept looking for stand-up actors. [Showrunner Damon Lindelof] is pretty specific about what he wants, but if he cant really explain it, hell know it when he sees it. Type above and press Enter to search. Its really wonderful to see that. Were they names you wanted from the beginning, and did you go out of your way to reunite Katey and Christina Applegate? So, I knew Id have a paycheck once I arrived and took my two weeks vacation to make the trip over and get settled. 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. I was doing a virtual Pilates class when I got a text from Christina that said, Congrats lady! 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. After a 2007 surgery that required general anesthesia, Steenburgen, who plays Zoeys mother, Maggie, began hearing original music in her head. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company. All of the shows we do from The Walking Dead to Better Call Saul to The Righteous Gemstones are all over the country. We all miss it. 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. Sign Up. And it happens. So, I love self-tapes. We thought wed cast an unknown. Craig Fincannon (Location Casting Director) 2010 Nominee Artios Award: Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Series - Drama Breaking Bad (2008) Shared with: Sharon Bialy. 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. Did it make your job easier or was it challenging having actors come in with a preconceived notion of what the show should be? Sherry Thomas: Ive been a longtime fan of Casey. The parameters of that character were a tall order to fill. And sometimes the sides are fake. For Dead to Mes second season, Scott said the main task was finding the new love interest for Linda Cardellinis character. Photo Credit: Deanna Baldwin Boyd, courtesy of Sherry Thomas. 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. A naturalistic performance, I think, is what was required in The Shrink Next Door. 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. Then, I go through my notes and consider actors that I love, as well as some new actors. 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. 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 . Sherry Thomas: They called him, pitched him and Sharon says, huh. And I write on something next to me, I had Michael Imperioli in my head. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. We had lots of auditions. Once the lead was in place, the other puzzle pieces of this ethnically and neuro-diverse cast started to land. She came in and was so natural, so funny. They tell the story of when they had to call Margolis in New York and ask him to put himself on tape, despite the fact that his character had no lines. But he also, as himself, has a real confidence and a unique and very modern feel, which I think really lends itself to Fraser. 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 tonally, youd had to have both here. 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? In some hypothetical situation in which you had to choose a different career, what would your profession be? I mean, its just, its incredible. She has been nominated for eight Emmys (The Handmaid's Tale, Barry, Breaking Bad) and 19 CSA nominations. Robin Bartlett, we have cast many times and she is, kind of in my brain, there was nobody else for it. Liz Feldman, Christina Applegate, Jessica Elbaum, and all of our producers fell in love with working with him and figuring out a complex way to bring him back. We had read her for The Handmaids Tale one season, and we had read her for an independent movie that was a really deep and layered character. It might help for other projects more so than this, just to get a sense of it when youre in the room with us. We were so touched that people were really moved by the show and actually watched it. Aug. 21, 2020 2 PM PT. I didnt know anyone here, but was a manager at The Gap at the time and got transferred to an LA location of the store. Apple TV+ Casting Director Panel with Lucinda Syson, Theo Park, Sherry 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. Big titles like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and The Handmaid's Tale may first come to mind. She read the whole book in like 48 hours. We were really happy with the outcome of that! Its an amazing collaboration, and the work is very gratifying and just so much fun. It is how we really modulate a performance. 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. He was a huge part of why we got her it was a lot of working out schedules; we dont just get to read in a room with actors all the time. Did Scott have to break some legs to get it done? 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. 'Perry Mason' Casting Directors Reveal the Casting - Daily Actor So find somebody who really is going to, give you a little bit of something to play off of, but not try to sort of make it about them, because thats not what theyre there for. 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 . We wanted the fans to believe this, too, like, Oh my God, hes so cute. sherrythomaslane Follow 284 posts 5,086 followers 587 following Sherry Thomas Lane Casting Director / Owner @ Bialy Thomas & Associates Blue collar Northampton, MA native who is Livin' the dream. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. Casting Yvonne Strahovskis mother, we needed someone who could be formidable. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. I would own my own version of a Drybar. I hope she never sees us. In the meantime, make your predictions for Best Drama Series below the interview using our easy drag-and-drop menu. From our perspective though we are still always trying to surprise the producers. I recently got a perm, Sherry, and its been a real challenge. I think she had auditioned for Rocky Horror Picture Show several years before, so I knew she could sing. The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. Alphonse is truly an incredibly skilled actor, Ingram says. ST: Russell worked very, very hard on that. Sherry Thomas @SherryThomas_ST , Twitter Profile - instalker.org I forgot to mention Casey Wilson. But who to play the enigmatic Dr. Manhattan? The second it became Alex, I ran with it, pushed it, said its a way to really enlighten the world. He is so wonderful. A lot of it is having support. I get on the phone with agents, and the casting process goes on from there. Sherry Lansing - IMDb 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. The bar has been set and we set it for ourselves as creative people with high standards. So he was intrigued. 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. How to Get Cast on a TV Series via Self-Tape | Backstage Well, Russell was able to work with production to make it happen, adds Thomas. 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. 2006 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? BIALY / THOMAS CASTING - The Casting Society of America I can tell you that after 22 years of covering the Oscars that they are mostly meaningless. He once told me, Youre weird too. . AD: The second season also featured two major guest stars in Frances Conroy and Katey Sagal. 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. 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. Get to Know the Casting Director: Sherry Thomas Its not recent, but it is really funny. Let me try it. 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. You do a dark show and they go, lets get the girls to do the dark show. She gave so much more than was even on the page [in the role of Mercedes mom], Ingram says. Disclaimer: Daily Actor at times uses affiliate links to sites like Amazon.com, streaming services, and others. 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. Jonathan [Masons employer], was the first one. In 1975 she joined MGM as an executive story editor. As a casting director, the joy is in discovering talent, says Ulrich. Every time we had a conversation or auditioned actresses that werent a perfect fit, Russell would get on the phone and see if her availability changed. New to Casting Networks? 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.. And it worked! 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? With Tyler as Diamond, when you see him experience that, you dont question whether or not thats his truth., We all loved [Harriett] from the beginning. Actors often think casting directors hardly even pay attention during their auditions. Sherry Thomas - Managing Director, Global Strategic Advisory - Guy 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. And so I said, Oh my God, oh my God, Michael Rispoli is going to be in town from New York and we need to get him in. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Shes the real deal.. Once we started to figure out that it was Jordan [Kristine Seamn], Ben was a perfect match. 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. 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. But what they dont realize is that not only are they watching closely, they might actually be looking straight into the actors souls. And our associate, Alyssa Morris, did the same with the smaller roles. One day, Damon said, Hey, theres this guy, Yahya! I went, Yeah. 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. It all kind of comes together. In this case, its Jane, only in the fact that the public did not know that she was a singer. We had readings for that part. Sharon and I have been business partners for 25 years, and were very inserted in each others lives at this point. ST: Not for us particularly. It seems that reboots are a dime a dozen these days. He was pursuing editing work on the side. But I dont believe she had ever been a series regular before. We were finding choices and some incredible singers, but it just clicked when it became Alex. Now, here comes my favorite question to ask, Sherry. Weve always requested self-tapes and explored actors from all over the world. Backstage provides its members with the best tools to grow their careers in the performing arts. AD: The biggest addition of the second season was the character of Michelle, who is played by Natalie Morales. In Season 1, says Keller, Harvey Guilln, who costars as Guillermo, familiar to one of the vampires, starts talking to this other familiar at a party, and it was a very nondescript part. 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. And I have now grown to see what a great dramatic actor he is, in the role of Zoeys brother, says Ulrich. 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. What she did to prepare for that role was incredible. The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Barry and many, many more, they are one of the top casting offices out there. 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. He doesnt necessarily work with people twice in a row, so we didnt immediately go to Regina, says Thomas. Sharon Bialy: Sometimes well know somebody really well and have them read and literally in two lines, Im like, thats it, shes the one. Id actually liken it to the audition process. Its about finding complex and compelling actors that can bring nuance even to comedy. Hes daring. For Lady Sherlock series publicity inquiries (media coverage, review copies, and interviews), please contact Tara O'Connor at Penguin Random House Bradley Whitford @BradleyWhitford 10 months ago. He hadnt done anything either. Once I opened that door, though, there was no going back. Everything was requested self-tapes, so we would discuss ideas with them for the series regulars, our main players in the piece. So theres some benefits to both. 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? Even the actor didnt know until that episodes script rolled around. Casting Director. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? Sauls Rhea Seehorn was one they called in many times before she booked the key Kim Wexler role. 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