“For a casting director, that’s your—the actor that you have loved for decades getting their shot, and then not only taking it, but killing it, as Sterling does each and every week.” – Tiffany Little Canfield
“I think in some ways the image I presented of myself throughout the years has caused people to have a hard time casting me” – Christina Ricci
If you are ready to get on the radar of the casting directors and are willing to do what it takes, read on and take action.
What are you doing to make sure you set yourself apart from the rest of the pack?
“It wasn’t lost on me that had they not seen Justified, it was very possible that my first audition may have passed them by.” – Damon Herriman on His Audition for ‘Quarry’
Casting director Will Stewart wrote a now-deleted Facebook post accusing The Hollywood Reporter of writing a “hate piece” and that “workshops are dying” because of it.
“He had been auditioning for me for ten years. I had never hired him for anything” – Casting Director Jeff Greenberg on Modern Family Star, Eric Stonestreet
“If they looked like an actor they were discounted immediately.” – ‘Mr Robot’ Casting Directors
Two prominent casting directors offer some insight on the difficulty of casting and how some casting decisions are left up to people who carry a bit more weight
Gold acknowledges that one of the hazards of her job is that agents constantly want to introduce her to their clients, but each production she works on already know what they are looking for.
Greg Orson, casting director for The Vampire Diaries, has canceled his late April 29 and 30 acting workshops that were scheduled in Georgia.
Casting Directors on what their looking for this pilot season: “That 30- to 35- year-old leading man. For a lot of those guys, we started to go to London and England”
“There were many times that I would go into auditions and a casting director would say, ‘It’s really great. Really love what you’re doing, but we’d love you to come back with a jean miniskirt and high heels.” – Brie Larson
The casting directors are asked how they cast their projects, where they locate new talent, and their thoughts on making casts more diverse.
“Auditions are like a blind date for the casting director and the actor. The audition starts the minute you walk in the room” – Casting Director Bernie Telsey
“We look for somebody who can elevate the material, which is very important when you’re looking at so many actors for a specific role.”
Isidora Goreshter recently recalled that her audition for the ‘Shameless’ was by far her worst ever.
Mark Saks, the casting director for ‘The Good Wife’, speaks about what he looks for in actors he casts for the show and mistakes he frequently sees at auditions, especially those made by young actors
Belasco and Lilienfield speak about the details behind casting decisions and also share anecdotes about casting the two series they are nominated for
Some top agents of young talent speak about how social media has revolutionized the way they discover new talent
