sherry thomas lane casting director sherry thomas lane casting director

Everybody knows he is a wonderful actor. You guys cast this while everything was locked down. And thats part of our job is to continue education. To say I was enthused was another thing. Aug. 21, 2020 2 PM PT. 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. 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.. And sometimes the sides are fake. Its hard to pick just a handful of credits that cover the breadth and depth of Sherry Thomas casting rsum. Sometimes Clement will become inspired by the actors. I think actors dont think it happens, and it does. 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. Scott says Dead to Me is a comedy, but its very down to earth. I mean, I was still completely nervous, but I felt more comfortable in that sort of nervousness. Sharon Bialy: What a nice way to start the day. In the case of Lawrence Gilliard, that role was. If life begins at conception, why aren't Republicans making sure that the men who cause pregnancies take any responsibility? She had to go to some places and the work was beautiful. 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. My wife is my reader and shes terrible. Thanks, and Ill add that working from home with your kids during the pandemic really shows you what youve been missing out on. 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. 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. Facebook Icon. Do you guys prefer two takes on the self-tape? After appearing in two films, Loving (1970) and Rio Lobo (1970), Sherry decided to leave the acting field. Sherry Thomas: Ive been a longtime fan of Casey. 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. 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. And I write on something next to me, I had Michael Imperioli in my head. For Dead to Mes second season, Scott said the main task was finding the new love interest for Linda Cardellinis character. Get to Know the Casting Director: Sherry Thomas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And then, Sherry, you redirected me to do something. 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. When you work in television and when you work with really great material, you do get excited for this time of year. Sherry Thomas: Yep. Its interesting, because I think what happens to actors often happens to casting directors, Bialy explained. 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? Samira Wiley plays Moira in The Handmaids Tale, a performance that has brought her a third supporting actress Emmy nomination. So, there you have it. 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. The vampire mockumentary series was a surprise Emmys 2020 comedy series nominee, but dont look for hidden meaning behind the fun, say its writers. Learn more about how we use cookies. At some point Sherry suggested Katey Sagal. ST: It is a challenge when there are so many components beyond Are they a great actor? and Are they right for the part? The age had to be right so that it felt right appropriate for Diana. Livin' the dream. I dont know if theres a generic answer that fits every person when it comes to managing work/life balance, though. 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? We are very, very excited for season three. Its OK because now youll get great volume when you blow dry it. 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. Then there are recent series like Vanessa Bayers I Love That for You and Danny McBrides The Righteous Gemstones. 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. Sherry was born in Chicago and pursued an acting career after graduating from Northwestern University. If we cant connect its very hard to do our jobs. All rights reserved. How did you end up finding her for the role? Hes daring. 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. Three if theres one in there that you just want to give it a shot. Sometimes the casting session is slammed, and you have several actors in the waiting room. But what the self-taping does is give so many more people opportunities because we can see 25 actors for a role. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. . 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. 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. Craig Fincannon (Location Casting Director) 2010 Nominee Artios Award: Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Series - Drama Breaking Bad (2008) Shared with: Sharon Bialy. There were large party scenes, and large office scenes, and so you had to be very, very careful. 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. Literally, we were all just howling because she just got it., We needed a Jake from Sixteen Candles, someone brooding and obviously swoon-worthy and somebody that Devis going to have a mad crush on, Greenstein says of the protagonists love interest, Paxton Hall-Yoshida. We are very passionate about not pigeonholing actors. You might look at the character of Lil Murda and think you know this person, but you dont. Well, Russell was able to work with production to make it happen, adds Thomas. casting director Casts for Film, TV, Theatre, New Media California About Sharon Bialy Sharon Bialy is an award winning Casting Director for television, film and theater. 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? Natalies name came up at the very beginning, and she is someone who Liz liked but we were originally told she wasnt available. AD: The biggest addition of the second season was the character of Michelle, who is played by Natalie Morales. Sign up for emails from Casting Networks News. And people. , Keller says, They said they wanted boring. Like if you were to go to a town meeting to talk about zoning.. The thing that Luca seemed to be connecting to is a real combination of, could they do the material, but also could he engage in real dialogue with them about what it means to be their age in this moment and incorporate that into the vision that he had., Jordan didnt even have an agent. For Lady Sherlock series publicity inquiries (media coverage, review copies, and interviews), please contact Tara O'Connor at Penguin Random House Sharon Bialy: I think thats a really good note. When you guys watch a self-tape, how long do you spend on it until you move on. 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? And I said, Yeah, I think its going to be really cool and really interesting. 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 Thats what I did back in 2012 after my second daughter was born. Im in LA. Sorry I had to jump in because he is very humble! This is my first experience with Luca, so the process involved me figuring out how he defines a lot of the things in the script. She read the whole book in like 48 hours. Alice Lee was just a discovery. WEBN Reporter Ali Inglese sat down with "Breaking Bad" Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and 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. It is how we really modulate a performance. In 1974, Sherry joined Talent Associates, as an executive in charge of development. The process when we started of course is making lists. 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. That was a very, very challenging role, Thomas says of the eager young econowife character who comes to learn just how divorced love and marriage are in the Gilead dystopia. He once told me, Youre weird too. . After first meeting the Massachusetts native a Masshole as she calls it you may feel as if youve known her for much longer. Type above and press Enter to search. We wanted to see her because we were such huge fans from all the things that shes done, especially The Night Of. [Laughs] I love them, as well as my husband, and we all have fun together. You also have to believe that that actor is capable of things you havent seen them do before. When Breaking Bad started, we really rebelled and kept looking for stand-up actors. Let me try it. Hes coming in this week. . You learn what you want to change moving forward. 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. It sounds like you didnt look back after the job found you. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. And thats exciting when were able to do that. Its so much more fun when youre doing a musical, because people are singing and your days suddenly better, says Robert J. Ulrich. 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. Sharon Bialy: I think thats the exciting thing about casting, and Ill speak for my partner. 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. In a COVID and post-COVID world do you think youre job will permanently change? 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. As a casting director, the joy is in discovering talent, says Ulrich. Back in 2019, Jones played. Weve been able to give multiple women over a certain age really complex material. 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. The testing was very rigorous and I think production did such an amazing job with what they had to accomplish in the way that they had to accomplish it. He did come in and audition and just blew everybody away., The most fun bit of casting was the fact that Mo was written as a woman. Sometimes the nomination day is like Christmas morning, but this year we completely forgot. Disclaimer: Daily Actor at times uses affiliate links to sites like Amazon.com, streaming services, and others. But this is definitely a collaboration between Jack and Luca, and who teenagers are today, in this moment., [The character of Sam Pratchett] was really about mixing and matching with whoever [would be playing his girlfriend] Caitlin. We were so touched that people were really moved by the show and actually watched it. This interview has been edited and condensed. You have this sort of visceral, gut reaction when its right, and thats how it was for me with casting. I recently got a perm, Sherry, and its been a real challenge. Alphonse is truly an incredibly skilled actor, Ingram says. He was tied to a play in New York., Jemaine does that so much, says Kay. AD: The second season also featured two major guest stars in Frances Conroy and Katey Sagal. 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. Id read about her ability, Ulrich says of the Oscar winner, a prolific singer-songwriter. I knew that Mary could sing. 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. 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. From our perspective though we are still always trying to surprise the producers. They have to be funny and in the moment with so few lines, and that is such a hard thing to do. 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. Its really wonderful to see that. Photo Credit: Deanna Baldwin Boyd, courtesy of Sherry Thomas. And before we wrap, can you share your secret for managing work/life balance? 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 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. No, but it made me feel like just more confident. Sign Up. Watch our video interviews with top awards contenders: directors, producers, below-the-line artisans and , Watch our lively predictions slugfests with Experts and Editors. 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. While leaving no stone unturned in his search for the perfect San Francisco enclave, Ulrich ended up with more than a few recognizable names of both stage and screen in key roles. There would be years where people would be like, Where did you get all these drug addicts? . And thanks for sharing about the magic of working with the person who not only co-created the show, but who also produces, writes, directs, and stars in it. Sherry Thomas: Yeah, it was. One thing I love about casting this show is that its not just a lot of offers. 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. And as a casting director, it feeds my soul to get to go through the whole collaborative process of finding that person who just pops in a role. It felt like he was going to be her enemy the whole time, Greenstein says of Lewisons character, Ben Gross. Better Call Saul, were not even allowed to give you anything. 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]. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. How did you come to realize that casting was the job for you? Were just gonna have a great time.. I think she had auditioned for Rocky Horror Picture Show several years before, so I knew she could sing. Twitter Icon Casting Director. And Sherry was like, Shes so smart. I get on the phone with agents, and the casting process goes on from there. Luca was intrigued [by Alice] and it seemed like a great match. Liz responds to actors who arent hitting the jokes but have a sense of humor, not typical sitcom, playing-to-the-audience types you might see on traditional multi-camera shows. Co-Owner Bialy Thomas & Assoc. I think in this particular project that Georgia [Pritchetts] writing was incredible, and the tone was on the page, but still it helped. The driving force was that this world felt real, [that] we could see these people living here, Ingram says. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. You do a drama and they say you can only do drama. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. We knew her, but I wouldnt say that a lot of people knew her, Greenstein adds.