02.18.21 BACKSTAGE.

COM

Tom
Holland
Takes the Leap 7 Pages
OF CASTING
From “Spider-Man” NOTICES
to “Cherry,” this
Hollywood wunderkind
is just getting started
Why Anya
Lee Daniels Taylor-Joy,
on his nontraditional path Leslie Odom Jr.
to casting Billie Holiday
+ Zendaya are
among this year’s
Rosamund Pike:
“What you need screen MVPs
is freedom as
an actor”
 C O N G R A T U
T O O U R 2 0 2 1 S A G A

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT MICHAELA COEL

MARK RUFFALO KALEY CUOCO

O u t s t a n d i n g Pe r for m a n c e O u t s t a n d i n g Pe r fo r m a n c e
b y a Fe m a l e Ac tor b y a Fe m a l e Ac t o r
in a Te l e v i s i on Mov i e or L i m i te d Se r i e s i n a Te l e v i s i o n Mov i e o r L i m i t e d Se r i e s
N ICOL E K I DM A N M IC H A E L A COE L

O u t s t a n d i n g Pe r for m a n c e
b y a Ma l e Ac tor
in a Te l e v i s i on Mov i e or L i m i te d Se r i e s
H UG H G R AN T O u t s t a n d i n g Pe r fo r m a n c e
b y a Ma l e Ac t o r
i n a Te l e v i s i o n Mov i e o r L i m i t e d Se r i e s
M A R K RU F FA L O
T U L A T I O N S
G AWARDS NOMINEES
®

COEL LOV ECRAFT COUNTRY NICOLE KIDMAN

OCO WESTWORLD HUGH GRANT

OUT STANDING PE R F OR M A NCE O UT ST AN D I N G PERFORM A NCE

BY A N E NS E M BL E BY AN ENS EM B LE
I N A DR A M A S E R I E S I N A C O MEDY S ERI ES

Ou t s t a n d i n g Ac ti on Pe r for m a n ce
Ou ts ta nd ing Pe r for man ce
b y a Stu n t En s e m b l e
by a F ema le A c tor i n a Come dy Se r i e s
in a Com e d y or D r a m a Se ri e s
K AL EY CUOCO

Ou t s t a n d i n g Ac ti on Pe r for m a n ce
b y a St u n t En s e m b l e
in a Com e d y or D r a m a Se ri e s

PUB: BACKSTAGE B: 18.5” x 11.25” SHOW: HBO_GGFYC_2021

Contents vol. 62, no. 05 | 02.18.21

Cover Story The Green Room

Making Moves
8 The Golden Globe nominations honor
‘Hamilton,’ ‘Borat,’ Netflix, and more

For an actor who says he’s “achieved everything 10 This week’s roundup of who’s
casting what starring whom
I could possibly want to achieve,” Tom Holland
is still finding ways to engage, challenge, and 12 Alan Tudyk on “Resident Alien” and
test his physical limits like never before embracing the weird in his characters
page 18
Advice
15 NOTE FROM THE CD
Pulling a stunt

16 #IGOTCAST
Dorothy Meyers

16 SECRET AGENT MAN

I need to know

Features
6 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH...
Rosamund Pike

14 MEET THE MAKER

Lee Daniels, “The United States vs.
Billie Holiday” director

15 THE ESSENTIALISTS
Ita O’Brien, intimacy coordinator

17 IN THE ROOM WITH

Kelly Valentine Hendry

23 MOST INVALUABLE
Our annual roundup of film
and television’s MVPs

32 ASK AN EXPERT
Gwyn Gilliss on using props
in a self-tape

Casting
24 New York Tristate
26 California
28 National/Regional

Tom Holland photographed by Hubble Studio

on Jan. 9 in Beverly Hills. Grooming by Rachael
Speke. Styling by Law Roach. Cover designed by
Ian Robinson.

BACKSTAGE 02.18.21 2 backstage.com

 6B E S T P I C T U R E
G O L D E N G L O B E® N O M I N A T I O N S
INCLUDING

(DRAMA)
BEST DIRECTOR DAVID FINCHER BEST ACTOR GARY OLDMAN BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS AMANDA SEYFRIED

(DRAMA)
12 SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARD NOMINEE
C R I T I C S ’ C H O I C E AWA R D N O M I N AT I O N S ®

BEST PICTURE
INCLUDING

BEST DIRECTOR BEST ACTOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

DAVID FINCHER GARY OLDMAN AMANDA SEYFRIED BEST ACTOR GARY OLDMAN

“THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR.” AWARDS DAILY

“ACTED TO PERFECTION BY GARY OLDMAN AND AMANDA SEYFRIED.”

ABC NEWS

“THIS GLAMOROUS, GLORIOUS TRIP BACK IN TIME TO HOLLYWOOD PAST IS

PURE MOVIE MAGIC ABOUT MOVIE MAGIC.”
AFI
 Backstage was founded in 1960 by Ira Eaker and Allen Zwerdling

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CHIEF TECHNOLOGY CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER VICE PRESIDENT, CASTING
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CORPORATE CONTROLLER &
VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE
Michael Madia

Editorial Art Casting Product Advertising Sales

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 Backstage 5 With...

Rosamund Pike
By Casey Mink

Following her Academy Award–

nominated turn in “Gone Girl,” it’s
hard to deny that Rosamund Pike
has a knack for portraying, frankly,
sociopaths. Her latest role in Netflix’s
sardonic thriller “I Care a Lot” fits right
into the canon. Though her character,
Marla Grayson, could not be more
different from Pike herself, she knew
just how to prepare: “I vaped a lot,
and I went to some spin classes.”

What performance should every actor see and why?

I’d say Celia Johnson in “Brief Encounter,” because, to me,
that’s just beautiful acting, beautiful delivery, total naturalism.
It’s pretty flawless, in my opinion.

Do you have an audition horror story you can share?
Going to my “Bond” audition [for “Die Another Day”] with my
mother’s concert dress from [when she was] an opera singer,
thinking that was exactly the kind of dress I should wear. I took
it out of the bag, and the costume designer said, “Yes, that it
is a very lovely dress, but Bond girls tend to wear something
more like this.” And she held up what looked like about three
pieces of string. So, that. That’s the archetypal one.
“Gone Girl” character]. I’ve learned a lot from Amy Dunne since
then, and I think she would’ve rolled her eyes in despair…. My
partner picked me up from the airport, and I got to set clutching
my mouth and pretending I had a toothache.
How did you get your SAG membership?
I should’ve gotten it when I did “Fracture” with Ryan Gosling,
but I didn’t know that one had to be a member of SAG. So

ILLUSTRATION: NATHAN ARIZONA/PHOTO: DENIS MAKARENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done to get a role?
I flew to St. Louis to meet David Fincher [for “Gone Girl”] when
I was on another job. The morning I was expected in Glasgow, I
was flying back from St. Louis, knowing that four times a week,
this flight coming in was late. My call time was at 6:30 and the
flight, when on time, landed at 7 a.m. Production thought I’d
been in Scotland the whole weekend, when I’d actually been
halfway across the world. They never would have let me go—and
I had to go. I always wonder whether that was a test by Fincher.
I had to come up with a plan: I had to have my partner say that
I’d gone to A&E [the accident and emergency department] with
a dental problem. I’d planted the idea that I had a toothache on
the Friday before. I mean, it was so hammy; it was so un-Amy [my
there was a sort of alarming late-night call saying I might not
be allowed to go to work the next day because I didn’t have
Screen Actors Guild membership. It was my naiveté about
everything that I didn’t know that was an obligation, and they
assumed that I had it. I did get it for that, eventually.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Watch loads of American films, make loads of American
friends, preferably have an American lover, and make sure that
you can really speak American. Even if you think you might be
able to because you have English as a first language, that is not
a passport to being able to speak American. And now, I can be
as free in American as I can be in English; but that took time,
and what you need is freedom as an actor.

“[Marla is] defined by who she is and what she wants:

She doesn’t want to be fucked over, and she wants to be rich.”

BACKSTAGE 02.18.21 6 backstage.com

 Since the pandemic hit, only a few artistic and technical trades workers have been employed
by the Met, barely affecting the opera company’s financial bottom line.

Yet, that didn’t stop Peter Gelb, the Metropolitan Opera’s general manager, from backstabbing these stagecraft
and design employees preparing for this year’s season. He recently padlocked them out of jobs, denying them an
income, cutting off funding for their health care and stopping the production of sets for the new opera season.

The Met Opera isn’t about balance sheets. Without people, the opera is nothing.

Gelb seems to think otherwise. Stagehands, ticket sellers, set, costume, lighting and makeup artists,
broadcast professionals, along with other dedicated Met employees, understand the strain COVID-19 is
placing on the performing arts and are willing to make accommodations during these difficult times.

However, they refuse to accept Gelb’s overreaching 30%, take-it-or-leave-it wage cut that
would remain in effect long after the pandemic is history and audiences return.

Make no mistake, producing opera is labor intensive and the Met is reliant on the artists onstage and
offstage. Unless the Met’s management returns to negotiations and treats workers fairly, there will be no
opera in 2021. The Metropolitan Opera House will remain dark and quiet, a vacant warehouse.

Stop a real opera tragedy. Tell the backstabbing Met management

to back off. Withhold contributionS to the Met until workers
are reinstated. Register for updates and to show your support.

Visit us at: www.MetOperaNews.com Paid for by International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
HAVE YOU BEEN CAST IN A PROJECT THROUGH A BACKSTAGE CASTING NOTICE? Share your story with us and you might be featured
in an upcoming issue! Just tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast and we’ll be in touch to hear your success story!
@BACKSTAGE FACEBOOK.COM/BACKSTAGE
Anya Taylor-Joy and Moses Ingram
on “The Queen’s Gambit”
Awards
Netflix Dominates
Golden Globe Nominations
With the Feb. 3 announcement, this unusual awards season is in full swing
By Jack Smart
ANNOUNCED VIRTUALLY BY
previous Globe winners,
including Taraji P. Henson and
Sarah Jessica Parker, the film
and television nominees for
the Hollywood Foreign Press
Association’s 78th annual show
reflected an industry under-
going a sea change; Netflix
claimed more recognition than
ever before with a whopping 42
nods, while other distributors of
streaming content edged out tra-
ditional networks and studios.
The motion picture drama
category includes Sony Pictures
Classics’ “The Father,” Netflix’s
“Mank” and “The Trial of
the Chicago 7,” Searchlight
Pictures’ “Nomadland,” and
Focus Features’ “Promising
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
@BACKSTAGECAST
Young Woman.” In the musical
or comedy film race, Amazon
Studios’ “Borat Subsequent
Moviefilm,” Walt Disney
Pictures’ “Hamilton,” Hulu and
Neon’s “Palm Springs,” Vertical
Entertainment’s “Music,” and
Netflix’s “The Prom” are in the
running.
The film director category
features a majority of female
nominees—a historic first for
the Globes: Regina King for
“One Night in Miami,” Emerald
Fennell for “Promising Young
Woman,” and Chloé Zhao
for “Nomadland” join David
Fincher for “Mank” and Aaron
Sorkin for “Chicago 7” as
contenders. (Barbra Streisand
is the only woman who has
8 backstage.com
ever taken home the prize, for
1983’s “Yentl.”)
Following controversy in the
wake of the HFPA’s foreign lan-
guage category designation of
A24’s American drama “Minari”
from writer-director Lee Isaac
Chung, the film was nominated
alongside Denmark’s “Another
Round” (Samuel Goldwyn
Films), Guatemala’s “La
Llorona” (Shudder), and Italy’s
“The Life Ahead” (Netflix) and
“Two of Us” (Magnolia Pictures).
“The Croods: A New Age”
(Universal Pictures), “Onward”
and “Soul” (Walt Disney
Pictures), “Over the Moon”
(Netflix), and “Wolfwalkers”
(Cartoon Saloon) will compete
for animated motion picture.
In the TV categories, a mix
of well-known contenders and
up-and-coming talent alike
earned the HFPA’s attention.
Netflix’s “Emily in Paris,” HBO
Max’s “The Flight Attendant,”
Hulu’s “The Great,” Pop TV
and CBC’s “Schitt’s Creek,” and
AppleTV+’s “Ted Lasso” will
compete for best comedy series.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s “The
Crown,” “Ozark,” and “Ratched”;
HBO Max’s “Lovecraft
Country”; and Disney+’s “The
Mandalorian” are in contention
for best drama. Hulu and the
BBC’s “Normal People,” Netflix’s
“The Queen’s Gambit” and
“Unorthodox,” HBO’s “The
Undoing,” and Amazon Studios
and the BBC’s film anthology
“Small Axe” are nominated for
this year’s outstanding limited
series honors.
Among the actors nominated
were 2020 Emmy Award
winners Mark Ruffalo for “I
Know This Much Is True”;
Julia Garner for “Ozark”;
and Catherine O’Hara, Annie
Murphy, and Eugene and
Dan Levy for “Schitt’s Creek.”
Achieving recognition in more
than one category were rising
star Anya Taylor-Joy for “The
Queen’s Gambit” and Focus
Features’ “Emma.”; Olivia
Colman for “The Father” and
“The Crown” (the latter of
which earned her a Globe tro-
phy last year); and Sacha Baron
Cohen, as supporting actor in
“Chicago 7” and as the produc-
er-star of “Borat Subsequent
Moviefilm.” (He claimed the
lead actor in a comedy or musi-
cal film prize once before, for
the first “Borat” movie in 2007.)
The ceremony, hosted by
returning pair Tina Fey and
Amy Poehler, will be held Feb.
28, broadcast from the Beverly
COURTESY NETFLIX
Hilton in Los Angeles and air-
ing live on NBC.

What’s Casting
Everything Old Is
New Again
Three new projects look to the past for
inspiration
By Rebecca Welch
STAY IN THE LOOP ON INDUS-
try and casting news with our
write-up on who’s been slated
for recent film and television
roles!
Please note that shoot dates
are subject to state and county
restrictions and may change.
Refer to Call Sheet for updates,
and keep checking Backstage for
the latest news on project devel-
opment during this time.
“The Powerpuff Girls”
The Powerpuff Girls, the pint-
sized crime fighters who were a
fixture of the Cartoon Network
lineup in the 1990s and 2000s,
are all grown up—this time
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
in the real world. When they
were last on the small screen,
they were eager to fight bad
guys before dinnertime; but the
CW will put a darker spin on
the trio’s narratives now that
they’ve reached adulthood. In
the live action adaptation-re-
boot (co-created by “Juno”
scribe Diablo Cody), Blossom,
Bubbles, and Buttercup are
in their 20s and have come to
resent the fact that they spent
their youth saving the world
instead of having a childhood;
but the sisters have to revisit
their roots in order to come to
the rescue once again. The pilot
has started to cast the leading
trio with the help of Rapaport/
10
Siegel (“The Wrestler”), the
series will follow the couple’s
whirlwind romance, their
hasty marriage, and the tabloid
scandal and subsequent legal
battle. Betty Mae is casting
the miniseries, and has already
brought on Sebastian Stan as
Lee, Lily James as Anderson,
and Seth Rogen as the man
who stole the infamous tape.
The team is aiming to start
production in April and con-
tinue shooting through the
spring. No location has been
announced.
“Epic”
“Once Upon a Time” may have
bid farewell to ABC viewers,
but the Disney-owned network
isn’t ready to say goodbye
to fairy tale tie-ins just yet.
Hoping to recapture the magic
for a new pilot, the network
has brought in that series’
co-creators, Adam Horowitz
and Eddie Kitsis, along with
Brigitte Hales. Taking place in
the Disney Universe, “Epic” will
Baldasare Casting, though no reimagine the studio’s familiar
actors have been announced fairy tales for a new audience.
yet. Production on the potential
series is expected to start in
While the series is still very
early on in production, casting
Atlanta in April. on the primetime pilot has com-
menced with Ulrich/Dawson/
“Pam & Tommy” Kritzer. No actors are publicly
Fashion isn’t the only thing attached to the project so far,
from the 1990s that people are but it has planned an April start
interested in revisiting. Hulu is date, with Ireland as a prospec-
looking to return to the tabloid tive shooting location.
goldmine that was actor-model
Pamela Anderson and Mötley For the latest news, check out
Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s backstage.com/resources to
chaotic relationship—and sex find thousands of production
tape leak—with a limited series. listings, casting directors,
Directed by Craig Gillespie (“I, acting classes, agents, and
Tonya”) and written by Robert more!
FILM EMMY AWARD WINNER ELISABETH
Moss has signed on to star in an untitled
Elisabeth Moss feature about the making of “The Godfather.”
Moss will play Eleanor Coppola, the wife of
Joins ‘The Francis Ford Coppola, in the film-about-the-
Godfather’ film, which will be directed by Barry Levinson.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” star joins a cast that
Making-Of also includes Oscar Isaac as Francis and Jake
Gyllenhaal as Robert Evans. The project has
MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON
By Casey Mink been re-adapted from a Black List screenplay
by Andrew Farotte and will document the
“Shakespearean behind-the-scenes drama”
that didn’t stop “The Godfather” from becom-
ing one of the most acclaimed films in history.
backstage.com
 the most efficiency. And I think
that’s what he’s working toward,
but he’s bad at it in the begin-
ning…. He’s a very intelligent
being, but he’s very stupid about
humans. That kind of ignorant
curiosity was exciting.”

He uses the theater to

“re-teach” himself how to be
an actor.
“I’m rereading Uta Hagen right
now. I went to Juilliard when I
was 23, so damn, that’s a while
ago! I felt like if you spent too
much time in Hollywood, you’d
lose your ability to be what I
considered a ‘good actor’…. I
have to keep coming back to
the theater every couple of
years to do a play to re-teach
myself how to act.”
Alan Tudyk on
“Resident Alien” His early roles created the
template for his career.
“My first play I did, I played
The Slate dead. So then, the alien takes 25 roles. It was 25 roles in a
his form and becomes Harry [three-person] play. [The other

An Opportunity Vanderspeigle. And he gets

pulled into this little town
two actors] played two roles
throughout the play, and I

for Oddities
when they need a doctor’s help played all the people around
in doing an autopsy, because them. So I’d come on as some
their doctor was murdered.” French person, and then
Alan Tudyk latches onto character quirks somebody else and somebody
He was excited to explore else—different costumes, dif-
to bring his performances to life Harry’s physicality. ferent wigs. Oh, it was so much
By Matthew Nerber “When I first read it, I got fun! It really set the stage for
excited about the idea [that] what my career would become,
The following interview for Backstage’s on-camera series The Slate was he’s learning to use his body, because I played a lot of little,
compiled in part by Backstage readers just like you! Follow us on Twitter learning how to manipulate very different roles.”
(@Backstage) and Instagram (@backstagecast) to stay in the loop on the physical form that he’s
upcoming interviews and to submit your questions. now taken on. It’s similar to Want to hear more from
other roles that I’ve played, in a Tudyk? Watch our full
ALAN TUDYK IS ONE OF physician who isn’t exactly way—I’ve played robots before. interview at backstage.com/
those actors who shows up what he appears to be. They move ergonomically; their magazine, and follow us on
and steals every scene he’s in. form is being manipulated with Instagram: @backstagecast.
In a career that has spanned Tudyk’s character on
more than two decades, he has “Resident Alien” has a
become one of the industry’s big secret.
most reliable character actors, “Harry Vanderspeigle is an
with credits in theater, film, alien. He wasn’t an alien; he TELEVISION “HOUSE OF THE DRAGON,” HBO’S
highly anticipated Targaryen-centric
television, and animation. Yet was just some guy who was a
the actor says he’s never done
Casting prequel to “Game of Thrones,” has completed
doctor who was on vacation principal casting. Signing onto the project
learning about the craft of at his cabin in a small town Complete are Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best,
acting—from the great prac- in Colorado. But an alien for ‘Game and Sonoya Mizuno; they join previously
announced stars Paddy Considine, Olivia
titioners, but also from the accidentally crashes his space- of Thrones’ Cooke, Matt Smith, and Emma D’Arcy.
actors he’s shared the stage ship—he was on his way to the Prequel Co-created by Ryan J. Condal and Miguel
and screen with. Tudyk is cur- earth to destroy all human Sapochnik, along with book scribe George
JAMES DITTINGER/SYFY

rently starring on Syfy series life—[and] seeks shelter in that By Casey Mink R.R. Martin, the project was (unsurprisingly)
given a straight-to-series order. Set 300 years
“Resident Alien” as Dr. Harry cabin and kills him a little bit. before the events of its predecessor, the new
Vanderspeigle, a small-town Well, he kills him a lot; he’s show does not yet have a premiere date.

BACKSTAGE 02.18.21 12 backstage.com

 In The Envelope
The Actor’s Podcast

Recent guests
include:
Hugh Grant,
John Boyega,
Nicole Byer,
Aidy Bryant, &
Maya Rudolph

For intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators,
subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts!
culture+
Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know
Meet the Maker
Lee Daniels, “The United States vs.
Billie Holiday” director
By Casey Mink
IF YOU WANT TO WORK WITH
Lee Daniels, the Academy
Award–nominated director
behind “Precious” and “The
Butler,” you’d better not be
afraid of heights. “I’m desperate
to keep it fresh,” he says, “which
is to say: I love actors who are
willing to jump off the cliff
with me.”
That mentality explains
why, for the title role in “The
United States vs. Billie Holiday,”
Daniels didn’t hoist the feature
onto the back of a decorated
film actor. Instead, he went
with singer Andra Day, who
stepped onto set having never
acted in front of a camera.
“I had actors I was excited
about—who were actors,”
Daniels says of casting the
film, which features a script by
Suzan-Lori Parks and debuts
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
on Hulu Feb. 26. “But I met
with Andra because I knew she
could sing the role better than
any of the actors. I saw the soul
of Billie, so I said, ‘Why don’t
you audition?’ I sent her to my
friend Tasha Smith, an acting
coach here in Los Angeles.
And Tasha, unbeknownst to
her, recorded Andra getting
into character. It wasn’t the
audition, it was just her getting
into Billie. And I said, ‘This ain’t
acting. This is being.’ ”
Daniels has a history of
throwing neophytes into the
belly of the beast—he did
it with Gabourey Sidibe in
“Precious.” For “Billie,” his first
“You can be brilliant, but
you’re only as good as
your director. And so a lot
of actors are untrusting.”
14
@BACKSTAGE FACEBOOK.COM/BACKSTAGE
Andra Day in “The United
States vs. Billie Holiday”
film in eight years, he wanted
to get back to a place “where all
the actors were unknowns,” he
says. “Good actors to support
telling the story of Billie, so
that you were lost in the world
and not taken out by people
you recognize.”
Though directing greener
actors requires additional
support—especially through
challenging scenes, which there
are many of Daniels’ films—he
gravitates toward them more
than seasoned vets. New actors,
he muses, haven’t yet had their
trust or spirit broken by the
filmmaking process.
“A lot of times, actors are
jaded because they give their
best performances, and then
it’s in the hands of a director
who just can cut ’em up,” he
says, speaking to the editing
@BACKSTAGECAST
process. “You can be brilliant,
but you’re only as good as your
director. And so a lot of actors
are untrusting.”
Daniels also cites inexperi-
enced actors’ willingness to
change things up “on the day,”
be it a new costume, a new
prop, or an entirely new chunk
of dialogue. “They don’t know
ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; “I MAY DESTROY YOU”: NATALIE SEERY/HBO
any better!” he exclaims. But
that isn’t to say he takes advan-
tage of anyone’s naiveté—quite
the opposite.
The first order of business on
Daniels’ set is to “make them
completely at ease,” he insists.
It’s the only way to tap into
the sacred, sensitive dynamic
between the actor and director.
“You’re dancing; it’s a waltz.
You are lovers, except you’re
not making love, but you really
have to be on the same syllable.
We’re family. You can’t get this
work out of someone [without]
knowing them intimately—
knowing their insecurities.”
It all comes down to helping
the actor become the best
vessel for the story at hand.
That requires a total lack of
rigidity—on the part of the
actors, the director, and the sto-
rytelling itself. It’s why, even in
Daniels’ most difficult-to-watch
work, there are moments of tri-
umph and levity. “For me, that’s
storytelling,” he says.
For that same reason, “The
United States vs. Billie Holiday”
is framed around the notori-
ously troubled singer in her
capacity as a civil rights activist,
and her anti-lynching anthem
“Strange Fruit.” “There’s hatred
out there, and it was time for
people to really know Billie’s
story,” Daniels says. “If she
could do this back then, what
can I do? What can I do to make
the world better? What can I do
to make my environment bet-
ter? What can I do better for my
TAKASHI SEIDA
kids? This is a call to arms.”
backstage.com

Note From the CD
Pulling a Stunt
By Marci Liroff
I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A WATCH-
dog when it comes to safety on
set. Like a mother hen, I want to
make sure that everyone is edu-
cated, cautious, and has given
consent to any action taking
ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; “I MAY DESTROY YOU”: NATALIE SEERY/HBO
place. I spoke to my colleague
Peter King, a stunt coordinator
with over 25 years of experi-
ence, about what actors need to
know before diving in.
How do you determine
whether an actor can do a
stunt themselves versus using
a stunt performer?
We are brought in when the
script has scenes with any type
of action or events that would
require the actors to be put in
any physical situation. Usually,
I would never say, “The actor is
doing a stunt,” but rather phrase
it as “actor action.” This would
be where I design the stunt in
a way that the actor could do
it safely and still accomplish
a dynamic scene that makes
TAKASHI SEIDA
backstage.com
the director happy. Sometimes,
it may be something simple,
like riding in a car that drives
erratically, or something more
challenging, like jumping out of
a tall building on fire shooting
a gun while falling. Deciding
whether an actor can do any
actor action in a scene requires
an evaluation of their ability
and confidence to do what is
needed. When it really has to
be the actor, there are times we
change how the scene is written;
or we can use a stunt person and
keep it all as it was intended. A
good stunt coordinator will be
good at having many options to
make this happen in a way that
pleases everyone.
What can an actor do to
be of service to the stunt
coordinator?
When the actor listens and
shows confidence [while you’re]
working together, it makes the
scene go much smoother and
Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know
THE ESSENTIALISTS
ITA O’BRIEN
intimacy coordinator
Michaela Coel’s “I May
Destroy You” struck a
nerve with audiences,
in part because of
its hyper-realistic,
challenging sex scenes
(which included
depictions of assault).
Fortunately, actors on
the HBO miniseries had
intimacy coordinator ITA
O’BRIEN as an advocate
every step of the way.
Just like fight scenes,
intimate scenes require
professional guidance.
“For intimate content,
there is a risk assess-
ment that needs to be
taken, just like a dance
or a fight. The risk can
be physical—people can
injure themselves—but
it’s also that the [risk for]
look more authentic. It could be
something simple, like showing
the actor how to hold a firearm
properly for the scene or show-
ing them where to stand to be
out of harm’s way. An actor
who thinks they know it all and
will not listen to any directions
makes things very challenging.
One of the more difficult things
can be when the actor demands
to do their own stunts. Then
we have to simplify the scene
to keep them safe; and they
then think it was easy and do
not realize what we had to do
to make it work for them. They
never get to see how much more
dynamic it could have been with
the stunt double doing it the
way it was planned. Of course,
an actor can always, no matter
the circumstances, ask for a
stunt double. If an actor ever
feels uncomfortable with what
they are being asked to do, they
15
culture +
By Casey Mink
injury is emotional and
psychological if it’s not
done well. If someone is
touched or manhandled
in a way that’s not right
for them, as much as a
physical injury, there’s
an emotional and
psychological injury,
from feeling awkward
to feeling harassed to touched?’ I always say
actually feeling down- that we’re inviting the
right abused.” ‘positive no.’ We invite
your boundaries, we
Intimacy rehearsals invite your no, so that
were crucial for “I May we can all work freely
Destroy You.” with your yes. That’s
“[Actors are] going, ‘OK, what Michaela and I
great. We’ve spoken have spoken about, so
about what we want, then the actor is really
now let’s get up on our able to bring their all
feet. Where are you [and] bring all of their
OK to be touched? beautiful skill to the inti-
Where are you most mate content, creating
importantly not OK to be those beautiful scenes.”
should ask for a stunt double.
Can you describe the stunt
process on the day of filming?
The process can differ for many
reasons. I meet with the direc-
tor, first AD, crew, and my team
before the day starts to make
sure everything is in place and
[to] discuss any changes. Then I
meet with any actors involved
to make sure they are comfort-
able and ready. Safety meetings
can happen before or after
rehearsals, but always right
before we do the stunt. In this
meeting, we cover every detail
of the stunt, down to where
crew would be standing.
Want more?
Want
Read our more?
full Note From the CD
Allarchives at backstage.com/
our Backstage Experts can be
magazine
found at backstage.com/magazine
02.18.21 BACKSTAGE
culture +
Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know
Secret Agent Man
I Need to Know
AGENTS HATE BEING THE
last to know. Our ability to
function effectively is largely
based on having current infor-
mation right in front of us.
Nothing is more upsetting than
reading a script for a project
that’s been secretly canceled or
pitching a client for a role that’s
already been cast.
In those cases, I can look past
the frustration, because the
events have occurred outside
my sphere of influence. But
what about the moments when
I’m the last to know inside my
own office? I’m talking about
those lovely clients who don’t
include me in major decisions.
According to my doctor, they’re
the main reason my blood pres-
sure is higher than your stoner
neighbor on April 20.
To be successful, agents and
clients have to work as a team.
Doesn’t that sound good? Isn’t
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
that what you want? Well, in
my experience, most actors
tend to forget that concept once
they get signed. The memory
loss usually begins when the
ink dries on our contract.
Just the other day, I received
a call from an actor who’s
been on my list for less than
six months. He’s been getting
out on a regular basis, and
he’s come close on a couple of
gigs, so I would say that the
relationship is working out fine.
Then the kid informs me he just
signed with a manager.
To be clear, he has the
right to do that. The issue is
he didn’t include me in the
A successful agent-client
relationship is all about
communication and
professional respect, but
I’m not suggesting you
have to do what I say.
16
process. This actor just called
to say it was a done deal. Hell,
I didn’t even know he was
taking meetings, and that is
unacceptable. You know why?
It’s because I hate this man-
ager. The guy is toxic. And now
we’re stuck working together.
Never, ever add someone to
the team without getting your
rep’s opinion first. That’s not
me being a control freak. It’s
me looking out for you. I might
have inside information you
need to know. And there could
be some history there that
will screw up our relationship.
In this case, I could’ve easily
steered my client to a better
manager who would actually
bring something to the party.
You should also check in if
you’re thinking about pulling
the trigger on making a change
to your appearance. It could be
something minor like a new
hairstyle, or something major
like a piercing or tattoo. Either
way, let’s have a chat before you
do it. I may have some insight
on how the change will affect
your casting prospects.
Here’s another biggie: Don’t
make travel plans without
talking to me first. Yes, you have
the right to live your life, but I
might be working on something
that could end up conflicting
with your out-of-town dates. If
you at least give me a heads up,
the two of us can figure out a
game plan, and we can avoid
any nasty surprises.
A successful agent-client
relationship is all about com-
munication and professional
respect, but I’m not suggesting
you have to do what I say. I’m
just saying you should at least
give me the opportunity to
express my opinion. After all,
we’re in business together.
And who knows? Every now
and then, if the stars line up
correctly, I might actually share
something that makes all the
difference in your career.
#IGOTCAST.
Dorothy Meyers
By Jalen Michael
For actor
DOROTHY
MEYERS,
hard work
and fierce
determina-
tion play a
huge role in
developing
her craft.
But staying
modest and true to
herself does, too.
Find roles that
resonate, and passion
will follow.
“[For an upcoming
project,] I’m playing a
daughter who’s helping
her mom through some
challenging moments in
her life. I have passion
in everything that I do.
So, for me, playing the
daughter is playing
myself, helping people. I
also love to help people
in any way that I can.”
Don’t fight the grind—
embrace it!
“Remain humble,
grateful, and confident.
Be consistent and
appreciate all the nos
you will hear—it only
makes you stronger.
Ask questions, take a lot
of acting classes, and
grind, grind, grind!”
Backstage makes
it safe and easy to
submit.
ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; MEYERS: DOUGLAS GORENSTEIN
“Continue to submit
through Backstage. I
use it every day and
apply for as many jobs
as I’m qualified for. I
also change my [profile
picture] periodically
based on the role I’m
applying for.”
TO SEE YOUR SUCCESS
story in print, tweet
@Backstage using the
hashtag #IGotCast, or
RAQUEL APARICIO
email us at igotcast@
backstage.com.
backstage.com
 culture +
Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

In the Room With There was a clear distinction

from the start between the

Kelly Valentine Hendry Bridgertons and their neighbors,

the Featheringtons, and once
From “Fleabag” to “Bridgerton,” the British CD knows how to cast we cast a couple of them, the
rest were easier to add. Costume
an international hit clearly helped with this, but
By Elyse Roth there is an essence to each of the
actors that puts them perfectly
within the families. And as for
the Duke and Duchess [Regé-
Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor],
actually, their re-call was in L.A.
with the creatives themselves;
so I think they must be congrat-
ulated for ensuring that that
chemistry worked out!

What kind of research went

into casting this series?
I drank a lot of tea, quadrilled
often, and promenaded every
day. No, seriously, Chris [Van
Dusen] is a generous show-
runner who is accessible for
questions and very happy to
explain his visions. I read a lot
of the book, and I think Lilly
[Hanbury] in my office read the
whole series. (She loves a bit of
Regency romance.) I have done
a lot of book adaptations: “Brave
New World,” “Grantchester,”
“The Last Kingdom,” “The
KELLY VALENTINE HENDRY IS NO STRANGER TO HIT TV. then actors were either chosen Wheel of Time.” Sometimes it
Although the U.K.–based casting director had (and still has) aspira- by our creatives there and then, helps to know the source mate-
tions to direct, she fell into the craft of casting and has been behind or we waited and brought most rial, and sometimes it hinders.
ensembles instead of cameras ever since, including for hit series like into the studio when we had the
“Fleabag” Season 1 and “Broadchurch.” It’s no surprise, then, that creatives in London for recalls. Where do you look for talent
when the opportunity to assemble the ensemble for Shonda Rhimes’ As the episodes went on and outside of agent submissions?
first Netflix series came up, she jumped at the chance. (“Netflix, we were down to day players, Honestly, everywhere. That
Shondaland, Regency, and [a] hit book series: #yesplease!” she quips.) we used a mixture of self-tape doesn’t take away the impor-
ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; MEYERS: DOUGLAS GORENSTEIN

As a modern take on high society in 19th-century London, Chris Van requests or in-person meetings tance of training and drama
Dusen’s “Bridgerton” intertwines its cast of mostly young actors in with Cole Edwards, my associ- schools; but if we are to be inclu-
scenarios that are salacious, sensuous, and universally addicting. ate on this project, who worked sive with our casting, we should
Following its Christmas Day premiere, it quickly became the stream- extremely hard. Auditions were be allowed to look for talent
er’s most popular original series to date. Here, Valentine Hendry fun and friendly, I hope! anywhere and everywhere. And
shares how she put actors like Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page we do. I won’t give my secrets
together, and talks about what not to do when you’re auditioning for There’s a lot of chemistry at away here. What I will say is I
her. You never know—you may find yourself in her room for Season 2! play—how did that factor into snoop around [on] fan sites a lot
the process? and pinch ideas all the time.
What were auditions like for didn’t require “names” for the I’ve cast a lot of ensembles,
“Bridgerton”? roles, so we had a lot of freedom and I really love it when there
In this case, we had our cre- and could bring in anyone we is a massive world to create. Want more?
atives in Los Angeles, so they felt was suitable. A mixture of In that world, there are lots of Read the full interview at
couldn’t be in sessions here in ideas, lists, and in-person cast- different forms of chemistry: backstage.com/magazine
RAQUEL APARICIO

the U.K. We were lucky that we ing kicked off the process; and friends, families, and lovers.

backstage.com 17 02.18.21 BACKSTAGE

18 backstage.com
 Making
Moves
For an actor who says he’s “achieved everything I could
possibly want to achieve,” Tom Holland is still finding ways to engage,
challenge, and test his physical limits like never before

By Benjamin Lindsay
Photographed by Hubble Studio

backstage.com 19
HE MAY BE BEST KNOWN FOR PLAYING
one of the most famous teenagers around,
but don’t let his boyish charisma fool you—
Tom Holland has been performing on stage
and screen for over half his life. Consistently
employed throughout his adolescence and
into adulthood, the 24-year-old has become
one of the most bankable movie stars work-
ing today thanks to his turn as Spider-Man in
the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Through it all,
he has dodged the dramatics of TMZ-fueled
virality (unless you count his gender-bending
lip-sync performance of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”
in 2017). In other words, one could call his
career a Hollywood anomaly.
“I think what I’ve done well is I’m really
good at being able to dictate when I’m in the
spotlight,” he says of balancing his public and
private lives. “When I’m at home, I live such
a boring life that the paparazzi don’t want to
take pictures of me. I’m with my dog, I meet
my mates, we go play golf, we go to the pub,
we go to sleep, and then we wake up and do
the same thing again.” That is, until he’s film-
ing his latest “Spider-Man” installment, which
he’s on a brief respite from as he speaks to
Backstage from a Los Angeles hotel.
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
Holland’s calculated give-and-take with
fame, fans, and family only comes after years
of experience and mentorship. A natural tal-
ent, the London-born performer enrolled in
hip-hop classes at a local dance school called
Nifty Feet after his mother noticed him hold-
ing rhythm while strutting around to Janet
Jackson’s “Together Again.” At age 9, he was
scouted by choreographer Lynne Page; he
soon began rigorous training in ballet for
the West End’s Olivier Award–winning “Billy
Elliot: The Musical,” which marked his pro-
fessional debut just after his 12th birthday.
He took his final bow as Billy two years later
and began chipping away at a career in film.
In past interviews, thinking back to his
early days in the industry, he described
growing up with an author-comedian father,
a photographer mother, and three younger
brothers as living in “the most un–child-actor
household possible.” Throughout our time
together, he speaks of his parents with
genuine reverence, sprinkling valuable life
lessons they’ve taught him on self-respect
and handling rejection. And he’s conspicu-
ously close with his brothers, with whom he
heads the Brothers Trust charity fund, an
In “Spider-Man: Far
From Home”
20
effort he’s “most proud of” on his list of many
accomplishments. That’s not to mention that
he’s also working on a “massively ambitious”
feature film script with his brother Harry
that they intend to one day direct together.
(“I’m sure when we finally take it to a studio,
they’re going to laugh at us when we say that
we want to direct it,” he admits. “But it’s our
script, and if they want us, they’re gonna
have to have all of us.”)
Such an unwavering support system
certainly was useful through the growing
pains of life as a young artist, not the
least of which included getting bullied for
wearing tights at a ballet barre while other
boys his age were playing rugby. Much has
already been said about those rough patches
and how Holland persevered; he relayed to
GQ in 2019 that “it’s just what I had to do if
SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
I wanted to get this job,” and to People two
years earlier that “you couldn’t hit me hard
enough to stop me from doing it.” But what’s
most fascinating, speaking with Holland
about his dance background today, isn’t the
schoolyard incidents it may have incited, but
the way his training all those years ago has
influenced pretty much everything he does
backstage.com
 onscreen, no matter the genre or role.
Take the obvious example: Peter Parker,
aka Spider-Man, a role he landed at 19 in
“Captain America: Civil War” and has played
in a total of five (going on six) MCU features,
including stand-alone films “Spider-Man:
Homecoming” and “Spider-Man: Far From
Home.” The sheer physicality of web-sling-
ing, high-kicking, and back-flipping (or the
demands of any spandexed Marvel gig, for
that matter) is informed and enhanced by
having a better understanding of one’s body—
its movement, and what it looks like when
stretched and positioned every which way.
His expertise in the physical also dictates
how he plays less superheroic, reality-based
characters. It’s apparent in his work in last
year’s Netflix Southern Gothic “The Devil
All the Time,” and in Apple TV+’s new crime
drama “Cherry,” which sees Holland starring
as a PTSD-addled war veteran who robs
banks to feed his opioid addiction.
“When it comes to something as simple as
walking—I mean, Cherry has a very differ-
ent walk than what I have,” Holland notes.
APPLE TV+
“He’s very heavy on his feet and labored.
Obviously, when you’re doing ballet, it’s the
backstage.com
complete opposite. But by being able to do
the complete opposite, you can mold yourself
into these different people in an easier, more
fluid way.”
In short, he says, “dance has been one
of the most valuable assets I’ve had in my
career.” He sheepishly adds, though, that the
third installment of “Spider-Man” has him
stretching those muscles anew: “Over the
years, I’ve been getting less and less flexi-
ble, which has become a bit of a challenge.
Sometimes, landing in the Spidey poses, I’ve
been pulling a hamstring here and there, so
I’ve taken up yoga.”
All that is just the prep. Then, after he’s
worked on script analysis and personal
character-building, Holland carries a danc-
er-in-the-mirror mentality with him while
filming—literally.
“I watch almost every take back while
we’re shooting,” he says. “And it’s something
that scares directors quite a lot. You some-
times find people going, ‘Why do you want to
watch everything? Don’t you trust me?’ And
it has nothing to do with my performance. It
has everything to do with my physicality.
“It is like a dancer: When you learn to do
In “Cherry”
21
a dance, you do it in the mirror. And for me,
when I’m on set and I’m figuring a character
out, especially [in] the first few weeks, I have
to watch it back, because I need to know that
I’m doing what I think I’m doing in my head.
If I was doing a dance, and then I looked at it
and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, that looks noth-
ing like what I thought it looked like,’ I need
to change it. It’s been a really valuable asset.”
While Holland worries aloud that “some
people would be very against that,” he
says he’s “really lucky that directors are so
open” to letting him jump to the monitor
after a take. Joe and Anthony Russo—who
first directed him in “Civil War,” followed
by “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers:
Endgame,” and now “Cherry”—say that it’s
that attention to detail and knack for behind-
the-camera collaboration that makes them
want to continue working with the actor.
“It suits our process very well, to be honest
with you,” Anthony Russo says. “We like to
talk to people as filmmakers; we talk to our
production designer as a filmmaker, to our
actors as a filmmaker, to our producers as
filmmakers. We like to talk about the totality
of the film with all of our collaborators. And
Tom is somebody who is very easy to engage
on that level, because his brain goes there.
He doesn’t silo himself in a very specific pro-
cess or a specific craft; he understands the
larger process of the movie we’re all making
together. This specific thing, where he does
like to review his performance and think
about how he can innovate on it in a coming
take, or in later scenes, is very much the way
Joe and I like to work.”
Considering this on-set approach, it makes
sense that Holland envisions himself as a
future director. It also further speaks to the
fact that, aside from the intensive West End–
caliber dancing of his youth, most of his craft
as a performer has come through osmosis
while working on professional sets, not via
more traditional means of schooling. Yes, he
attended the BRIT School for the creative and
Acting is a muscle, and
it’s something that can
always get stronger.
Whenever you work
with new people,
regardless of whether
you think they’re
good or not, you
will always learn
something from them.
02.18.21 BACKSTAGE

performing arts as a teen; but for the major-
ity of his time there, he was working with
Ron Howard and future MCU co-star Chris
Hemsworth on their 2015 whaling epic “In
the Heart of the Sea.”
“I wouldn’t say that I necessarily ‘trained,’ ”
Holland admits. “My training in the world of
becoming a professional and learning how to
work respectfully and be around people was
from ‘Billy Elliot.’ ”
The same can be said of his early screen
projects, like 2012’s “The Impossible” with
Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, and BBC
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
Two’s 2015 period drama “Wolf Hall” with
Mark Rylance and Claire Foy. He cites those
co-stars, as well as Robert Downey Jr. and
Zendaya, as industry mentors and inspira-
tions. He says he took those and others as
opportunities to be a sponge, to learn on the
job, and to figure out which processes speak
to him as a performer and which don’t.
“I’d be so naive to say that my training is
finished,” he continues. “Acting is a muscle,
and it’s something that can always get stron-
ger. Whenever you work with new people,
regardless of whether you think they’re good
22
or not, you will always learn something from
them. I’m continuing to learn every day. I’m
learning about directing, learning about pro-
ducing, learning about writing. All of those
things are helping me become a better actor.”
Holland’s approach to the emotional and
intellectual components of acting is best
described as instinct-based—what feels
authentic and right in the moment, within
the Venn diagram of himself and the person
he’s playing.
“Lots of it kind of boils down to: How would
I react in this scene?” he posits. “Figure that
out, and then put the character on top. The
easiest way for me to find a character is to
find the similarities between myself and the
character and then build on that.”
His homegrown, naturalistic way of per-
forming seamlessly lends itself to a project
like “Cherry.” The film sees Holland embody-
ing its titular figure in dramatically different
stages of his life—as a student, a lover, a
soldier, an addict, and a thief. In addition to
being physically demanding (Joe Russo says
Holland lost and regained 30 pounds while
filming), the film led him to map out Cherry’s
psyche through his descent. He did this, in
part, via extensive research and interviews
with veterans who have experienced PTSD
and addiction.
“You obviously have to research for every
character you play,” he says. “I did a load of
research for ‘Spider-Man,’ which is just read-
ing comics. But ‘Cherry’ was the first time
I sat down and had real conversations with
people about their experiences and used
their stories to help fuel my passion for the
project. I always say that if you’re making a
film about a real person, you have a duty to
do justice to that person.”
“We had seen his work ethic at that
point very, very clearly, but this role pre-
sented a challenge to him that he hadn’t
encountered yet,” Anthony Russo says.
“Being a junkie, wasting away physically,
being a soldier, having that specific type of
training for that specific type of purpose—
there were a lot of things [for which], just on a
very literal level, he had to take himself, both
psychologically and physically, to places that
he hadn’t before.”
“Cherry” indeed allows for a welcome
darkness and onscreen maturation for
Holland not seen within the MCU, which
thus far has perfectly honed his wide-eyed
enthusiasm in its own way. But if his rise
over the last few years is any indication,
there’s a promise that even bigger and better
things are around the corner.
“I want to tell stories that I would want to
have seen as a kid,” he says of what he’ll put
his muscle behind next. “And as I become an
adult, or more of an adult than I already am, I
want to tell stories that I wish I’d seen when
I was 24. And then, when I’m 30, I’ll want to
make films about what I would’ve wanted
to watch when I was 28. I like the idea of
constantly chasing what I wanted, because I
know so much more now.”
backstage.com
 Most Invaluable
Our annual roundup of film and television’s MVPs
Pedro Pascal
“The Mandalorian” was a smash
hit in its sophomore season
By Elyse Roth & Jack Smart thanks in large part to an actor
who somehow commands atten-
FORTUNES RISE AND FALL IN AN INDUSTRY AS FICKLE AS HOLLYWOOD; swanky “The Gentlemen.” Kidman, tion while hardly ever showing
performers face career droughts, sure, but they can also find themselves meanwhile, has made our MVP list his face. Between that primo
transformed overnight from working actor to star. During a tumultuous for years now but shows no signs quarantine-era Disney+ hit and his
2020, a handful of actors acquitted themselves brilliantly, leading or of slowing, reminding us of her goofier turns in “Wonder Woman
supporting more than one buzzy film or television series. We at Backstage musical bona fides in “The Prom” 1984” and “We Can Be Heroes,”
enjoy saluting those hardworking stars, each year naming the list of screen and continuing her powerhouse it’s Pascal’s world, and we’re just
MVPs. Without further ado, welcome to the Zendaya Awards! producing streak. lucky to be living in it.

Jim Carrey
Although no longer headlining
every comedy feature, Carrey
hasn’t hung up his hat for
good. Far from it; he basically
cannonballed into living rooms
around the world, bringing his
“Saturday Night Live” version
of Joe Biden to life last fall. In
addition to showing he still has
the chops on his Showtime
comedy series, “Kidding,” he also
lent his can-do-anything persona
to the animated box office hit
“Sonic the Hedgehog.”
Lily Collins
It’s a trademark of Collins’ career
that she never stays too long in
one genre; 2020 showcased her
ability to jump from one tone, era,
and place to another. She stood
out in the black-and-white “Mank”
and firmly left her footprint in pop-
ular TV on “Emily in Paris,” in which
she plays the series’ central fish
out of water—with the impractical
designer wardrobe to match.
The Cast of “The Crown”
It’s no surprise that the ensemble
of one of the most cinematic
shows on TV, “The Crown,” can
step easily into feature film roles.
This was true in 2020 with Olivia
Colman in “The Father,” Helena
Bonham Carter in “Enola Holmes,”
Josh O’Connor in “Emma.,”
Charles Dance in “Mank,” and
multihyphenate Emerald Fennell
writing and directing “Promising
Young Woman.”
Giancarlo Esposito
What TV show doesn’t Esposito
appear on these days? In addi-
tion to the acclaimed films
“Unpregnant” and “Stargirl,”
everyone’s favorite villain lent
EDDY CHEN/HBO
of bingeable series: “The Boys,”
“The Mandalorian,” and, of course,
“Better Call Saul,” as the iconic
Gus Fring.
Julia Garner
When a casting director says
they can’t describe why but they
just know that someone is right,
Garner is the shining example.
She brings “it” to every role,
making each of her performances
unforgettable. Not only is she a
twice-in-a-row Emmy winner for
“Ozark”; she also starred in the
Gotham Award–nominated indie
“The Assistant,” a gutting portrayal
of abuse of power in Hollywood
that brings fiction almost too
close to reality for comfort.
Hugh Grant and
Nicole Kidman
Scratching our murder-mystery
itch better than any screen proj-
ect this past year, HBO’s “The
Undoing” let Kidman and Grant
show off their thriller chops. Grant
keeps pushing the limits of what
he can do—and what his devoted
audience can accept—both
on this buzzy series and in the
Jonathan Majors and
Jurnee Smollett
You can tell if someone is a
breakout star when they appear
on a buzzy TV series, and you
realize you’ve just seen them
in a recent film you loved.
“Lovecraft Country” stars Majors
and Smollett became certified
platinum in 2020. Spike Lee hand-
picked Majors for his Vietnam War
epic “Da 5 Bloods,” while Smollett
appeared on “The Twilight Zone”
and knocked our socks off in
“Birds of Prey.”
Leslie Odom Jr.
Freeform’s “Love in the Time of
Corona.” Sia’s film “Music.” The
Apple TV+ musical series “Central
Park.” Regina King’s “One Night in
Miami,” for which he’s already get-
ting Oscar buzz. Everywhere you
looked in 2020, there Odom was.
And while Broadway audiences
have known it was only a matter of
time before he became a house-
hold name, now TV audiences
know it, too: Disney+’s “Hamilton,”
featuring Odom’s Tony-winning
turn as Aaron Burr, remains one of
the year’s highlights.
Zendaya on “Euphoria”
Anya Taylor-Joy
If you look too long, you might fall
into Taylor-Joy’s huge, cinematic
eyes. Well, that can’t actually
happen, but they are impossible
to look away from, whether she’s
playing the brassy Jane Austen
heroine in “Emma.” or an unlikely
chess prodigy from the 1960s
American South on “The Queen’s
Gambit.” At just 24 years old,
Taylor-Joy has proved her mettle
at the center of both a feature
film and a Netflix series, and has
left us wanting more in 2021.
The cast of “Troop Zero”
This charming Amazon Studios
indie kicked off 2020, signal-
ing an auspicious year for its
cast. There’s no stopping lead
youngster Mckenna Grace,
who continued her stellar work
on “Fuller House” and “Young
Sheldon.” Allison Janney starred
in “Bad Education” and extended
her TV reign with “Mom,” while Jim
Gaffigan cracked us up with his
comedy special “The Pale Tourist.”
And Viola Davis, the most V of all
MVPs, ended her game-changing
run on “How to Get Away With
Murder” this year, only to follow it
with Netflix’s documentary “Giving
Voice” and another awards-cal-
iber take on August Wilson with
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Zendaya
Can Zendaya do any wrong? She
is simply a force of nature. In
2020, she continued to prove
her range, winning a historic
Emmy Award for “Euphoria” as
the damaged Rue and playing the
titular Marie in “Malcolm & Marie.”
Zendaya’s budding career, in
which she has conquered screen
genre after screen genre, has

distinct menace to a succession fully blossomed.

backstage.com 23 02.18.21 BACKSTAGE

 Plays Musicals
Submit a Notice |
New York
Tristate
Plays
‘I And You’ & ‘Master Harold
and the Boys’
• Casting Equity actors for “I And You”
(Lauren Gunderson, writer; Melissa
Crespo, dir. Rehearsals begin Mar. 30;
runs May 5-23) and “Master Harold...
and the Boys” (Athol Fugard, writer;
Gilbert McCauley, dir. Rehearsals begin
May 11; runs June 16-27). All auditions
will be done virtually. No live auditions
will take place at this time.
• Company: Syracuse Stage. Staff:
Robert Hupp, artistic dir.; Kyle Bass,
assoc. artistic dir.
• The remainder of Syracuse Stage’s
20/21 season will be fully produced and
available via recorded broadcast
platforms.
• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+, all
ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from NY.
• For consideration, submit audition,
headshot, and resume via a google
form located on our website - https://
syracusestage.org/play- submissions.
php. Video submissions should be
unlisted (not private) YouTube links.
Submissions deadline is Feb. 18. Submit
no more than two minutes of content of
your choosing. A preference would be
for the spoken word: a monologue,
scene or poetry. You may submit exist-
ing material; you don’t have to create
work specifically for this video audition.
If the work you submit is longer than
two minutes, indicate which two min-
utes you prefer we view.
• Pays $885/wk. Equity LORT D Contract.
‘Mud Season Mystery: The
Lodger,’ Photo & Resume
Request
• Casting Equity actors for roles in
“Mud Season Mystery: The Lodger.”
Synopsis: It’s 1920’s London and a
murderer is on the loose, killing
innocent young women. Daisy, an
VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING
for full character breakdowns, script
sides, and more casting notices
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
Film TV & Video Commercial
SUBMIT YOUR CALLS FOR CAST AND CREW: Visit backstage.com/findtalent and click on “Post a Notice.”
Include all relevant project requirements, including any pay, fees, dues, costs, required ticket sales or nudity.
aspiring young actress and her aunt,
struggling to make ends meet, take in
a mysterious lodger. Will the murderer
be caught before it is too late? Note:
No roles will be understudied. Actors
must have access to a secure internet
connection. This will be an interactive
experience with the audience. Actors
should be comfortable with at least
some mild improvisation.
• Company: Northern Stage Company.
Staff: Brenda Withers, playwright; Carol
Dunne, artistic dir.; Jess Chayes, dir.;
Karie Koppel (Koppel Casting), casting
dir.
• Rehearsals begin Mar. 30, 2021; runs
Apr. 14-May 2. Note: Actors will
rehearse and perform remotely from
their homes over Zoom. Performances
will be presented to a live Zoom
audience.1.
• Seeking—Ronnie: all genders, 20-49,
all ethnicities. Daisy: female, 20-39, all
ethnicities. Mrs. B: female, 50-59, all
ethnicities. Mr. Sleigh: male, 40-59,
White / European Descent. Joe
Chandler: male, 30-39, all ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from NY.
• Auditions will be held by appointment
only Feb. 25 in NYC. For consideration,
email picture and resume to
kcactorsubmissions@gmail.com with
subject “ATTN: Mud Season Mystery
Role of _________. “ Note: Equity
Members Only. Submissions received
after Feb. 19 will not be considered.
• Pays $739/wk. Equity LORT D Non-Rep
Contract.
Feature Films
‘The Whale,’ Photo Double
• Casting a photo double for “The
Whale,” a feature film starring
Brendan Fraser based on the
acclaimed play by Samuel D. Hunter.
Synopsis: “The Whale” tells the story
of a reclusive English teacher
suffering from severe obesity who
attempts to reconnect with his
estranged daughter.
• Company: Protozoa Pictures. Staff:
Hilary Greer, HBG Casting LLC.
• Shoots one-seven days between Mar.
8-Apr. 9 in Newburgh, NY (Hudson
Valley area).
• Seeking—Large Man (Photo Double):
male, 29-55, White / European
Descent, 500 lbs or over. 5’10”-6’2”.
Pale skin. For on-camera inserts of
entire body--hands, arms, torso, etc.
24
Modeling Variety
Casting picks
of the week
BY LISA HAMIL
stage
‘Mud Season Mystery: The
Lodger’
Catch a killer in this Equity pro-
duction produced over zoom
tv
‘Awkwafina Is Nora From
Queens’
Explore the most underrated
borough in NYC for this Comedy
Central series
reality tv & documen-
tary
‘LBJ’
Hail to the chief in this presi-
dential docuseries shooting in
Austin, TX
film
‘Lock The Door’
Stay locked up at home in Los
Angeles, CA
stage
‘Block Association’
Join this Equity live-performance
production in Louisville, KY
No nudity is required. Role may
require being shirtless; must be
comfortable with this. Small cast and
crew. Face will not be on camera.
• Seeking submissions from NY.
• For consideration, submit a cover note
that includes your current height,
weight, city, state, and if you have a car
to self-report to HBGCasting@ gmail.
com.
• SAG-AFTRA Photo Double rate: $209/8
hrs. Lodging may be provided depend-
ing on talent’s location.
Voiceover Gigs Events
Scripted TV &
Video
‘Awkwafina Is Nora From
Queens’
• Casting background actors for the
Comedy Central series “Awkwafina Is
Nora from Queens”.
• Company: Grant Wilfley Casting. Staff:
Emily GWC, casting assoc.
• Shoots TBD in the NYC area and
Bethpage, NY.
• Seeking—SAG-AFTRA Featured Male
Asian Auditioner: male, 25-35, Asian,
seeking SAG-AFTRA to portray Asian
American Auditioner at a Casting Call.;
tentative work: Mar. 1, in Bethpage, NY;
interior work; possible testing date:
Feb. 26; must follow studio COVID pro-
tocols when working; note all of your
sizes. SAG-AFTRA Featured Older
Couple: all genders, 65+, seeking SAG-
AFTRA to portray Older Couple; tenta-
tive work: Mar. 1, in New York City area;
exterior work; possible Testing date:
Feb. 26; must follow studio COVID pro-
tocols when working; note all of your
sizes.
• Seeking submissions from NY.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Pays SAG BG rate $178/8hrs.
‘The Bad Witch’
• Casting “The Bad Witch.” Synopsis:
Reboot of a popular TV series centering
on a new generation of New York pri-
vate school teens using social media to
spread gossip.
• Company: Grant Wilfley Casting. Staff:
Allison Hall, casting dir.
• COVID testing Feb. 19 and 22; shoots
Feb. 23 in and around the NYC area.
Note: Mandatory COVID testing is
required and provided by production
and masks must be worn on set at all
times other than when shooting on
camera. COVID testing is paid. In per-
son fitting date may be needed prior to
work date.
• Seeking—Club Patrons: all genders,
18-35, all ethnicities, seeking SAG-
AFTRA, all genders and ethnicities, to
portray club patrons. SAG-AFTRA or
Nonunion Female High School
Student Type for CORE work in
Series: female, 18-28, Asian, female
high school student type to work as
ongoing Core in the series. Core will
be covid tested weekly and will be
kept on ongoing payroll even when
not needed for the day. Mandatory
testing provided by production and
backstage.com
 S:10.25”
Pictured: American Airlines team members surviving and co-surviving cancer with
SU2C ambassador, Tim McGraw

Join American Airlines and Stand Up To Cancer in our mission to help make everyone diagnosed with
cancer a long-term survivor. Donate $25 or more and you’ll receive 10 American Airlines AAdvantage® Miles
for every dollar you give.

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American Airlines, the Flight Symbol logo and the Tail Design are marks of American Airlines, Inc. ©2019 American Airlines, Inc. All rights reserved.
casting California
masks must be worn at all times when
not on camera. If you are NU and
submitting please know your current
SAG status/amount of waivers you
have on file. Testing/filming starts
2.22 and work is ongoing through Fall
of 2021. Thanks.
• Seeking submissions from NY.
• Send submissions to submit@gwcnyc.
com.
• SAG-AFTRA background rate.
Demo &
Instructional
Videos
Moroccanoil, Hairstyling
Models
• Casting three female hairstyling mod-
els for a video shoot for Moroccanoil, a
leader in oil-infused beauty.
• Company: Moroccanoil. Staff: Jamie
Marcelo, education coord.
• Shoots Mar. 8 and 9 (8 a.m.-4 p.m.;
dates flexible based on availability) at
office on 57th St. and Lexington Ave. in
NYC.
• Seeking—Hairstyling Model: 18+, for
hairstyling only.
• Seeking submissions from NY.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Reply with the hairstyle you’re inter-
ested in. Hairstyle reference images
attached.
• Pays $300 flat rate.
Online
Commercials &
Promos
International Clothing Brand
Commercial
• Casting three models for an online
commercial for an international fashion
brand.
• Company: Silverfilm. Staff: Bo, produc-
tion mgr.
• Shoots late Mar.-early Apr. (dates TBD)
in NYC.
• Seeking—Male Model in NYC 1: male,
18-35, White / European Descent, play-
ing in a V-log, daily life in NYC. Might
wear a beanie. Male Model in NYC 2:
male, 18-35, Black / African Descent,
Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial,
Latino / Hispanic, playing in a V-log,
daily life in NYC. Might wear a beanie.
Female Model in NYC: female, 18-35,
Asian, playing in a V-log, daily life in
NYC. Might wear a beanie.
• Seeking submissions from NY.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• For consideration, submit a self-tape.
with a full shot and close-up and a pic-
ture or a video of yourself wearing a
beanie. Auditions dates TBD. Wear
VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING
for full character breakdowns, script
sides, and more casting notices
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
clothes from your own wardrobe and
do own hair and makeup.
• Pays $250 for four hours.
E-Learning
(Voiceover)
Remote Training Video
• Casting an actress (about 50 years old
or older) in a training video. Talent will
need you to memorize and recite lines
for the video. This will be recorded in
your home and will need to have a circle
light and microphone when the record-
ing takes place.
• Company: All Things Media. Staff:
Brandon K., coord.
• Records Mar. 4 or 5 remotely. Two half-
hour sessions. One session will be the
day before to just go over everything
then the next day will be the actual
recording.
• Seeking—Training Video Role: female,
50-60.
• Seeking submissions from NY.
• Send submissions to brandon.ken-
nedy@alllthingsmedia.com.
• For consideration, record yourself
doing a small snippet in regards to
being a care partner which would be
the role you would play. If you could say
something along these lines: “I’d say
she definitely believes some things that
aren’t true. Like every so often she
accuses me of stealing from her. A few
weeks ago we had a big fight about a
piece of jewelry, and I had to get it out
of her jewelry box and show it to her, to
convince her I didn’t take it. But then
the next week, she was insisting that I
stole it again.”
• Pay TBD.
Southern
California
Feature Films
‘Lock The Door’
• Casting the concept trailer for “Lock
the Door,” a feature film. Synopsis:
When a young mother loses herself
after the birth of her second child, a
devoted husband finds himself wedged
between love and life as he struggles to
save his family from the monster she’s
become.
• Company: Media Heist. Staff: C. Green,
coord.
• Shoots Mar. 20 in the L.A. area.
• Seeking—Lauren: female, 25-40, Black
/ African Descent, must be able to
speak with a Latin American accent; no
unnatural looking wigs, extensions, or
hair pieces; natural texture strongly
preferred; must have ability to play a
wide range of emotions with minimal
prep; if submitting for performance
role, also submit for corresponding
voiceover role. Lauren: female, 25-40,
26
if submitting for this role, also submit
for corresponding performance role.
Greg: male, 25-40, Black / African
Descent, strong and confident charac-
ter; charming.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Pays $100 for the day (up to 12 hours).
Meals will be provided. Talent cast in
the trailer will be considered for the
feature.
Short Films
‘God’s Gift’
• Casting “God’s Gift,” a Chapman MFA
thesis.
• Company: Chapman University. Staff:
Jasmine Siddall, writer-dir.; Yuqi An,
prod.; Dayna Li, casting dir.
• Shoots Apr. 2-11, 2021 in Los Angeles,
CA.
• Seeking—Willow: female, 25-35, Black /
African Descent, a quiet, intuitive young
woman who uses her green thumb to
grow and sell marijuana; former business
partner and ex-fianceé to Sean, uses
Cassidy to do her dirty work; her cold
demeanor is a result of her
dysfunctional relationship, but she’s not
the victim that she appears to be.
Cassidy: female, 18-25, Black / African
Descent, sweet, sensitive, quick on
her feet drug dealer who gets caught
between Willow and Sean’s mess;
masculine and dominant, yet naive in the
most unsuspecting of ways. Sean: male,
25-35, Asian, Black / African Descent,
Half black, half Asian. Willow’s ex-fiancé,
hell bent on making sure his ex
continues to share the weed
business with him; abusive, but aloof and
not the kingpin that sees himself as.
Willow’s Mother: female, 50-70, Black /
African Descent, seen through video
chat only; everything you would expect
from a mom - critical ofWillow’s hair and
her inability to answer the phone. Sean’s
Grandmother: female, 60+, Asian,
preferably of Cambodian descent; only
interested in the TV and making sure the
donut shop is spotless; very aware of
her grandson’s ignorance.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Send submissions to daynamerrilli@
gmail.com.
• For the roles of Willow, Cassidy, and
Sean, include a pre-screening tape.
• Pays $100-125/day, including gas and
meals. Safety COVID protocols will be
those mandated by Dodge College,
with COVID Officer on set. Rehearsals
will be remote.
Student Films
‘Better’
• Casting a music video to the song
“Better” by Declan J. Donovan. Logline:
A couple realizes they have reached the
end of their relationship and we see
how they are handling it. This video will
cut between acting scenes and dance
interludes. Performers must be able to
act and dance.
• Company: Biola University. Staff: Nicole
Henderson, dir.-casting.
• Dance rehearsals (two total) in early
March in the Orange County, CA area;
shoots Mar. 19-21, where two days will
be at one location in Fullerton, CA and
one day will be at a location in a studio
in Los Angeles.
• Seeking—Lukas: male, 18-28, Black /
African Descent, White / European
Descent, a man with the biggest heart
but is reserved. He is the first to realize
the relationship is at its end. He knows
they are both at different places in their
lives now. Lukas loves Natalie and
knows she wants to fight for them, but
he wishes to move on. He struggles
seeing Natalie in pain. Natalie: female,
18-26, White / European Descent, wants
nothing more than to be with Lukas.
Through the ups and downs she wants
to make it work. Heartbroken by the
breakup she starts to struggle with the
real life truth Lukas won’t be around
anymore. Natalie has to come to terms
with that she can not be in his life but
still wish him the best.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• For consideration, attach a resume and
include a dance reel preferably of con-
temporary or partner work. Note:
Strong technique, flexibility, and acro
skills are a plus.
• Credit and meals provided.
‘Birthday Loser’
• Casting “Birthday Loser,” a short stu-
dent film. Synopsis: After the death of
her mother Alex is left feeling utterly
alone. To not feel this way on her birth-
day she invite some guests over, but
things go from bad to worst before her
very eyes. Production states: “All sub-
missions are accepted, but would be
interested in casting a real life mother
and daughter.”
• Staff: Briauna Draper, dir.
• Shoots Mar. 6-7 in Los Angeles, CA. The
set will follow all LMU safety proce-
dures. Face-covering required (except
for when the actor is on screen), social
distancing between the cast and crew,
constant sanitation, COVID test taken
prior to showing up on set, etc.
• Seeking—Alex: female, 20-27, Black /
African Descent, quiet and mysterious.
Despite seeming very mature she hasn’t
lost the childlike sense of wonder and
possibility. She deals with anxiety and
depression, but doesn’t let that stop
her from trying to make strong connec-
tions with people. Mom: female, 37-57,
Black / African Descent, gentle, good-
natured, friendly, considerate and car-
ing. Despite her daughter’s challenges
she always saw the best in her. She sac-
rifices her own well-being so the people
around her can have a good life.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Send submissions to bdraper@lion.lmu.
edu.
• For consideration, include a headshot
and demo reel with your submission.
• Meals, copy, credit provided
‘Chef’s Kiss’
• Casting “Chef’s Kiss,” a California State
University Northridge (CTVA 442 -
Television Production) senior thesis stu-
dent short film. Synopsis: Celebrity
backstage.com

chef Pancrasio’s reputation is threat-
ened by an online scandal. Tammy must
decide if contradicting her values is
worth saving their careers.
• Company: California State University
Northridge. Staff: Nicole Mairose, Ian
Cabelo, prods.; Marci Lara, showrunner.
• TBD.
• Seeking—Pancrasio del Trigal: male,
28-35, Latino / Hispanic, a misogynistic,
self-obsessed, attention seeking, lonely
32 y/o chef who’s only redeeming qual-
ity is his amazing cooking skills. This
Role requires Partial Nudity (shirtless
scenes). Early to mid 30’s, can even
push to late 20’s (32). Hispanic (Spanish
is needed). Conventionally attraction.
Pretty fit. Facial hair (Not needed but
preferred). Located in LA. Need to have
cooking skills. Tammy Johnson: female,
20-25, Black / African Descent, a strong
minded, behind the camera, feminist,
24 y/o who works for a shitty boss
becasue she needs the money; youthful
look. Spanish isn’t required but it is a
bonus. Located in LA. Alejandro Pits:
male, 30-35, Latino / Hispanic, White /
European Descent, a ratty talent agent
who pretends to be Pan’s friend to
make money; he can be more racially
ambiguous. Early to mid 30’s (32).
Maria: female, 50-55, Latino / Hispanic,
Tammy’s mom who gives her tough love
and taught her feminist beliefs.
George: male, 60-65, White / European
Descent, a tv executive who backs up
Pan and Alejandro’s misogynistic
beliefs. Xochil: female, 45-49, Hispanic
(Spanish is needed). Latina. Amber:
female, 20-25, White / European
Descent, Tammy’s ditzy friend who
doesn’t really listen to Tammy and sup-
ports her compromising her morals.  for the other. Alice sends Jeremy a
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• For consideration, submit reel and
cover letter to nicole.mairose.879@my.
csun.edu. Auditions via Zoom.
• Pay is TBD.
‘Don’t Let The Light Go Out’
• Casting “Don’t Let The Light Go Out,” a
graduate student production through
Loyola Marymount University’s School
of Film and Television. Note: Filming will
take place over a weekend in March.
Proper health and safety precautions
will be followed and a supervisor will be
on set. Meals provided. Synopsis: An
elderly woman wakes up in a surreal
world watching a playback of her life on
a film projector. When the projector’s
lightbulb burns out, she must find a way
to turn it back on and save the memo-
ries of her past, both the good and the
bad, before it is too late.
• Company: Loyola Marymount
University. Staff: Daniel Colella, writer-
dir.-prod.; Mary Pumper, actor; Red
Jitar, dir. of photography; AJ Davis,
editor.
• Shoots Mar. 19-21 in the Greater Los
Angeles, CA area.
• Seeking—Carol: female, 55-75, White /
European Descent, Carol’s personality
is quiet and contained; a devout catho-
lic; Carol is overjoyed at the sight of the
memories from her past; however,
when the memories turn tragic, she
must face the trauma of her past; her
whole demeanor will aggressively
switch at the sight of this tragic mem-
backstage.com
ory and the subsequent conflict she
must face; by fixing the projector and
facing her traumatic past, she will learn
to forgive herself so that she may move
on peacefully.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Strongly recommend sending reels if
you have any. Auditions will take place
on Feb. 13 and Feb. 19. Callbacks will be
on Feb. 20. A decision will be made on
Feb. 22. All communication, including
auditions, will take place virtually. If you
have a conflict on the audition days,
feel free to reach out and a different
time can be made at both party’s
convenience.
• Copy, credit, and meals provided.
‘Eighteen’
• Casting “Eighteen,” a short film.
Synopsis: On her 18th birthday, Alex
sneaks out to go to a party with her
best friends. After realizing she’s gone,
her father tracks her down, but Alex
reveals a secret that only she knows--
her father’s affair.
• Company: Independent. Staff: Ashley
Beuhler, prod.
• Rehearses via Zoom; shoots March
(three days) in Los Angeles, CA.
• Seeking—Mason: male, 18-24, Latino /
Hispanic, White / European Descent,
bad boy with a soft heart who main
character “Alex” meets at the party.
Represents lust, first times, growing up.
Hallie: female, 18-22, one of Alex’s clos-
est friends. Adventurous, a happy free
spirit, wants to celebrate her best
friend’s birthday. Alice: female, 35-50,
model for photo. No performance. Alice
is having an affair with Alex’s father.
They both plan to leave their spouses
photo of the two of them which Alex
accidentally sees. Party Guest: all gen-
ders, 18-23, high school kids at a party.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Send submissions to ashleyb950@
gmail.com.
• For consideration, include a video if
possible.
• Copy/credit/meals and gas stipend
provided.
‘Forget Me Not’
• Casting “Forget Me Not,” a thriller/
drama for Chapman University. Logline:
A young man suffering from frequent
anxiety-induced dissociation is thrust
into a strange, ethereal void where he
experiences a horrific retelling of his
family’s forgotten past  - but also the
trauma that he still unknowingly carries.
Inspired by a true story of the Armenian
Genocide.
• Company: Chapman University (Dodge
College of Film and Media Arts). Staff:
Alexander Edep, dir.; Samantha Kurtz,
prod.; Isabel Stallings, CD.
• Shoots Mar. 5-7 and 12-14.
• Seeking—Turkish Soldier: male, 20-32,
Middle Eastern, a apparition that
appears as a permanent scar in this
family’s traumatic history. Responsible
for burning a little girl alive back in 1915.
Fueled by his own beliefs that lead to
hatred of the Armenian people, he finds
joy in this moment of assaulting the
family and ripping this child from her
mother.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
27
• For consideration, submit picture and
resume to stallings@chapman.edu and
audition materials will be sent to you.
• Compensation for gas and meals will be
provided.
‘In Sickness & In Health’
• Casting “In Sickness & In Health,” for
the role of ‘Elaine,’ an aspiring com-
puter scientist who is optimistic about
finding a true love and believes in the
wedding vows. Also casting ‘Marco’ an
aspiring chef who is pessimistic about
finding love one day and doesn’t believe
in the wedding vows In Sickness & In
Health.
• Company: California State University,
Monterey Bay.
• Shoots Mar. 13 ( Saturday) in West Los
Angeles, CA.
• Seeking—Elaine: all genders, 18-28, all
ethnicities. Marco: 18-28, all ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• For auditions of both Elaine and Marco
please submit an audition video of you
reading dialogue from a romance film
of your choice. Max: 1:30 min. In addi-
tion to the dialogue reading, auditions
for Elaine please send a singing submis-
sion of Ella Fitzgerald’s “Let’s Fall In
Love.” If you are auditioning for Marco
please send a singing submission of
Selena’s “I Could Fall in Love.”
• Meals are provided. Costume/Makeup
will be provided. The filmmakers plan to
submit this to film festivals upon
completion.
‘Now You Know’
• Casting “Now You Know,” a virtual stu-
dent film (scene) that will be filmed
completely remotely through Zoom for
senior level directing class. It will also
include a workshop date. Casting
states: “Looking for two talented actors
to collaborate and create with. This
scene is about two friends of eight
years, Michael and Ty, have an eye-
opening conversation that places pres-
sure on their relationship. After hearing
some degrading comments, Michael
decides to share some private informa-
tion about himself - in hopes to change
the perspective of Ty.”
• Company: Columbia College of
Hollywood. Staff: Dylan Rusniak, dir.
• Scene workshop day Mar. 10 (manda-
tory from 2-6 p.m.). Casting states: “The
casting (self-taped auditions and Zoom
interviews), rehearsals (via Zoom), and
filming (via Zoom) will all take place
online and in the safety of our homes.
At the end of the quarter, actors will
receive an edit of the final scene we
created.”
• Seeking—Michael: male, 20-25, all eth-
nicities, a character who has been hav-
ing a hard time dealing with his
sexuality. Not only his sexuality, but one
of his friends (Ty) has been continually
making comments degrading gay peo-
ple. Michael gains the courage to finally
confront him and makes the decision to
end their friendship. Ty: male, 20-25, all
ethnicities, a character who is close
friends with Michael. He doesn’t seem
to have much respect or understanding
about his friend’s true feelings. As he is
oblivious to Michael’s situation or sexu-
ality, he continually made comments
California casting
degrading who are gay. He soon comes
to understand his friend is gay and and
is ending their friendship.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• No pay.
‘Saigu’
• Casting “Saigu,” a student short film.
Synopsis: Set during the 1992 riots in
L.A., the story follows an African-
American teen named Jaime, who gets
trapped in a Korean store with the own-
er’s niece, Grace.
• Company: Azusa Pacific University.
• Shoots Mar. 7-14 in LA County, CA.
• Seeking—Uncle Han: male, 30-40,
Asian, the owner of the local conve-
nience store in Korea Town; within the
story, he represents his older genera-
tion and years of Korean traditions; he
often gets into petty arguments with
his niece who helps him run the store;
cigarette after cigarette, he smokes the
days away while reminiscing on fighting
in the war. Rioters (Extras): all genders,
18-40, all ethnicities, to play rioters that
break-in and rade a convenience store.
Shoots Mar. 8-12 in the LA area.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• No pay. Copy, credit, meals provided.
‘Stain’
• Casting “Stain,” a Chapman Graduate
Thesis Project.
• Company: Chapman University. Staff:
Shirley Zhang, prod.
• Rehearsal TBD; shoots TBD in Los
Angeles, CA.
• Seeking—George: male, 35-50, Asian,
an introvert janitor with OCD who
cleans public restrooms at the beach;
he’s relatively thin and quiet, almost
invisible, a low sense of presence; he’s
bashful and not much a people person;
he just wants everything around him to
be clean and nothing to interrupt his
world; he keeps a goldfish named Anna
to keep him accompanied; pays $120/
day. Mr. Big Sh*t: 35-50, all ethnicities,
a large, hairless chunky man in a cheap
white suit and ill fitting slacks held up
with a black and gold belt; he’s talkative
and loud; he can’t be quiet for even just
one second; a self-centered man who
considers himself superior than others;
he ‘’claims’’ himself to be a yacht bro-
ker; and he has no respect for George
when it comes to how he “act” in the
public restroom; pays $100/day.
Chinatown Aquarium Shop Owner/Old
Cleaning Lady: female, 50-65, Asian.
Note: Chinatown Aquarium Shop Owner
and the Old Cleaning Lady will be
played by the same person. Old
Cleaning Lady (female, 60s, Asian
American); a janitor who also works in
the same park near the beach as
George; she’s peaceful and calm, a low
sense of presence; nothing happens
outside will affect her almost her Zen
state; she likes to look at the ocean
while drinking her tea. Chinatown
Aquarium Shop Owner (Female, 60s,
Asian American); she owns a little
VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING
for full character breakdowns, script
sides, and more casting notices
02.18.21 BACKSTAGE
casting National/Regional
Aquarium Shop in chinatown; she wears
a typical eastern auntie outfit; she’s
kind and easygoing; her shop is a little
old and messy but in an acceptable
way; English is her second language,
and her words are full of wisdom of life;
pays $100/day.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Send submissions to fazhang@chap-
man.edu.
• Pay is different for different roles. See
roles for specific rates.
‘Twenty Three Cents’
• Casting “Twenty-Three Cents,” a drama
set within a local business in Los
Angeles. During a produce delivery with
his uncle, a Latinx teen comes to learn
about his family’s outdated ideologies.
A run-in with a Black customer in the
store teaches the teen about his fami-
ly’s reprehensible views on race.
• Company: University of California -
Irvine. Staff: Alan Mendoza, dir.; Albert
Le, prod.
• Rehearsal/table read Feb. 21; shoots
within weekend of Mar. 6 (one day) in
Lomita or Riverside, CA (tentative).
• Seeking—Tio: male, 30+, Latino /
Hispanic, a middle-aged Latinx delivery
man for his family business, and uncle
to Jaime. Speaks English, but not his
first language. Wants to teach Jaime
the value of hard labor, though is held
back by his prejudiced views of other
races. Customer: male, 18-26, Black /
African Descent, a young Black adult.
He’s a customer trying to make a simple
visit to the store, but is challenged with
another example of racial prejudice.
Market Owner: male, 25-60, Latino /
Hispanic, a young-middle aged Latinx
male shopkeeper. Well known associate
of Tio and Jaime’s family business.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Send submissions to leat3@uci.edu.
• Submit your reel/past works.
• Pays $50, plus travel reimbursement,
on-set meals, and credit in film
provided
Scripted TV &
Video
‘Solar Eclipse’
• Casting “Solar Eclipse,” a scripted
series. Synopsis: In the future, a new
orbiting amusement park advertises
itself by creating Solar Eclipses over cit-
ies. Between computerized rides that
interact with guests and fully functional
androids, the political machinations of
the global government, and teams of
droid inspectors keeping the order,
Solar Eclipse is a sensation-drenched
romp full of romance, intrigue and high
adventure.
• Company: FilmNet Studios San Diego.
Staff: Karl Weiss, creator-dir.
• Shoots in mid-March in San Diego, CA.
• Seeking—Sierra: female, 18-36, trusted
member of Orion Circuiter’s team of
droid designers; recruited to supervise
VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING
for full character breakdowns, script
sides, and more casting notices
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
the fleet of fully functional, humanlike
androids assigned to the grand opening
of the orbiting amusement park The
Solar Eclipse. Orion: male, 23-40, White /
European Descent, Orion Circuiter (30s)
comes from a long line of android
designers and is excited to be chosen
along with his team to be a droid
inspector for the grand opening of The
Solar Eclipse. When a certain droid starts
acting out of the ordinary, Orion
investigates, but then he tries to
rendezvous with movie star Belinda Fawn
in the ride The Psyche and gets trapped
in the dramas of his unconscious.
Belinda: female, 18-36, glamorous but
shy movie star sings a duet with a droid at
the opening ceremonies for the orbiting
amusement park The Solar Eclipse.
Belinda tries to set up a rendezvous with
hunky droid inspector Orion, but
accidentally traps him in his own mind in
the crazy ride The Psyche. Socrates:
28-50, the world’s most popular
philosopher, Socrates Salvatore (40s); an
esteemed guest at the Solar Eclipse
opening. He and Sierra launch into a
debate about whether the droids, with
their six distinct models, are individuals
and deserve their own civil rights. The
odd behavior of Arch 209 changes the
equation in favor of individual rights.
Arch: male, 20-40, (27, ageless); one of
the six android models in the Solar
Eclipse fleet, which means there are
2000 identical Arches. At least until the
Ministers of Industry and Finance feed
209 a virus that compromises one of his
safety mechanisms to carry out their
sinister plot. Suddenly the damaged
droid starts acting a little too human.
Another Arch, its safeguards still intact,
performs a musical number with Belinda
at the park’s opening ceremonies.
Andrea: female, 18-36, After the
malfunctioning Arch 209’s scan is put
into the mother computer, random
androids start behaving oddly, including
Andrea (ageless), who becomes a
champion for female droid rights. On
Elwin Hillard’s talk show, she meets Arch
209 and they develop an immediate
digital attraction. Phoebe: female, 25-40,
Celebrated author Phoebe Myrtle (30ish)
has been asked to narrate the ride
Creation, where stories unfold in a real-
time interaction with writer, computer,
guests and androids. When Arch 209
gets sent into one of her tales, she takes
an interest in him and things get very
personal. Little does she know that she’s
being manipulated by the Ministers of
Industry and Finance in their plot to
assassinate the Minister of the Arts.
Elwin: male, 25-45, everyone’s favorite
talk show host, has got the sweet seat on
The Solar Eclipse’s Zero Gravity Show.
Calhoun: 30-52, a droid inspector but
also a hired thug, determined to carry out
the bloodthirsty aims of his bosses. Alf:
30-52, a droid inspector but also a hired
thug, determined to carry out the
bloodthirsty aims of his bosses.
• Send submissions to litseriessd@gmail.
com.
• Auditions via Zoom, mainly on
Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
• Visit www.solareclipseone.com for
characters and scripts.
• Pay $100 for a half day, $150 for a full
day with a daily contract.
28
Online
Commercials &
Promos
Software Commercial
• Casting a lightly humorous software
commercial. For a large company that
specializes in software for marketers.
• Company: Kyro Digital. Staff: Justin S.,
prod.; Luke M., dir.; Taylor C., DP.
• Shoots mid-February (one day) in South
Orange County, CA.
• Seeking—Nerdy Couch Potato: male,
18-35, all ethnicities, this character is
really into nerdy things; his living room
is covered in anime figurines, posters
and superhero comics; he loves
shopping online and has a friendly
face. Software Spokesperson:
female, 20-35, Asian, Ethnically
Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous
Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle
Eastern, South Asian / Indian,
Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander,
White / European Descent, a
confident, beautiful young lady who is
passionate about her software and
who deeply cares about her clients;
friendly and has a beautiful smile.
“Shopaholic”: female, 35-55, all
ethnicities, passionate about two
things; flashy fashion and shopping;
cares deeply about her outer
appearance and is always looking for
the next hot outfit to wear.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Send submissions to studio@kyrodigi-
tal.com.
• Include your email and/or phone num-
ber for ease of contact. Must have
headshot.
• Pays $100-250/day.
Audiobooks &
Podcasts
‘Nickels’
• Casting “Nickels,” a family/drama pod-
cast series. Synopsis: A middle-aged
man reunites with his reincarnated
brother thirty years after his brother’s
tragic death.
• Company: Spudnik Media. Staff: Tim
Tuchrello, prod.; Luisa Quinteros-
Wessel, assist.
• Records remotely and locally in L.A.
• Seeking—Tom Monroe: male, 40-45,
dad/husband. Liz Monroe: female,
40-45, mom/wife. Troy Monroe: male,
16-20, White / European Descent, late
teens, high school student, male. Deb
Monroe: female, 48-55, Tom’s sister,
independent psychic. Mitch Diller:
male, 20-25, Bill and Lorraine’s
spirited son. Bill Diller: male, 50-60,
conservative dad/husband. Lorraine
Diller: female, 50-60, gentle mom/
wife. Rachel: female, 18-25, studious
asst, female. Shelly: 50-60, gruff
neighbor, female.
• Seeking submissions from CA.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Compensation TBD based on session
length.
National/
Regional
Plays
American Players Theatre
2021 Season
• Seeking understudies for the American
Players Theatre 2021 season. Season
includes “The Mountaintop” (Malkia
Stampley, dir. Runs May 6-June 19);
“Improbable Fiction” (Tim Ocel, dir.
Runs May 20-June 26); “An Illiad” (John
Langs, dir. Runs June 17-Aug. 15);
“Rough Crossing”’ (William Brown, dir.
Runs June 24-Aug. 7); “Cymbeline”
(Marti Lyons, dir. Runs July 6-Sept. 11);
and “A Phoenix Too Frequent” (Keira
Fromm, dir. Runs July 27-Oct. 3).
• Company: American Players Theatre.
Staff: Carey Cannon, assoc. artistic dir.;
Jake Penner, artistic assoc.
• Season rehearses and performs in
Spring Green, WI.
• Seeking—Understudies: males and
females, 18+, all ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from WI.
• For consideration, prepare one
Shakespeare monologue and one
additional piece of your choice not to
exceed a total of three minutes and
email to casting@americanplayers.org.
Submissions deadline is Mar. 1.
• Pays $899/wk. Equity LOA ref. LORT
Contract.
‘Block Association’
• Casting Equity actors for roles in “Block
Association.”
• Company: Actors Theatre of Louisville.
Staff: Michael Crowley, playwright (he/
him/his); Michael Rau, dir. (he/him/his);
Reed Flores, assist. dir. (he/him/his);
Chloe Chow, assist. to the dir. (she/her/
hers) Emily Tarquin, artistic prod., CSA
(they/them/theirs) Sujotta Pace, profes-
sional training company & casting
coord. CSA (she/her/hers) Kay Nilest,
prod.-casting apprentice (she/her/
hers).
• Rehearsals begin Mar. 23; tech/in-
house test audiences begin Mar. 30;
runs Apr. 6-18 (specific dates and times
tbd).
• Seeking—Rachel: 40-49, she/her/hers,
40s, White, well-off and successful
consultant, great at making speeches
and PowerPoint decks. Believes people
are fundamentally good and wants to
be a unifier. Two kids. Overworked, but
is still going to show up at your door
with muffins when you move in. Elena:
40-59, she/her, Latinx, successful real
estate agent who focuses on her
appearance. Outgoing, engaging, prob-
lem solver, extrovert who can make oth-
ers feel comfortable in any situation.
Charming and likeable antagonist to
Rachel. Aneta: 30-49, all ethnicities,
she/her, scientist and professor.
Curious, socially awkward, blunt. She
doesn’t catch social cues and has a very
literal and cerebral approach to the
world. (Seeking actors with deft naviga-
tion of humor and comedic timing).
backstage.com

Ryan Lee: 18-39, all ethnicities, he/him,
gay, charming, you want to “punch-
him-in-the-face” kind of handsome,
Canadian, bike lover, happily married.
Emma: 18-29, all ethnicities, she/her,
they/them, recent college grad pursu-
ing a masters degree in Gender and-
Sexuality. Gentle, compassionate,
earnest, states her opinions, and tire-
lessly disrupts problematic circum-
stances. From a wealthy family and
carries class privilege.
• Seeking submissions from KY.
• For consideration, visit https://www.
dropbox.com/sh/s99hzx7lgpbkn2v/
AAAXoDvFy0tePTpAObPh0Noya?dl=0
to view script, character breakdown,
and audition sides. Prepare sides for
the character(s) you most identify with.
Before your audition, slate your name
and character name of the side what
you’re auditioning with. Submit all self-
tape submissions via this following
Airtable form https://airtable.com/
shrX8427C7BEPZMtD. Submissions
deadline is Feb. 18. Callbacks will be
held Feb. 20, noon-7 p.m. (break 3-4
p.m.). If needed, additional callbacks
will be held Mar. 1.
• In reference to the descriptions below –
these are descriptions of the
characters as identified in the script
and in collaboration with the creative
team. They are not meant to be
exhaustive of who should play these
roles and we seek to cast as expansively
and intentionally with consideration of
race/ethnicity, gender, body type, and
ability. Note: All actors should have
strong improvisational skills.
• Pays $764/wk. Equity LORT Non-Rep D
Contract.
‘Constellations’
• Casting scene from the play
“Constellations” by Nick Payne.
• Company: The Texas University at
Austin. Staff: Aisha Sultanbekova, grad-
uate RTF student at UT Austin.
• Rehearses mid-February; shoots early
March.
• Seeking—Marianne: female, 25-40, all
ethnicities, a cosmologist. Roland:
male, 30-40, all ethnicities, a
beekeeper.
• Seeking submissions from TX.
• Send submissions to aishasultan-
bekova@utexas.edu.
• Copy of final edited product
‘History of Theatre’
• Casting three actors to play multiple
roles of potentially all ages and genders
in world premiere of “History of
Theatre.” The play is an ensemble piece
about the history of African American
theatre, from the days of The African
Company 200 years ago in New York to
modern day Seattle. All actors will play
multiple characters, specific roles to be
assigned once casting is complete.
• Company: A Contemporary Theatre
Inc. Staff: Valerie Curtis-Newton, dir.;
Regiald André Jackson, playwright;
Margaret Layne, casting dir. (at large)
for ACT - A Contemporary Theatre.
• Rehearsal & filming (via Zoom using
actor webcams*) will be held Mon.-Fri.
Mar. 22-Apr. 2 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. PT.
Distribution (released to stream on
demand via ACT website): May 14-June
backstage.com
6, 2021. Note: ACT will supply
additional equipment as needed/
necessary for lighting, etc.
• Seeking—Male Actor: male, 30-50,
Black / African Descent. Male Actor 2:
male, 60+, Black / African Descent.
Female Actor: female, 25-40, White /
European Descent.
• Seeking submissions from WA.
• For consideration, submit self-tape of
two contrasting contemporary mono-
logues & upload with headshot/resume
to this link: https://www.dropbox.com/
request/Jg8ga4Stn Gb9NCAZ4tPF Use
this file-naming format: Lastname-
Video-Date, Lastname- Headshot-Date,
etc. Material from the script will be pro-
vided for callbacks. Submissions dead-
line is Feb. 22.
• Callbacks will be held Feb. 24-28 via
Zoom. You will be contacted if you
receive a callback and to schedule a
Zoom appointment.
• ACT welcomes submissions from actors
of all races and ethnicities, neuro-diver-
sities, and disabilities, for available
roles. Gender nonconforming, gender-
queer, transgender, and non-binary
actors are invited to submit for the
roles they most identify with. Race/eth-
nicity is indicated only when specified
by the playwright as integral to charac-
ter and/or narrative.
• Pays $739/wk. (filming), $150/wk (dis-
tribution). Equity LORT Non-Rep
Contract.
‘Let Her Rip’
• Casting “Let Her Rip.”
• Company: Cincinnati Shakespeare
Company. Staff: Brian Isaac Phillips (he/
him/his), prod. artistic dir.; Jeremy
Dubin (he/him/his), dir. of education;
Maggie Lou Rader (she/her/
hers),playwright; Lindsey Mercer (she/
her/hers), dir.
• This workshop and reading to be con-
ducted entirely through Zoom. First
rehearsal will be Feb. 22; final reading
will be recorded and available to view
Feb. 26-28. There are no live
performances.
• Seeking—Hunna (Nana): 17-25, Black /
African Descent. Liza: 40-65. Em:
25-40.
• Seeking submissions from OH.
• For consideration, prepare and video
record two contrasting pieces, at
least one of them Shakespeare
(combined length less than three
minutes). Slate at the beginning of the
video, stating your name and the
pieces you’ll be doing. Email video via
a YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive link
(make sure privacy settings allow
access), Attach a digital headshot and
resume. Send audition video link,
along with above materials attached,
to jeremy.dubin@cincyshakes.com
with subject line: “CSC Workshop
Submission.” Submissions deadline is
Feb. 23.
• As an ADA compliant organization, we
welcome actors of all abilities and will
make all reasonable accommodations
in order to cast actors, regardless of
disability, in any available role. We also
recognize that most characters are
written on the binary (use he/him or
she/her pronouns) and we invite
gender nonconforming, genderqueer,
29
transgender, and non-binary actors to
submit for the roles they most identify
with.
• SPT Pays $425/wk. Equity SPT
Contract.
‘Mud Season Mystery: The
Lodger’
• Casting Equity actors for roles in “Mud
Season Mystery: The Lodger.” Note: No
roles will be understudied. Actors must
have access to a secure internet con-
nection. This will be an interactive expe-
rience with the audience. Actors should
be comfortable with at least some mild
improvisation.
• Company: Northern Stage Company.
Staff: Brenda Withers, playwright; Carol
Dunne, artistic dir.; Jess Chayes, dir.;
Karie Koppel (Koppel Casting), casting
dir.
• Rehearsals begin Mar. 30, 2021; runs
Apr. 14-May 2. Note: Actors will
rehearse and perform remotely from
their homes over Zoom. Performances
will be presented to a live Zoom
audience.
• Seeking—Ronnie: all genders, 20-49,
all ethnicities, must feel comfortable
improvising banter with the audience.
Non-binary and trans actors particularly
encouraged to submit for this role.
Daisy: female, 20-39, all ethnicities,
British. Speaks with an RP accent. Mrs.
B: female, 50-69, all ethnicities, British.
Speaks with an RP accent; should be
comfortable with some light improvisa-
tion. Mr. Sleigh: male, 40-59, White /
European Descent, British. Speaks with
an RP accent. Joe Chandler: male,
30-39, all ethnicities, British; speaks
with a Cockney accent.
• Seeking submissions from VT.
• For consideration, select one of the
provided sides at https://bit.ly/3rEjhs8
for the role you are auditioning for. Your
video should include a slate of your
name, height, role you are auditioning
for, and current location. Attach a cur-
rent picture and resume with contact
information along with your video sub-
mission to kcactorsubmissions@gmail.
com with the subject line “ATTN: Mud
Season Mystery Role of _________”
• Pays $739/wk. Equity LORT D Non-Rep
Contract.
Short Films
‘Rigoletto’
• Casting “Rigoletto,” an independent
neo-noir short film with no dialogue
based on a 1950s mob motif.
• Company: Orangutan Creative.
• Shoots one-two days in Nashville, TN.
• Seeking—Lead Male: male, 25-40,
White / European Descent, a little built/
rugged with a hint of Bond. In another
reality he could be a father. Think Josh
Brolin in “No Country for Old Men.”
Lead Female: female, 18-30, all ethnici-
ties, tall with a strong bone structure.
Preferably blonde with fuller lips.
‘50/’60s flare. Think Kim Novack in
“Vertigo.”
• Seeking submissions from TN.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Pays $400/day. Nonunion.
National/Regional casting
Student Films
‘Portrait of My Father’
• Casting “Portrait of My Father.”
Synopsis: A young father, who has just
experienced a significant loss, contem-
plates how to react to his child son
exhibiting interest in something tradi-
tionally feminine.
• Company: University of Texas at
Arlington. Staff: Analiese White , dir.;
Zahra Ghoncheh, prod.
• Shoots mid/late March in DFW.
• Seeking—Ben: male, 25-45, a single
father in his early 30s. He is on the timid
side and carries some trauma from his
childhood. Cameron: male, 5-9, a
stubborn child that likes to question
rules. Donna: female, 48-60, a mother in
her late 50s; a wise, no-BS woman with
more than a few regrets. Bruce: male,
40-52; very traditional and can be hot-
tempered at times. Young Ben: 5-11, the
6-9 year old version of Ben, small and
meek. Like Cameron, Young Ben also
likes to experiment with things that can
land him in trouble with his father.
• Seeking submissions from TX.
• Auditions will be held Feb. 20 via Zoom.
For consideration, submit your resume
along with your headshot to zahra.
ghoncheh@mavs.uta.edu.
• Credit, copy, and meals provided.
‘Stigma’
• Casting “Sigma,” a short three minute
student film. Synopsis: Facing a
challenging situation, detective
Johnathan Haeg battles his emotions as
he struggles with flashbacks from a call
gone wrong.”
• Company: Flashpoint Chicago. Staff:
Mary Hess, dir.
• Shoots Feb. 19-Mar. 6 in Chicago, IL.
• Seeking—John: male, 30-40, all
ethnicities, a detective who went through
a traumatic experience and is battling
with a decision to seek professional help;
his appearance is starting to show lack of
self care. John is also a smoker; he
smokes a cigarette through the opening
portion of the film; actor must be ok with
smoking for this role. Desk Clerk: female,
21-30, all ethnicities. Angela: female,
20-30, all ethnicities, a trouble young
woman on the verge of ending her life by
jumping off a bridge; she is persuaded to
come down, but slips in the attempt and
falls to her death; we will not be shooting
the actor actually falling for this role; it
will be a combination of close up shots
and voice over for facial expressions and
audio reaction through the fall. Kelly:
female, 25-35, all ethnicities, John’s
partner, small but a firecracker who
doesn’t take crap from anyone and who
everyone knows not to mess with; this
role requires voice over as well as
interaction on screen (maintaining safe
distance) with John and Rick. Rick: 30-40,
all ethnicities, an egotistical and arrogant
detective with a superiority complex.
• Seeking submissions from IL.
• For consideration, provide your avail-
ability between Feb. 19 and Mar. 6 along
with your submission to m.hess@
columbiacollege.edu. We will be provid-
ing a copy of the script and ask you to
submit a recorded audition.
• No pay.
02.18.21 BACKSTAGE
casting National/Regional
Reality TV &
Documentary
Kids Baking Competition
Show
• Casting a kids show about creating
amazing cakes, using fondant and icing.
Fun learning show.
• Company: Tastemade. Staff: Tracy
Sinclair, casting prod.
• Shoots April-June (only on the week-
ends, if team is chosen they will only be
needed for one weekend) in Burbank,
CA.
• Seeking—Baker: 8-14, all ethnicities,
teams of two - siblings, family, neigh-
bors, school mates, good energy and
personality, must be able to bake a cake
from scratch and be creative with deco-
rating using fondant.
• Seeking submissions nationwide.
• Send submissions to tracy.sinclair@
tastemade.com.
• Interviewing teams of two kids via
Skype or Zoom. Must be local or willing
to drive will be filming in Burbank, CA.
• Winning team receives prize.
‘LBJ’
• Casting a four-episode docuseries
about the presidency of LBJ. Seeking
Austin, TX locals for all roles. These are
all nonspeaking roles, for recreation
scenes for a documentary.
• Company: Kerry Barker Casting. Staff:
Kerry Barker, casting dir.
• Shoots Mar. 29-Apr. 10 in Austin and
Johnson City, TX. Note: Production will
be following all of the latest COVID-19
guidelines outlined by the State of
Texas.
• Seeking—Judge Sarah T. Hughes:
female, 60-65, White / European
Descent, around 5’1”, 100 lbs., swears in
LBJ on Air Force One after JFK is assas-
sinated. Should resemble reference
photo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Sarah_T._Hughes); pays $250/day
(works approx. 1 day). Sid Davis: male,
30-35, White / European Descent,
around 5’10”, lean build. White House
correspondent during LBJ’s presidency.
Should resemble reference photo
(https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/
reporter-kennedy-assassination-lbj-
oath-sid-davis-speak-today). Pays
$250/day (works approx. 2-4 days). Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.: male, 35-39,
Black / African Descent, around 5’7”,
150 lbs. Civil rights leader. Should
resemble reference photo (https://en.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_
King_Jr.); pays $250/day (works approx.
2 days). Clarence B. Jones: male, 30-35,
Black / African Descent, around 5’10”,
average/lean build. Personal counsel
and speechwriter for MLK. Should
resemble reference photo (https://
seniorplanet.org/clarence-jones-the-
long-perspective/); pays $250/day
(works approx. 2-3 days). Robert F.
Kennedy: male, 38-42, White /
European Descent, around 5’9”, 150 lbs,
reddish-brown hair. Attorney General
and younger brother of JFK. Should
resemble reference photo (https://en.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._
Kennedy); pays $250/day (works
approx. 1 day). Richard Russell: male,
BACKSTAGE 02.18.21
65-70, White / European Descent,
around 5’10”, average/lean build.
Democratic senator from Georgia,
mentor to LBJ, but also led Southern
opposition to the civil rights movement.
Should resemble reference photo
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_
Russell_Jr.); pays $250/day (works
approx. 1 day). Bill Moyers: male, 30-35,
White / European Descent, around
5’10”, lean build. LBJ’s domestic policy
advisor and press secretary. Should
resemble reference photo (https://
www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-
Moyers); pays $250/day (works approx. 1
day). Joseph Califano: male, 30-35,
White / European Descent, around 5’8”,
average build. LBJ’s chief aide for
domestic affairs. Scene takes place in a
pool - must be comfortable swimming.
Should resemble reference photo
(http://www.lbjlibrary.org/lyndon-
baines-johnson/perspectives-and-
essays/
seeing-is-believing-the-enduring-leg-
acy-of-lyndon-johnson); pays $250/day
(works approx. 1 day). Lynda Johnson
Robb: female, 22-27, White / European
Descent, around 5’10”, lean build. LBJ’s
elder daughter. Will appear pregnant in
scene (via prosthetics). Should resem-
ble reference photo (https://gw.gene-
anet.org/tdowling?lang=en&n=johnson
&oc=0&p=lynda+bird); pays $250/day
(works approx. 1 day). Tom Johnson:
male, 25-29, White / European Descent,
around 5’10”, lean build. LBJ’s aide who
handed him the news that MLK had
been shot. Should resemble reference
photo (https://commons.wikimedia.
org/wiki/File:LBJ_with_Tom_Johnson,_
Peter_Ligasor.jpg); pays $250/day
(works approx. 1 day). Larry Temple:
male, 30-35, White / European Descent,
around 6’0”, lean/average build. Special
counsel to LBJ. Should resemble refer-
ence photo (https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Larry_E._Temple#/media/
File:President_Johnson_posing_with_
staff_1969.jpg); pays $250/day shoot
(works approx. 1 day). Jim Jones: male,
27-32, White / European Descent,
around 5’9”, average build. LBJ’s chief
of staff. Should resemble reference
photo (https://twitter.com/
BeschlossDC/sta-
tus/1300232385565536258/photo/1);
pays $250/day (works approx. 1 day).
Military Officer: male, 35-45, Black /
African Descent, meets with Clarence
Jones at the Pentagon to discuss
Vietnam fatalities; pays $150/day (works
approx. 1 day). Secret Service Agent:
male, 35-45, White / European
Descent, after JFK is shot, he breaks the
news of his death to LBJ at the hospital;
pays $150/day (works approx. 1 day).
Government Staff & Reporters: all gen-
ders, 30-60, various figures working in
and around the White House during
LBJ’s presidency; pays $150/day (works
approx. 1 day). Lyndon B. Johnson:
male, 55-65, White / European
Descent, around 6’4” and 200 lbs. The
36th president of the United States.
Should have a tall imposing stature and
be comfortable with pacing and gestur-
ing. One scene will take place in a pool -
must be comfortable swimming. Should
resemble reference photo (https://en.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndon_B._
30
Johnson); pays $250/day shoot (works
approx. 12 days).
• Seeking submissions from TX.
• Send submissions to kerrybarkercast-
ing@gmail.com.
• Audition via self-tapes/reels. Include
reels with submission if available.
Selected talent may be requested to
self-tape or do a callback via video
conferencing.
• Pays between $150-$250/day. See role
description for rate.
‘Love Remembered’
• Casting married couple sharing stories
of wedding proposals and life leading
up to the the wedding day “warts and
all” ranging from family disapproval,
mixed couple situations etc. for “Love
Remembered.” Synopsis: Too many
lives have been lost to the pandemic
and the point is to capture inspiring
love stories before it is too late.
• Company: Documented America. Staff:
Corinne Jayaweera, prod.-dir.
• Remote filming (date flexible.).
• Seeking—Couple Sharing Stories: 60+,
remote filming doc; sharing Love
Stories from your past revealing stories
of marriage proposals and the engage-
ment leading up to your wedding day.
• Seeking submissions nationwide.
• Send submissions to CJ@documente-
damerica.com.
• Open for discussion.
Demo &
Instructional
Videos
‘Build Your Path’ Web Series
• Casting “Build Your Path,” a web-based
educational series on different trades.
The videos consist of a studio portion
for the introduction and are followed by
B-roll of on-location talent
demonstrations.
• Company: Rock Shore Media. Staff:
Nate Brubaker, creative dir.
• Shoots on dates TBD in Maryland.
• Seeking—Host: all genders, 18-28,
Asian, Black / African Descent,
Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial,
Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic,
Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian,
Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander.
• Seeking submissions from MD.
• Send submissions to nate@rockshore-
media.com.
• Provide a video submission.
• Pay provided.
Local
Commercials
‘Driving & Donuts’
• Casting multiple roles in “Driving &
Donuts,” a local TV commercial.
• Company: Tasca Studios. Staff: Rodrigo
Tasca, dir.
• Shoots first week of March in Weston,
FL.
• Seeking—Good-Looking “Bro” Type:
male, 25-39, all ethnicities, drunk guy
leaving the bar. Will have lines. Police
Officer: 39-64, cop eating donuts. Sees
guy getting drunk.
• Seeking submissions from FL.
• Send submissions to rodrigo@tascastu-
dios.com.
• Final casting via video audition/Zoom.
• Pays $300/day.
Online
Commercials &
Promos
Custom Photo Book, Real
Mothers
• Casting real mothers with children of
all ages to choose photos and make a
book that you will share in a testimonial
style shoot from home.
• Staff: E. Kennedy, coord.
• Shoot date is TBD. Shoots from home
with the assistance of a remote
director.
• Seeking—Lead Person in Mother-
Grown Daughter Team: female, 18+, all
ethnicities, mother, 35+, of a grown
daughter; must have a real scrapbook.
Daughter, 18+, who has young child or
children, or is expecting a baby. Either
person may submit for the team. Both
will discuss the pros and cons of scrap-
books and having hard copies of photos
versus digital pictures. Real Moms Who
Want to Preserve Family Photos in a
Book: female, 30-70, all ethnicities, real
mothers who are willing to go through
the process of choosing family photos
to make a hard cover book.
• Seeking submissions nationwide.
• Apply on Backstage.com
• Pays $250 flat rate per individual.
Nonunion, all media buyout. We pay for
the cost of the product, you choose the
photos.
Game App Project, Fun
Outgoing Real Life Comedic
Couples
• Casting game app project. Production
states: “This is an ongoing project. We
are looking for fun couples that interact
well together to play a game app and
give reaction shoots and play off each
others energy. These projects can be
shot in our studio in Downtown Los
Angeles, and also as director assisted
remote shoots, anywhere in the US.”
• Company: TubeScience. Staff: Sarah
Furlong, testimonial casting prod.
• Shoots in February and March .
• Seeking—Female With Fun Outgoing
Male Partner For Game App Project:
female, 18-26, all ethnicities, you must
be a real couple with a big personality
who can look like you are having fun
with your mate on camera. Male with
Fun Outgoing Female Partner for Game
App Project: male, 18-26, all ethnicities,
you must be a real couple with a big
personality who can look like you are
having fun with your mate on camera.
• Seeking submissions nationwide.
• Send submissions to casting@tube-
science.com.
backstage.com

• Be over 18 and be a real couple that is
sheltering in place together. You need
to be in the same city to shoot this proj-
ect and also to do a selfie audition.
• Rate is $250 per person per project /
non union/all media buyout
Makeup Application
Testimonials
• Casting elegant women, ages 40-70, in
makeup application and testimonial
spots.
• Staff: E. Kennedy, coord.
• No rehearsal. Locations are in studio in
L.A. and work from home. Dates TBD.
• Seeking—Elegant Women 40-70:
female, 40-70, all ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions nationwide.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Pays $300 per project for all media,
non-union buyout.
Online App, People Who Love
to Shop Online
• Casting people who love to shop for an
online app.
• Staff: E. Kennedy, coord.
• Shoots remotely or in Downtown L.A.
(depending on talent’s location).
• Seeking—Women 18+ Who Love to
Shop Online: female, 18-60, all
ethnicities, attractive, charismatic
women, 18-60, who love to shop
online, to demonstrate and discuss
the app. Men 18+ Who love to Shop
Online: male, 18-45, all ethnicities,
attractive, charismatic men, 18-60,
who love to shop online, to
demonstrate and discuss the app.
• Seeking submissions nationwide.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Pays $250 flat. Nonunion, all media
buyout.
Sexy Women With Influencer
Vibe
• Casting sexy women with an influencer
vibe, 18-40, who either live in LA and are
willing to come in to the studio, or who
know how to shoot at who have at
home set ups and are willing to work
with remote directors. Synopsis: We
serve a variety of clients and the prod-
ucts range from workout gear to linge-
rie to beauty and hair products.
• Staff: E. Kennedy, coord.
• No rehearsal; auditions are remote; stu-
dio shoots in LA, or remote shoots for
those not in LA.
• Seeking—Sexy Women With
Influencer Vibe For LA Studio
Shoots: female, 18-40, all ethnicities,
sexy women, 18-40, with a pulled
together look and an influencer vibe,
who live within 90 miles of Downtown
LA and can quickly drive in for a
shoot. (If not, apply for the other
part.). Sexy Women with Influencer
Vibe for Remote Shoots from Home:
female, 18-40, all ethnicities, sexy
women, 18-40, with that very pulled
together look, for remote shoots with
the help of a director; you need some
skill at filming yourself at home and
uploading footage.
• Seeking submissions nationwide.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Pay depends on the job, flat rate range
is $200-$300 for in studio and/or work
from home shoots. Non-union, all
media, buyouts.
backstage.com
Print & Digital
Modeling
Dewalt Tools Print AD
• Casting a print ad for stock imagery of
a new product.
• Company: Content Pictures. Staff:
Antonio Esposito, prod.
• Shoots Feb. 25 at One Ten Studio in
Middletown, CT.
• Seeking—Lead Woman: female, 25-36,
all ethnicities, no fake nails and no fake
eyelashes. Comfortable around tools.
• Seeking submissions from CT, NY and
MA.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• Must have current selfie, no old head-
shots. Also submit photo of hands.
• Buy out: $850/12 hrs. Must be able to
self report to set in Middletown, CT.
Old Navy Shoot, Real People
Female Casting
• Casting an upcoming Old Navy shoot.
Read all carefully before submitting.
Note: Do not submit if you are currently
signed with a modeling agency.
• Company: Stefanie Stein Casting. Staff:
Stefanie Stein, CD.
• Fit date Apr. 30; shoots May 11 in NYC or
Los Angeles, CA (must either live in NYC
or LA; client can not travel in talent).
• Seeking—All Real Women Ages 20-35:
female, all ethnicities, all cultures, col-
ors, beliefs, bodies, background, fami-
lies, genders, ages, and abilities.
Casting womxn - anyone who self iden-
tifies as a woman. All sizes. Going from
size 4 to size 30. Priority is really finding
great talent in size 14+ range. The same
sizes are 4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24 + 30.
Women with disabilities included.
• Seeking submissions from NY and CA.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• For consideration, include your
Instagram handle, along with your dress
size (i.e. size 10, etc.). If you are selected
casting will reach out for additional
photos if needed. Note: Do not submit if
you are currently signed with a model-
ing agency.
• Rate is $1500-2500 includes a 12 hr. day
plus a fitting prior to the shoot.
Film &
Documentary
(Voiceover)
‘Entre Los Muros’
• Casting “Entre Los Muros,” a poetic
animated and live-action short film that
critiques femicide in Mexico.
• Company: USC School of Cinematic
Arts. Staff: Gerardo Garcia, dir.; Kat
Skender, prod.
• Voiceovers finalized in late Feb.-early
Mar.
• Seeking—Female Protestors/Activists:
female, 18+. Radio Hosts: all genders,
18+. Daniela’s Mother: female, 41+.
News Reporter: all genders, 30+.
• Seeking submissions worldwide.
• Send submissions to entrelosmuros-
film@gmail.com.
31
• Record yourself using your best-quality
audio equipment.
• Copy and credit provided.
Commercials
(Voiceover)
Farm Commercial
• Casting a woman of color in her 30s-
40s for a farm commercial. In terms of
direction, it should be down to earth,
explanatory, pleasant, positive but not
over the top -- like you’re having a reas-
suring conversation with a friend.
• Company: Orphan Productions. Staff:
R. McCool, coord.
• Records remotely.
• Seeking—VO for Farm Commercial:
female, 30-50, read the script in full. In
terms of direction, it should be down to
earth, explanatory, pleasant, positive
but not over the top. Like you’re having
a reassuring conversation with a friend.
• Seeking submissions nationwide.
• Apply on Backstage.com.
• For consideration, read the entire
script. You should have source connect
and a mic. You must be able to connect
to our mixers studio.
• Flat $1200 buyout for 2 years for
streaming, web and social for 1 x :30
spot. Talent will need to record once
more after picture lock for final mix.
Must have access to source connect for
final VO record.
Stage Staff &
Tech
‘Block Association’
• Seeking stage managers for “Block
Association.”
• Company: Actors Theatre of Louisville.
Staff: Michael Crowley, playwright (he/
him/his); Michael Rau, dir. (he/him/his);
Reed Flores, assist. dir. (he/him/his);
Chloe Chow, assist. to the dir. (she/her/
hers) Emily Tarquin, artistic prod., CSA
(they/them/theirs) Sujotta Pace, profes-
sional training company & casting
coord. CSA (she/her/hers) Kay Nilest,
prod.-casting apprentice (she/her/
hers).
• Rehearsals begin Mar. 23; tech/in-
house test audiences begin Mar. 30;
runs Apr. 6-18 (specific dates and times
tbd).
• Seeking—Stage Manager: 18+, all
ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from KY.
• For consideration, submit resume to
PWerner@actorstheatre.org or mail to
Actors Theatre of Louisville ATTN: Paul
Werner 316 W. Main St, KY 40202.
Submissions deadline is Feb. 18.
• Pays $884/wk. Equity LORT D Contract.
‘Hi-Hat Hattie!’ & ‘Eleanor’
• Seeking stage managers for “Hi-Hat
Hattie!” (Rehearsals begin May 11; runs
June 2-20 with a possible extension
through June 27) and “Eleanor”
(Rehearsals begin Nov. 16; runs Dec.
National/Regional casting
8-Mar. 6 with a possible extension
through Mar. 13) in the 2021-22 season.
• Company: Florida Studio Theatre. Staff:
Richard Hopkins, prod. artistic dir.;
Alexa Doggett, casting & hiring coord.
• Season rehearses and performs in
Sarasota, FL.
• Seeking—Stage Manager: 18+, all
ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from FL.
• For consideration, submit resume to
casting@floridastudiotheatre.org or
mail to Alexa Doggett, 1241 North Palm
Ave., Sarasota, FL 34236. Submissions
deadline is Feb. 19.
• For more info, visit www.floridastudio-
theatre.org.
• Florida Studio Theatre is an established
LORT D, Equity regional theatre in
Sarasota, FL. Great artistic environ-
ment. Equity Contract with competitive,
negotiable salaries. Florida Studio
Theatre is working towards becoming a
more anti-racist and inclusive theatre.
FST is thus committed to developing a
work environment that is reflective of
the diverse world that it serves. People
who share this belief are encouraged to
submit.
• Pays $884/wk. Equity LORT D Contract.
‘History of Theatre,’ Stage
Manager
• Seeking stage managers for the world
premiere of “History of Theatre.”
• Company: A Contemporary Theatre
Inc. Staff: Valerie Curtis-Newton, dir.;
Regiald André Jackson, playwright;
Margaret Layne, casting dir. (at large)
for ACT - A Contemporary Theatre.
• Rehearsal & filming (via Zoom using
actor webcams*) will be held Mon.-Fri.
Mar. 22-Apr. 2 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. PT.
Distribution (released to stream on
demand via ACT website): May 14-June
6, 2021. Note: ACT will supply additional
equipment as needed/necessary for
lighting, etc.
• Seeking—Stage Manager: 18+, all
ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from WA.
• For consideration, submit resume to
Alyssa Montgomery, Production
Manager, ACT - A Contemporary
Theatre, 700 Union St., Seattle, WA
98101. Submissions deadline is Feb. 22.
• Pays $739/wk. (filming), $150/wk (dis-
tribution). Equity LORT Non-Rep
Contract.
‘Mud Season Mystery: The
Lodger,’ Stage Manager
• Seeking stage managers for “Mud
Season Mystery: The Lodger.”
• Company: Northern Stage Company.
Staff: Brenda Withers, playwright; Carol
Dunne, artistic dir.; Jess Chayes, dir.;
Karie Koppel, casting dir.
• Rehearsals begin Mar. 30, 2021; runs
Apr. 14-May 2. Note: Actors will
rehearse and perform remotely from
their homes over Zoom. Performances
will be presented to a live Zoom
audience.
• Seeking—Stage Manager: 18+.
• Seeking submissions from VT.
• For consideration, submit resume to
Northern Stage Company, 76 Gates St.,
White River Junction, VT 05001.
• Pays $884/wk. Equity LORT D Non-Rep
Contract.
02.18.21 BACKSTAGE
Ask An Expert Agents Auditions Film Headshots Television Theater Unions Voiceover

Q:  Should you use props in a self-tape?

—Sarah Ray

For self-tapes, I advise my all actors to follow the same rules they would for live
auditions: If it isn’t essential to the character, scene, and reality you’re trying to
create in the monologue, don’t use a prop.
There are exceptions. For example, I have a charming coaching client who does
Our Expert a very funny monologue about a bunny, and she uses a stuffed animal—a very
small, fluffy, furry animal held close to her chest—to great comedic effect. She’s
Gwyn Gilliss been called by agents and casting directors because they remember her. This is a
is an acting bold choice, but it is consistent with all of her marketing efforts—her headshot,
and marketing sizzle reel, and website—which all show the same cute, sweet girl. So that specific
coach. marketing tactic paid off; they remember her as the cute girl with the bunny.
Generally, because you’re seen in medium close-up on Zoom, Skype, or
on-camera (if you tape the audition yourself), you should ask yourself what’s

ILLUSTRATION: MARGARET RULING/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; GILLISS: COURTESY GWYN GILLISS

important. What are they looking for? Well, they’re trying to see if you can act. They
also want to see what you look like. What kind of roles can you play—your type,
marketability, and castability? Are you compelling, exciting, and memorable? Do you
have that “it” star energy? That’s a lot to show in a small frame, and you want the
focus to be on you, not on a prop.
Most industry pros I’ve worked with decide if they want to audition, cast, and
work with an actor in the first few seconds of a self-tape, so first impressions do
count. More important than a prop is what you are wearing. Is your look polished and
professional? The color and style of clothing you’re wearing tells them immediately
how to cast you. For example, a navy blazer or a gray suit might bring a lawyer to mind.
These wardrobe choices suggest what role you’re going for and make you
memorable. Casting directors still want to see good work in your audition, but
they’ll remember you more often if you make a specific wardrobe or hairstyle
choice. Being camera-ready, polished, and professional-looking is more important
than holding a prop.

*Submit questions for our Experts on Backstage’s Facebook or Twitter accounts or

via our forums page at backstage.com/forums!

The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.

BACKSTAGE 02.18.21 32 backstage.com

 The Slate
The Actor’s Remote Resource
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Anthony Mackie,
Bradley Whitford,
Nicholas Pinnock,
Susan Kelechi Watson
and more!

To get all the details and view the full schedule, please visit backstage.com/magazine.

BACKSTAGE
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