Today on What’s My Frame, I’m joined by casting director Leeba Zakharov, a native New Yorker whose career spans more than two decades across film and television. An immigrant raised on the Lower East Side, Leeba’s journey into storytelling is deeply personal. She minored in theater at SUNY Albany. Prior to transitioning into casting, she built a foundation in development and acquisitions, serving as an assistant at Miramax and Madstone Films, and later joining Focus Features.
Leeba proudly credits legendary casting director Avy Kaufman as a pivotal mentor and someone who instilled in her a lifelong commitment to collaboration, trust, and honoring the vulnerability of actors. That philosophy continues to shape her work today. Bilingual in Russian and English, Leeba brings a culturally nuanced perspective to the stories she helps bring to life.