Casting directors have a special position within the entertainment industry, matching talent and roles on dozens of projects at once. Actors, of course, want to understand those on the other side of the audition table: What are casting directors looking for, and what exactly do they do? Three Emmy Award nominees for casting, and Senior Editor Elyse Roth, join the podcast to answer those questions and more.

Cindy Tolan is the winner of five Artios Awards and an Emmy for her work in casting. Her career spans New York theater, TV, and film, from “Avenue Q” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” to “Flight of the Conchords” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” to “Straight Outta Compton,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and the forthcoming “West Side Story” movie. Cindy is currently Emmy-nominated again for Amy Sherman-Palladino’s Amazon Prime Video comedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Season 3.

Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas are celebrating a 20-year partnership at their award-winning casting company Bialy/Thomas & Associates. Sharon is known for casting “Rudy,” “Point Break,” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” while Sherry got her start on the film “Contact.” Together, they’ve cast Broadway and Los Angeles theater, indie and blockbuster films, and TV hits including “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul,” “The Walking Dead,” “Barry,” “The Righteous Gemstones,” “The Twilight Zone,” and “The Act.” The seven-time Emmy nominees are now in contention again, for both Liz Feldman’s Netflix comedy “Dead to Me” and Bruce Miller’s Hulu drama “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

This episode is brought to you by HBO. To read more advice from casting directors, check out Backstage’s “In the Room” features: https://bit.ly/3jf424A

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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

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Special thanks to...

- Host: Jack Smart

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- Design: Mark Stinson and Caitlin Watkins

- Additional Support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Oriella St. Louis