What should actors know about a casting director’s job? And what is pursuing a career in casting like? Today’s episode, featuring an intro from Jack and Christine and two interviews with award-winning CDs, pulls back the curtain on the gut-based and logistical processes involved in, as Emmy nominee Ellen Lewis puts it, the “creative collaboration with a director and/or writer to cast actors that will fill the world that they are envisioning.” And there’s plenty of advice for auditioners, as fellow 2021 Emmy-contending CD Avy Kaufman reiterates her empathy and respect for actors: “It’s gotta be so hard to walk into a room with a stranger, give one take or maybe two takes.... Know your material, do the best you can. And good luck.”

Avy Kaufman has cast some of your favorite films and TV shows, from “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Garden State,” “Lincoln,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” to “Billions,” “The Alienist,” “High Fidelity,” and “The Stand.” She’s earned Primetime Emmy Awards for casting “Damages” and “Succession,” and is now nominated a sixth time for HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” the hit limited series from Brad Ingelsby and Kate Winslet.

Ellen Lewis is the CD behind such classics as “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “A League of Their Own,” “Forrest Gump,” and most Martin Scorsese pictures including “Goodfellas,” Casino,” “The Departed,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and “The Irishman.” She won Emmy Awards for her work on “Boardwalk Empire” and “Angels in America,” and is currently nominated for the fifth time for Netflix’s limited series from Scott Frank, “The Queen’s Gambit.” For in-depth interviews with top CDs (including Avy and Ellen), browse Backstage’s “In the Room” column: https://bit.ly/3CK2Wsj

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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

- Producer: Jamie Muffett

- Social media: Katie Minard, Alysa Cirelli

- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins

- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis