The Casting Session with Joanna Colbert

Victoria Thomas is an acclaimed casting director whose journey began at UCLA's film school, where she found her calling by helping student peers cast their thesis films.

Her staggering, genre-spanning career includes cult classics like Sid and Nancy, massive blockbusters like Django Unchained, and the Emmy-winning Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show.

On this episode of TCS, you will discover her insights on the casting processes, intuition, her creative process with directors, and how she navigates the evolving landscape of TV and streaming.

Instagram: @thecastingsession
Host: Joanna Colbert
Audio Engineer: Martin Nikolov
Editor: Michael Jereld

In this engaging conversation, casting directors Sara Kay and Jenny Lewis share their experiences and insights from nearly two decades of collaboration in the industry.

They discuss the benefits of partnerships in casting, the dynamics of working with U.S. teams, and the unique aspects of the Canadian casting landscape. The conversation highlights their successful casting of the show 'Heated Rivalry,' the challenges and opportunities presented by self-tapes, and the significance of comedy in Canadian acting.

And as we do in all TCS episodes, they discuss their coffee and tea rituals, which add a personal touch to their professional lives.

Instagram: @thecastingsession
Creator & Host: Joanna Colbert
Executive Producer: Michael Jereld

In this episode of the Casting Session, Joanna speaks with casting directors Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee about their extensive experience in the industry, particularly focusing on their work on Season 2 of Apple TV’s Palm Royale.

They discuss the evolution of casting processes, the impact of virtual auditions, and the recognition of casting directors in the Academy Awards. The conversation also touches on the challenges and changes brought about by the pandemic, the importance of personal connections in casting, and, of course, their coffee rituals.

Instagram: @thecastingsession
Creator & Host: Joanna Colbert
Executive Producer: Michael Jereld

Casting directors Des Hamilton and Jo Harris sit down to discuss their casting process for Nia Da Costa’s film, Hedda (now on Netflix) starring Tessa Thompson. Des and Jo feel that the in-person audition is not only preferable but vital to the casting process. ‘You get a sense of the actors generosity, playfulness, and bravery’ says Des. We discussed the importance of casting all roles from the leads to the one-line parts. ‘It’s a collaboration, says Jo. ‘We’re all a part of the same goal’. We also zero in on the new Academy Award category for casting directors and of course, their coffee and tea rituals.

Instagram: @thecastingsession
Creator & Host: Joanna Colbert
Executive Producer: Michael Jereld

Ronna Kress (Moulin Rouge, The Fault in Our Stars, Mad Max: Fury Road) sits down with The Casting Session to share her wisdom and experience working with esteemed directors George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge).

Ronna and Joanna share their appreciation for the legendary Marion Doughtery and discuss the importance of how supporting characters must understand that less is more. We get a glimpse into Ronna’s morning coffee/tea ritual as they discuss trusting the process and exposing a little bit of your true self in the audition room.

Tracy "Twinkie" Bird (Southside With You, Fruitvale Station, Notorious) is a Brooklyn-born and raised casting director, producer, director, and author.

Tracy sits down with The Casting Session to discuss how the audition is an opportunity to build relationships, not being finish line oriented, and seeing the world through a different vantage point as an artist.

Joanna asks about her morning ritual, and Tracy shares her love for tea.

The two also talk about Tracy's book "Channeling Becky," how she got started in casting, and an upcoming project with Cardi B.

Instagram: @thecastingsession
Creator & Host: Joanna Colbert
Executive Producer: Michael Jereld

Guy Burnet (Ray Donovan, Pitch Perfect 3, The Affair, Mortdecai) is a British theatre, television, and film actor.

Guy sits down with The Casting Session to discuss how his unique experience as a professional athlete has helped him as an actor and simply letting go to be the best version of yourself. The two also talk about the advantages of establishing a good rapport with casting directors, and Guy takes us on a journey sharing unique insights on how to be fully present.

Instagram: @thecastingsession
Creator & Host: Joanna Colbert
Executive Producer: Michael Jereld

Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, Click, The Waterboy, Blended, Ridiculous 6) is a director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.

The director of the highest-grossing sports comedy of all time (The Waterboy) joins The Casting Session to discuss the collaborative process that happens between directors and casting directors, matching an actor's essence with the essence of a character, and how actors can use the audition process to build long-term relationships with casting directors.

Joanna asks Frank about his morning ritual and Frank shares stories from his time as an NYU film student.

Instagram: @thecastingsession
Creator & Host: Joanna Colbert
Executive Producer: Michael Jereld

Jennifer Beals (The L Word, The Book of Eli, Flash Dance, Devil in a Blue Dress) is an American award-winning actor, producer, and Goodwill Ambassador. Jennifer joins The Casting Session to discuss how she uses meditation to mentally prepare for roles, how the audition is an opportunity to practice your craft, and how to advocate for yourself during the audition process. Joanna and Jennifer also talk about the importance of being surrounded by love and support in the audition room and how acting is defined as living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

Instagram: @thecastingsession
Creator & Host: Joanna Colbert
Executive Producer: Michael Jereld

In today’s episode, host Joanna Colbert sits down with the casting team of Justine Arteta, Kim Davis-Wagner, and Faryn Einhorn. Plus, another fun edition of The Ritual where morning coffee becomes afternoon tea.

Justine and Kim share how Drew Barrymore and Nancy Juvinen took a chance on two young casting directors. While the group shares their joy of having an actor-friendly office and a fresh perspective on auditioning for the office (not just the role).

This fantastic trio has worked with top Director Spike Jonze, and their credits include films like Never Been Kissed, Little Miss Sunshine, and more.

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The Casting Session is an inside look at filmmaking through the perspective of casting, with enlightening interviews from the industry's top casting directors, actors, directors, and producers, giving you a behind-the-scenes look into the casting process.

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts and don't forget to follow @thecastingsession on Instagram to share your thoughts, questions, and reactions to the show.

Creator: Joanna Colbert
Executive Producer: Michael Jereld
Producer: Justin Sintic