Unscripted Untold Podcast

The Oscar That Took 100 Years


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On Episode 10 of Unscripted Untold, Casting Director and journalist Evan Majors and emcee and Creative Producer Mike Sick sit down with 3X Emmy-nominated TV, film, and theatre casting director and current President of CSA (Casting Society of America), Destiny Lilly, to discuss a historic shift inside the Academy Awards.

For nearly 100 years, the Academy Awards did not recognize casting with its own Oscar category.

Let that sit.

Nearly a century of honoring directors, actors, editors, cinematographers, and production designers, without formally acknowledging the people responsible for assembling the very faces, the chemistry, and the performances that define those films.

That changes at this year’s 98th Academy Awards with the introduction of Achievement in Casting.

Not just ceremonially. But culturally. Institutionally. Professionally.

This conversation unpacks:

* What had to shift inside the Academy.

* How has casting been perceived and misunderstood?

* Why has invisibility often been defined in the works of casting directors?

* What does being recognized mean, and what it doesn’t.

You don’t have to work in the entertainment industry to understand why this conversation matters.

Every great film or TV show begins with people, the actors who bring characters to life, and the chemistry that makes audiences believe in the story. Casting directors help shape those moments long before cameras roll.

This episode offers a rare look at that process and why this new recognition from the Academy represents a meaningful shift.

Casting isn’t an afterthought; it’s foundational.

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Unscripted Untold PodcastBy Evan Majors & Mike Sick