Backstage Magazine Digital Edition: August 20, 2020

08.20.20

Samantha Bee proves a woman’s place is on your television

Ashley Nicole Black

BACKSTAGE.COM

Emmy Voters’ Guide

Get to know all of this year’s nominated actors!

talks HBO’s historic “A Black Lady Sketch Show” The secrets of how “SNL” comes together each week

6+ Pages OF CASTING NOTICES

Contents

vol. 61, no. 19 | 08.20.20

Cover Story

She Objects!

Samantha Bee is the latenight host who can handle this era, and it’s because she knows what is—and what is certainly not—worth her while

page 20

The Green Room 12 Walt Disney World settles its feud with Equity over COVID-19 testing

14 This week’s roundup of who’s casting what starring whom

15 Giancarlo Esposito discusses his journey from stage to screen

Advice 17 NOTE FROM THE CD Marketing yourself

18 #IGOTCAST

Tony Jackson

18 SECRET AGENT MAN

Choose the right school

Features 6 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH...

Seth Meyers

16 MEET THE MAKER

Don Roy King, “Saturday Night Live” director

17 THE ESSENTIALISTS

Ashley Nicole Black, writer

19 IN THE ROOM WITH Dixie Chassay and Rose Wicksteed

26 THE CREAM OF THE CROP

Get to know the 2020 acting Emmy nominees for lead and supporting

40 ASK AN EXPERT

Clay Banks on the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating

Casting 32 New York Tristate 34 California 37 National/Regional Samantha Bee photographed by Jason Jones on July 16 in the Hudson Valley, New York.

Cover designed by Ian Robinson.

backstage.com

2

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

EMMY NOMINATED ®

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

JASON BATEMAN

“A TESTAMENT TO THE RANGE THAT JASON BATEMAN HAS BEEN ABLE TO FINALLY EXHIBIT” DECIDER

UNDENIABLY GRIPPING

“

”

SLANT MAGAZINE

©2020 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.

Backstage was founded in 1960 by Ira Eaker and Allen Zwerdling

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Joshua Ellstein

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Michael Felman

CORPORATE CONTROLLER & VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT OFFICER

James G. Reynolds

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

VICE PRESIDENT, CASTING

David Grossman

Luke Crowe

Michael Madia

Editorial

Art

Casting

Product

Advertising Sales

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DESIGN DIRECTOR

MANAGING CASTING EDITOR

ENGINEERING MANAGER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MEDIA

MANAGING EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

ACCOUNT MANAGER S

LEAD PRODUCT DESIGNER

Briana Rodriguez Benjamin Lindsay DIRECTOR OF CONTENT OPERATIONS

Allie White

SENIOR EDITOR, CASTING AND INDUSTRY NEWS

Elyse Roth

AWARDS EDITOR

Jack Smart EDITOR

Abigail Cain U.K. EDITOR

Pete Martin SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Casey Mink

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Lisa Granshaw

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Jenna Scherer COPY EDITOR

Regan Hofmann EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Jalen Michael Franchesca Viaud

Ian Robinson

Margaret Ruling

Production

Melinda Loewenstein Elijah Cornell Jill Heller

Mark Stinson

Social Media SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

Katie Minard

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Alysa Cirelli

Customer Service CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

Richard Burridge

CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSOCIATE

Stephanie Chung Anna Szatkowski Eric Thomas Ben Wasserman

Victoria Beal Gabrielle Hamann Neill Kennedy Christina Kleppinger Christine McKenna-Tirella Sonja Smith Hannah Williams CASTING EDITORS

FRONT END LEAD

Mitch Matusan QA MANAGER

Cassie Haffner SENIOR FULL STACK ENGINEER FULL STACK ENGINEER

Joe Zeleny

FRONT END ENGINEER

Neely Kartha

REGIONAL CASTING EDITOR

PRODUCT DESIGNER

Jan Cantor

Byron Karlevics RESEARCH EDITOR

Advisers

Rebecca Welch

OFFICE EXPERIENCE + PEOPLE MANAGER

Jenny O’Donnell

Kasey Howe

MEDIA OPERATIONS

Samantha Sherlock

Marketing GROWTH MARKETING DIRECTOR

Ryan Remstad

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Ryann Thompson DESIGN MANAGER

Caitlin Watkins

CONVERSION RATE OPTIMIZATION MANAGER

Stanley Zuo

USER ACQUISITION MANAGER

Nikita Rubetskoy

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Liz Farris

Peter Rappaport

GROWTH MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Accounting

JUNIOR MARKETING DESIGNER

SENIOR ADVISER

Office Operations

STAFF ACCOUNTANT

Ben Carleton

Erica Whyte

Kailyn Ciancarelli

Marci Liroff Diep Tran Allie Volpe

EDITORIAL OFFICES

Tom Achtemichuk

Mike Lewis

Elaina Crockett Riley Fee Daniel Gelb Lisa Hamil Effie Reich

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

editorial@backstage.com

Jeff Lilley

ENGINEER LEAD

CASTING SPECIALISTS

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Shishir Bankapur

CASTING DEPARTMENT

CUSTOMER SERVICE

casting@backstage.com

917-725-6367 customers@backstage.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

advertising@backstage

PERMISSION

For one-time use of our content, as a full article, excerpt, or production prop, contact editorial@backstage.com

BACKSTAGE, vol. 61, no. 19 (ISSN#53635 USPS#39740) IS A WEEKLY PUBLICATION, WITH OCCASIONAL DOUBLE ISSUES IN MARCH, MAY, SEPTEMBER, FEBRUARY, JUNE, AUGUST, AND DECEMBER AND ONE ISSUE PUBLISHED IN APRIL AND JULY (except the fourth week of December) by Backstage LLC, 45 Main St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, $3.99 per copy, $99 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Backstage, 45 Main St., Ste. 416, Brooklyn, NY 11201.Publication Mail Agreement No. 40031729. ©2017 Backstage LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Backstage LLC: Joshua Ellstein, Chief Executive Officer.

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

4

backstage.com

E M M Y

®

N O M I N A T E D

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

“MARK

RUFFALO GIVES TWO PERFORMANCES OF A LIFETIME” TIME

©2020 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.

Backstage 5 With...

Seth Meyers

By Isabelle Sarraf

A modern staple of late-night television, Seth Meyers has worked at NBC’s 30 Rock headquarters for nearly 20 years.

The host of the acclaimed “Late Night with Seth Meyers” first cut his teeth at “Saturday Night Live,” working his way up to head writer and establishing himself on the Weekend Update desk over his 12-year tenure. The Emmy winner joined Backstage’s acting podcast, “In the Envelope,” to offer advice for other comedy writers and share his memories from “SNL.”

At what point did comedy go from being a hobby to a career?

I do remember standing onstage at our last college [improv] show, thinking, “Alright, I’m going to try to do this until it seems irrational. I’ll at least throw it out there.” I moved to Chicago, I started waiting tables, and I would improvise. There was a paper called the Chicago Reader that had audition notices, and there was an audition notice for an improv theater in Amsterdam called Boom Chicago. It happened pretty quickly; it was only about six months after I graduated. Some Chicago guys had gone to Amsterdam, and they started a Second City– inspired theater there. They had auditions, and we went as a lark, my best friend and I, and we got a call saying, “We want you to move to Amsterdam”…. It was great, and the best thing about it was the stage reps. I think it was two years where I was basically doing 200 shows a year. There’s no replacement for that, as far as learning your own voice.

was nothing genuine or honest about the interaction. I was just one of the audience members with a better seat.

What impressions did you break out in the “SNL” audition room? Remember, this was 2001: Russell Crowe, David Arquette, Hugh Grant. Boom, boom, boom—those were the three. Again, very useful [for a] 2001 audition. I think in the end, I only did Hugh Grant once on the show.

What advice do you have for other actors and entertainers?

If you really believe you have something to say and something to share, you have to put your heart into getting that message out there. If there’s that message in you, be it your talent or something you want to say specific to the moment we’re living in, just keep working on your instrument. Because if you value it, there’s a high likelihood that the audience will value it, too…. From a distance, showbiz looks fun and easy.

Up close, it’s fun and hard.

Who has been your favorite person to interview on “Late Night”? Joan Rivers was one of my favorite interviews ever. But it wasn’t really an interview; I just set her up for jokes. There

“As far as the characters I’m best at, [it’s] ideally me, ideally sitting.

I’m not even good at me standing.”

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

6

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: NATHAN ARIZONA/PHOTO: DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Who has been the most influential person on your career?

There are two: Amy Poehler—I was really lucky to start on “SNL” with her because I already looked up to her, and she was this incredibly kind person. We were new at the same time, but she was far more established than I was in show business; she had already been on television shows, been in movies.

She was very kind to take me along on the ride. And then Mike Shoemaker, who was a producer there and is my producer now. He was somebody who was always very honest, and I made a decision early on to trust and listen to him.

E M M Y AWA R D N O M I N AT I O N S O U T S TA N D I N G D R A M A S E R I E S ®

I N C L U D I N G

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES OLIVIA COLMAN OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES HELENA BONHAM CARTER

“IT SHINES BRIGHTER THAN EVER.

Olivia Colman is masterful.

Helena Bonham Carter is brilliant.”

WINNER S C R E E N A C T O R S G U I L D AWA R D ® OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

FYC.NETFLIX.COM

HAVE YOU BEEN CAST IN A PROJECT THROUGH A BACKSTAGE CASTING NOTICE? Share your story with us and you might be featured in an upcoming issue! Just tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast and we’ll be in touch to hear your success story! @BACKSTAGE

FACEBOOK.COM/BACKSTAGE

@BACKSTAGECAST

Theme Parks

Walt Disney World Settles Equity Feud

The theme park has agreed to an on-site COVID19 testing center for employees and their families

By Diep Tran

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

of Equity members who work in the park. Disney World initially reacted to that request by not rehiring the 750 union members it normally employs.

With the news of the testing center, Equity has agreed to Disney’s safety measures and has given the go-ahead for its members to return to work at Disney World.

“We have been consistent that testing is an important part of

12

backstage.com

YANLEI LI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

WALT DISNEY WORLD IN Orlando, Florida, announced Aug. 12 that it will be providing an on-site COVID-19 testing center for employees and their families. This announcement came after more than a month of back-and-forth between the mouse and Actors’ Equity Association, which had called for Disney to provide its employees with COVID-19 testing in order to ensure the safety

ensuring a safe workplace for Equity performers, and today, I’m pleased to see that Disney World has agreed,” said Kate Shindle, the president of Equity, in a statement. “With the news that Disney will make testing available for Equity performers and others in the park, I’m happy to announce that Equity’s executive committee has signed a memorandum of understanding with Disney for Equity performers to return.”

Logan Benedict acts in four shows at Disney World, including “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage.” He said the signed agreement between Equity and Disney does not ensure that Disney will recall all of the Equity members it employs.

“That doesn’t guarantee that Disney is going to wave their magic wand and bring

everybody back,” he said from his home in Orlando. “It just means that Equity is no longer standing in their way.”

Benedict predicts that only around 200 actors will be recalled to start, because not all Disney World shows are currently being performed.

Plus, the understudies were not recalled in that original June announcement. “It will probably still be a little bit of time before we’re back to 100%,” he said.

But Benedict praised Equity for pushing Disney World on the COVID-19 tests, which will benefit everyone who works in the park, not just actors. “I think Disney has so much liability hanging over its head that if they’re not testing as many people as possible, it looks bad on the company,” he said. “I think since Equity has been pushing them so hard, it definitely helped get this situation solved.”

The dispute between Equity and Disney began in June. All Disney parks worldwide had been closed since the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic— first Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland in late January, and then the other parks on March 12.

Disney World alone employs 750 Equity members in its live park shows. It had furloughed those actors during the park closure. On June 23, Disney announced plans to recall members for rehearsals the following week in advance of a reopening on July 11.

On June 25, Equity made a public statement that actors needed to be provided with regular COVID-19 testing, because unlike other park employees, performers cannot distance, wear gloves, or wear masks while on the job.

EMMY NOMINEES ®

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR PAUL MESCAL IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL

LOUISE KIELY

MESCAL IS NOTHING SHORT OF A REVELATION.” “

MESCAL IS BREATHTAKING.” “

DAISY EDGAR-JONES AND MESCAL ARE RADIANT.” “

actors to fill roles alongside Keaton. While production has been delayed, the team behind the miniseries is eyeing September for an official start, though its specific U.S. location has not yet been disclosed.

‘Dopesick’ Examines a Different Epidemic A Hulu miniseries will take on prescription drug addiction

By Rebecca Welch

STAY IN THE LOOP ON INDUStry and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles!

Please note that shoot dates are subject to state and county restrictions and may change.

Refer to Call Sheet for updates,

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

“Dopesick” Hulu will explore America’s prescription drug crisis in a new limited series, based on Beth Macy’s book “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.” In it, Macy examines the opioid epidemic, starting with how it’s affected a small town in Virginia and building out from there. The adaptation, written

by Danny Strong, will pull from

14

TELEVISION

Princess Diana’s Big Week

By Casey Mink

For the latest news, check out backstage.com/resources to find thousands of production listings, casting directors, acting classes, agents, and more!

ON THE HEELS OF THE ANNOUNCEment that “Diana,” the musical about the late princess’s life, would be recorded exclusively for Netflix, Princess Di made headlines again with another Netflix collaboration.

Elizabeth Debicki has signed on to portray the royal in the upcoming fifth and sixth seasons of Peter Morgan’s hit drama “The Crown.”

Debicki, best known for her role in crime thriller “Widows,” replaces newcomer Emma Corrin in the track. The actor said in a statement, “Princess Diana’s spirit, her words, and her actions live in the hearts of so many.”

backstage.com

MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

Get cast!

For more upcoming productions and casting news, visit backstage.com/news/casting

and keep checking Backstage for the latest news on project development during this time.

emotional stories of individuals dealing with addiction and the toll it takes on their families and friends, examining torn relationships and the criminal lengths users will go to in order to get their next fix. It’s also a story of corporate manipulation and gain, in which the fault falls primarily with the company that manufactures OxyContin. Michael Keaton will star in the serialized drama as a doctor who finds himself caught up in the crisis. Avy Kaufman is searching for

GREG LEWIS/AMC/SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

What’s Casting

“CSI: Vegas” The next interation in Jerry Bruckheimer’s “CSI” franchise is on its way with “CSI: Vegas,” written by Jason Tracey.

The potential limited series, which currently just has a pilot order, adds to the already large catalog of “CSI” spinoffs, including “NY,” “Miami,” and “Cyber.” This follow-up will take place on the famous strip where “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” was set, with William Petersen and Jorja Fox reprising their roles as Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle, respectively. Though it has yet to score an official series order, Veronica Collins Rooney is looking for additional actors to round out the team; at least four new series regulars will join the original characters.

The project had been looking toward an October 2020 premiere in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the original series, but shooting was delayed due to COVID19 production pauses. It will likely begin shooting in October, with production in Los Angeles.

Giancarlo Esposito on “Better Call Saul”

Backstage Live

In His Blood

Giancarlo Esposito talks training on the stage and the lessons he carries with him today

By Paul Art Smith

The following Backstage Live was compiled in part by Backstage readers just like you! Follow us on Twitter (@Backstage) and Instagram (@backstagecast) to stay in the loop on upcoming interviews and to submit questions live on camera.

MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

GREG LEWIS/AMC/SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

FILM

Tig Notaro Subs In

By Casey Mink

backstage.com

GIANCARLO ESPOSITO HAS A career spanning many decades on both stage and screen. Best known for his string of roles with filmmaker Spike Lee (“Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X”) and his thrice Emmy-nominated turn as Gus Fring on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” he’s also been seen in the last

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A LAST-MINUTE Hollywood change-up? Zack Snyder’s feature “Army of the Dead” completed production prior to the pandemic. However, it will undergo substantial reshoots as star Chris D’Elia—following sexual misconduct allegations—has been recast with Tig Notaro.

Shooting will take place as soon as it is safe to do so, coronavirus permitting. The flick additionally stars Dave Bautista, Omari Hardwick, and Samantha Win, among others. The decision comes following the news that D’Elia was dropped by his agency and his planned Netflix series was scrapped.

year on Epix’s “Godfather of Harlem” and Disney+’s “The Mandalorian” and “Stargirl,” among others. Esposito sat down with Backstage to offer advice that’s helped shape him into who he is today.

Born to parents in the performing arts, acting has been ingrained in Esposito since childhood.

“I knew that the self-expression of acting was in my blood all along because of my family lineage…. [The Broadway stage is] where I cut my teeth, and that’s where the real discipline of acting took over my life. It was the transition between stage work to film work that was the real moment in time where I realized that this would be my life. I had thought maybe I’d just be doing summer stock and some Broadway shows and be a theater actor all my life, but my desire was to reach a larger audience for one reason: to be able to think about how story uplifts people and draws them in, and allows them a deep connection to a reflection of who they are.

And to me, that became very

15

important, being a mixed-race African American–Italian man in the creative arts. Those are the days I always look back to because I developed a great discipline and love, and it didn’t matter whether or not I became known or unknown.”

Esposito’s audition for CD Shirley Rich was life-changing—but not because it went well.

“I read for her, and I was feeling pretty good about my reading. And she looked at me, and she said, ‘Giancarlo, your instincts are all perfect, but your acting style is for the theater. Of course, obviously, that’s where you come from, but you’ll need to adjust that for the camera…. You need to go and do Off-Broadway, call everything back, [and] you need to find straight dramatic acting and how that affects you and how that feels.’ That advice was the best advice I’ve gotten in all of my career because of the way she told me. She was loving and compassionate and encouraging.

I think of her always, because when you have someone who believes in you and can be specific and nonjudgmental—she gave me that gift, and I just want to pass that gift on.”

An actor should know how to abandon the fear of failure and build confidence.

“Have confidence, understand that you are original and valuable, and then just do your work. That’s all. Close your ears to that voice inside of you that says, ‘I’m not good enough,’ and listen to constructive criticism.

Take the best and leave the rest.

It’s the best advice I can give you, because you know your strengths and you know when it sounds right and you know when you kick butt, so you got to go with that.”

Want to hear more from Esposito? Watch our full interview at backstage.com/ magazine, and follow us on Instagram: @backstagecast.

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

culture+

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

@BACKSTAGE

FACEBOOK.COM/BACKSTAGE

@BACKSTAGECAST

Meet the Maker

Don Roy King, “Saturday Night Live” director

Michael Che and Tina Fey on “Saturday Night Live” DON ROY KING ARRIVED AT “Saturday Night Live” 14 years ago, and he’s directed every episode since. How was it that he ended up at television’s most elite late-night institution?

“A mistake, I think,” he says.

On the heels of its 45th season, “SNL” is its own TV ecosystem in which one director helms every sketch of every episode in every season, reporting to the almighty Lorne Michaels.

Until 2006, King had a robust career directing talk shows and morning shows, but never sketch comedy. “I’d probably directed every kind of show ‘Saturday Night Live’ makes fun of,” he says.

Then, that year, a call came from a former colleague who’d gone on to be an AD at the NBC series. He told King that then-director Beth McCarthy-Miller

was leaving and, “ ‘They’re desperate. They can’t find anybody,’ ” King remembers.

“I said, ‘Well, there’s no show I’d rather direct than ‘Saturday Night Live.’ ” After as much hoop-jumping as you’d expect (including a decision-making meeting with Michaels), King was hired. And then, at age 58, the most arduous, fulfilling phase of his career began.

“They did take a chance on me, and it was a steep learning curve,” the director says.

“There’s a whole different approach to bringing these little one-act plays to life. There’s a whole different way to stage and shoot them. It needs to do justice to the material and make the people at home identify quickly with the situation and the characters.”

King’s biggest mistake early

on was trying to do too much in order to show off his own style. “I was looking for unusual angles and soap opera-ish cross shots,” he admits. But he realized—thanks in part to a few wrist slaps from Michaels— that if an audience member thinks about the shot for even a second, admiringly or otherwise, it’s defeated the purpose: They’ve now been taken out of the sketch.

“It’s my job to sell it in the best way possible, whether it’s a hard, satirical political sketch or a one-joke fart sketch,” he explains. Unlike traditional scripted series, directing “SNL” does not entail giving actors notes beyond technical ones.

Those, instead, come from the script, which is the series’ grail.

As King says, “We’re all there to fulfill the vision of that writer.

That comes before the directing, certainly, and it even comes before the performance. Lorne wants the material to be served by the writer individually.”

What King is there to do, then, is captain the ship through waters both rocky and smooth.

Or perhaps another metaphor would be more apt.

“As a live director, my job is to continue to call the shots like a quarterback. We’ll find sketches that don’t click for one reason or another, or something goes wrong or a graphic is missing,” he says. “It’s my job just to barrel through and to salvage as I go, and not let a single mistake start to snowball into others while we try to figure out who failed where.

Whether it’s the passer or whether it’s a touchdown, we’re still in the game.”

But even the most battering football game has nothing on a show week at “SNL.” Notoriously grueling, it starts on Wednesday for King, when he arrives to find about 40 sketches on his desk. Three days later, after a table read with the week’s celebrity host, countless meetings, rehearsals, rewrites, and run-throughs, the show goes on.

“There are days when I think, I have no idea how to get this done,” King says. “But the end result is 14 years of by far the most challenging and rewarding work I have ever done, and it is thrilling to work with people who are the best at what they do, on a show that is designed to make people laugh and clap.”

And no matter what, he says, the week only ever ends one way: “And then, 11:30, we fly.”

NBC

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

16

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; “A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW”: ANNE MARIE FOX/HBO

By Casey Mink

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

Note From the CD

Marketing Yourself

By Marci Liroff

NBC

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; “A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW”: ANNE MARIE FOX/HBO

GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN actors needed to rely completely on others to further their careers. Knowing how to market yourself as an actor is essential to getting your name (and, more importantly, your work) in front of casting directors and filmmakers. To that end, here are several marketing tools you can’t live without.

Website Having a website is like owning your own storefront. The basic elements of a good website are updated headshots (you want to show the essence of you—a headshot is you on your best day), a résumé that’s accurate and formatted correctly, and a demo reel. If you don’t have a proper demo reel with professional, produced footage, you can use a self-tape—but make sure to label it as such. If you don’t have a website yet, you should still secure your domain name so no one else does.

THE ESSENTIALISTS

ASHLEY NICOLE BLACK writer

Services to check out include Google Domains, Squarespace, and Namecheap.

As a writer and correspondent for “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” Emmy winner ASHLEY NICOLE BLACK honed the comedic voice that would lead her to writing and starring on HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” She recently joined Backstage over Zoom to talk about her creative process and offer advice for up-and-comers.

Social Media There are many social media platforms you can use to promote yourself, but you have to remember the proper etiquette.

Be polite, engage in a balanced way, and don’t just talk about yourself, and you’re off to a good start. Over time, some social media platforms come into fashion and others slide down the popularity list. As of the publication of this article, I’d have to say that Instagram, with its new Reels feature, is the clear leaders of this pack; so manicure your content there to best sell what you’re bringing to the table creatively.

Email Campaigns Sending postcards to casting directors is no longer the right move; my unofficial poll concluded that most CDs throw

Write what you haven’t seen before.

“I was watching Apple TV+ last night. They have huge stars, and I’m like, ‘How do they get these huge stars on this new platform?’ And

then when you watch the shows, you’re seeing them play different kinds of characters they didn’t get to play before.

Even these huge stars have a type of character they want to play that they haven’t gotten to yet. I think every actor has something that they know they can do that the industry may not invite them to do. If you can write it, do it.”

Writing made Black a better actor, and vice versa.

“When I learned how to write, I feel like I became a better actor, because I learned how to analyze a script and figure out why a

them in the trash. Sending an email newsletter, however, can be a good idea—but keep them to a minimum. You don’t want to clog potential employers’ inboxes. If you haven’t used it before, check out Mailchimp for future campaigns.

Business Cards While postcards are out, business cards are always in.

Remember that it’s not just you giving a new acquaintance your card; you are receiving their card as well. Make sure to follow up on that connection. You can even print your headshot on the card along with a QR code to lead them to your website!

Email Signature Your email address should have your name in it, not a silly, random name. Be professional; a proper signature (which you

backstage.com

17

By Isabelle Sarraf

character is doing what they’re doing in the moment. There are two versions of that. One is their internal motivation: what happened before and why I am motivated to do this because of my feelings? But also, why did the writer put this here structurally? I found that understanding both made me a better actor.”

can build for free at WiseStamp) will include a headshot, title, and contact information.

One of the most important elements of marketing yourself, in addition to these tools, is to always remember that you will find more success giving than receiving. When approaching a filmmaker or other industry pro, you should have an attitude of, “How can I make your life easier and richer?” rather than, “What can you do for me?”

And at the end of the day, work begets work. When I see a great performance, I want to bring that person in for a chance to get their next job.

Want more?

Read our full Note From the CD archives at backstage.com/ magazine

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

5

Secret Agent Man

Choose the Right School DECISIONS, DECISIONS, decisions. Actors have to make so many decisions! Should you sign with that agent? Should you work on this project?

Should you hire that photographer? It never ends.

One of the biggest decisions you have to make is choosing where to study your craft.

When you think about it, nothing could be more important.

Working with the right teacher will keep you well-oiled and ready for any opportunity that comes your way. So here are a few questions you should ask before handing over your hardearned cash.

Is the school known to the industry? Logic would dictate that you choose the best teacher, not the one who is the most famous. Well, the entertainment industry is a logic-free zone. Choosing John Smith in Arcadia or Jane Smith

1

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

in Yonkers would be a mistake.

They could be gifted teachers, but I would argue you could find someone just as good who is also known to people like me. Having the right names on your résumé sends a clear message that you’re serious about your career.

Can you audit a class?

This is important, because sitting in on a class will give you a sense of how far along the students are in their studies.

Watching them work should make you feel challenged and excited to join them. You should not feel superior. Being the best in class doesn’t help you grow as an actor. You want to be the least talented person there.

Is the teacher right for you? Some actors prefer someone with a gentle touch, while others like a firm hand.

Make sure you pick a teacher who is the right fit for you.

2

3

18

One of the biggest decisions you have to make is choosing where to study your craft. When you think about it, nothing could be more important.

#IGOTCAST. Tony Jackson

By Casey Mink While many saw the coronavirus pandemic as an obstacle, TONY JACKSON saw it as an opportunity.

Specifically, he used it as an opportunity to find voiceover roles.

Voiceover is still acting. “[Backstage] has really helped me work on my acting skills, and I’m immensely grateful for that. Many of the voiceover roles I audition for are proper acting roles, whereas on other voiceover-dedicated sites, jobs are more focused on commercial and narration.”

Make every audition count.

“Make sure you have professionally produced demos that highlight what you can do! If you can, cut up your demos and rearrange the spots so that each spot is at the beginning [of one], and so you have multiple versions; this can help you send a more tailored reel.”

Discomfort yields growth.

“Although our voices are our gift, be sure to have high-quality headshots. In the right hands, even pictures from your phone can look good. Audition for as much as you can, and don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable— discomfort is where growth happens!”

TO SEE YOUR SUCCESS story in print, tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast, or email us at igotcast@ backstage.com.

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; JACKSON: CHRISTOPHER DIVIRGILIO

Where is the school located? This may not sound like a big deal, but it matters. When you’ve been working all day, sitting in traffic for an hour is the last thing you want to do. You should look forward to your acting class, not dread it!

How much does it cost?

Never, ever go broke for the opportunity to study at an expensive school. It’s not worth it. Financial need creates anxiety, and you probably have enough of that in your life. Find a class that’s both challenging and affordable.

That’s it for the questions, but hang on—we’re not done yet. There’s one more decision you have to make, and that’s how long you should stay at the school you just selected. Actors never think about that. Studying too long with the same teacher is just as big a mistake as choosing the wrong one.

I’m going to cap the amount of time you spend there at one year. Trust me—12 months is plenty of time to get what you need, and if you stay any longer, the class will turn into a safe place. Real learning begins outside your comfort zone, not in it. (Note: There are a few respected schools that offer two-year programs with multiple teachers. They’re the rare exception.)

For what it’s worth, decisions don’t get any easier when you’re rich and famous. What outfit should you wear to the Oscars? How many tax breaks do you need? Which offer should you accept?

Seriously. It never stops.

RAQUEL APARICIO

4

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

In the Room With

Dixie Chassay and Rose Wicksteed

Surprisingly, historical accuracy didn’t matter when assembling the ensemble of “The Great”

By Elyse Roth

collaborate with other territories, I’ve only had really positive experiences. You have to get past the barriers of doing things in a slightly different way. We pride ourselves on becoming probably more Americanized in the efficiency and up-all-night and rolling calls. RW: It was a very personal experience, in terms of the collaborative casting. They allow space for the creativity to emerge.

How did the time period affect casting “The Great”?

DIXIE CHASSAY: I think that went out the window; it was about storytelling, the best actor for the job, and creating a landscape. The history is really more in the art department and the sets. You don’t notice the fact that they use bad language frequently. It all gets absorbed into it, and it’s so beautiful.

RAQUEL APARICIO

ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; JACKSON: CHRISTOPHER DIVIRGILIO

“THE GREAT,” HULU’S “OCCASIONALLY TRUE” STORY OF Catherine the Great led by Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, has something for everyone: comedy, indulgent sets and costumes, and a large ensemble cast that’s a ton of fun to watch. The series from Oscar-nominated “The Favourite” writer Tony McNamara offers another absurdist twist on history, which, in terms of casting, ignores the realities of 18th-century Russia. Casting directors Dixie Chassay and Rose Wicksteed searched far and wide for the right actors. Here, they share with Backstage how it came together and why they love working with international production teams.

What made this job different from others you’ve worked on?

backstage.com

DC: The freedom, trust, and permission from the creative team, but also the production side of it; the producers were very generous. We were able to really create a dialogue.

There was a generosity from actors who were willing to jump on board. Everyone wanted to work and collaborate.

People would write and say, “Is there anything else?” “Can I play another role?” ROSE WICKSTEED: What I notice is when the main creatives are not

from the same country as the actors you’re mainly casting. We know all of these actors really deeply; either we’ve met them many times, we know their work, or we’ve cast them before.

When we get into the smaller roles, the team gets to have that relationship to them. They may not have been on an international production. They weren’t looking at their CV—they were seeing if they got on with them.

Sometimes they didn’t even necessarily read them; they just really liked their personality.

What have you learned from working on international productions? DC: You always come across new ways of doing things, different systems and idiosyncrasies. Being in a room with Tony enabled us to reinvent actors that we knew so well. When we work and

19

What advice do you have for actors? DC: Believe in yourself. Have a go. Don’t be precious. Do the best you can.

There’s never any one “right” scenario. We’re always looking for energy and interpretation.

RW: The self-tape puts so much in the hands of the actor. They feel the pressure to become the director and actor and editor and producer of their own casting. They spent such a long time thinking about what’s right or wrong, but it’s just about trusting yourself to choose whatever you want to show and that it will be received. A massive part of our job as casting directors is to see through that. Part of what we do is to see the essence of what this person is about and help them to shine. If something isn’t working, we’ll have them retape. Let go of being perfect. Just be raw and real.

They want to see the soul come through the performance.

Want more?

Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

BACKSTAGE 04.02.20

20

backstage.com

Samantha Bee is the late-night host who can handle this era, and it’s because she knows what is—and what is certainly not—worth her while.

By Casey Mink Photographed by Jason Jones YOU WOULDN’T BE ALONE IF EVERY morning these last few months has felt a bit like “Groundhog Day.” But the notion takes on new meaning for Samantha Bee. “The true story is that we have a groundhog in our backyard,” says Bee, speaking via Zoom from what looks like a wood-paneled cabin. “When all of this was starting, my husband’s version of COVID panic was to grow vegetables. He eventually grew this majestic, towering broccoli. And then a groundhog came and gnawed them down to little stumps, and he was brokenhearted. So I want to have the groundhog humanely trapped and relocated to someone else’s backyard.”

She’s laughing as she explains the exasperating situation. Bee has made a career out of finding humor in hysteria, from the 12 years she spent as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” to her own news-based talk show, “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” which she kicked off in the heat of the 2016 election.

In many ways, Bee’s has been the seminal late-night show for this era. Crudeness that would have been unthinkable a decade ago is standard in the daily news cycle, and the paper of record has taken to printing phrases like “shithole countries” on its front page because it’s directly quoting the president of the United States.

“When ‘Full Frontal’ came along, we were certainly on the cusp of a raucous—and such a dumb—political campaign. There was promise in the air,” the host says. “The driving force behind doing the show was that I thought I would get canceled after six

backstage.com

episodes. I was like, ‘Let’s just make it the most kick-ass six episodes. Let’s approach it like we’re going to kick the barn doors in and just attack, because that’s what’s needed.’ It was the right moment for a show like this.”

But TBS did not cancel the show after six episodes, which left Bee with another problem: “We were like, ‘Oh, we have to do a lot more episodes now.’ I had to keep it up!” Now, in Season 5, Bee’s burn-it-down approach hasn’t waned as she tackles matters ranging from child separation at the border to the rumored “pee tapes,” matching the mood of every moment. In one of her most-watched segments to date (clocking 3.6 million YouTube views at the time of publishing), Bee opens the show the day after a mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando killed 49 people by rejecting congressional “thoughts and prayers” with straight-to-camera fury: “Love

21

does not win unless we start loving each other enough to fix our fucking problems.”

“I do think it has allowed us to process things and be slightly useful in these moments, which is a good feeling,” she says of the show, whose creative team is nominated for four 2020 Emmy Awards: variety talk series, writing for a variety series, short form nonfiction or reality series (for “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents: Pandemic Video Diaries”), and short form variety series (for “Beeing at Home”). “It isn’t easy for anyone to process the world, but I think it’s been helpful for us to have a point of focus. And, of course, it’s a gift to have this platform. With every show, we’re trying to make the most of it while we can. It’s nice, with each episode, to just make a statement about where you are, like you’re planting a flag on the right side of history.”

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

Though “Full Frontal” has been a balm for Bee over these last few years, and especially these last few months—she and her team have been producing new episodes remotely since March, with Bee broadcasting from her backyard—comedy itself has been Bee’s savior for much longer. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she didn’t come to performing of any kind until college, when she started studying acting. It piqued something in her, though it wasn’t quite right.

“There were so many times where I thought [I’d] be a very serious actor, because I love drama. I was like, ‘One day, I’ll play Lady Macbeth,’ ” she says, adopting a chin-up posture. “And then every time I tried to do something serious, people would laugh. I’m not a very good dramatic actor. It’s OK. I accept what the universe has told me now.” It wasn’t until she began dating her now-husband and frequent collaborator, Jason Jones, whom she met while he was performing with his sketch comedy team, that Bee realized what was possible.

“I didn’t know you could want to do comedy and just start doing it. Like, it just didn’t compute for me,” she remembers. “I didn’t particularly aspire to do comedy, even though I think I was naturally comedic. It wasn’t something I thought you could really make a career of. So, when we started dating and I observed him doing that, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s very interesting.’ ” But even then, it didn’t just “happen.” Bee had been buttering her bread with Canadian children’s theater, at the time performing a show for teens called “Out of the Closet,” which follows “a kid coming out to his friends and [their] acceptance. It was really great.” It was there that one of her co-stars asked her to sub for a night in their comedy troupe. That was, as Oprah would put it, Bee’s “aha moment.”

“I walked out onto stage, and the light hit me, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ Everything connected for me,” she says. “I couldn’t wait to hear people’s laughter. It was a full mindbody connection to this act of standing onstage and doing jokes that I wrote. I can’t really explain it, but I freaking loved it.”

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

Comedy exploded Bee’s world creatively.

She first performed with a partner, producing their own shows with abandon. She went on to co-found an all-female troupe, the Atomic Fireballs; she still works with some of its members today. But comedy broke barriers for her in other realms, specifically commercials, which she needed to pay the bills but was having trouble booking. Then, thanks to her comedy endeavors, “not every audition meant everything to me.”

“Comedy saved me. I came to it late in life, but it saved me because I cared about that so much,” she says. “It’s tragic, in a way, that the more you want a specific job, the further out of reach it gets, because they can smell your hunger in the room. It’s almost like you have to have this weird, practiced indifference.

22

“For me, it never worked to actually really invest in getting a job,” she adds. “It only worked when I was like, ‘I’m very busy right now. What am I reading for? Fine, I’ll do it.’

And they’d be like, ‘You’re hired!’ ” Part of Bee’s journey in giving both less of a damn and less of herself to an industry keen to swallow aspirants whole was also about leaning into, rather than against, the tides of type.

In practice, this meant injecting her wardrobe with a selection of high-end casualwear.

“I realized pretty quickly that the way the room would see me, the way they just looked at my body and face and thought of me, [was] as a suburban mom in chinos and a button-up shirt. So I went out and I got some chinos,” she says. “It was very much not who I was, but for the purposes of getting backstage.com

“The driving force behind doing the show was that I thought I would get canceled after six episodes. I was like, ‘Let’s just make it the most kick-ass six episodes.’ ”

paid, I realized it would be good if I dressed how they were all going to see me no matter what I did. That was fruitful. It was so dumb.

It took me so long, but then I was like, ‘OK, gotta go get coral shirts.’ ” Realizing that the T-shirt she is currently wearing is audition coral, she lights up and pinches a bit of cloth near her shoulder.

“This is the audition color that gets you the job. It’s not for everyone to bend to the will of the universe and conform to how other people see you,” she says, pausing for a moment, “But I also truly just didn’t care, because I had my other shit going on. I was mentally healthy.”

When “The Daily Show” came along, however, Bee couldn’t pretend not to care.

It had been her favorite show for years, but she was also in the midst of giving up on the biz-as-career, having chosen to keep doing comedy while working full time at an advertising agency. It was 2003. The story is a familiar one: She yearned for stability to pay her bills, “to not cry every time the phone rang.” The “Daily Show” audition arrived at just the right time. “I thought, ‘This is perfect,

because I won’t get the job. I love the show. I know it backward and forward. I’ll train for it like the Olympics, and then I’ll peace out of the acting industry.’ ” “Daily Show” producers were scouting in Toronto for a woman correspondent and were considering members of the famed Second City company, which Bee was not in.

“Second City would never hire me—but my agent was friends with the agent for all of the Second City women! There weren’t that many women, so they were like, ‘Can you just send some of your female clients so we can round out the day?’ ” she recalls. “Just some sawdust around these women from Second City, who will definitely get the job.”

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

The audition was also on a Saturday.

“You’re like, ‘Is this a porno?’ ” she recalls. It wasn’t, and Bee had something that day that no one else did: a zealot’s knowledge of the show. She was also present in a way that let her relax into the material. “One of the [other women auditioning] brought a collection of crazy hats, like, ‘I’m gonna wow them with my hats,’ ” she remembers. But Bee knew the tone of the show in her bones—so, of course, she got a callback a few weeks later, and was then flown to New York for an in-studio test.

She was nervous, but prepared—she ate fish the night before! Plus, she had another secret weapon: “I wore my coral shirt! My dependable Club Monaco coral shirt.” She

24

was hired. And though she may not have had the Second City pedigree or a degree from Harvard or, well, a penis, she thrived there—eventually.

“It’s an unusual experience, or certainly frightening, to be this girl from Canada who just beat all these people for a job. And then all of a sudden it’s like, ‘Come into this room— here’s 20 Ivy League writers who’ve been doing this for 10 years. Do you want to pitch them some ideas?’ ” she says. “It took me a long time to build trust among everyone.

Mainly, what I would do is travel to places the more experienced correspondents refused to go. They’d be like, ‘Hey, Stephen Colbert, do you want to go to Sioux Falls, South Dakota?’

And he’d be like, ‘Fuck no. Send her.’ ” Throughout her tenure, Bee was fine-tuning her own editorial voice and learning more each day about how to tell the stories that were meaningful to her in a way only she could. She and her husband—who joined the show two years after she did and with whom she shared an office—also started pitching their own films and pilots, until one of them, “The Detour,” got picked up to series at TBS. The network offered Bee her own show, too, which she built around a loose set of guidelines.

“If I don’t really want to do the thing I’m being tasked with, it’s never very good. I have to really want to do it, or it needs to meet certain criteria,” she says. “Is there a growth experience? Do I love this? Why am I doing this? What is the thing I’m doing here? I don’t feel that way with everything I do, but I try to feel that way with everything I do. That’s how we try to build the show, so that it really comes from a place of, ‘Oh, we have to do this.’ ” backstage.com

In The Envelope The Actor’s Podcast

Recent guests include: D’Arcy Carden Rob McElhenney Gugu Mbatha-Raw Michelle Dockery Hailee Steinfeld

For intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts!

Steve Way and Ramy Youssef on “Ramy”

The Cream of the Crop

Get to know the 2020 acting Emmy nominees for lead and supporting

THE TIME HAS COME TO CROWN THE BEST OF TELEVISION’S BEST. Before the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, which will be held virtually on Sept. 20, Backstage is rounding up every nominee in the major acting categories with a refresher on their stellar performances, how they earned the Television Academy’s recognition, and why we couch potatoes at Backstage can’t stop thinking about them. Read on for your 2020 Emmy acting voting guide—and pick your favorites along with us!

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series Anthony Anderson,

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

If you enjoy the idea of Cheadle snorting a line of cocaine and then high-fiving a robot butler, “Black Monday” is the comedy for you. This wild ’80s throwback stars Cheadle as the suave Maurice Monroe, a stock broker who has the world at his fingertips and craves more. Watching this one-of-a-kind leading man, you’ll crave more, too.

Ted Danson, “The Good Place” The legendary Danson expanded his actorly repertoire as Michael, a demon who manages a section

26

Michael Douglas,

“The Kominsky Method” Hollywood acting coach Sandy Kominsky has seen better days.

Douglas, however, is giving one of his best performances to date.

He manages to demonstrate funny or touching chemistry with every one of his scene partners, including Sarah Baker, Nancy Travis, and the many actors playing Sandy’s students.

Opposite Alan Arkin’s Norman Newlander, Douglas creates a kind of onscreen magic.

Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek” A longtime vet of the industry, Levy knows comedy—which

means he also knows how to play the role of the straight man. He stars with his real-life son, Dan Levy, on their co-created Pop TV hit. Levy plays a well-heeled stiff as the Rose family patriarch, Johnny, who’s in over his head and out of his comfort zone after being forced to liquidate his assets and move to the titular town. Over six seasons, his performance retains its absurdity but finds touching depths, too.

Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”

In this age of peak TV, we’re finally hearing stories and voices that have, until now, been pushed to the margins far beyond the small screen. We still have a long way to go, but on his semiautobiographical Hulu series about a millennial Muslim, the Golden Globe–winning Youssef provides hope. “Ramy” is whipsmart, hilarious, and proof of those changing tides.

backstage.com

“RAMY”: CRAIG BLANKENHORN/HULU

“Black-ish” Juggling a growing family, career, and his kids’ sense of Blackness in the lily-white surroundings of upper-middle-class suburbia, Anderson’s Dre Johnson has been equal parts modern philosopher and swaggering goofball on ABC’s hit sitcom for six wonderful seasons. The naturally funny Anderson’s ability to pull off both continues to impress, as do those moments where he digs deeper.

Don Cheadle, “Black Monday”

of the land of the departed on Michael Schur’s hilariously idiosyncratic and deceptively ambitious NBC comedy. On the show’s final season, Michael unveiled more layers of empathy for his human friends, all while never failing to crack us up.

“SCHITT’S CREEK”: POP TV; “THE GOOD PLACE”: COLLEEN HAYES/NBC

By Backstage Staff

Catherine O’Hara on “Schitt’s Creek”

Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series Mahershala Ali, “Ramy”

Ali was allegedly cast on Youssef’s comedy about modern-day Muslims because he reached out to say he was a fan. We’re glad the two-time Oscar winner did; his work as Sheikh Malik confirms his onscreen magnetism yet again. He serves as a foil for Ramy, delivering stirring monologues that guide the former on his religious journey, all while retaining a natural warmth that puts Ramy, and us, at ease.

Alan Arkin, Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series Christina Applegate,

“Dead to Me” We don’t want to live in a world where Applegate isn’t on the small screen. Luckily, Netflix’s “Dead to Me” is both infinitely watchable and rewatchable, thanks in large part to Applegate’s glorious turn as the widowed, wine-swilling Jen Harding. She’s as good at digging deep for emotional breakdowns as she is at muttering scathing insults under her breath.

“RAMY”: CRAIG BLANKENHORN/HULU

“SCHITT’S CREEK”: POP TV; “THE GOOD PLACE”: COLLEEN HAYES/NBC

Rachel Brosnahan,

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” We never stop rooting for Midge Maisel, and the Emmy-winning Brosnahan’s portrayal of this midcentury housewife and burgeoning standup comedian is a big part of the reason why.

She stole the show from her first moment delivering Amy Sherman-Palladino’s rapid-fire dialogue, and she’s been guiding us through heartbreak, despair, triumph, and side-splitting laughter ever since.

Linda Cardellini, “Dead to Me” Cardellini has her work cut out for her on “Dead to Me” as a character who is both sweetly naive and a walking cyclone; Judy Hale leaves chaos in her wake, all while smiling the most earnest smile. But in Cardellini’s hands, material that shouldn’t feel cohesive combines to form a portrait of a woman soldiering through her pain and seeking to better herself.

backstage.com

Catherine O’Hara,

“Schitt’s Creek” Much has been said about O’Hara’s iconic performance as Moira Rose—but we guarantee she’d have the oddest, most delightful way of saying it herself.

She dominates the spotlight every time she’s in frame with her line readings as the wacky, wig-wearing, past-her-prime actor and one percenter. Having rounded out her sixth and final season as the lovable narcissist, O’Hara has left us wanting more.

Issa Rae, “Insecure”

For four seasons, Rae’s comedic masterpiece has depicted life in Los Angeles for Issa Dee, played with blundering perfection by Rae. Although you constantly feel compelled to grab her by the shoulders and swivel her away from an impending bad decision, you never once lose empathy for the not-so-indefatigable heroine, and that’s thanks to the creator-star’s knack for the funny, relatable, and painfully insecure.

Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish”

Rainbow Johnson is your typical sitcom mother: frazzled but poised, put-upon yet supportive.

But Ross and the creators of ABC’s most subversive comedy have turned that trope on its head by adding new qualities: goofy, badass, and often borderline deranged. The actor has again and again demonstrated her dramatic (and directing!) chops, making us love the Johnson family and its matriarch even more than we already did.

“The Kominsky Method” What makes Arkin a particularly remarkable presence on “The Kominsky Method” is his ability to undermine his sheepish demeanor with moments of subtle, heartfelt humility. It helps that Chuck Lorre’s Golden Globe– winning comedy features a cast of wacky Hollywood types for him to play off of. The moments when Arkin’s Norman Newlander is making us laugh are also when he’s most able to make us cry.

Andre Braugher,

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Captain Raymond Holt is so quietly nuanced, he’d be right at home in a prestige drama. In fact, the more seriousness and subtlety Braugher brings to the character, the more hilarious his line deliveries become.

Opposite the over-the-top Andy Samberg and the rest of the precinct’s crew, Braugher continues to make playing unamused amusing.

Sterling K. Brown,

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Is there anything Brown can’t do?

From Christopher Darden in “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” to his tear-jerking work on “This Is Us” (both Emmy-winning performances) to now Season 3 of “Maisel,”

William Jackson Harper on “The Good Place”

27

there seems to be no limit to his talent and versatility. He even sings! Watching him play the no-nonsense Reggie, manager to LeRoy McClain’s Shy Baldwin, is the treat Brown’s fans all knew it would be.

William Jackson Harper,

“The Good Place” It’s the sign of a great TV performance when, as a series finale approaches, viewers feel they intimately know a character and don’t want to see him leave their screens. As Chidi Anagonye, Harper delighted and endeared himself to us for four twisty seasons; we’ll miss his many inventive ways of conveying Chidi freaking the fork out.

Dan Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”

We would pay money for David Rose to hurl classic insults at our faces, and that’s thanks to Levy’s immense likability. It’s also a real testament to his skill as both the writer and star of “Schitt’s Creek” that, despite his never-ending sarcastic tirades and eye rolls, David manages to be completely endearing and loveable— someone you want to root for and then get drunk with.

Tony Shalhoub,

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” The similarities between Shalhoub’s Abe Weissman and Brosnahan’s portrayal of his equally neurotic daughter are uncanny at times. Shalhoub gets some of the biggest laughs when Abe attempts to regain a sense of control over his regimented life.

Case in point: his “Abe and Rose end-of-days calculations,” the amount of time he’s allotted until his and his wife’s deaths.

Kenan Thompson,

“Saturday Night Live” After 17 seasons on NBC’s live sketch show—a record, by the way—Thompson is inarguably the backbone of “SNL.” You’d think he’d be sick of giving his all every Saturday night for nearly two decades, but you’d be wrong.

The pure, genuine joy Thompson brings to every sketch is palpable.

We loved seeing this season’s return to “What Up With That?”— still funny in the show’s new webcam format.

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

Alex Borstein,

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Borstein’s Susie Myerson (a role for which she won a previous Emmy) feels like a character we’ve never seen on TV. The contrast between the colorful uptown world of the Maisels and Weissmans and Susie’s dark, smoky downtown scene leads to perfect comedic setups, which Borstein makes a full meal out of while walking the line between tough and vulnerable.

D’Arcy Carden,

“The Good Place” One of TV’s most consistently surprising and delightful performances in recent memory, Carden’s Janet is a character for the ages. The friendly artificial intelligence of the afterlife, programmed with nearomniscience, became more and more of a wild card as this series expanded its already impressive reach; the actor’s standout episode features countless Janets intermingling, and you can watch any one of them for laughs.

Betty Gilpin, “GLOW”

Much of the success of this Netflix ’80s comedy is due to its ensemble of wildly different but equally convincing women.

Stealing the show again on Season 3 is Gilpin, playing the headstrong, demanding, fabulous-but-frazzled starlet Debbie Eagan and her wrestling alter ego, the sunnily patriotic Liberty Belle. What distinguishes Gilpin is her ability to deliver a sarcastic line or reaction shot with off-kilter hilarity; she doesn’t look like the cast member who’ll crack you up, and then she does.

Marin Hinkle, “The Marvelous

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

“Saturday Night Live” The MVP of “SNL” still has that enviable ability to turn mediocre sketches into brilliant ones with a simple head tilt or a widening of the eyes. Her co-stars often laugh so hard they can barely keep it together on the air. Her evolving impersonations of Betsy DeVos and Jeff Sessions, just two examples, are as blisteringly damning as they are hysterically funny.

Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji on “Insecure”

Annie Murphy,

“Schitt’s Creek” “Ew, David!” For lessons on how to use line delivery to produce instantly memorable quips, look no further than Murphy’s ditzy Alexis Rose. Her distinct combination of bubbly, bratty, and sweet reached its peak on the final season of “Schitt’s Creek,” which featured Murphy warming our hearts as much as she cracked us up.

Yvonne Orji, “Insecure”

Like all the stars of “Insecure,” Orji is superb at conveying comedy by way of cringeworthy awkwardness. She also lends a relatable authenticity to the ambitious-to-a-fault Molly Carter.

But what sets Orji’s work apart, especially in this season’s friend feud between Molly and Rae’s Issa, is her toughest job: fearlessly playing her less likable side.

Cecily Strong,

“Saturday Night Live” Strong is the quintessential “SNL” star: malleable enough to fit any role, no matter how wacky. In the course of her eight seasons, she’s portrayed the daffy Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party, a near-catatonic porn star, a spot-on Jeanine Pirro and Melania Trump, and countless others. So realized are each of her characters that it seems impossible she’s only had a week to prepare them.

performance as Marty Byrde, a financial adviser whose idyllic family life becomes a moneylaundering nightmare, was worth the wait. That classic Bateman dryness provides the perfect foil for the unsettling world of “Ozark,” where middle-class banality becomes menacing.

Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”

Playing the multifaceted Randall Pearson means Emmy winner Brown gets to preach the truth, have mental breakdowns, and occasionally throw out solid one-liners that reveal his superb comedic timing. He’s created one of the most enthralling characters in TV drama. Throw in his comedy chops on “Maisel,” and the double nomination was inevitable.

Steve Carell,

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series

“The Morning Show” An example of both brilliant casting and fearless acting, Carell’s turn as Mitch Kessler—a fictional stand-in for any number of real-life male celebrities accused of sexual assault—makes for quite the return to TV after “The Office.” Carell is once again astonishingly good at humiliating himself; but this time, given the drama’s real-life inspiration, the stakes are much higher. When Mitch gives in to his worst impulses, Carell doesn’t shy away.

Jason Bateman, “Ozark”

Brian Cox, “Succession”

It may have taken Bateman most of his acting career to prove he can play (and direct) drama as well as he can comedy, but his

28

Veering from paranoid fury to schoolboy infatuation on Jesse Armstrong’s tale of the one percent, the Golden

Globe–winning Cox is clearly having the time of his life in the role of his career. He plays around with the loathsome manipulations (and utterances of “Fuck off!”) of Logan Roy, old-media mogul and sadistic family patriarch, painting a detailed portrait of a man accustomed to bending the world to his will from inside the prison of his own god complex.

Billy Porter, “Pose”

Everyone on this sequined and stunning series deserves accolades aplenty, but the performance that may most lodge itself in your heart is Porter’s Emmy-winning turn as Pray Tell. With countless friends and lovers dying of AIDS, he’s entrenched in sadness and death and unimaginable fear, yet he projects infectious joy without ever coming off as saccharine. We’re finally mining the depths of this veteran theater actor’s abilities on a bigger stage.

Jeremy Strong,

“Succession” “Succession” is a story of extremes, of people flying too close to the sun and plummeting to unimaginable depths—often multiple times over the course of a single episode. Its most psychologically broken player, the driven, hardheaded Kendall Roy, may also be the most relatable character. That’s because Strong imbues this drug addict and man-child with a raw impotence underneath all his braggadocio.

backstage.com

“INSECURE”: MERIE W. WALLACE

Mrs. Maisel” The times, they are a-changin’, especially for Rose Weissman.

Hinkle is able to render this most rigid of characters with welcome layers of sympathy as the story of “Maisel” unfolds. Just when you think you have her cadences figured out, she’ll go and deliver a line with such unexpected timing or tone, you’ll find yourself rewinding to watch her again.

Kate McKinnon,

“EUPHORIA”: HBO

Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series Jennifer Aniston,

“The Morning Show” Aniston’s performance on Jay Carson and Kerry Ehrin’s “The Morning Show” is a fantastic return to form—and to TV. The executive producer and star of the freshman Apple TV+ series humanizes the otherwise heartless and power-hungry TV host Alex Levy without sacrificing her infectious charm and comedic timing. Even the way she almost breaks a phone by hanging it up is awardworthy.

Olivia Colman, “The Crown”

Colman completely captures Queen Elizabeth II’s stillness and composure from her very first appearance on Peter Morgan’s royal drama, now taking place in the Buckingham Palace of the 1960s and ’70s. From the accent to the posture, she smoothly executes a first-of-its-kind casting transition and quietly commands authority in each scene. She fills scripted silences with facial acting that expresses as much as a monologue.

Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”

Villanelle kills people. She’s good at it. She’s gorgeous.

She’s completely heartless.

(Or is she?) This jet-setting assassin challenges our every preconception of psychopaths, assembling a character who both inflicts her deeply buried suffering on others and yearns for the unexpected. As portrayed by Comer in one of today’s gutsiest small-screen performances, Villanelle subverts our expectations at every twist and turn.

Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”

Oh’s award-winning, critically hailed turn as the titular Eve Polastri reminds us why she’s so compelling to watch. We follow Eve’s ascent from disillusioned government employee to insatiable MI6 agent on the hunt, but her complicated relationship with Comer’s Villanelle proves that this cat-and-mouse story is anything but predictable. Oh’s Season 3 performance made us want to savor each and every suspenseful moment.

Zendaya, “Euphoria”

To go from Disney Channel darling to drug-addicted recluse in one fell swoop isn’t the typical trajectory for our anointed teen stars, but Zendaya’s full-bodied performance as the hoodie-clad Rue Bennett on HBO’s Gen Z series “Euphoria” has planted her firmly in the big leagues of cable prestige drama—and we should all shed a single glittering tear of joy for that.

Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series Nicholas Braun, “Succession” Braun’s profoundly awkward cousin Greg has been the stuff of comedic legend from the moment he was introduced: stoned and spewing vomit from within a giant mascot costume.

Since then, Braun has only upped his game, serving up a masterclass in how to make an audience cringe with vicarious

awkwardness on this dark satire– meets–family drama.

Billy Crudup,

“The Morning Show” Rising network executive Cory Ellison has access to everything a man could possibly want—money, drugs, women—yet none of it interests him. He is the embodiment of privileged, powerful men: always consuming, always wanting more. “Chaos! It’s the new cocaine!” he exclaims with wildeyed glee. Crudup’s performance is so weirdly riveting, alternating between exhilarated hedonism and shark-like remorselessness, that it demands a rewatch.

Kieran Culkin, “Succession”

Roman, the so-called “fuckknuckle” of the Roy siblings, is a limitless fountain of colorful insults. Culkin delights in slinging cutdowns so profane and seemingly off the cuff that they never feel scripted. (In many cases, he is indeed improvising.)

While Culkin still feasts on the scenery on Season 2, he also peels back the wisecracking veneer to reveal the neediness and doubt that come with being the runt of the litter.

Mark Duplass,

“The Morning Show” There’s an art to playing harried: It involves a wide-eyed, tense-yetmobile physicality, and Duplass has it down pat. Watching his daytime TV producer, Chip Black, undergoing stress so arduous

Zendaya on “Euphoria”

“INSECURE”: MERIE W. WALLACE

“EUPHORIA”: HBO

Giancarlo Esposito,

“Better Call Saul” Esposito brings such delicious menace to the camera frame that it sometimes feels like it can’t contain his power. Part of what makes drug lord Gus Fring on this “Breaking Bad” prequel so complex—and so terrifying—is that he’s apparently unafraid to get his hands dirty and commit violent acts effortlessly. In fact, it seems like he’s not afraid at all.

Matthew Macfadyen,

“Succession” Tom Wambsgans is a vain coward who punches down in order to soothe his imposter syndrome.

That’s the character on paper, but Macfadyen manages to imbue him with such inner turmoil in the funniest blinkand-you’ll-miss-it moments that he’s constantly unpeeling new emotional layers. On the Season 2 finale, his walls fall completely, and you can see the true, devastating ache underneath.

Bradley Whitford,

“The Handmaid’s Tale” It seems Whitford is leaning right into the unnervingly eccentric portion of his career, and, quite frankly, who can resist? Case in point: his Emmywinning turn as the duplicitous Commander Lawrence on “The Handmaid’s Tale.” He elicits audience sympathy, loathing, and downright shivers, all turning on the same frigid dime.

Jeffrey Wright, “Westworld”

Laura Linney, “Ozark”

For tips on how to make glancing over one’s glasses or brooding over a computer screen riveting, watch every moment of Wright’s performance as Bernard Lowe.

Or maybe that kind of charisma can’t be taught. He exhibits his character’s intelligence and curiosity in unassuming yet wholly captivating ways, and manages to share electric chemistry with each and every one of his co-stars.

Linney’s Wendy Byrde has gone from dissatisfied suburban housewife to money-laundering mastermind, and that sinister smile of hers proves she’s now in her element. On Season 3 of this increasingly dark Netflix drama, Linney excels at guiding us through everything on Wendy’s map: messiness, vulnerability, shrewdness, and, ultimately, devastating guilt.

backstage.com

that it often verges on absurd, you may end up tense with anxiety yourself. Duplass also harnesses his natural decency to subtle effect; amid all the antics Chip must deal with, you always sense his loyalty.

29

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

Helena Bonham Carter,

“The Crown” Taking over the role of Princess Margaret on this returning Netflix hit, Bonham Carter makes herself the center of any room. Yet we still acutely feel the struggle of a neglected wife and sister in middle age. It’s a range of emotions that can veer into soap opera territory, but Bonham Carter maintains her humanity (and her humor) throughout.

Laura Dern, “Big Little Lies”

Part of what makes “Big Little Lies” so enthralling is its dark sense of humor, straddling the line between drama and camp.

Nobody understands that better than Emmy, Golden Globe, and recently crowned Oscar winner Dern as the indomitable Renata Klein. Her tendency to drop her sweetly confident facade to spit scathing profanities at her husband or other Monterey alpha moms is downright alarming— and so much fun to watch.

Julia Garner, “Ozark”

Season 3 of Netflix’s “Ozark” finds ample opportunity to explore its morally bankrupt core cast of characters, giving an actor of Garner’s increasingly apparent skill level the juicy material she deserves. Her Emmy-winning Ruth Langmore is a survivor who’s prone to making dangerously criminal decisions, but there are always rational reasons behind them—even if Garner makes us guess what they are.

Thandie Newton,

Sarah Snook, “Succession”

A modern-day “King Lear” with a deliciously dark sense of humor, this satire about a family running a global media empire needs characters that feel like real people. Amid all the greedy scheming, actors like Snook are responsible for reminding us, at just the right moments, that even billionaires can be vulnerable.

As Shiv Roy, she walks the line between soulless and secretly thin-skinned with aplomb.

Meryl Streep, “Big Little Lies” Even before the grief-scream heard round the world, Streep established Mary Louise Wright as one of TV’s most unmissable characters. Is she a caring mother and grandmother, rightfully curious about her son’s death? Yes. Is she a heartless, manipulative master of passive aggression whose smiles are poisonous? Also yes.

Samira Wiley,

“The Handmaid’s Tale” This Emmy-winning star has managed to move the needle dramatically from her introduction on “The Handmaid’s Tale” to when we see her on Season 3, becoming a central figure through which we view the

Cate Blanchett on “Mrs. America”

a great performance. Opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones, with whom he generates the kind of turbulent chemistry it usually takes years to develop, he stakes his claim as a star to watch.

Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie

Jeremy Pope, “Hollywood”

Jeremy Irons, “Watchmen”

As much as audiences are left wondering just what Irons is doing for the majority of Damon Lindelof’s “Watchmen,” they’re also struck with the question: Just how does Irons do it? A consummate stage and screen actor with an indelible voice and presence, he brings the exact authority and domineering intellect required of this mysterious role. By the end, he’s just about stolen the show.

Hugh Jackman,

“Bad Education” To call “Bad Education” Jackman’s best-ever onscreen work would verge on sacrilege, given his bona fides as an entertainer of all stripes. But it’s justified; his performance as Frank Tassone, the real-life superintendent of a Long Island school district, is so deliciously dastardly, you can’t help but want him to get away with embezzlement.

Paul Mescal, “Normal People” Heartfelt, devastating, so vulnerable you almost can’t bear to witness it—Mescal in this miniseries adaptation of Sally Rooney’s hit novel checks so many boxes of what makes

As one of the aspiring storytellers of this miniseries’ titular town, Pope has us rooting for him to make it big from his first moments as Archie Coleman. For modern audiences, we know his screenwriting success will require an uphill battle; how wonderful that Pope’s Archie is full of enough earnest determination to pull it off.

Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This

Much Is True” Playing opposite yourself as twins might sound like a dream acting job. But it comes with risks: You have to pull off the illusion seamlessly, making the audience forget they’re seeing one performer, and you can’t ever verge on gimmickry.

Ruffalo avoids such issues with astonishing precision in this adaptation of Wally Lamb’s novel, imbuing both brothers with distinct interiorities as well as magnetic physicalities.

Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie Cate Blanchett,

“Mrs. America” One of this TV season’s greatest treats was watching Blanchett scheme. Actors could study her performance as Phyllis Schlafly, and should—as long as they remember no one could ever replicate her distinct subtleties.

Her exquisitely multilayered work as the conservative queen of the 1970s, a woman seeking power and finding her voice as she advocates for policies that would prevent fellow American housewives from doing the same, is only elevated by her restraint.

Shira Haas, “Unorthodox” Calling Haas’s part in this critically acclaimed drama a leading role hardly feels sufficient. In practically every frame, the actor carries this story of an ultraOrthodox Jewish woman fleeing

Fiona Shaw, “Killing Eve”

Watching the terrific Shaw think and react—and, best of all, scheme—on three twisty seasons

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

horrific dystopia of Gilead. Wiley is perfectly cast as Moira Strand, the rebellious friend who bends but never breaks, and has us pumping our fists in the name of feminism.

30

backstage.com

“MRS. AMERICA”: SABRINA LANTOS/FX

“Westworld” Newton has long showcased killer acting chops across film and TV, but she brilliantly bests herself again and again as fabulous super-host Maeve Millay on “Westworld.” Her progression from controlled to controller in the course of the drama’s three seasons, armed with a scornful smirk and a katana, makes for one of the series’ greatest arcs.

of “Killing Eve” reminds us why we love watching actors. In fact, the less she physically does, the better. Every moment that Shaw’s tense MI6 chief, Carolyn Martens, is onscreen, it’s clear that both her eager audience and her co-stars are in good hands.

“WATCHMEN”: MARK HILL/HBO

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series

Toni Collette, “Unbelievable”

Brooklyn for a secular life in Berlin.

The weight of the stakes facing her Esty Shapiro is visible on her subtly expressive face.

Collette wears her no-nonsense detective, Grace Rasmussen, with ease, instilling in viewers the trust she requires to successfully shepherd them through this twisty investigation of a serial rapist. Grace doesn’t care about being liked, but you can’t help but root for her as she tracks down the bad guy.

Regina King, “Watchmen”

We shouldn’t be surprised that King has added “vigilante action hero” to her legendary résumé; it’s obvious by now that there’s no role she can’t handle. Her work as Angela Abar, aka the fabulously kick-ass Sister Night, stakes King’s claim for yet another Emmy. It’s a performance that manages to ground shocking twists and the roller coaster of emotions that go with them in the weird, all-too-timely world of Damon Lindelof’s limited series.

Octavia Spencer, “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” How did a hair-care pioneer become America’s first Black female millionaire? Watching Spencer bring to life Madam C.J. Walker and rooting for her every step of the way, we’re reminded that history’s groundbreakers were usually ordinary people clinging to a dream with equal parts hope and grit. Based on the biography written by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles, this limited series is a fabulous showcase for Spencer, who is finally getting the lead roles she’s long deserved.

“MRS. AMERICA”: SABRINA LANTOS/FX

“WATCHMEN”: MARK HILL/HBO

Kerry Washington,

Regina King and Louis Gossett Jr. on “Watchmen” attention for doing so! Over the course of nine episodes, we watch the actor toggle between being the supportive better half to King’s Angela and the stoic, all-knowing (but emotionally plaintive) Dr. Manhattan. He brings such depth to each, doing exactly what a seasoned supporter should do: elevating everyone around him by bringing his best to the table.

Jovan Adepo,

“Watchmen” A surprise but deserving nominee from the stacked “Watchmen” ensemble, Adepo will take your breath away on Episode 6, which finds him sharing the screen (and a role—literally) with King as they retrace the traumatic origin story of the first-ever vigilante, Hooded Justice. Adepo commits more than just physical brawn to the high-concept premise and showcases the varied ways that wounds can fester into violence.

“Little Fires Everywhere” What a spectacular return to TV drama this is for Washington, one of those Hollywood stars who can straddle the line between juicy melodrama and multilayered subtlety. Her work as Mia Warren, a newcomer to the pictureperfect suburban neighborhood of Reese Witherspoon’s Elana Richardson, makes this smallscreen adaptation of the best-selling Celeste Ng novel all pleasure, no guilt.

Tituss Burgess,

Outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie

Louis Gossett Jr.,

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II,

“Watchmen” Abdul-Mateen does more than bare it all on “Watchmen”— though he got plenty of deserved

backstage.com

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend” Was Burgess given all of the funniest material on Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” or does he turn every one of Titus Andromedon’s antics into comedy gold on his own? In this interactive TV movie special, Burgess proves as whip-smart with his punchlines as he ever was, upping his game (and, really, it is all a game) yet again.

“Watchmen” An award-winning talent known for “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Roots,” Gossett is again getting well-deserved buzz for his layered performance as Will Reeves, who begins the series by calmly murdering Don

Johnson’s Tulsa police chief and revealing the unspoken ties that bind him with King’s Angela Abar. Better than ever at age 84, Gossett sinks his teeth into the role; his delivery of the line “Wounds need air” is Emmyworthy in itself.

Dylan McDermott,

“Hollywood” Actors are usually allowed to have quite a bit of fun in a Ryan Murphy production, but McDermott seems to be taking that license to the next level with his portrayal of Ernie West. As a slick pimp who runs his business out of a gas station and revels in taking customers “to dreamland,” McDermott chews scenery to alarmingly entertaining effect.

Jim Parsons, “Hollywood”

Who knew Parsons could be so slimy? The actor transforms into the scheming talent agent Henry Willson, luring actors into his corner in a bid for power that’s sometimes thrilling and sometimes disturbing to watch. Under Henry’s cruel veneer, perhaps fueling it all, there’s a distinct shame that Parsons showcases in the most unexpected moments.

Outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or movie Uzo Aduba, “Mrs. America”

At this point in Emmys history, it’s a fact: If Aduba can be nominated, she will be, and for good reason.

Whether in a character-driven role like on “Orange Is the New Black” or as real-life Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm—the first Black woman ever to run for president— on this stunning limited drama, Aduba always acts with equal parts head and heart.

31

Margo Martindale,

“Mrs. America” If anyone has the requisite chutzpah to play lawyer and politician Bella Abzug, it’s Martindale, whose portrayal on “Mrs. America” is one with whom you wouldn’t wisely argue.

Formidable and ferocious but loving, it’s yet another stellar performance from one of the all-time great character actors of Golden Age TV.

Jean Smart, “Watchmen”

Gunning down a masked vigilante within moments of her introduction and dryly calling him a joke, Smart’s scathingly sarcastic Laurie Blake sucks up the spotlight in all her scenes.

“Watchmen” is designed to give its actors twists and heel turns to play with; Smart only needs an arched eyebrow to flip a scene upside down. It’s the latest in a long line of superb performances.

Holland Taylor, “Hollywood”

In this alternate history of postWWII Hollywood, some studio bigwigs are—gasp!—women.

Watching Taylor as Ellen Kincaid, an executive with an eye for talent, you’re reminded how frustratingly rare the phenomenon still is. You also revel in Taylor’s stateliness and her ability to deliver a line like it’s born out of her.

Tracey Ullman, “Mrs. America” Some actors on “Mrs. America” were cast in part for their resemblance to their real-life counterparts (Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem was inevitable).

But Ullman delivers one of the miniseries’ most effective—and infuriating—performances, despite looking nothing like Betty Friedan. It’s a testament to the actor-comedian’s ability to mine pathos from the preposterous.

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

Plays Musicals Film TV & Video Commercial Modeling Variety Voiceover Gigs Events

Submit a Notice |

New York Tristate Short Films ‘A Little Tent’

• Casting “A Little Tent,” a short film.

Synopsis: Working through their emotional-intimacy issues on a weekend retreat, a couple encounters an intrusive resident of the campsite.

• Company: One Red Pepper

Productions. Staff: Michael F., coord.

• Shoots Sept. 1-2 in Columbia, NJ. • Seeking—Phil: male, 39-62, all

ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to littletentfilm@

gmail.com.

• If you do not currently have a tradi-

tional video reel, record the provided Phil side. Find it attached on this page.

• Role of Phil is a lead and pays $300/day

for two days of filming. Hotel, meals, and transportation provided. Socially distanced production.

‘Crabs in a Barrel’

• Casting “Crabs in a Barrel,” a dark com-

edy short film from Fuacata Films and 3 Percent Films with a mainly Latinx cast and crew. Production states: “We will be COVID-certified and following all CDC work regulations. You will have to be tested for COVID-19 before the beginning of the shoot.”

• Company: Fuacata Films/3 Percent

Films. Staff: Jezabel Montero, Michael Leon, Ashley Alvarez, Margo Singaliese, and Carla Gil, crew.

• Possible rehearsals TBD; shoots Oct.

9-11 in NYC and/or New Jersey.

• Seeking—Carlos: male, 30-35, Latino /

Hispanic, Latino, early 30s. Pragmatic, generous, and uncomplicated. A lovable teddy bear...unless you hurt someone he loves. Chris: male, 30-35, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic, Afro-Latino, early 30s.

Charismatic, pretentious, and not easily impressed. He takes himself a bit too seriously, reflected in the turtlenecks he always wears. Claudia: female, 30-35, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic, Latina, early 30s. Clingy, impulsive, and loyal.

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

SUBMIT YOUR CALLS FOR CAST AND CREW: Visit backstage.com/findtalent and click on “Post a Notice.”

Include all relevant project requirements, including any pay, fees, dues, costs, required ticket sales or nudity.

She’s that friend of a friend who’s continually interjecting herself in conversations in fear of being left out. Caro: female, 30-35, Latino / Hispanic, Latina, magnetic, personable, and intimidating.

Her elegant beauty is offset by an effortless style and laid-back warmth.

Carmen: female, 30-35, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic, AfroLatina, forthright, vivacious, and wary.

Voted “Most Likely to Change the World” in high school but has since struggled to live up to that promise.

Casting picks of the week

BY LISA HAMIL

stage

‘Les Blancs’ Enthrall in this Emory University online Equity performance from Atlanta, GA

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to crabsinabar-

relfilm@gmail.com.

tv

• For consideration, submit your resume.

First round of submissions will be selftapes. Callbacks via video conference.

Kevin Hart’s ‘LOL Network’ New Digital Series Laugh through this live comedic shoot in NY

• Pays $100-$125/day depending on SAG

status. Must provide own transportation to and from set. Production plans to apply for a SAG-AFTRA contract for any union actors involved and scale minimums will be paid.

multimedia

‘Hunt A Killer’ Explore the mysteries of this interactive game while working from home

‘The Rest Is Silence’

• Casting “The Rest Is Silence,” a portrait

that is as messy as it is meditative of Hannah’s grief amidst a full-moon night.

Synopsis: It is a story about unconditional love, loss and loneliness. The audience will experience the film through Hannah’s eyes. This is a NYFA Thesis film. Accepting submissions from both union and non-union actors.

Genre: drama. The film references the visual style of Lynne Ramsay and Robert Bresson.

festivals & events

‘Urban Legends of Socal Haunt’ Scare yourself silly in this spooky drive-in experience in Orange County, CA

reality & documentary

• Company: New York Film Academy.

Staff: Aayushi Shah, writer-dir.; Piyush Thakur; prod.-COVID admin-first AD-second AD; Yulanda Yo-Rong Shieh, prod. designer; Isabel Padilla, DP; Beth Ribeiro, first AC; Chase McAuly, second AC; Benjamin Rummans, key grip; Sebastian Holst, sound mixer-boom op.; Michael Finn, prod. asst.

Bravo’s: ‘Top Chef Amateurs’ Cook up a feast in this new incarnation of the delicious reality series presses her feelings and runs from her past to a woman who is able to feel; Hannah’s unresolved childhood emotions drive her current reality; she is a contradictory person who prefers to live in her head: she is flawed but learns from her mistakes; fears loneliness but also welcomes it; in denial about her Grandma’s impending death but brave enough to face her fears; she is at conflict with her past, herself and her Grandma; this film is Hannah’s story; looking for an actress who is able to convey meaning and intention non-verbally; some ballet training is a plus; long hair needed for role. Grandma: female, 60-75, all ethnicities, suffers from

• Rehearsals will take place during the

month of September, 2020; shoots Oct. 1-3 in NYC or NJ. Note: The director is asking for two three-hour virtual rehearsal sessions per week. The rehearsal schedule will be worked out around the actors’ availability.

• Seeking—Hannah: female, 20-30, all

ethnicities, after Hannah finds out that her only family—Grandma—is dying, her childhood trauma resurfaces; she is at war within herself because her desire to suppress her grief clashes with her need to feel the grief; Hannah’s emotional journey takes her from a woman who sup-

32

Parkinson’s disease and is bedridden; through Hannah’s flashbacks, we find that Grandma shares Hannah’s trauma; the two women have experienced a terrible loss and have only each other to rely on; Grandma is a distanced and stoic person; her repressed behavior taught Hannah how to deal with her feelings; because of her condition, Grandma is not emotionally available to Hannah; Grandma’s behavior came from love and her desire to protect her granddaughter from more grief. Note: that there will be some physical requirements of the actress because of the degenerative nature of Parkinson’s. 7-Year-Old Hannah: female, 6-10, all ethnicities, to play seven-year-old Hannah; as young Hannah tries to cope with her grief and loss, her behavior foreshadows the woman that the adult Hannah becomes; because of the terrible loss she experiences, young Hannah depends on her Grandma for unconditional love; note that this film deals with dark themes; every measure to protect the child actress from said themes will be taken; the actress will have to be present on set for a limited number of hours on one day only.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• In the cover letter, detail how you con-

nect with the character you’re auditioning for. Chosen candidates will be contacted personally by the Casting Director with audition instructions/ details. The auditions/callbacks will be virtual. COVID Guidelines: 1) Industrystandard measures to ensure cast/crew safety on set will be appropriately taken. There will be a COVID Administrator on set who will enforce these safety measures. 2) Separate PPE will be provided to each member of the cast. 3) Every crew/cast member will be required to get tested for COVID prior to the shoot. 4) A contract and a COVID Waiver will be required to be signed by each member of the cast. 5) Boxed meals will be provided on shoot days. 6) A separate make-up kit will be used for each actor. 7) Every crew member, including myself, has earned a COVID Safety Certificate that enables us to practice safe sets.

• Compensation: The two Lead actresses

will be paid $50 for each day that they are on set. 7-year-old Hannah’s role is unpaid. All actors will be credited in the film that will be submitted to festivals.

Footage for the actors’ demo reel will be provided after the film’s festival run is complete. backstage.com

New York Tristate casting

‘Uncalled Guest’

• Casting an “Uncalled Guest,” a short

suspense thriller which describes a mysterious accident happens in a house. Synopsis: A woman who lives alone in the middle of the woods has a sudden stranger as a guest, and an anonymous phone call warns her that she shouldn’t trust the guest.

• Company: New York Film Academy.

Staff: Jeongwon Lee, student filmmaker • Shoots Oct. 16-19 at a lake house in

Upstate New York (one hour from Manhattan.).

• Seeking—Laura: female, 25-35, White

/ European Descent, a woman who lives alone in an isolated, beautiful house in the middle of the woods; a calm and quiet person who likes to be alone; she is not a social person and doesn’t like to leave her safety zone, which is her house; one day, she has a sudden guest and a mysterious phone call, and now she faces an unexpected day. Jamie: female, 25-45, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, a stranger who comes to Laura’s house to ask for help; Jamie has both a vulnerable and suspicious look, and she is the kind of person who has a very unreadable poker face and a mysterious vibe; after coming into Laura’s house, Jamie starts to show her interest in Laura and her house. Voice: male, 30-55, all ethnicities, a mysterious man who calls to Laura and warns about Jamie; the face will reveal in the end; the production date will be different from other casts; (there will be voice recording before 16th Oct. Date can be changed based on cast’s schedule); further details will follow after casting.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to j.lee5@student.

nyfa.edu.

• Director’s recent film: https://vimeo.

com/436633167. All cast and crew will stay in the location for four days (three nights). Transportation (van) provided on Oct. 16 and 19. Further details will follow after casting.

• No pay.

Scripted TV & Video DHL eCommerce, Spoken Word Video

• Casting a male lead in a one-minute

spoken word corporate piece for DHL eCommerce’s public website.

recorded of the spoken word piece and talent will be filmed performing that recording.

• Seeking submissions from NJ. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Confirm you are available on both Aug.

26 and 27. Talent will be sent the script for a self-taped audition. Do not apply if you are not available for both shoot days.

• Pays $1,200 for both shoot dates.

There may be an additional couple of hours spent recording the audio track, included in the rate. Full buyout, indefinite public usage. Video will be on DHL eCommerce’s public website. Must be local to NYC.

Kevin Hart’s ‘LOL Network’ New Digital Series • Casting individuals in the Tri-State

• Scheduled to shoot Aug. 26-27 in

Avenel, NJ.

• Seeking—Lead Role: all genders,

28-42, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, the only speaking character in the video, reciting a spoken word piece. Audio will be backstage.com

• Shoots Aug. 21 or 24.

• Seeking—Dad: male, 50-65, White /

European Descent, speaks to his son on a video conferencing app discussing computer safety. Son: male, 20-29. Voice Over: female, 21-44.

• Record yourself reading the portion

of the script attached and send the video back.

• Pays $500 flat for one-day shoot, plus

meal included. Commercial will be running for four weeks, locally.

Production requires the rights in perpetuity.

local to Tri-State area.

your current location, occupation, and some fun facts about you in your submission.

• Pays $100 for 2-3 hours.

images for portfolio provided.

tions.com.

Entrepreneur Stock Photography Shoot

• Seeking—LOL Talent: 18-55.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• For consideration, include info about

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Pays $75 for 1.5 hrs., plus retouched

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to josh@aslproduc-

Commercial & Fit Modeling

Promotional & Event Modeling Leather Bag Lifestyle Photoshoot, Male

• Casting a lifestyle photoshoot for fine

leather bags. Note: Production will take place outdoors.

• Company: Greenlit Content. Staff:

Paul Brasil, video mgr.

• Shoots TBD within next two weeks in

NYC.

• Casting models for a stock photogra-

• Seeking—Male Model: male, 25-40,

phy lifestyle shoot depicting women entrepreneurs working in a casual environment.

all ethnicities.

• Company: Styled Stock Society. Staff:

Elle Drouin, creative dir.

• Shoots Aug. 26 (1.5 hours) in Midtown

NYC.

• Seeking—Model 1: female, 18-42,

• Seeking submissions from NY. • For consideration, submit any exam-

ple photos of bag or accessory modeling, or anything in a casual and/or professional look to paul.brasil@ greenlitcontent.com.

• Pays $500.

Music Videos ‘Mamacita’

• Casting “Mamacita,” a music video

shoot.

• Company: B.Q.E. Staff: On God’s

Destiny (OGD), singer; D. Epps, casting.

LIMITED TIME SPECIAL COACHING PRICES!

• Shoots Aug. 22 (7 a.m.) at Coney Island

Veteran Hollywood Casting Director, Producer and Acting Coach

Beach, Pier / Bay 5.

• Seeking—Female Beach Goers: female,

22-35, all ethnicities.

MARCI LIROFF

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to Depps2525@

Your audition shouldn't feel like a visit to the doctor!

gmail.com.

• Note: Bring your finest swimwear,

Umbrella Beach chair, blank, basically what you usually feel comfortable relaxing on/ with. Water will be available, but feel free to bring any preferred drinks.

The MTA Subway line Trains that arrive to Coney Island are the D , F , and Q train; if you are commuting you have to leave your house regardless of location because the weekend , trains operate at half hour intervals. If commuting by car parking availability is limited; parking garages are available for $30.

• Pays $100 for one hour.

• Company: SolidLine Media. Staff:

Allison Miller, prod.

Adam Lebenstein, prod. mgr.

area for a fun new digital series filming in NYC. Seeking all different types of people, ages 18-55, who are upbeat, fun and love to laugh. Filming will be in keeping with all state regulated COVID Safety Measures.

• Company: Paired Up Media.

• Shoots in September in NYC. Must be

Black / African Descent. Model 2: female, 18-45, Asian, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander.

• Company: ASL Productions. Staff:

Local Commercials Computer Safety Commercial

• Casting one role in a commercial for an

anti-spyware/malware company.

33

INTRODUCING NEW PRICING Are you a new actor and thinking of dipping your toe in the pool?

Have you always wanted to act but couldn't afford it?

Fill your time with new and exciting ways to express yourself!

Audition Techniques Break down the character & script Adjust your mindset and perspective On-camera technique Prep for upcoming auditions and/or jobs

No prior acting and auditioning experience. I work with children of all ages.

CONNECT TO THE ARTIST WITHIN YOU $135 PER HOUR (REGULARLY $150) BUY A PACKAGE OF 6 SESSIONS AND GET 20% OFF BUY A PACKAGE OF 3 SESSIONS AND GET 10% OFF For appointments contact

MARCILIROFFCOACHING@GMAIL.COM

Submit your picture/resume & demo reel (if available) when making appointment

For more information visit http://www.marciliroff.com/coaching Coaching is a learning experience. It is not an audition or employment opportunity.

Bond #CA 92 EJ W7628 State Farm and Casualty Company, Fidelity & Surety Bond Department

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

casting California

Southern California Feature Films ‘Cherry’

• Casting “Cherry,” an indie feature film

directed by Sophie Galibert.

• Company: Cherry the Film LLC. Staff:

Shincy Lu, prod.

• Shoots September (around the 8th-

20th) in Los Angeles, CA.

• Seeking—Nick: male, 18+, Ethnically

Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, White / European Descent, a passionate DJ, a skinny guy, around 25 years old, the boyfriend of the lead character, Cherry.

Quinceanera Father: male, 35-60, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, a father, around 40s.

He hosts a quinceanera for his 15-yearold daughter. Quinceanera Mother: 30-60, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, a mother, around 40s, needs to look genuinely like nice parents. She hosts a quinceanera for her 15-year-old daughter. Fruit Vendor: 18+, Latino / Hispanic, a fruit vendor, male or female, any age, Hispanic, serving the wine/fruit to the characters. Young Girl in the Planned Parenthood: female, 18-31, all ethnicities, a young girl waits for the doctor’s appointment in the waiting room of the planned parenthood. Young Man in the Planned Parenthood: male, 20-31, all ethnicities, a young man accompanies his girlfriend for the doctor’s appointment in the waiting room of the planned parenthood. Roller Skaters: 18-59, all ethnicities, girls and boys are skating in the roller rink. Need people who knows how to skate. Quinceanera Background: 18+, people are celebrating a quinceanera to a 15-year-girl.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to jiayun@usc.edu.

• Meal, credits, and copy provided

Short Films ‘Close Encounters of a Third Kind: Amended’ • Casting “Close Encounters of a Third

Kind: Amended,” a short film.

• Synopsis: This film reveals that the

encounters Jillian and the father of Barry, Barry Sr., started in the late 1950’s when they were children themselves. Encounters are revealed in this segment during Barry’s time in the Vietnam War. Some revealing intentions of the alien encounters are revealed that lead us to believe we have not been alone for centuries.

• Staff: Dennis Trombly, prod.

• Pay TBD. • Seeking—Young Jillian Newson: female,

10-16, White / European Descent, looks

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

13; tall and slender with long golden hair and piercing sky blue eyes. Young Jillian is happy and content, an all American girl with no worries in sight. Note: To help capture the look, this is a younger version of Jillian Guiler from the Original “Close Encounters of a Third Kind” played by Melinda Dillon. Young Barry Guiler: male, 10-16, White / European Descent, looks 13; short and stocky for his age, clean-cut “Leave it to Beaver” cast type with brunette hair on the darker side and has light colored eyes.

Young Barry is at ease in life and goes with the flow. Barry Guiler: male, 24-40, White / European Descent, tall, but not taller than 6’0”, athletic build, look of confidence through his lighter eyes. His hair is on the dark side. Barry grew up content and has a realistic view in life until being drafted into the Vietnam War. After basic training, Barry became withdrawn and introverted.

Minh Pham: male, 24-45, Asian, looks 30 is not taller than 5’6”; the youngest of three boys. His family has deep roots in Vietnam military with high connections. In 1964, his brothers were killed during the war and now he has high hopes to make his father proud by commanding a POW camp deep in Vietnam.

Dr. Claude Lacombe: male, 30-45, White / European Descent, French born Dr. Lacombe was surrounded by academia. His parents were curators for the National Museum of Natural History in France. They traveled the world studying archaeology and ancient civilizations. Dr. Lacombe’s fascination is with a theory that, for centuries, civilizations have been documenting celestial visits. Jillian Newson: female, 18-30, White / European Descent, after an alien encounter during her youth, Jillian became withdrawn and distant. She has a sense of shame in her life for undiscovered reasons. She was depressed growing up and just couldn’t find her way back to normality.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to dennis@dennis-

trombly.com.

• Pays $100/day, plus travel and meals

provided, lodging if required. No participation fees. Producers plan to apply for a SAG-AFTRA agreement as needed. Producers willing to negotiate wages as needed to seek talent that want to do the project rather than need to do the project.

‘Of The Water’

• Casting “Of The Water.” Synopsis: Set

in the mid-1700s. Hama, a Japanese mermaid (“Ama”) is ripped by the ocean tide and washes ashore in California.

Spanish settler, Matías, crosses her path. He takes her to his house to treat her wounds. When Mia realizes a dark fact about Asa, she must find her way to freedom before she dries up on land.

Themes: Independence/ Transcendence. Femininity/Masculinity.

Sexual trauma/Self healing. The role of nurture in heterosexual relationships.

Inspired by: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (Sciamma), “Wuthering Heights” (Arnold), “Atlantique” (Diop).

• Company: University of Southern

California. Staff: Annie Kane, dir.

• Shoots mid-late September in Los

Angeles, CA. Note: We will be rehearsing remotely for safety precautions.

• Seeking—Hama: female, 18-30, Asian,

comfort in showing skin and being in and around water (no swimming necessary) ISO Japanese actress who can balance between vulnerability and strength.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to arkane@usc.edu.

• For consideration, submit headshot and

reels. Sides for self-tape auditions will be provided.

• No pay, but will provide on set drinks

and meals. Footage will be delivered for reels.

Student Films ‘All I Desire and Nothing More’

• Casting for “All I Desire and Nothing

More,” a student thesis short film.

Synopsis: A woman is revisited by her husband that left her 40 years ago.

• Company: San Diego State University.

Staff: Adam Gilmore, casting.

• Callbacks and rehearsals will be done

over Zoom; shoot dates TBD in San Diego, CA. Filming will take place under strict social distancing restrictions.

Safety will be our top concern.

• Seeking—Doris: female, 50+, a

reserved and proper woman whose spirit has been beaten down in the long aftermath of her failed marriage. Young Walter: male, 18-25, a happy-go-lucky surfer dude with medium-long hair and a mustache.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to

AlliDesireCasting@gmail.com.

• Pays $100/day for the role of Doris.

Note: Both Doris and Young Walter will receive credit, copy, and meals.

‘Monsters of Mine’

• Casting voice actors for USC senior

thesis short animated film, “Monsters of Mine.” Logline: A lonely girl uses futuristic glasses to fill her world with imaginary monster friends, but she soon discovers the value of true human connection.

• Company: University of Southern

California. Staff: Connor Williams, casting dir.-prod.; Claire Dundee, casting dir.-prod.; Lana Nguyen, dir.; Val Tan, writer.

• Auditions, rehearsals, and recordings

will be done remotely.

• Seeking—Meep: female, 7+, to play age

7; minors and adults to perform child’s voice for animated production. Meep is a young girl with no real friends. Her sister can no longer afford to send her to primary school, so she spends her days playing with her imaginary friends, physicalized by an old pair of “imaginary friend glasses.” She has intense social anxiety, and has convinced herself that everyone around her would leave her if given the chance, so she relies on these imaginary friends to fill the void and stay by her side. Amy: female, 7+, to play age 7; Amy spends her days working the counter at her family’s electronic store all by herself, as her father

34

works odd jobs around town. Her family cannot afford to send her to primary school, so she’s used to being alone and fending for herself. She is mature for her age and understands responsibility in ways that Meep does not. Amy can be bossy, confident, and standoffish, but she yearns for a friend to fill her lonely days. Mabel: female, 18+, to play age 19; as Meep’s older sister and only caretaker, Mabel struggles to balance raising Meep with working multiple jobs to support them both, leaving her overworked and exhausted. Even though Mabel deeply loves Meep, she can’t help but feel resentment towards the situation for taking away her teenage life. She wishes Meep would stop getting into trouble and wreaking havoc around the apartment, and often expresses her exasperation and frustration at Meep for failing to exercise self-control.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to cswillia@usc.edu.

• Accepting submissions from union and

nonunion actors, compensated with copy and credit, in accordance with USC’s standing agreement with SAG-AFTRA.

‘Wrong Side of the Tracks’

• Casting “Wrong Side of the Tracks,” a

student thesis film. Synopsis: A grandmother’s passing serves as a catalyst to bring two estranged cousins together again for better or worse.

• Staff: Tharan Nesbit, writer-dir.-prod.

• Shoots during the last week in October

(specific dates TBD).

• Seeking—Stanley Morgan: male, 18-30,

Black / African Descent, a man torn between two worlds. Fresh out of graduating college, he is brought back to his childhood neighborhood after his grandmother’s passing. He is dealing with the stress of not knowing what his next step in life will be and overcompensating because of how removed he feels from other members of his family.

Bryan Walker: male, 18-30, Black / African Descent, a man of vision and principle. He has strong ties to his community and family. Wise if not educated, Bryan has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. He is especially close with his mother and tries to be the bridge that his grandmother always said he could be. Britney Morgan: female, 40-50, Black / African Descent, the oldest child of Grandma Walker. Always the perfect picture of dignity and grace, she married young and unfortunately was widowed young as well. After burying her young husband, she moved back in with her mother until she remarried-a white man from the Northside. This caused some friction between her and her sister, although they love each other. Cassidy Walker: female, 40-50, Black / African Descent, the youngest daughter of Grandma Walker, but has always been next in line as matron of the family. Initially chafing against the role, she went through a bit of a wild child bohemian phase, the latter sticking with her. She is fiercely loyal to her family and will keep it together at all costs.

Smiley: male, 55-70, Black / African Descent, an ex-Vietnam War vet who went through the hell that is war, which backstage.com

The Slate

The Actor’s Quarantine Resource We’re not letting creativity + productivity stop in the face of coronavirus. We’re taking you directly to industry power players through Backstage Forums AMAs, Instagram takeovers and Q&As, YouTube Lives, and most excitingly, Zoom-hosted seminars for interactive group classes!

Guests include: Casting Director Robert Ulrich Casting Director Linda Lamontagne Talent Agent Laura Thede Casting Director Avy Kaufman Casting Director Carmen Cuba Talent Agent Chaim Magnum UK Casting Director Sophie Kingston-Smith Makeup Artist Bridie Coughlin Voiceover Actor Laurie Burke Voice Teacher Andrew Byrne and more!

To get all the details and view the full schedule, please visit backstage.com/magazine.

casting California ravaged both his mind and his body.

Now homeless, Smiley has found a sort of peace and freedom in his circumstances. He is disabled, destitute, and a bit deranged, but has a kind heart. Bent but not broken.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to t.nesbit@lafilm.

edu.

• Due to COVID-19, auditions will be con-

ducted video vide submission or video chat.

• Lunch each day and credit will be

provided.

Reality TV & Documentary ‘Dr. Phil,’ Real People Who Feel They Are Being Gaslit

• Seeking real people who feel they are

being gaslit, but are unsure, for Dr. Phil.

Production states: “Are you being gaslit? Are you unsure? Do your family and friends warn you that you are currently being gaslit? No pay, but Dr. Phil would like to help you and give you advice. Seeking L.A. local guests. All guests will be COVID-19 tested.”

• Company: Stage 29. Staff: Jennifer

Sellar, coord.

• Shoots at Paramount Studios in L.A. • Seeking—Talk Show Guest: 18+, real

people who feel they are being gaslit, but are unsure.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • For consideration, email jennifer.sel-

lar@cbs.com ASAP. • No pay.

Music Videos

basic faucet and the installation procedure will be predefined. Preference to person based within 30 miles of San Diego, nonunion, shoot will be 2-3 hours max.

• Company: VisualConcepts.tv. Staff:

Leslie Nelson, president.

• Shoots TBD date (weekday morning

sometime in the first week of September most likely) in the San Diego, CA area.

• Seeking—Maintenance Demo Talent:

photography will be arranged for those we are interested in.

Remember, production is looking for people who live within 30 miles of central San Diego.

• Pay provided.

National Commercials Weight Loss Commercial, Hispanic Female

• Casting a nonunion Hispanic female,

for a metal band. Narrative portion of video.

40-55 age range, who is slightly overweight for a weight loss commercial.

You will not actually be taking the product - but acting in a few different roles.

Staff: Robert Mestas, prod.-dir.

coord.

‘Night Chase’

• Casting “Night Chase,” a music video

• Company: Defiant Digital Productions.

• Shoots Aug. 29-30 (a couple of hours

each night) in the Burbank, CA area.

• Seeking—Officer #1: male, 40-60, all

ethnicities, police/authority officer that is chasing figures through the streets.

Officer #2: male, 40-60, police/authority officer that is chasing figures through the streets.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to robert@defiant-

digital.com.

• Pay is flat rate of $100 ($50/day) for 2x

nights of work

• Company: Casting. Staff: Cat N.,

• Shoots mid-September (TBD dates) in

the Los Angeles, CA area.

• Seeking—Slightly Overweight

Hispanic Female: female, 40-50, Latino / Hispanic, age range 40-55 (nonunion only); body weight - not skinny, but not extremely overweight.

Just as if someone has an extra 10, 20, 30, 40 pounds on them.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • For consideration, submit name, age,

ethnicity, height, weight & recent whole body selfie to recruiting@ launchrealpeople.com.

• Pays $500. Production states: “Would

Demo & Instructional Videos Maintenance Demo

• Casting a maintenance technician who

will demonstrate how to install a simple,

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

like the option to re-sign the talent for the same cost of $500 + agency fee on a yearly basis for up to 5 years. (client can also terminate after one year if they no longer want to run the ad with the talent in it).”

VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices

• Send submissions to michelles@skinn.

Mental Health Social Spot

Festivals & Events

• Casting background for a mental health

social media spot.

• Company: Long Division. Staff: Erik

male, 25-45, Latino / Hispanic, White / European Descent, fit male, who has strong handyman type skills and who would feel comfortable demonstrating how to install a simple faucet.

Production will tell you exactly how to do it, though, but if you have a frame of reference it would help. No speaking required, just the demonstrating.

The program is geared towards maintenance people who work for apartment complexes. Needs to be good following directions. Shoot will take place in San Diego and only be a couple of hours in the am in early September, most likely on a weekday.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Audition or meeting with director of

Online Commercials & Promos Harty, EP; Alexander Gilbert, dir.

• Shoots Aug. 29 or 30 (eight hours) in L.A. • Seeking—Business Person: all genders,

18+, professional working in an office.

Seeking talent with own business attire and suits to create an office environment. Muted colors preferred.

Submissions that do not contain wardrobe options will not be considered.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to hello@longdivision.

film.

com.

• Include a photo without makeup.

• Pays $300 for a half-day shoot.

Urban Legends of Socal Haunt, Dancers/Performers

• Seeking high energy dancers and per-

formers to join Urban Legends of Southern California, a new drive-in haunt experience coming to the OC Fairgrounds this fall.

• Company: UrbanLegendsHaunt.com.

Staff: A. Jamerson, coord.

• Rehearsals will be over Zoom and on site;

• Submit photos or videos of yourself in

works Sept. 29-Nov. 1 at the OC Fairgrounds.

• Actors must comply with COVID-19

all ethnicities, high energy dancers for a live Halloween themed drive. Scare Performer: all genders, 18+, all ethnicities, high energy scare performers.

business attire options that you are able to bring to set. Submissions that do not contain wardrobe options will not be considered. safety measures on set. Do not apply if you are opposed to masks and PPE equipment.

• Pays $14/hr. (eight-hour guarantee).

Nonunion.

Postal Store Videos

• Casting “Postal Customer” for an

online-only corporate video production.

One-day shoot in Chula Vista, CA. Skeleton-crew production adheres to CDC recommended social distancing guidelines. PPE provided on set.

• Seeking—Dancer: all genders, 18-60,

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to atilio@urbanleg-

endshaunt.com.

• For more info, visit:

Urbanlegendshaunt.com.

• Pay TBD.

Northern California

• Company: Windsor Film Company. Staff:

Benjamin Howard, dir.

• Shoots Aug. 30 in the Chula Vista, CA

area (San Diego).

• Seeking—Postal Customer: female, 50+,

Black / African Descent, the lead role in five video series (to be shot on one production day); non-speaking role. Looking for engaging camera presence and ability to pantomime convincingly.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to contact@windsor-

filmcompany.com.

• Able to work as local hire.

• Pays $175/day, plus credit, copy, and

food. Must be able to work as local hire.

Multimedia Software Video Project

• Casting unique and interesting people

and LGBTQ and trans people within two hours of the Bay area for a paid Software Video Project. Casting states: “Seeking unique and interesting styles and looks, cool or crazy hairstyles, tattoos, piercings, maybe a ton of freckles or Albino or the extreme opposite. Couples and BFFs welcome too.”

• Company: Kristen Beck Casting. Staff:

Kristen Beck, casting dir.

Print Modeling Beauty Shoot for Skincare and Cosmetics Brand

• Casting eight models of all ethnicities

for a beauty shoot for SKINN, a skincare and cosmetics brand. Models must appear to look in their late 20s-50s.

Beauty experience a must.

• Company: SKINN Cosmetics. Staff:

Michelle Song, content marketing mgr.

• Photoshoot will be held Sept. 21-22 in a

DTLA studio. Note: Models will need to come to the company’s Torrance, CA office prior to the shoot to ensure a shade match.

• Seeking—Eight Beauty Models: all gen-

ders, 25-55, all ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions from CA.

36

• Shoots Aug. 27-29 (one day) in the San

Francisco Bay area. Note: Covid protocols will be followed.

• Seeking—LGBTQ & Trans People &

Couples: all genders, 18-80, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, neat and interesting looking, open to the possibilities. Cool & Unusual Looking: 18-80, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, piercings, tattoos, maybe a lot of freckles, albinism, unusual looks, open to the possibilities. Hip & Stylish Looking: 18-80, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, super stylish maybe cool or crazy hair, unique look, open to the possibilities.

• Seeking submissions from CA.

backstage.com

National/Regional casting

• Send submissions to kbbcasting@

gmail.com.

• For consideration, submit your name,

contact #, email & location (must be within two hours of the Bay Area), 2 jpg photos (a full length and a smiling close-up), and a short note telling about yourself (what you do for work and for fun). No in person interviews.

• For more info, visit www.facebook.

com/groups/kristenbeckcasting.

• Pays $550/day (no extra travel pay).

Online Commercials & Promos Mobile Camera & Printer Video Shoot, Teens

• Casting teens for a fun mobile camera/

printer video & photo shoot. Looking for SF/Bay Area based models.

• Company: Grow With Bamboo. Staff:

Stavro Victor, content prod.

• Shoots Aug. 28 (eight hours).

• Seeking—Teen Actor #1 (Female):

female, 16-23, a bright and youthful actor. Teen Actor #2 (Female): female, 16-25, a bright and youthful actor.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to stavro@growwith-

bamboo.com.

• Submit any pictures or videos.

• Paid. Actors full day rate TBD based on

actor and qualifications.

Product Testimonial Videos

• Casting self-made product testimonial

videos.

• Production states: “We create lots of

short-form video ads for social media.

Our clients include DoorDash, Coinbase, Mizzen+Main and more. We’re looking for you to use your phone (must be a high-ish end, newer one) to film yourself sampling certain products and talking about them. We can share lots more detail with you once we get to know you a bit (remotely of course!) and see which products that might be right for you to try. In most cases you’ll be able to keep the products as well.”

• Company: Ready Set. Staff: John

Gargiulo, founder-CEO.

• Remote work ongoing.

• Seeking—Middle Aged Woman: female,

40-60.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to ugc@readyset.co.

• Pays $75 CAD.

National/ Regional Plays ‘Les Blancs’

• Seeking video submissions for “Les

Blancs.” Project Description: Best backstage.com

Short Films

American play of 1970, “Les Blancs” prophetically confronts the hope and tragedy of Africa in revolution. The setting is a white Christian mission in a colony about to explode. The time is that hour of reckoning when no one the guilty nor the innocent can evade the consequences of white colonialism and imperatives of black liberation.

Tshembe Matoseh, the English educated son of a chief, has come home to bury his father. He finds his teenage brother a near alcoholic and his older brother a priest and traitor to his people. Forswearing politics and wanting only to return to his wife and child in England, Tshembe is drawn into the conflict symbolized by a woman dancer, the powerful Spirit of Africa who pursues him.

• Low pay. Food and transportation

provided.

‘The Duke of Dunlop’

• Casting “The Duke of Dunlop,” a short

Safdie Bros-Inspired film and love letter to Ontario about staying true to yourself and community.

• Company: Riverspirit Studios.

• Rehearses March 2021 via Zoom;

scheduled to shoot April 2021 (pending status of COVID-19) in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.

• Seeking—Alderley: male, 24-32, some-

one you respect based on their demeanour, measured and in-control.

Walks with a purpose. A sense of stillness. A little bit removed from the fray of everyday life. Trying to be a good person. Likes having fun and learning new things. Sonja: female, 21-31, graceful and aware. A quiet confidence that leads her into situations where she finds herself organizing and striving for what she wants and believes in. Smart and accentuated with a nice sense of style. From the way she moves and her poise, you can tell it feels good inside to be her. Rowan: male, 20-36, fun-loving and loyal. A positive spirit and close friend of Alderley’s. Speaks his mind and is honest. Has the life experience and judgment to effortlessly come out looking pretty good in most encounters, although this is never something he would overdo intentionally. His “excited for the next thing” attitude keeps him extremely humble, except for when a flex is explicitly called for.

Lives in the moment. Tanya: female, 20-33, takes no shit. Hardworking and equally willing to let rip when work is over. Has achieved the status of a fulltime creative on the strength of her directing. Works mainly in Toronto but is just back from shooting a music video in L.A. that received a fair amount of hype, the most of her career so far.

Willing to push people’s buttons and OK with confrontation. Will: male, 21-34, chill and grounded. Slightly reserved but after meeting him, you learn he has a cool long-term girlfriend, some onpoint and finely tuned hobbies, and is great to hang with. Strong roots in the town. Randomly knows a lot of its history and characters through his large extended family who have lived in the area forever. Shaefer: male, 40-62, full of himself and good at what he does.

Not able to tell what’s truly meaningful from what isn’t. Obnoxious/aggressive with poor taste. Looks down on the people he sells real estate to. Orders steak well done. The Mayor: male, 55-73, very calm and gentle with a deep love for the town and its history. Was a botanist for the Provincial Park Service before opening a successful restaurant in town and being coaxed into running for mayor due to his easygoing way and smart thinking. Willing to let the lives of its inhabitants unfold peacefully but ready and willing to step in with authority if something out of line goes down.

• Company: Emory University. Staff:

Lydia Fort, dir.; Meghan Truhett, casting coord.

• Rehearsals begin Oct. 13 online only for

rehearsals and reading. Performances will be an online reading recorded in advance and available on a password protected site from Nov. 6-13.

• Seeking—The Woman: female, 18+,

Black / African Descent. Tshembe Matoseh: male, 18+, Black / African Descent. Abioseh Matoseh: male, 18+, Black / African Descent. Madame Neilsen: female, 18+, White / European Descent. Eric: male, 18+, Black / African Descent. Dr. Marta Goiterling: female, 18+, White / European Descent. Charlie Morris: male, 18+, White / European Descent. Dr. Willy Dekoven: male, 18+, White / European Descent. Major George Rice: male, 18+, White / European Descent. Peter: male, 18+, Black / African Descent. African Child: 0-18, Black / African Descent. Prisoner: 18+, all ethnicities. African Villagers and Warriors: 18+, all ethnicities.

Soldiers: 18+, all ethnicities. Ngago: male, 18+, Black / African Descent.

• Seeking submissions from GA. • No in-person audition appointments, all

auditions will be submitted by video.

Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to submit.

Local Atlanta/North Georgia area actors are strongly encouraged to submit. Submissions deadline is Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. Callbacks, if needed will be held on Zoom by appointment with the director on Sept. 5 and 6.

• Select and prepare at least one of the

audition sides provided on our website.

Sides will be available at www.theater. emory.edu/home/auditions/professionals.html. Make your video(s) available to us by utilizing a private YouTube or Vimeo or similar site. Send the instructions needed to access your videos.

• Actors may create a profile and add

their headshot/resume using the link at www.theater.emory.edu/home/auditions/professionals.html. Alternately, Equity actors may email their headshot/ resume with their video audition submission to teauditions@gmail.com and indicate whether or not you have completed a profile on Audition Revolution.

• Seeking submissions from ON. • Send submissions to alex@riverspirit-

• Pays $493/wk. Equity SPT Contract.

Note: 3 Equity contracts are available.

The company will include student actors to be cast at later auditions.

studios.com.

• For consideration, submit headshot

and/or reel. Note: Seeking actors in the GTA area. Auditions to follow.

37

Student Films ‘Of Our Trespasses’

• Casting “Of Our Trespasses,” a BFA

Thesis film about a young girl who is struggling to discover what she believes when her private Christian high school asks her to do something morally grey.

• Company: FSU College of Motion

Picture Arts. Staff: Taylor Ross, dir.

• Rehearsals Fall 2020 in Tallahassee, FL;

shoots Oct. 22-25 in Tallahassee, FL. • Seeking—Cristina: female, 15-18,

Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, White / European Descent, is a 17-year old high school student who is the “golden girl” of Luther Christian High School; she is a leader and role model on top of taking the hardest classes they have to offer; her friendship with Sam keeps her grounded and brings out her somewhat rebellious side; she is religious, but is discovering her beliefs are more complicated than a set of guidelines; all ethnicities are open to submit, but biracial is preferred. Sam: male, 15-18, all ethnicities, is a 16-year old closeted high school student who is unsure who he wants to be; he disagrees with most of his school’s policies and rules, and he views them as discriminatory and frankly, unethical; viewed as a leader at Luther, he feels uncomfortable with being in this position given the certain views of the school, especially since he is trying to discover his sexuality and identity.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to tdr16d@my.fsu.

edu.

• Travel, lodging, and meals may be pro-

vided and paid in full by the production team based on actor location.

Scripted TV & Video Retail Crime Scenarios, Extras

• Seeking extras for overnight retail

crime scenarios for a paid independent production.

• Company: LCM247. Staff: Laurie Child,

project mgr.

• Shoots Aug. 20-21 (8 p.m.-8 a.m.) in

Tulsa, OK.

• Seeking—Extras: all genders, 18-82,

actors of all demographics.

• Seeking submissions from OK. • Send submissions to laurie.child@

lcm247.com.

• Pays $125/day, plus food provided.

‘Right Now Tonight’

• Casting “Right Now Tonight,” a late

night show featuring guest sketch characters. Synopsis: Will be filming with a teleprompter. Improv trained actors preferred.

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

casting National/Regional • Company: Napalm Productions. Staff:

Pat Alexander, prod.

• Shoots September in Burbank, CA. • Seeking—Simp Restaurant Critic: all

genders, 18-40, all ethnicities, a restaurant critic who spouts effusive praise at the very mention of a restaurant. Our Dad/Mom, Professional Influencer: all genders, 25-40, all ethnicities, a parent, whose just retired to become an influencer; liiterally reads ads in the middle of the sketch. Voyeuristic Motivational Speaker: male, 18-40, all ethnicities, a motivational speaker who relates everything back to his peeping tom behavior.

She & Her: female, 18-35, all ethnicities, she and her are a duo who explain the use of pronouns to the audience; she is witchy and vibrant, while her is all business like a german schoolteacher. Bart the Sharp: male, 18-41, all ethnicities, a cowboy who has intimate relations with his horse.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• Pay provided.

‘WEBMD MS274: T2DM’

• Casting a WEBMD spot. Synopsis:

WebMD specializes in creating true-tolife patient simulations for continuing medical education. This program is focused on T2DM. British accent required. Local talent required. These will be shot at our Durham studio. Note that all safety measures will be in effect to insure talent safety, and travel fees will be reimbursed when put on an invoice.

• Company: Andrew Hecht Media, Inc.

Staff: Andrew Hecht, casting dir.

• Shoots Aug. 24, 2020 in Durham, NC. • Seeking—Patient 1/Jane M.: female, 68,

White / European Descent, 32 BMI; British accent required. Patient 2/ Rupert B.: male, 66, White / European Descent, 32 BMI; British accent required.

• Seeking submissions from NC, GA and

“Top Chef?” Are friends and family often impressed by your skills even though you are a home cook? Do you experiment and try to replicate the dishes made on “Top Chef?” Do you ever watch “Top Chef” and think, “I could do that…or better?”

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to grivascasting@

gmail.com.

• Stipend TBD. Travel and accommoda-

tion is covered.

‘In The Moment’

whechtmedia.com.

• Submit actors online demo clips along

with submission.

• Pays $900 flat per talent.

Reality TV & Documentary Bravo’s: ‘Top Chef Amateurs’ • Casting “Top Chef Amateurs,” a show

on Bravo. Production states: “The Emmy Award-winning producers of ‘Top Chef’ and ‘Top Chef Jr.’ now bring you ‘Top Chef Amateurs!’ We are casting experienced and passionate home cooks who want to show off their skills and put their knives to the test! If you have an impressive cooking skill set, a fierce determination to win a big cash prize and the ultimate bragging rights, this is the show for you!”

• Company: Magical Elves. Staff: Grivas

Kopti, prod.

• TBD. • Seeking—Contestant: all genders, 21+,

all ethnicities. Are you a superfan of

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

• Seeking submissions from MD. • Send submissions to melissa.lamar-

• Casting “In The Moment,” a reality,

non-scripted program. Synopsis: Casting someone in the creative industry (filmmaker, photographer, painter, writer, illustrator, sculptor, etc.) for a day in the life reality video.

tina@huntakiller.com.

• For consideration, include in your sub-

• Company: Conde Nast Entertainment.

Staff: Rory Adele Halevy, senior creative dir.

• Shoots first week in September 2020.

• Seeking—Creative Person: all genders,

23-35, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, someone who currently works in the creative industry or who takes on creative hobbies regularly (i.e. sculpting, music, dance, writing, photography, painting, etc.); not looking for actors. and GA.

• Send submissions to cnebrandedcast-

ing@condenast.com.

• For consideration, include links to your

creative portfolios, social media pages and anything else that can really tell a story about who you are, what you like to do and how you let your creative genius out.

• Compensation TBD; meals provided,

travel provided if needed, wardrobe styling included.

Multimedia ‘Hunt a Killer’ Casting Real Couple (Age 55-65) For Photo Content

• Casting a real couple (age 55-65) for in-

game print photos. Seeking a real couple who will be able to take photos in the safety of their own home. Note: Do not submit for just yourself and expect to be paired with another actor; this is a casting for a real couple.

• “At Hunt a Killer, our mission is to revo-

lutionize the entertainment industry by challenging conventional forms of storytelling. We provide interactive entertainment experiences that position participants as characters in their very own thrilling mystery stories.”

• Company: Hunt a Killer. Staff: Melissa

LaMartina, dir. of prod.

• Photos to be finalized early September.

Casting remotely and coordinating with you to get the specific photos we need.

• Seeking—Martin and Jody: 55-65,

Martin: Male, white, age 55-65. Martin is a charismatic and strong businessman who takes great pride in his work and home. Most people on the island view

mission a current photo of the two of you together and a photo of your kitchen. If you wish to be considered for the characters’ voices, be sure to also submit audio/video reel for each of you.

• Pays $200 total for two photos, one of

Martin alone and one of Jody and Martin together. For the second photo, production will need to provide a specific prop to you and you must be able to shoot the photo in your kitchen.

‘Hunt a Killer,’ In-Game Photos, Audio, and Video

• Casting several roles for in-game pho-

• Seeking submissions from IL, WI, NY, FL

SC.

• Send submissions to andrew@andre-

him as a friend and ally, but Martin can be very manipulative. He could have been a great politician, but he’s comfortable as a big fish in a little pond on the small island. Appears in photo, potentially in audio. Jody: Female, age 55-65. Jody takes much pride in the small Maine island where she lives. She used to be a strong woman but has become passive aggressive and negative. Jody is an office manager, mother, and grandmother. Appears in photo, potentially in audio.

tos, video, and audio. We are seeking male and female actors aged teens through middle age.

• About “Hunt a Killer:” At “Hunt a

Killer,” our mission is to revolutionize the entertainment industry by challenging conventional forms of storytelling.

We provide interactive entertainment experiences that position participants as characters in their very own thrilling mystery stories.

• Company: Hunt a Killer. Staff: Melissa

LaMartina, dir. of prod.

• Photos needed by early September.

Video and audio to be produced in September and October. Note: As much of this work as possible will be remote.

• Seeking—Gwen: female, 35-40, owns a

hotel on the small Maine island where she has lived her whole life. She’s always felt a little out of place. Gwen is smart, sarcastic, stubborn, and jaded.

Appears in photos and audio. We may cast separate actors for photos and audio. Beth: female, 35-40, an account.

She is both a practical doer and a starry-eyed idealist. She loves the small Maine island on which she lives and wants to do all she can to improve it.

Appears in photos. Would be great if the actor has access to a beach location. Ruby: female, to play 17, a smart teenager looking for a way off the small-town island on which she’s spent her whole life. She loves her mother and is a little distant from her father.

Appears in photos and video. Would be great if the actor has access to a beach location. Joey: male, 35-40, a sad sack who has been made to feel inferior to his father his whole life. He has a wonderful wife and daughter but cannot get himself together. Joey walks with a limp. Appears in a video. May need to shoot on location. Jody: female, 55-65, takes much pride in the small Maine island where she lives. She used to be a strong woman but has become passive

38

aggressive and negative. Jody is an office manager, mother, and grandmother. Appears in audio. Martin: male, 55-65, White / European Descent, a charismatic and strong businessman who takes great pride in his work and home. Most people on the island view him as a friend and ally, but Martin can be very manipulative. He could have been a great politician, but he’s comfortable as a big fish in a little pond on the small island. Appears in audio.

Samantha: female, 35-40, a yoga instructor and jewelry maker who comes off as a little wacky and artistic.

She can be forceful and rude, but is often heard talking about how she feels “one with the ocean.” Appears in photo and video. May need to shoot on location. Jordan: male, 55-65, White / European Descent, a sleazeball.

Divorced multiple times, he’s the type of guy who wears gold chain bracelets and a pinky ring. Jordan is too tan and seems to always be wearing boat shoes.

He’s well off but not wealthy and portrays himself as having much more money than he actually does. Appears in photos and audio. Would be great if the actor has access to a sports car.

Sullivan: male, 35-40, the town police officer. He respects rules and regulations, but tends to move pretty slowly.

He’s somewhat married to his job, but he is kind and hopes to rekindle a romance with Gwen. Appears in photo.

Would be great if actor has access to a police uniform.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to melissa.lamar-

tina@huntakiller.com.

• For consideration, submit your head-

shot and resume. Include in your submission a current non-headshot 3/4 photo. For roles needing audio or video, include your reel. We will send audition sides as needed.

• Pay varies based on needs of role (num-

ber of photos, need for video, etc.).

Most roles can be fulfilled remotely.

These are paid roles. Rate varies based on needs for each role.

National Commercials Nonunion Gas Station Commercial, Non-Traditional Comedic Elvis Impersonator • Seeking local talent for a nonunion

commercial shoot in the Omaha, Nebraska area. Casting states: “Are you hilarious, diverse, capable of doing an Elvis impersonation, and located in the Omaha, Nebraska area?

• Casting states: “We’re looking for

someone who can sing, dance, and impersonate Elvis. Comedy is more important than accuracy, though we should still be able to tell it’s Elvis. We’re looking to go outside the normal Elvis impersonation, so show us what you’ve got. Our shoot will be compliant with all COVID-19 safety measures. All crew will be wearing PPE at all times and maintaining social distancing. Masks and gloves will be available at the set.” backstage.com

National/Regional casting

Lifestyle Home Commercial

Fashion & Runway Modeling

• Seeking submissions from NE, MO and

happy around their homes. Locations will be around the DC metro area.

Womenswear Fashion Lookbook Shoot

• Send submissions to malka@malkame-

ative dir.

model for the relaunch of a New Yorkbased womenswear brand. Photos will be used for web and social.

• Company: Malka Media.

• Shoots in mid-September (exact dates

will most likely be using these initial video submissions in the final project.

• Seeking—Elvis Impersonator: 18-75, all

selected videos in perpetuity.

TBD) in Omaha, NE.

ethnicities, casting is flexible with this role. Just excited to find talent who can do an Elvis impression while singing, dancing, and speaking!

IA.

dia.com.

• Pays $400/10 hr. day of filming.

Online Commercials & Promos Backstage Digital Campaign, Show Off Your Talent • Casting Backstage users to show off

their talents for a digital advertising campaign. Cast will submit videos of themselves performing remotely, to be used in a compilation highlighting the caliber, uniqueness, and talent of performers on Backstage.

• Seeking singers, dancers, actors, rap

artists, impersonators, jugglers, gymnasts, and any other talents you would like to show us! We would love to see your creativity!

• Pays a flat fee of $100 for usage of

• Casting a lifestyle ad showing people

• Company: legend. Staff: Hadi D, cre• Tentatively shoots Sept. 3-4 in the

Washington D.C. metro area. This would be a one day shoot for talent, production would be spread out over two days.

• Seeking—Young Adult: male, 30-40,

all ethnicities. Young Adult 2: female, 30-40, all ethnicities. Young Adult 3: female, 30-40, Black / African Descent, Latino / Hispanic. Dad: male, 35-45, all ethnicities. Mom: female, 35-45, all ethnicities. Young Renter: 18-30, all ethnicities. Home Seller: female, 60+, all ethnicities. Child 1: 7-12, all ethnicities. Child 2: 12-16, all ethnicities. Kelly: female, 25-35, all ethnicities. Kelly’s Husband/Partner: male, 26-45, all ethnicities. Tom: male, 35-55, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic. Chris: male, 55-70, all ethnicities. Anna: female, 55-70, all ethnicities.

• Company: Grow With Bamboo. Staff:

• Seeking submissions from DC. • Send submissions to hadi@lgnd.com.

• Submit headshot and reel.

• Pays $600.

• Talent will film remotely. We will most

Promo, Real Mom of TeenEarly 20s Boys

Emily Courcy, account mgr.; Heather Melcer, creative strategist.

likely be selecting our favorite video submissions from this initial casting call, and compensating those that we feature in the final compilation.

• Seeking—Backstage Singers: all gen-

ders, 18+, include a video of yourself singing. You may provide video with an accompanist, instrumental track, acapella, or accompany yourself on an instrument of your choice. Perform a song that best highlights your vocal ability! Backstage Dancers: all genders, 18+, submit a video of yourself dancing.

Any dance style is great -- we want to see who you are as a performer, featuring choreography of your choosing that best highlights your dance skills.

Backstage Actors: all genders, 18+, submit a video of yourself acting. We realize that this a very vague request, but we would love to see your creativity and who you are as a performer shine though. This could be a monologue, impressions, improv, or whatever highlights your skills as an actor best.

Backstage Unique Talents: 18+, talents that surprise us; submit a video of you demonstrating your talent to be using in a compilation video. The skills provided here are just a few examples, but the sky is the limit with this role. Show us what you can do!

• Casting real moms of teen boys and

guys in their early 20s for a shaving service. Shoot at home with the help of a remote director.

• Staff: E. Kennedy, CD. • Shoots TBD date (flexible) in your home

with the help of a remote director.

• Seeking—Real Mom of Teen/Early 20s

Guys: female, 35-50, Asian, real mom, who can speak to the need for a shaving products delivery service when you have young men in the house.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to casting@tube-

science.com.

• Pays $150/flat for non-union, all media

buyout.

Promo, Techies with Finance Background • Casting techies with a finance back-

ground who are or who can become really familiar with a tech app that helps with personal finances and speak like an expert.

• Staff: E. Kennedy, coord.

• Shoots TBD date (flexible) remotely.

• Seeking—Techies with Finance

bamboo.com.

Background: 26-36, Latino / Hispanic, put-together look, great verbal ability, and informative, but friendly delivery.

Role calls for becoming an expert at a financial app and walking through it off the cuff. Confidence with financial info is important.

your submission, showing us your talent!

science.com.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to emily@growwith-

• For consideration, include a video with

• Be sure your video is well-lit, and that

the video/audio quality is good. We backstage.com

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to casting@tube• Pays $200/flat for a non-union, all

media buyout.

• Casting a racially ambiguous female

• Company: networkgray. Staff: Moe

Elgawly, prod.

• Shoots Aug. 26 (four-five hours) in NYC

or Philadelphia, PA.

• Seeking—Model: female, 23-35, all

ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions from NY and PA. • Submit relevant fashion-related photos

to info@networkgray.com.

• Pays $400. Travel compensation

provided.

Promotional & Event Modeling High Fashion Shoot, 24k Gold Jewelry • Casting a male model for an upcoming

photo and video shoot showcasing a high-end, luxurious, 24k gold jewelry brand.

• Company: Ruckus.

• Shoots Aug. 26 in a newly converted

vault turned event venue.

• Seeking—Male Lead: male, 23-50, all

ethnicities, for a high fashion jewelry shoot.

• Seeking submissions from PA. • Send submissions to emilys@ruckus-

marketing.com.

• Pays $500-700/day (depending on

experience level).

Comedians & Improv Live Monthly Virtual Improv Comedy Shows • Casting live monthly virtual improv

comedy shows taped and posted online on company’s LAC (LA Connection Comedy) YouTube channel. When our theatre reopens local talent can perform regularly, plus other bookings including comedy clubs, camps, corporations, parties and events. Some shows are streamed live worldwide. Company states: “We have four teams. An international team, two U.S. adult teams and a teen team. We are expanding more worldwide adult, teens and kids teams. LAC was founded in 1977 by Kent Skov.

Skov has worked with Second City founder Paul Sills and long from Harold creator Del Close. Skov is a member of the Writers and Directors Guild since 1984 and was nominated for a CableAce award for ‘Best Comedy Special.’ Famous alumni

39

include Will Ferrell, Matthew Perry, Josh Groban, Hank Azaria, Cedric Yarbrough, Taylor Negron, Jon Lovitz, Chris Kattan, Mindy Sterling, Sharon Lawrence, Stephanie Miller, Shannon Elizabeth, Victoria Jackson and Emmy award winning creator producer of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,’ Amy Sherman-Palladino. LAC was also the company that produced cult hit TV series Mad Movies that ran for seven years.”

• Company: LA Connection Comedy

Theatre. Staff: Kent Skov, prod.-dir.

• Talent works remotely, dates TBD. • Seeking—Ensemble Improv Performer:

all genders, 5+, all ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to kentskov@aol.

com.

• Auditions are online and will last 75

minutes. All improv nothing needs to be prepared.

• Unpaid. Company states: “When our

theatre opens up again we share 25-35% of the box office split equally with each team. We also have paid jobs for corporations, camps, parties and events. All TV or film jobs are union contracts.” LAC is a dues based company.

Workshops ‘The Instrumental Membership: Guided Online Practice Sessions’ • Seeking actors for a guided online

workshop. Artistic director states: “Come join our guided, twice-weekly online practice sessions covering the basics of our proven, cutting-edge approach. Each one-hour session includes exercises in presencing, relaxation, impulsivity, sensory work, and instrumental exercises designed to free blocks to experiencing and expressing.

Structured like a gym membership to provide each actor with the most powerful workout available regardless of your current way of working, these sessions are ideal for experienced as well as newer actors looking for tools to build their own daily practice.”

• Company: The Folster Studio. Staff:

Sean Patrick Folster, facilitator-artistic dir.

• Workshop runs Tuesdays and Fridays

(2:30-3:30 p.m. EST) between Sept.

1-25.

• Seeking—Actors: 20-61, advanced

beginners to professional actors welcome, regardless of prior training or way of working.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to info@thefolster-

studio.com.

• For complete info regarding this work-

shop and/or other online learning opportunities, visit thefolsterstudio. com.

• Workshop fee: $110/month for eight

one-hour practice sessions.

VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices

08.20.20 BACKSTAGE

Ask An Expert Agents Auditions Finances Headshots Television Theater Unions Voiceover

Q:

Is there any advantage for an actor to become an LLC or S Corp? Which one would be good to choose and why?

—@TheRealActor, Backstage Community Forums

Our Expert Clay Banks is an acting and business coach.

*Submit questions for our Experts on Backstage’s Facebook or Twitter accounts or via our forums page at backstage.com/forums!

The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.

BACKSTAGE 08.20.20

40

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: MARGARET RULING/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; BANKS: COURTESY CLAY BANKS

First off, it’s imperative to know that each state has its own set of laws and qualifications with regard to these different business formations. I highly recommend that you consult with a certified tax accountant where you reside before making any major decisions.

Next, you should take a look not only at how much money you’re earning, but what you speculate your earning reality to be over the next several years. My personal suggestion is that until you pass $75,000 in annual income and begin approaching or surpassing $100,000 annually, and you own significant assets, it’s best not to mess with incorporating. It allows for asset protection and tax benefits, but it’s somewhat complicated, as well as costly, and requires a bit of ongoing maintenance.

You’re probably aware that most who earn their income in the entertainment industry deal with high levels of income inconsistency. The real question to ask yourself is not so much about deciding between incorporating as an LLC or an S Corp, but whether to incorporate at all.

Making this decision is something that should be thoroughly fleshed out with a tax professional before pulling the trigger.

An actor is considered a solopreneur—an individual responsible for running a one-person business. That being the case, there are two main advantages to incorporating: tax writeoffs and personal liability protection. If you’re earning enough money to consider becoming incorporated, the way the tax laws are right now, it’s a big advantage to be set up as an LLC or an S Corp. Being a W-2 actor is much less complicated, but it has extremely limited tax benefits, as you’re not permitted to deduct any of your expenses. Filing as a business allows for most of your deductions to be written off. But once again, your personal income level, assets, and earning consistency should be key to your decision-making.

I’m an acting, life, and business coach, so use this advice as a door opener, not the be-all, endall on the subject. Talk to a licensed financial adviser if you want to learn more.

GET GIGS. Sonicbids helps you book gigs and market yourself to our network of 30,000 promoters. Play the stages of Bonnaroo and SXSW. Get your music in ďŹ lm and on TV, including CBS and PBS.

www.sonicbids.com/theburningofrome Photo: The Joelsons

Get started at sonicbids.com SonicBids_0725_FP.indd 1

7/22/13 3:45 PM

STARS AREN’T BORN, THEY’RE MADE

Hard-core training for Musical Theater performers who want to realize their potential as great actors.

Earn a college degree while working all day, every day on your craft.

Find out how at nycda.edu

@nyconservatory