CDs Dan Shaner and Michael Testa Talk About 'Ringer'

Sarah Michelle Gellar returns to television this fall not once but twice, in the dual role of Bridget Cafferty and her twin sister, Siobhan Martin, on the CW's "Ringer." In this one-hour drama, a troubled young woman being chased by the mob takes on the life of her wealthy, recently deceased twin.

Casting directors Dan Shaner and Michael Testa describe the show as having a film noir vibe. "It's twisty, turny, internal," says Testa. "Think Brian De Palma films from the '70s." But if you're auditioning for the show, Shaner and Testa would rather you focus on being natural instead of worrying about the noir aspect. "If you start playing it as a film noir, you might purposely play it suspicious or having some sort of agenda," says Shaner. "That becomes a bit of a giveaway. Play it real, authentic, and honest and you'll be fine."

"Look at what's on the page and try not to read too much into it," Testa advises. "A lot of things are waiting to be revealed, and there's a lot of great plot twists. You don't want to have that in the back of your mind. Make a strong choice and play it real."

Shaner and Testa think the types of actors they'll need for guest stars and co-stars will run the gamut. "We've cast a few recurring roles: [Siobhan's] husband's female business partner, some FBI guys, different people in her world—or in both of their worlds, I should say," says Shaner. "Her stepdaughter's character is probably going to have some young friends, and those girls will be in the 16-to-18-year-old range."

One of their biggest challenges so far has been casting 10-year-old identical twins to play Gellar's characters as children. "It brought back memories of 'Cold Case,' for sure," says Shaner, referring to a previous series they cast, which often flashed back to characters at a younger age. "We wanted them to look like her, to be blond, and to be strong actors, which was the most important thing, because we possibly will see those characters again. It was difficult. We looked all across the country."

"The challenge of casting every show is trying to figure out, as you're reading someone, if there's potential for the writers to be as creative as they want with this actor, as in moving in a different direction if they want to," says Testa. "We try to give them actors and performances that can spur on creativity."

Their best advice for actors auditioning for "Ringer" is to watch the show when it premieres Sept. 13. "It will give you a good sense of what we're doing," Testa says. "It's a show that's going to have a lot of surprises and keep everybody on their toes."

"It's pretty unique in terms of tone—really remarkable," says Shaner. "We're pretty happy we got the chance to do this."

Shaner/Testa Casting, 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Building J, 2nd Floor, Culver City, CA 90232.