The Talent Managers Association last week celebrated "An Evening With CBS" at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. The event featured a preview of the network's new fall shows and a casting panel moderated by Robert J. Dowling, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter, a sister publication of Back Stage.
Guest speaker Ann Donahue, executive producer and show runner of "CSI: Miami," kicked things off by focusing on the importance of talent managers and their actor clients. When you think of the various "CSI" series, she said, you think of the actors. "I am very proud of the 'CSI' franchise in that we don't think actors are replaceable, like some other franchises do," she said. "We don't think they're interchangeable. They're unique."
Donahue cited William Petersen, star of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," as a prime example. "We were writing him as a hero," she said, remembering the early stages of the show's development. "He brought all the writers in a room and he said, 'Can I be wrong?' And we're like, 'No, you're a star.' And he said, 'No, no—I mean in the script, can I be wrong?' It really opened up a lot for us that Billy was confident enough to know that there's more power and there's more drama in not always being right…. That speaks to the power that an actor has: Actors are usually the smartest ones in the room."
The panel discussed the difficult process of casting a pilot, which requires the combined efforts of the studio, the network, the show's producers, and casting directors. "There are no rules," said Peter Golden, executive vice president of talent and casting at CBS. "Every situation's different…but I think what we all go for is, there's that actor that's going to take a character that you're reading about and you're hearing dialogue, and suddenly [make it] a real [person]."
The panel named several actors in the network's latest crop of pilots who turned a role into something a bit different from what was initially envisioned. One example: veteran screen and stage actor Mandy Patinkin, who plays the lead in the upcoming drama "Criminal Minds."
"I think Mandy was the furthest person from what we originally set out to do, which was your down-the-middle leading man," said Lucy Cavallo, CBS's vice president of casting, drama. "And then as the creative process [developed] and Mandy's name came up for a number of things…the producers got excited about it, and we got excited about it, and all of a sudden, now you watch that pilot and hopefully a very successful series and I don't think you could think of anybody else in that role."
Mandate: Be Prepared
One key thing for actors and their representatives to remember, especially during the madness of pilot season: It's essential that actors are well-prepared for their auditions. "You hope that the actor has done their homework, the agent and the manager have read the breakdown, and they've given the script to their client and they've informed them about the appointment—here are the pages they're going to read and these are the sides and it's this character," said Lisa Miller Katz, casting director for the CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," which just ended a successful nine-year run. "I work really hard on my sessions—both my pre-reads and my sessions for my producers—and I hope that the actor does the same with their auditions. This is an actor's job: to audition. It's not getting the part—that's the reward."
Managers, noted the panel, can help in a couple of ways. First, they should ensure that the actor has all the necessary information. "An actor will come in with the scene and they'll ask, 'Is this a comedy or a drama?' " said Golden. "And I don't think it's because they [didn't want to] do their homework. I think it's because somewhere someone didn't provide the information, and [the actor's representative] was afraid to ask for it."
If the audition doesn't go well, sometimes an agent or manager can find out why. "Many times, with a pilot in particular, an actor comes in and they're good but not quite making it," said casting director Molly Lopata, who has cast a number of CBS miniseries and movies. "The manager, if they have a relationship with the casting director, can say, 'What did she do or what was missing? Let her come back again and let me give her those notes.' "
In addition, said the panel, doing a good job at an audition can only benefit the actor, even if he or she doesn't book the part. "Sometimes we've had people come in and test at the network two or three times and didn't quite get the role," said Cavallo, "and we've turned around in a meeting and said, 'You know who'd be great for this [other] role?' So every time an actor comes in, if they do good work, there's so much potential."
The panel also discussed "generals," or meet-and-greet interviews between actors and casting executives. Golden said that generals at CBS are held throughout the year, except during pilot season. "I love them," said Karen Church, vice president of comedy casting at CBS. "They're my favorite way to get to know an actor.... I just say, 'Relax, just be yourself. I'll talk to you a little bit about your career, but then I want to know your siblings, do your parents mind that you're an actor?' It's great because it's a way to connect and get a sense of who they are as individuals…. I call my casting directors all the time from generals and go, 'Just sit down with this person. They've got a real New York feel about them—they'd be great maybe for 'King of Queens' for an episode.' "
Golden said that for generals the network's casting department meets with actors from agencies large and small. Cavallo added that she'll often get actor referrals from casting directors she works with. As for talent that's in short supply, Golden pointed to leading men and women in their mid-30s to mid-40s as the most difficult to find.
Other panelists included Fern Orenstein, vice president of casting, movies and miniseries, at CBS, and Sheila Guthrie, senior vice president of talent and casting at Paramount Network Television.