Anthony Barnao, like many casting directors, began his career as an actor in New York. His teacher, the great Jos Quintero, urged him to pursue directing, as well, and while he was in New York he did both. When he moved to Los Angeles, however, Barnao found himself discouraged by the limited opportunities for young character actors. He volunteered to work for his agent in an effort to learn more about the business. Shortly thereafter, he became an agent himself, with a teenage Rob Lowe signed as his first client.
After four years of that, however, Barnao found agency work creatively stiffling. But casting director Joanna Ray, with whom he had developed a strong working relationship, encouraged Barnao to try casting. He's been much happier and quite prolific since.
His work has included pilots, series, and MOWs like Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story, Conviction: The Kitty Dodd Story, Face of a Stranger with Gena Rowlands, and In the Best Interest of the Children with Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as the features Re-Animator and Trancers. Stage work has included Bermuda Avenue Triangle, Delirious, Isn't It Romantic, and Translations. Barnao served as resident casting director of the L.A. Stage Company from 1984-'85, and as director of casting for movies and miniseries for CBS 1989-'90.
While casting is his profession, Barnao's commitment to the theatre has never wavered. He is the founder and artistic director of the Blue Sphere Alliance theatre company, which operates out of the Lex Theatre in Hollywood. Barnao directed its current production, Lovers and Other Strangers, which will run through March. Additionally, Barnao has directed an independent feature, several shorts, and is teaching a weekly acting class. And somehow, he also manages to find time for his job, casting the NBC series The Profiler.
Back Stage West: You are one of the few casting directors I know who actually directs people during auditions. Most casting directors want you to nail it immediately, but you always take the time to offer adjustments. In the old days, that used to be the norm.
Anthony Barnao: Well, in the old days, a lot of casting people came out of New York theatre. They understood the profession and what an actor's craft is. It wasn't just business. And they weren't promoted just because they were someone's assistant for a year. Now, a lot of casting directors don't understand the process. Producers can be the same way. I've been in sessions where an actor will leave and the director or producer might say, "I just see the scene not quite that way. A little angrier," and I get frustrated. They don't seem to understand that actors can make changes.
BSW: Actors are constantly beating themselves up when they're not cast, and it often doesn't have anything to do with their talent. Do you have any advice on that?
Barnao: Unless you're the star of the show who's already cast, no matter who you are or at what level, you are piece of a puzzle. You're never cast as an individual entity. It's, "Do they look like the person who we already cast as our leading man? Can we cast someone who's 5'7" opposite a woman who's 5'11"? We already have two long-haired blondes." There are so many extenuating circumstances beyond how well you auditioned. You could do a great reading, but not be the right piece to fit into the puzzle.
So my advice is to do the thing that you love to do. If you're an actor, you don't have to wait for the TV and film business to hire you to be an actor. There's tons of theatre around town that you can get involved in. You know, painters paint, even when they're not selling. Dancers go to dance class every day, even if they're not dancing. It seems to me that actors often sit and get passive while they wait for their opportunities to act.
BSW: What can actors expect when they come in to audition for you? Is there anything that drives you crazy?
Barnao: The thing that really bothers me is when an actor's carriage and the way they look as a person implies a lack of commitment or caring. Kids will come in like they just rolled out of bed! I want to get a sense that they know they're coming to someone's office. I'm not saying you have to come in all dressed up, but come in looking like you pulled yourself together.
And I want to get a sense that people are happy to be here, that they prepared, that they're ready to do it. I'm not interested in people being off the page every moment, I'm interested in people committing themselves to the work and giving me a sense of them as a person. When they bring themselves to a role, that's what makes a reading unique.
BSW: Is there anything else that bothers you?
Barnao: I think that people who have an attitude about themselves, who walk in too cocky, hurt themselves with me, because somehow I feel like I have to make it my mission to make them modest. I love confidence, but I don't necessarily like cockiness. Confidence is another thing, though. There's nothing like a confident, strong actor. I like actors who like and feel good about themselves, as long as they maintain a reality.
BSW: Many years ago, an agent advised me to turn down day player work after I had done it for several years. He was afraid I'd be stuck in that category in the minds of casting directors. Do you think there's truth in that?
Barnao: You can't necessarily classify all day player work as smaller roles. Sometimes, a day player may have three pages of brilliant dialogue. But in general, if you've done quite a bit of that kind of work and you and your agent feel that your work is deserving of more, I don't think it's inappropriate to hold out for more substantial parts. Just remember that as a day player, you have the opportunity to do a lot of watching and learning on the set.
BSW: Why do you think it's so difficult to get casting directors to come to the theatre? It's like there are two separate worlds between theatre and film in L.A., and it seems impossible to get them to meet.
Barnao: It's ridiculous. Look at England, where someone stars in a play in the West End, then they do a movie, then an episode of television. It's all about quality. I think even New York is OK that way. Someone who does a commercial is gonna go do an independent film the next day and then perform in a theatre.
But I think if people are concerned that casting directors don't go to the theatre enough in L.A., their emphasis is wrong. They're doing theatre to get seen rather than doing theatre because they love it. You don't go to a gym and look for body building competition awards, so why would you go to theatre just to look for a television or film job? If you do theatre to serve theatre and just love acting, chances are you will stand out and will get noticed. If you treat theatre as a showcase, it shows in your performance. There's a "look at me, aren't I good?" attitude that comes across.
BSW: You're absolutely right, but in L.A., the reality is that most theatre is Equity Waiver, so the actors need to use theatre to get paying work. They're not just saying "look at me," they're saying, "I'm a really wonderful actor and I'd like to be discovered."
Barnao: I totally agree with you. Unfortunately, most of the casting directors out here spend more of their time going to screenings or watching television. I understand that, too. I don't want to suggest that there's anything wrong with hoping and wanting blessings to come out of doing theatre work. But I do think the actors' intention still needs to be about serving the play. It can't be because you're not getting TV and film work. Do it for the right reasons and hopefully, the other part will come along.
BSW: Is there anything else that you'd like to say to actors?
Barnao: I think the biggest thing to remember is that the odds of leaving the office with the job are always minimal because there are so many actors out there. So you always want to walk out with the sense that you did your best and the knowledge that you are a valid person. Come in with a sense of pride and integrity about doing your work and if you leave the office and you did a great audition, that's a victory. Be proud of that. Success will come at the right time, not the soonest time. It will happen when it's supposed to and when you're ready for it. BSW
You may contact Anthony Barnao and his assistant, Scott Plimpton, at:
Anthony Barnao
c/o Profiler
8660 Hayden Place
Culver City, CA 90232