Casting director Sheila Manning of Sheila Manning Casting will appear on the Actorfest LA panel "TV and Film: How To Get In and Stay In," from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 16. She will be joined by Lauren Bass of Mali Finn Casting and Jill Bandemer of E! Entertainment Casting in a discussion moderated by Back Stage National Film & TV Editor Jenelle Riley.
Actorfest LA is Back Stage West's annual trade show, offering industry workshops, panel discussions, Q&As, and an exhibition hall.
Recently voted Best Commercial Casting Director by BSW readers in our Best of L.A. poll, Manning has built a reputation as an "actor-friendly" CD throughout her 40 years in the entertainment industry. "I still love getting up in the morning to come to work. I love what I do," she told Back Stage in a July 20 interview. Manning, who has given early breaks to such actors as Farrah Fawcett, River Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Elijah Wood, and Shannen Doherty, estimates she has cast between 60,000 and 100,000 commercial—and often casts as many as 15 in one day. She says discovering new talent is one of the perks of commercial casting: "I love commercials. It's fast. It's been fun for me because changes are always there…. You get to get to the performers before they make it."
To register, or for more information about Actorfest LA, visit Actorfestla.com.