About
"So many times an actor will come in and not even think they're right for the role. And your encouragement makes them blossom right there in the room. You see it happen. That's one of the great parts of the job."
In her three-hour interview, Sharon Bialy discusses growing up in Brooklyn, NY and her early love of theater. She shares how she came out to Los Angeles and got her start in casting, how she formed a partnership with Rick Pagano, and talks about several of the early television projects she cast, including The Young Riders, Picket Fences, and The Mind of the Married Man. She recalls how she met Sherry Thomas and how they formed their partnership, which continues to this day. Bialy then discusses casting The Unit, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead (from season 3 on), Halt and Catch Fire, The Last Tycoon, The Handmaid's Tale, The Act, The Comedy Rule, Julia, Perry Mason, Vice Principals, Barry, and several other shows. She shares how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted casting, talks about the craft of casting, and offers advice to both aspiring casting directors and aspiring actors. B-roll features memorabilia from Breaking Bad, plus books that were turned into television projects that she worked on. Amy Harrington conducted the interview on October 18, 2023 in Santa Monica, CA.
Highlights
Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit
Sharon Bialy on casting Bryan Cranston as "Walter White" on Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on casting Steven Yeun on The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on lessening the pay gap between male and female leads on Halt and Catch Fire, and on her observations of pay equity negotiations in recent years
Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director
Sharon Bialy on her favorite thing about casting - reading with actors
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her childhood in Brooklyn, NY and her early love of theater; on going to college in Minnesota and majoring in theater and minoring in dance; on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director; on watching television with her mother; on what brought her out to LA and how she got her start in casting; on the structure of a casting office; on casting commercials early in her career -- and on the limitations of casting at that time and her biggest takeaways from those early years; on working with Rick Pagano; on casting her early TV projects; on how casting for television compares to casting for film, theater, and commercials
On meeting David E. Kelley and casting Picket Fences; on casting The Mind of the Married Man; on meeting and forming a professional partnership with Sherry Thomas, and on their process for working together
On casting The Unit and bringing in a diverse group of actors
On how she got involved with casting Breaking Bad and on casting the major and supporting roles on the show; on casting a lot of local New Mexico actors on Breaking Bad, on how the show's producers would weigh in from location on actors cast in LA, on network approvals for the show, and on not being pressured to cast celebrities
Chapter 2
On Robert Forster getting an offer to play the fixer, and on casting Raymond Cruz on Breaking Bad; on not casting known celebrities, but the cast becoming big stars on Breaking Bad; on how budgets impacted casting on Breaking Bad, and on working with AMC; on her first Emmy nomination -- for Breaking Bad, and on actors she cast winning Emmys; on how casting Breaking Bad impacted her career and on casting a lot of comedians on the show
On working with Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould on casting Better Call Saul, and on casting the leading roles
On the craft of acting -- her favorite thing about casting; on the role of a casting director, her responsibilities as a casting director, on actors being attached to a project, how she finds actors, and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted casting protocols; on how emerging technology has impacted casting over the years, and on on whether or not good casting can save poor writing and whether or not poor casting can take down a script
On casting The Walking Dead; on casting Fear the Walking Dead from season three on
On casting Halt and Catch Fire and the pilot of Gotham
Chapter 3
On casting the Amazon Prime series The Last Tycoon; on casting The Handmaid's Tale
On casting the Hulu miniseries The Act; on casting actors to play high-profile, real people, as with The Comey Rule; on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason and on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia; on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader; on working with HBO over the years
On how casting and opportunities have changed since she first started in the business; on the value of oral histories; on advice to an aspiring casting director and an aspiring actor; on her proudest career achievement and career regrets; on how she'd like to be remembered
B-roll of some memorabilia from Breaking Bad and of books that were turned into television projects that she worked on
Shows
Act, The
Sharon Bialy on casting the Hulu miniseries The Act
Barry
Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader
Better Call Saul
Sharon Bialy on working with Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould on casting Better Call Saul
Sharon Bialy on submissions for a show like Better Call Saul and on how the casting process works
Sharon Bialy on auditioning actors with fake sides -- as with Rhea Seehorn for Better Call Saul -- and on casting other roles on the show
Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on how she got involved with casting Breaking Bad, and on casting the major and supporting roles on the show
Sharon Bialy on casting a lot of local New Mexico actors on Breaking Bad, on how the show's producers would weigh in from location on actors cast in LA, on network approvals for the show, and on not being pressured to cast celebrities
Sharon Bialy on Robert Forster getting an offer to play the fixer, and on casting Raymond Cruz on Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on not casting known celebrities, but having the actors she cast become big stars on Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on how budgets impacted casting on Breaking Bad, and on working with AMC
Sharon Bialy on her first Emmy nomination -- for Breaking Bad, and on actors she cast winning Emmys
Sharon Bialy on how casting Breaking Bad impacted her career, and on casting a lot of comedians on Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on B-roll of some memorabilia from Breaking Bad
Comey Rule, The
Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project -- as with Jeff Daniels in The Comey Rule
Sharon Bialy on casting actors to play high-profile, real people, as with The Comey Rule
Fear the Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on casting Fear the Walking Dead from season three on
Gotham
Sharon Bialy on casting the pilot of Gotham
Halt and Catch Fire
Sharon Bialy on casting Halt and Catch Fire and working with Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers
Sharon Bialy on lessening the pay gap between male and female leads on Halt and Catch Fire, and on her observations of pay equity negotiations in recent years
Handmaid's Tale, The
Sharon Bialy on casting The Handmaid's Tale
Invasion
Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors
Julia (2022-)
Sharon Bialy on casting Sarah Lancashire in the 2022 HBO series Julia
Sharon Bialy on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia
Last Tycoon, The
Sharon Bialy on casting the Amazon Prime series The Last Tycoon, which was set in the 1930s
Mind of the Married Man, The
Sharon Bialy on casting The Mind of the Married Man -- her first television project with Sherry Thomas, who would become her casting partner
On Fire
Sharon Bialy on her first TV project as a casting director (while still working under Rick Pagano), the TV movie On Fire, and on learning how to do contracts
Perry Mason (2020-23)
Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason
Picket Fences
Sharon Bialy on meeting David E. Kelley and casting Picket Fences
Star Trek
Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director
Unit, The
Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and bringing in a diverse group of actors
Vice Principals
Sharon Bialy on Danny McBride giving her a chance to cast her first comedic TV show -- Vice Principals
Walking Dead, The
Sharon Bialy on casting The Walking Dead and working with Frank Darabont in season one
Sharon Bialy on working with multiple showrunners over the course of The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead, and on casting specific roles
Topics
Advice
Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director
Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director
Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring actor
COVID-19 Pandemic
Sharon Bialy on submissions for a show like Better Call Saul, and on how the casting process works -- and how casting was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Sharon Bialy on casting a lot of theater actors during early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on how the pandemic impacted casting protocols
Emmy Awards
Sharon Bialy on her first Emmy nomination -- for Breaking Bad, and on actors she cast winning Emmys
Fame and Celebrity
Sharon Bialy on not casting known celebrities, but having the actors she cast become big stars on Breaking Bad
First Big Break
Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting
Health and Medicine
Sharon Bialy on submissions for a show like Better Call Saul, and on how the casting process works -- and how casting was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Sharon Bialy on casting a lot of theater actors during early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on how the pandemic impacted casting protocols
Historic Events and Social Change
Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit
Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director
Sharon Bialy on the international reach and diversity of actors on The Unit, and on casting veterans
Sharon Bialy on submissions for a show like Better Call Saul, and on how the casting process works -- and how casting was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Sharon Bialy on casting a lot of theater actors during early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on how the pandemic impacted casting protocols
Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on casting Danai Gurira on The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on lessening the pay gap between male and female leads on Halt and Catch Fire, and on her observations of pay equity negotiations in recent years
Sharon Bialy on colorblind casting, and casting Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's Tale
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now
People with Disabilities
Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now
Pivotal Career Moments
Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting
Pop Culture
Sharon Bialy on not casting known celebrities, but having the actors she cast become big stars on Breaking Bad
Representation on Television
Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit
Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director
Sharon Bialy on the international reach and diversity of actors on The Unit, and on casting veterans
Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on casting Danai Gurira on The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on lessening the pay gap between male and female leads on Halt and Catch Fire, and on her observations of pay equity negotiations in recent years
Sharon Bialy on colorblind casting, and casting Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's Tale
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now
Technological Innovation
Sharon Bialy on how emerging technology has impacted casting over the years
Television Industry
Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring actor
Sharon Bialy on how casting has changed since she first started in the business
Underrepresented Voices
Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit
Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director
Sharon Bialy on the international reach and diversity of actors on The Unit, and on casting veterans
Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on casting Danai Gurira on The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on colorblind casting, and casting Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's Tale
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now
Women
Sharon Bialy on lessening the pay gap between male and female leads on Halt and Catch Fire, and on her observations of pay equity negotiations in recent years
Professions
Casting Director
Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting
Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting
Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular
Sharon Bialy on casting commercials early in her career -- and on the limitations of casting at that time and her biggest takeaways from those early years
Sharon Bialy on how casting for television compares to casting for film and for theater and for commercials
Sharon Bialy on which roles she's responsible for casting as a TV casting director
Sharon Bialy on meeting and forming a professional partnership with Sherry Thomas and on their process for working together
Sharon Bialy on the stress of network casting tests (as with The Unit)
Sharon Bialy on what makes for a good relationship between a casting director and a show creator -- like the relationship she has with Vince Gilligan
Sharon Bialy on pay for casting directors, and casting getting recognition by the Television Academy but not by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
Sharon Bialy on submissions for a show like Better Call Saul, and on how the casting process works -- and how casting was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Sharon Bialy on how she and Sherry Thomas resolve differences of opinion in casting
Sharon Bialy on auditioning actors with fake sides
Sharon Bialy on how AI might impact casting and actors in the future
Sharon Bialy on her favorite thing about casting - reading with actors
Sharon Bialy on the role of a casting director
Sharon Bialy on her responsibilities as a casting director
Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project
Sharon Bialy on how she finds actors
Sharon Bialy on casting a lot of theater actors during early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on how the pandemic impacted casting protocols
Sharon Bialy on how emerging technology has impacted casting over the years
Sharon Bialy on whether or not good casting can save poor writing and whether or not poor casting can take down a script
Sharon Bialy on what she looks for in a lead actor
Sharon Bialy on working with agents
Sharon Bialy on the physicality sometimes required for roles
Sharon Bialy on lessening the pay gap between male and female leads on Halt and Catch Fire, and on her observations of pay equity negotiations in recent years
Sharon Bialy on how casting has changed since she first started in the business
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry
Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director
Performers
Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring actor
Talent Professionals
Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular
Sharon Bialy on casting commercials early in her career -- and on the limitations of casting at that time and her biggest takeaways from those early years
Sharon Bialy on how casting for television compares to casting for film and for theater and for commercials
Sharon Bialy on which roles she's responsible for casting as a TV casting director
Sharon Bialy on meeting and forming a professional partnership with Sherry Thomas and on their process for working together
Sharon Bialy on the stress of network casting tests (as with The Unit)
Sharon Bialy on what makes for a good relationship between a casting director and a show creator -- like the relationship she has with Vince Gilligan
Sharon Bialy on pay for casting directors, and casting getting recognition by the Television Academy but not by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
Sharon Bialy on submissions for a show like Better Call Saul, and on how the casting process works -- and how casting was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Sharon Bialy on how she and Sherry Thomas resolve differences of opinion in casting
Sharon Bialy on auditioning actors with fake sides
Sharon Bialy on how AI might impact casting and actors in the future
Sharon Bialy on her favorite thing about casting - reading with actors
Sharon Bialy on the role of a casting director
Sharon Bialy on her responsibilities as a casting director
Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project
Sharon Bialy on how she finds actors
Sharon Bialy on casting a lot of theater actors during early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on how the pandemic impacted casting protocols
Sharon Bialy on how emerging technology has impacted casting over the years
Sharon Bialy on whether or not good casting can save poor writing and whether or not poor casting can take down a script
Sharon Bialy on what she looks for in a lead actor
Sharon Bialy on working with agents
Sharon Bialy on the physicality sometimes required for roles
Sharon Bialy on lessening the pay gap between male and female leads on Halt and Catch Fire, and on her observations of pay equity negotiations in recent years
Sharon Bialy on how casting has changed since she first started in the business
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry
Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director
Genres
Comedy Series
Sharon Bialy on casting The Mind of the Married Man -- her first television project with Sherry Thomas, who would become her casting partner
Sharon Bialy on Danny McBride giving her a chance to cast her first comedic TV show -- Vice Principals
Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader
Drama Series
Sharon Bialy on meeting David E. Kelley and casting Picket Fences
Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and bringing in a diverse group of actors
Sharon Bialy on how she got involved with casting Breaking Bad and on casting the major and supporting roles on the show; on casting a lot of local New Mexico actors on Breaking Bad, on how the show's producers would weigh in from location on actors cast in LA, on network approvals for the show, and on not being pressured to cast celebrities
Sharon Bialy on casting Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
Sharon Bialy on casting Sarah Lancashire on the 2022 HBO series Julia
Sharon Bialy on casting Halt and Catch Fire and the pilot of Gotham
Sharon Bialy on casting the Amazon Prime series The Last Tycoon
Sharon Bialy on casting The Handmaid's Tale
Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason
Sharon Bialy on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia
Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series
Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director
Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion and how she finds international actors
Sharon Bialy on casting The Walking Dead; on casting Fear the Walking Dead from season three on
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Sharon Bialy on her first TV project as a casting director (while still working under Rick Pagano), the TV movie On Fire and learning how to do contracts
Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project -- as with Jeff Daniels in The Comey Rule
Sharon Bialy on casting the Hulu miniseries The Act
Sharon Bialy on casting actors to play high-profile, real people, as with The Comey Rule
Western Series
Sharon Bialy on her first TV project as a solo casting director -- the TV series The Young Riders
People
Shamier Anderson
Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors
Patricia Arquette
Sharon Bialy on casting Patricia Arquette in the Hulu miniseries The Act
Kathy Baker
Sharon Bialy on casting Kathy Baker on Picket Fences
Jonathan Banks
Sharon Bialy on casting Jonathan Banks on Breaking Bad
Kingsley Ben-Adir
Sharon Bialy on casting Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama in The Comey Rule
Alec Berg
Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader
Jon Bernthal
Sharon Bialy on casting Jon Bernthal on The Walking Dead
Mike Binder
Sharon Bialy on casting The Mind of the Married Man
Kerry Bishe
Sharon Bialy on casting Kerry Bishe on Halt and Catch Fire
Ellen Blake
Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting
Michael Bowen
Sharon Bialy on Michael Bowen's audition for Breaking Bad
Betsy Brandt
Sharon Bialy on casting Betsy Brandt on Breaking Bad
Madeline Brewer
Sharon Bialy on casting Madeline Brewer on The Handmaid's Tale, and on the sensitive topics covered in auditions
Carol Burnett
Sharon Bialy on casting Carol Burnett on Better Call Saul
Christopher Cantwell
Sharon Bialy on casting Halt and Catch Fire and working with Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers
Anthony Carrigan
Sharon Bialy on casting Anthony Carrigan on Barry
Sharon Bialy on Anthony Carrigan's audition for Barry
Don Cheadle
Sharon Bialy on casting Don Cheadle on Picket Fences
Julia Child
Sharon Bialy on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia, and on filming being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Lauren Cohan
Sharon Bialy on casting Lauren Cohan on The Walking Dead
Bryan Cranston
Sharon Bialy on casting Bryan Cranston as "Walter White" on Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on casting Anna Gunn on Breaking Bad and her great chemistry with Bryan Cranston
Sharon Bialy on when actors she cast win Emmys
Raymond Cruz
Sharon Bialy on Raymond Cruz's audition for Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on casting Raymond Cruz in Breaking Bad
Tony Dalton
Sharon Bialy on casting Tony Dalton on Better Call Saul
Jeff Daniels
Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project -- as with Jeff Daniels in The Comey Rule
Frank Darabont
Sharon Bialy on casting The Walking Dead and working with Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd on season one
Mackenzie Davis
Sharon Bialy on casting Mackenzie Davis on Halt and Catch Fire
Ann Dowd
Sharon Bialy on casting Ann Dowd on The Handmaid's Tale
Susan Downey
Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason
Giancarlo Esposito
Sharon Bialy on casting Giancarlo Esposito on Breaking Bad
Patrick Fabian
Sharon Bialy on casting Patrick Fabian on Better Call Saul
O-T Fagbenle
Sharon Bialy on casting O-T Fagbenle on The Handmaid's Tale
Golshifteh Farahani
Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors
Joseph Fiennes
Sharon Bialy on casting Joseph Fiennes on The Handmaid's Tale
Robert Forster
Sharon Bialy on Vince Gilligan offering Robert Forster a role on Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on Robert Forster getting an offer to play the fixer on Breaking Bad
Brendan Fraser
Sharon Bialy on recognizing Brendan Fraser's talent early on
Gohar Gazazyan
Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular
Sharon Bialy on casting the Amazon Prime series The Last Tycoon, which was set in the 1930s
Sharon Bialy on casting actors to play high-profile, real people, as with The Comey Rule
Vince Gilligan
Sharon Bialy on how she got involved with casting Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on Vince Gilligan's casting philosophy on Breaking Bad and what makes for a good relationship between a casting director and a show creator
Sharon Bialy on network approvals for casting Breaking Bad, and on Vince Gilligan not seeking out celebrities for the cast
Sharon Bialy on casting Michael McKean on Better Call Saul
Sharon Bialy on casting Carol Burnett on Better Call Saul
Scott M. Gimple
Sharon Bialy on working with multiple showrunners over the course of The Walking Dead - Scott M. Gimple
Brendan Gleeson
Sharon Bialy on casting Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump in The Comey Rule
Sarah Goldberg
Sharon Bialy on casting Sarah Goldberg on Barry
Anna Gunn
Sharon Bialy on casting Anna Gunn on Breaking Bad and her great chemistry with Bryan Cranston
Sharon Bialy on when actors she cast win Emmys
Danai Gurira
Sharon Bialy on casting Danai Gurira on The Walking Dead
Bill Hader
Sharon Bialy on when actors she cast win Emmys
Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader
Eric Haney
Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and working with Shawn Ryan, David Mamet, and Eric Haney
Dennis Haysbert
Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit
Gale Anne Hurd
Sharon Bialy on casting The Walking Dead and working with Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd on season one
Michael Irby
Sharon Bialy on Michael Irby's audition for The Unit
Leslie Jordan
Sharon Bialy on getting Leslie Jordan his SAG card by casting him in an industrial commercial
Angela Kang
Sharon Bialy on working with multiple showrunners over the course of The Walking Dead - Angela Kang
David E. Kelley
Sharon Bialy on meeting David E. Kelley and casting Picket Fences
Simon Kinberg
Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors
Joey King
Sharon Bialy on casting Joey King in the Hulu miniseries The Act
Shioli Kutsuna
Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors
Sarah Lancashire
Sharon Bialy on casting Sarah Lancashire on the 2022 HBO series Julia
Sharon Bialy on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia, and on filming being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Andrew Lincoln
Sharon Bialy on casting Andrew Lincoln on The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on Andrew Lincoln's audition process for The Walking Dead
Warren Littlefield
Sharon Bialy on casting The Handmaid's Tale
David Mamet
Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and working with Shawn Ryan, David Mamet, and Eric Haney
Michael Mando
Sharon Bialy on casting Michael Mando on Better Call Saul
Mark Margolis
Sharon Bialy on casting Mark Margolis on Breaking Bad
Marlee Matlin
Sharon Bialy on Marlee Matlin's casting on Picket Fences
Glen Mazzara
Sharon Bialy on working with multiple showrunners over the course of The Walking Dead - Glen Mazzara
Danny McBride
Sharon Bialy on Danny McBride giving her a chance to cast her first comedic TV show -- Vice Principals
Michael McKean
Sharon Bialy on casting Michael McKean on Better Call Saul
Scoot McNairy
Sharon Bialy on casting Scoot McNairy on Halt and Catch Fire
Bruce Miller
Sharon Bialy on casting The Handmaid's Tale
Max Minghella
Sharon Bialy on casting Max Minghella on The Handmaid's Tale
RJ Mitte
Sharon Bialy on casting RJ Mitte on Breaking Bad
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Sharon Bialy on casting Jeffrey Dean Morgan on The Walking Dead
Elisabeth Moss
Sharon Bialy on Elisabeth Moss already being attached to star on The Handmaid's Tale
Nichelle Nichols
Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director
Dean Norris
Sharon Bialy on casting Dean Norris on Breaking Bad
Barack Obama
Sharon Bialy on casting Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama in The Comey Rule
Bob Odenkirk
Sharon Bialy on casting Bob Odenkirk on Breaking Bad
Lee Pace
Sharon Bialy on casting Lee Pace on Halt and Catch Fire
Rick Pagano
Sharon Bialy on how she met and started working with Rick Pagano, and how she became a casting assistant on Blue Velvet
Sharon Bialy on her professional partnership with Rick Pagano, and on primarily casting theater and movies
Aaron Paul
Sharon Bialy on casting Aaron Paul on Breaking Bad
John Pirruccello
Sharon Bialy on casting John Pirruccello on Barry
Billy Ray
Sharon Bialy on casting Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump in The Comey Rule
Norman Reedus
Sharon Bialy on casting Norman Reedus on The Walking Dead
Sharon Bialy on Norman Reedus' audition process for The Walking Dead
Lauren Ridloff
Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead, and on suggesting casting a deaf actor on the show, leading to casting Lauren Ridloff
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now
Chandler Riggs
Sharon Bialy on casting Chandler Riggs on The Walking Dead, and on casting children to grow into a role over time
Christopher C. Rogers
Sharon Bialy on casting Halt and Catch Fire and working with Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers
Stephen Root
Sharon Bialy on casting Stephen Root on Barry
Shawn Ryan
Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and working with Shawn Ryan, David Mamet, and Eric Haney
Juliet Rylance
Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason
Shane Salerno
Sharon Bialy on casting Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama in The Comey Rule
Russell Scott
Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular
Rhea Seehorn
Sharon Bialy on auditioning actors with fake sides -- as with Rhea Seehorn for Better Call Saul
Fred Specktor
Sharon Bialy on an almost career regret
Dawn Steinberg
Sharon Bialy on how she got involved with casting Breaking Bad
Sharon Bialy on network approvals for casting Breaking Bad
Shoshannah Stern
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now
Yvonne Strahovski
Sharon Bialy on casting Yvonne Strahovski on The Handmaid's Tale
Regina Taylor
Sharon Bialy on casting Regina Taylor on The Unit
Sherry Thomas
Sharon Bialy on meeting and forming a professional partnership with Sherry Thomas, and on their process for working together
Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and working with Shawn Ryan, David Mamet, and Eric Haney
Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular
Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader
Billy Bob Thornton
Sharon Bialy on auditioning Billy Bob Thornton
Donald J. Trump
Sharon Bialy on casting Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump in The Comey Rule
Timothy Van Patten
Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason
Ray Walston
Sharon Bialy on casting Ray Walston on Picket Fences
Samira Wiley
Sharon Bialy on casting Samira Wiley on The Handmaid's Tale, and on the sensitive topics covered in auditions
Sharon Bialy on colorblind casting, and casting Samira Wiley on The Handmaid's Tale
Henry Winkler
Sharon Bialy on when actors she cast win Emmys
Sharon Bialy on casting Henry Winkler on Barry
Steven Yeun
Sharon Bialy on casting Steven Yeun on The Walking Dead