Sharon Bialy

Casting Director

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

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.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"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."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit

00:49

Sharon Bialy on casting Bryan Cranston as "Walter White" on Breaking Bad

03:34

Sharon Bialy on casting Steven Yeun on The Walking Dead

01:41

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

02:18

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director

01:19

Sharon Bialy on her favorite thing about casting - reading with actors

01:47

Full Interview

Play 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

01:34

Barry

Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader

03:49

Better Call Saul

Sharon Bialy on working with Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould on casting Better Call Saul

01:50

Sharon Bialy on submissions for a show like Better Call Saul and on how the casting process works

02:38

Sharon Bialy on auditioning actors with fake sides -- as with Rhea Seehorn for Better Call Saul -- and on casting other roles on the show

09:42

Breaking Bad

Sharon Bialy on how she got involved with casting Breaking Bad, and on casting the major and supporting roles on the show

22:00

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

04:46

Sharon Bialy on Robert Forster getting an offer to play the fixer, and on casting Raymond Cruz on Breaking Bad

00:39

Sharon Bialy on not casting known celebrities, but having the actors she cast become big stars on Breaking Bad

01:51

Sharon Bialy on how budgets impacted casting on Breaking Bad, and on working with AMC

01:57

Sharon Bialy on her first Emmy nomination -- for Breaking Bad, and on actors she cast winning Emmys

02:44

Sharon Bialy on how casting Breaking Bad impacted her career, and on casting a lot of comedians on Breaking Bad

02:03

Sharon Bialy on B-roll of some memorabilia from Breaking Bad

01:09

Comey Rule, The

Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project -- as with Jeff Daniels in The Comey Rule

00:36

Sharon Bialy on casting actors to play high-profile, real people, as with The Comey Rule

03:17

Fear the Walking Dead

Sharon Bialy on casting Fear the Walking Dead from season three on

01:09

Gotham

Sharon Bialy on casting the pilot of Gotham

00:40

Halt and Catch Fire

Sharon Bialy on casting Halt and Catch Fire and working with Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers

03:13

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

02:18

Handmaid's Tale, The

Sharon Bialy on casting The Handmaid's Tale

07:58

Invasion

Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors

01:09

Julia (2022-)

Sharon Bialy on casting Sarah Lancashire in the 2022 HBO series Julia

00:18

Sharon Bialy on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia

02:47

Last Tycoon, The

Sharon Bialy on casting the Amazon Prime series The Last Tycoon, which was set in the 1930s

02:26

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

01:27

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

00:55

Perry Mason (2020-23)

Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason

01:52

Picket Fences

Sharon Bialy on meeting David E. Kelley and casting Picket Fences

05:55

Star Trek

Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director

00:56

Unit, The

Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and bringing in a diverse group of actors

10:50

Vice Principals

Sharon Bialy on Danny McBride giving her a chance to cast her first comedic TV show -- Vice Principals

00:38

Walking Dead, The

Sharon Bialy on casting The Walking Dead and working with Frank Darabont in season one

03:37

Sharon Bialy on working with multiple showrunners over the course of The Walking Dead

01:38

Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead, and on casting specific roles

14:34

Topics

Advice

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director

01:19

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director

01:19

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring actor

01:46

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

02:40

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

03:47

Emmy Awards

Sharon Bialy on her first Emmy nomination -- for Breaking Bad, and on actors she cast winning Emmys

02:44

Fame and Celebrity

Sharon Bialy on not casting known celebrities, but having the actors she cast become big stars on Breaking Bad

01:51

First Big Break

Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting

01:39

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

02:40

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

03:47

Historic Events and Social Change

Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit

00:49

Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director

00:56

Sharon Bialy on the international reach and diversity of actors on The Unit, and on casting veterans

01:35

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

02:40

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

03:47

Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead

01:42

Sharon Bialy on casting Danai Gurira on The Walking Dead

01:50

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

02:18

Sharon Bialy on colorblind casting, and casting Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's Tale

00:38

Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now

00:43

People with Disabilities

Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead

01:42

Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now

00:43

Pivotal Career Moments

Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting

01:39

Pop Culture

Sharon Bialy on not casting known celebrities, but having the actors she cast become big stars on Breaking Bad

01:51

Representation on Television

Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit

00:49

Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director

00:56

Sharon Bialy on the international reach and diversity of actors on The Unit, and on casting veterans

01:35

Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead

01:42

Sharon Bialy on casting Danai Gurira on The Walking Dead

01:50

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

02:18

Sharon Bialy on colorblind casting, and casting Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's Tale

00:38

Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now

00:43

Technological Innovation

Sharon Bialy on how emerging technology has impacted casting over the years

00:44

Television Industry

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring actor

01:46

Sharon Bialy on how casting has changed since she first started in the business

00:44

Underrepresented Voices

Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit

00:49

Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director

00:56

Sharon Bialy on the international reach and diversity of actors on The Unit, and on casting veterans

01:35

Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead

01:42

Sharon Bialy on casting Danai Gurira on The Walking Dead

01:50

Sharon Bialy on colorblind casting, and casting Samira Wiley in The Handmaid's Tale

00:38

Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now

00:43

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

02:18

Professions

Casting Director

View Profession

Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting

01:39

Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting

01:39

Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular

02:02

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

02:32

Sharon Bialy on how casting for television compares to casting for film and for theater and for commercials

01:02

Sharon Bialy on which roles she's responsible for casting as a TV casting director

00:27

Sharon Bialy on meeting and forming a professional partnership with Sherry Thomas and on their process for working together

06:27

Sharon Bialy on the stress of network casting tests (as with The Unit)

00:35

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

01:50

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

00:56

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

02:38

Sharon Bialy on how she and Sherry Thomas resolve differences of opinion in casting

00:28

Sharon Bialy on auditioning actors with fake sides

02:59

Sharon Bialy on how AI might impact casting and actors in the future

00:45

Sharon Bialy on her favorite thing about casting - reading with actors

01:47

Sharon Bialy on the role of a casting director

00:53

Sharon Bialy on her responsibilities as a casting director

01:28

Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project

00:36

Sharon Bialy on how she finds actors

01:52

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

03:47

Sharon Bialy on how emerging technology has impacted casting over the years

00:44

Sharon Bialy on whether or not good casting can save poor writing and whether or not poor casting can take down a script

01:06

Sharon Bialy on what she looks for in a lead actor

01:08

Sharon Bialy on working with agents

01:35

Sharon Bialy on the physicality sometimes required for roles

00:42

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

02:19

Sharon Bialy on how casting has changed since she first started in the business

00:44

Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry

01:02

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director

01:19

Performers

View Profession

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring actor

01:46

Talent Professionals

View Profession

Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular

02:02

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

02:32

Sharon Bialy on how casting for television compares to casting for film and for theater and for commercials

01:02

Sharon Bialy on which roles she's responsible for casting as a TV casting director

00:27

Sharon Bialy on meeting and forming a professional partnership with Sherry Thomas and on their process for working together

06:27

Sharon Bialy on the stress of network casting tests (as with The Unit)

00:35

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

01:50

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

00:56

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

02:38

Sharon Bialy on how she and Sherry Thomas resolve differences of opinion in casting

00:28

Sharon Bialy on auditioning actors with fake sides

02:59

Sharon Bialy on how AI might impact casting and actors in the future

00:45

Sharon Bialy on her favorite thing about casting - reading with actors

01:47

Sharon Bialy on the role of a casting director

00:53

Sharon Bialy on her responsibilities as a casting director

01:28

Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project

00:36

Sharon Bialy on how she finds actors

01:52

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

03:47

Sharon Bialy on how emerging technology has impacted casting over the years

00:44

Sharon Bialy on whether or not good casting can save poor writing and whether or not poor casting can take down a script

01:06

Sharon Bialy on what she looks for in a lead actor

01:08

Sharon Bialy on working with agents

01:35

Sharon Bialy on the physicality sometimes required for roles

00:42

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

02:19

Sharon Bialy on how casting has changed since she first started in the business

00:44

Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry

01:02

Sharon Bialy on advice to an aspiring casting director

01:19

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

01:29

Sharon Bialy on Danny McBride giving her a chance to cast her first comedic TV show -- Vice Principals

00:38

Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader

03:49

Drama Series

Sharon Bialy on meeting David E. Kelley and casting Picket Fences

05:55

Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and bringing in a diverse group of actors

10:50

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

26:48

Sharon Bialy on casting Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul

25:03

Sharon Bialy on casting Sarah Lancashire on the 2022 HBO series Julia

00:18

Sharon Bialy on casting Halt and Catch Fire and the pilot of Gotham

06:16

Sharon Bialy on casting the Amazon Prime series The Last Tycoon

02:26

Sharon Bialy on casting The Handmaid's Tale

07:58

Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason

01:51

Sharon Bialy on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia

02:46

Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series

Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director

00:56

Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion and how she finds international actors

01:09

Sharon Bialy on casting The Walking Dead; on casting Fear the Walking Dead from season three on

23:26

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

00:55

Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project -- as with Jeff Daniels in The Comey Rule

00:36

Sharon Bialy on casting the Hulu miniseries The Act

01:34

Sharon Bialy on casting actors to play high-profile, real people, as with The Comey Rule

03:17

Western Series

Sharon Bialy on her first TV project as a solo casting director -- the TV series The Young Riders

00:28

People

Aaron Paul

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Aaron Paul on Breaking Bad

01:21

Alec Berg

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader

03:49

Andrew Lincoln

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Andrew Lincoln on The Walking Dead

00:11

Sharon Bialy on Andrew Lincoln's audition process for The Walking Dead

02:36

Angela Kang

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on working with multiple showrunners over the course of The Walking Dead - Angela Kang

00:54

Ann Dowd

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Ann Dowd on The Handmaid's Tale

00:43

Anna Gunn

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Anna Gunn on Breaking Bad and her great chemistry with Bryan Cranston

03:01

Sharon Bialy on when actors she cast win Emmys

00:57

Anthony Carrigan

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Anthony Carrigan on Barry

00:09

Sharon Bialy on Anthony Carrigan's audition for Barry

00:48

Barack Obama

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama in The Comey Rule

00:58

Betsy Brandt

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Betsy Brandt on Breaking Bad

00:52

Bill Hader

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on when actors she cast win Emmys

00:25

Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader

03:49

Billy Bob Thornton

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on auditioning Billy Bob Thornton

00:32

Billy Ray

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump in The Comey Rule

01:34

Bob Odenkirk

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Bob Odenkirk on Breaking Bad

00:41

Brendan Fraser

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on recognizing Brendan Fraser's talent early on

00:15

Brendan Gleeson

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump in The Comey Rule

01:34

Bruce Miller

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting The Handmaid's Tale

07:58

Bryan Cranston

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Bryan Cranston as "Walter White" on Breaking Bad

03:34

Sharon Bialy on casting Anna Gunn on Breaking Bad and her great chemistry with Bryan Cranston

01:51

Sharon Bialy on when actors she cast win Emmys

00:57

Carol Burnett

View Interview Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Carol Burnett on Better Call Saul

00:55

Chandler Riggs

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Chandler Riggs on The Walking Dead, and on casting children to grow into a role over time

01:02

Christopher C. Rogers

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Halt and Catch Fire and working with Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers

01:02

Christopher Cantwell

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Halt and Catch Fire and working with Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers

01:02

Danai Gurira

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Danai Gurira on The Walking Dead

01:50

Danny McBride

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on Danny McBride giving her a chance to cast her first comedic TV show -- Vice Principals

00:38

David E. Kelley

View Interview Page

Sharon Bialy on meeting David E. Kelley and casting Picket Fences

03:05

David Mamet

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and working with Shawn Ryan, David Mamet, and Eric Haney

05:20

Dawn Steinberg

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on how she got involved with casting Breaking Bad

00:44

Sharon Bialy on network approvals for casting Breaking Bad

01:25

Dean Norris

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Dean Norris on Breaking Bad

01:12

Dennis Haysbert

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on Dennis Haysbert getting cast on The Unit

00:49

Don Cheadle

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Don Cheadle on Picket Fences

00:37

Donald J. Trump

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump in The Comey Rule

01:34

Elisabeth Moss

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on Elisabeth Moss already being attached to star on The Handmaid's Tale

00:11

Ellen Blake

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting

01:39

Eric Haney

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and working with Shawn Ryan, David Mamet, and Eric Haney

05:20

Frank Darabont

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting The Walking Dead and working with Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd on season one

03:37

Fred Specktor

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on an almost career regret

00:29

Gale Anne Hurd

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting The Walking Dead and working with Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd on season one

03:37

Giancarlo Esposito

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Giancarlo Esposito on Breaking Bad

02:04

Glen Mazzara

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Sharon Bialy on working with multiple showrunners over the course of The Walking Dead - Glen Mazzara

00:21

Gohar Gazazyan

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular

02:02

Sharon Bialy on casting the Amazon Prime series The Last Tycoon, which was set in the 1930s

02:26

Sharon Bialy on casting actors to play high-profile, real people, as with The Comey Rule

03:18

Golshifteh Farahani

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors

01:09

Henry Winkler

View Interview Page

Sharon Bialy on when actors she cast win Emmys

00:25

Sharon Bialy on casting Henry Winkler on Barry

00:22

Jeff Daniels

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on actors being attached to a project -- as with Jeff Daniels in The Comey Rule

00:37

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Jeffrey Dean Morgan on The Walking Dead

01:23

Joey King

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Joey King in the Hulu miniseries The Act

01:10

John Pirruccello

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting John Pirruccello on Barry

00:24

Jon Bernthal

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Jon Bernthal on The Walking Dead

01:15

Jonathan Banks

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Jonathan Banks on Breaking Bad

01:31

Joseph Fiennes

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Joseph Fiennes on The Handmaid's Tale

00:44

Julia Child

View Interview Page

Sharon Bialy on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia, and on filming being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic

02:47

Juliet Rylance

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason

00:35

Kathy Baker

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Kathy Baker on Picket Fences

00:43

Kerry Bishe

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Kerry Bishe on Halt and Catch Fire

00:16

Kingsley Ben-Adir

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama in The Comey Rule

00:58

Lauren Cohan

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Lauren Cohan on The Walking Dead

00:42

Lauren Ridloff

View Person Page

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

00:29

Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now

00:43

Lee Pace

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Lee Pace on Halt and Catch Fire

00:39

Leslie Jordan

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on getting Leslie Jordan his SAG card by casting him in an industrial commercial

00:20

Mackenzie Davis

View Person Page

Sharon Bialy on casting Mackenzie Davis on Halt and Catch Fire

00:47

Madeline Brewer

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Sharon Bialy on casting Madeline Brewer on The Handmaid's Tale, and on the sensitive topics covered in auditions

00:30

Mark Margolis

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Sharon Bialy on casting Mark Margolis on Breaking Bad

01:20

Marlee Matlin

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Sharon Bialy on Marlee Matlin's casting on Picket Fences

00:18

Max Minghella

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Sharon Bialy on casting Max Minghella on The Handmaid's Tale

00:31

Michael Bowen

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Sharon Bialy on Michael Bowen's audition for Breaking Bad

00:17

Michael Irby

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Sharon Bialy on Michael Irby's audition for The Unit

00:28

Michael Mando

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Sharon Bialy on casting Michael Mando on Better Call Saul

00:39

Michael McKean

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Sharon Bialy on casting Michael McKean on Better Call Saul

01:33

Mike Binder

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Sharon Bialy on casting The Mind of the Married Man

00:36

Nichelle Nichols

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Sharon Bialy on how the diversity of the actors on Star Trek influenced her as a casting director

00:56

Norman Reedus

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Sharon Bialy on casting Norman Reedus on The Walking Dead

00:23

Sharon Bialy on Norman Reedus' audition process for The Walking Dead

01:05

O-T Fagbenle

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Sharon Bialy on casting O-T Fagbenle on The Handmaid's Tale

00:05

Patricia Arquette

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Sharon Bialy on casting Patricia Arquette in the Hulu miniseries The Act

00:24

Patrick Fabian

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Sharon Bialy on casting Patrick Fabian on Better Call Saul

00:59

RJ Mitte

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Sharon Bialy on casting RJ Mitte on Breaking Bad

01:20

Ray Walston

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Sharon Bialy on casting Ray Walston on Picket Fences

00:37

Raymond Cruz

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Sharon Bialy on Raymond Cruz's audition for Breaking Bad

00:16

Sharon Bialy on casting Raymond Cruz in Breaking Bad

00:31

Regina Taylor

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Sharon Bialy on casting Regina Taylor on The Unit

00:25

Rhea Seehorn

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Sharon Bialy on auditioning actors with fake sides -- as with Rhea Seehorn for Better Call Saul

02:59

Rick Pagano

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Sharon Bialy on how she met and started working with Rick Pagano, and how she became a casting assistant on Blue Velvet

02:41

Sharon Bialy on her professional partnership with Rick Pagano, and on primarily casting theater and movies

01:44

Robert Forster

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Sharon Bialy on Vince Gilligan offering Robert Forster a role on Breaking Bad

01:00

Sharon Bialy on Robert Forster getting an offer to play the fixer on Breaking Bad

00:06

Russell Scott

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Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular

02:02

Samira Wiley

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Sharon Bialy on casting Samira Wiley on The Handmaid's Tale, and on the sensitive topics covered in auditions

01:13

Sharon Bialy on colorblind casting, and casting Samira Wiley on The Handmaid's Tale

00:38

Sarah Goldberg

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Sharon Bialy on casting Sarah Goldberg on Barry

00:57

Sarah Lancashire

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Sharon Bialy on casting Sarah Lancashire on the 2022 HBO series Julia

00:18

Sharon Bialy on how she came to cast Sarah Lancashire on Julia, and on filming being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic

02:47

Scoot McNairy

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Sharon Bialy on casting Scoot McNairy on Halt and Catch Fire

00:25

Scott M. Gimple

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Sharon Bialy on working with multiple showrunners over the course of The Walking Dead - Scott M. Gimple

00:07

Shamier Anderson

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Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors

01:09

Shane Salerno

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Sharon Bialy on casting Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama in The Comey Rule

00:58

Shawn Ryan

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Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and working with Shawn Ryan, David Mamet, and Eric Haney

05:20

Sherry Thomas

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Sharon Bialy on meeting and forming a professional partnership with Sherry Thomas, and on their process for working together

06:27

Sharon Bialy on casting The Unit and working with Shawn Ryan, David Mamet, and Eric Haney

05:20

Sharon Bialy on the structure of a casting office -- and hers, in particular

02:02

Sharon Bialy on casting Barry and working with Alec Berg and Bill Hader

03:49

Shioli Kutsuna

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Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors

01:09

Shoshannah Stern

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Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now

00:43

Simon Kinberg

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Sharon Bialy on casting Invasion, and on how she finds international actors

01:09

Stephen Root

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Sharon Bialy on casting Stephen Root on Barry

00:06

Steven Yeun

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Sharon Bialy on casting Steven Yeun on The Walking Dead

01:41

Susan Downey

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Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason

00:34

Timothy Van Patten

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Sharon Bialy on casting the 2020 version of Perry Mason

00:38

Tony Dalton

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Sharon Bialy on casting Tony Dalton on Better Call Saul

01:47

Vince Gilligan

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Sharon Bialy on how she got involved with casting Breaking Bad

04:26

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

02:49

Sharon Bialy on network approvals for casting Breaking Bad, and on Vince Gilligan not seeking out celebrities for the cast

02:14

Sharon Bialy on casting Michael McKean on Better Call Saul

01:07

Sharon Bialy on casting Carol Burnett on Better Call Saul

00:55

Warren Littlefield

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Sharon Bialy on casting The Handmaid's Tale

02:12

Yvonne Strahovski

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Sharon Bialy on casting Yvonne Strahovski on The Handmaid's Tale

01:10