At the age of nineteen, Ellie Kanner left Bloomfield, Connecticut for Los Angeles to pursue a life in show business. She worked as an agent with Irvin Arthur and Associates, before becoming an assistant to casting directors, Fern Champion and Pamela Basker (then partners). After a year there, she went to Lorimar and worked as a casting assistant on Homefront, the last season of Dallas, and the first season of Sisters. Soon after, Barbara Miller, the senior vice president of talent and casting at Warner Bros., promoted her to full-fledged casting director at Lorimar. Since that time, the warm and dynamic Kanner has had amazing success casting pilots that have gone on to become hit series. They include the pilot and first season of Friends, for which she was nominated for an Artios Award, Lois and Clark; The New Adventures of Superman (another Artios nomination, this one shared with Geraldine Leder), The Drew Carey Show; Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and recently, the pilot for the HBO series, Sex and the City, which she shared with Billy Hopkins. Her many other credits include MOWs and the features Sleep with Me, Kicking and Screaming and Eden. Her book, NEXT: An Actor’s Guide to Auditioning, is available from Lone Eagle Publishing. Recently, she joined forces with casting director Lorna Johnson.
I loved casting the pilot and the first season on Friends, but I’ve always wanted to cast features. I had to leave Warner Bros. to pursue that. In addition, leaving allowed me the opportunity to work with my husband, who created and produced his own show.
Casting is a collaborative effort. You’re only as good as the script, the producers, network and studio behind it. On Friends, we had producers with impeccable taste, and NBC and Warner Bros. who gave us all the help and support we could have asked for.
Still, putting the cast together wasn’t easy. Matt LeBlanc, Courtney Cox and Lisa Kudrow landed their jobs through the usual audition process, while Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry took some time to lock in because they had previous pilot commitments. David Schwimmer, on the other hand, did not want to do a series. But when he read the script, spoke with the producers and became interested, we flew him in from Chicago where he was doing a play, and he signed on.
It depends. Most of the time it’s very hard for a newcomer to get a guest role, only because of the time constraints on television. We don’t have the luxury of auditioning as many actors in episodic, as we do when casting a pilot. But it’s difficult for newcomers to get either a guest or pilot role because producers want tried and true performers whom they can trust to do the job and hit their marks, with as few problems or adjustments as possible. Also, stunt-casting (the casting of a star in a guest role), is becoming more and more common. The networks and studios actually look for roles they can stunt so they can heavily promote the show— particularly during sweeps periods. This makes it more difficult for an actor who is not a celebrity to get a guest role, because the competition is so great. But it’s not impossible—look at Christa Miller, who plays a series-regular role opposite Drew Carey. She had done some work, but didn’t have that many credits. I brought her in and she gave a great reading and got it.
An actor coming in to read for a part can’t possibly know exactly what it is we are looking for. There are a million ways to say one line, let alone a whole scene. So when an actor with the right look comes in, what I look for most is a sparkle that tells me the actor has connected with the character. This intimate connection means a lot. It’s better than being the best auditioner of the day. Only when I see these elements in the actor do I bring them to the producers and director.
First of all, they should read the whole script. You can usually get the script, unless the final draft isn’t written yet. If you can’t get it ahead of time, go to the casting office and ask if you can read it there. I appreciate thoroughness.
The second step is to go to an acting coach, your manager, etc., and work on the role with them. Then decide what to wear to help suggest the character. But don’t go too far with your costumes. You want to suggest, not distract.
Finally, come to the office a little early and get focused. You may have to wait, so learn to live with it without losing your concentration. If you are running late, please call and say so. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to beg my producers to wait another five minutes because an actor was late and didn’t call.
Having done all that, go in there and do the best you can; try to have fun!
It depends on the type of director you’re auditioning for. Some want to see the full performance, thinking, “Whatever I’m getting here is the same level I’m going to get on the set.” Then there are others who will direct you if you look the part and show talent.
Casting directors are often reluctant to go to the theatre because they’ve wasted too much time and been burned too often by shoddy productions. I’ve seen many good actors wasted in bad plays, or sabotaged by bad actors. I don’t want to sound harsh; I understand that the actor has to do whatever work he can get, especially in the beginning. But he can help his case by following some ground rules: Send flyers two to three weeks in advance. Don’t send flyers on a Friday that read, “Come see my show this Saturday! One night only.” You also want to be proud of the whole show. If it’s a showcase with ten scenes, you don’t want each scene to be twenty minutes long. And make sure the scenes are enjoyable and entertaining. If your play gets wonderful reviews, send along a copy and highlight a great quote. Finally, if the theatre has secured parking, note that on your invitation.
Part of doing your homework before you come to an audition is knowing the show you’re reading for. Each show has a different style. Look at every show at least once when the season begins. If it’s a film, as I said before, do everything you can to get the script and get as much information on the character you’re reading for as possible. If you have questions, ask the casting director—especially during the pre-read.
So many actors look at the casting director as the enemy they have to get through, to get to the producers. I don’t think that’s the healthiest attitude. Keep in mind that we always want you to do well.
When a casting director offers direction, don’t dismiss it. We are there to tell you what the directors and producers are looking for; what their vision of the character is. We can help you find what makes a particular scene funnier. When we hear the material a hundred times, believe me, we have a sense of what works and what doesn’t.
I know that every casting director says this, but the actor must realize how important it is to prepare thoroughly. Some actors come in and say, “I’m ready. I didn’t read the sides, but let’s just run through it and see what happens.” This attitude usually doesn’t work. This is a business about working hard. It is about working hard to be brilliant. How else can you shine brighter than your competition?
Ellie Kanner - c/o Manager Scott Howard of Howard Entertainment
310.441.2701
16530 Ventura Blvd. Ste 305. Encino, CA 91436