Asked which coast would be better for a young actor to launch a career, casting director Jason La Padura responded, “New York would definitely be an easier place to start. There are more opportunities for open calls there and the casting directors do go to many of the showcases.” However, according to his partner (and sister) Natalie Hart, that decision, “would depend on whether the actor would rather play Laertes on stage or a recurring role for three weeks on a sitcom in Los Angeles.”
Before becoming partners, La Padura was an actor and stage manager, while Hart worked in the management area of rock and roll. Together, they have cast over one-hundred and fifty stage productions and about six dozen film and television projects. Their theatre work includes Broadway productions of Prelude to a Kiss and the Tony Award-winning musical, Big River. Their regional theatre work includes assignments for The Guthrie, The Arena Stage, Hartford Stage Company and the La Jolla Playhouse.
For television, they’ve cast: Muddling Through, Wiseguy (New York casting), Empty Nest, 21 Jump Street, War of the Worlds and the pilots The Expert and Buddy Farrow. They were nominated for Artios Awards for TNT’s The Good Old Boys and the Academy Award nominated, Golden Globe winning, Longtime Companion. Other TV, mini-series and film projects include: Heroes, Toothless, Prelude to a Kiss, Internal Affairs, For Love and Glory, Tyson and Ruby Ridge.
LA PADURA: We’re independent but have a housekeeping deal here. That is, though we cast all Edgar Scherick’s projects, we also work for many other producers. In addition, he has given us the opportunity to bring new ideas to him for development.
HART: Another thing we do here is generate lists for Edgar before he goes in to the networks or studios to make a pitch. We act as casting consultants. But what we enjoy most is being casting directors. Casting is like being Santa Claus. It’s a wonderful feeling to be creative, to give actors jobs, and to help them move up in their careers.
HART: Unlike New York, when I go out to the smaller theatres here, I rarely run into anybody I know from the business.
LA PADURA: Los Angeles is a more event-oriented place. People will go to Angels in America or Master Class—but how many of them went to see Blade to the Heat at the Taper? In contrast, Stanley Sobel, my former partner, once saw an actress in a play in New York at the small 18th Street Theatre and brought her in to meet the people at Witt-Thomas. They put her in three television projects.
HART: But it’s so hard for unknowns to get guest-starring roles here in LA - unless the casting director convinces the producers, who sometimes may not be so sure of their own power, to take a chance. Similarly, when the actor hands a photo to a director and he doesn’t see any credits on the back, he’s definitely going to be hesitant. On the other hand, there are people like director Fred Walton, who want to discover new talent all the time.
HART: Most of my buddies are actors and I keep telling them that they have to generate their own momentum – their own projects. You have to do something yourself so that people will take notice. Look at John Leguizamo who did his one-man shows, Spic-O-Rama, Mambo Mouth and Freak; look at Camryn Manheim who did I’m Fat, Get Over it! and now has an Emmy for The Practice.
LA PADURA: Our own former intern, Jeff Sumner, has made a splash by creating the “Pam Teflon” character. When he first came out here, he couldn’t get any work and so became a Tupperware salesperson. His mother told him to develop a character when selling these things. He came up with this character who dresses up in drag, and became the biggest Tupperware salesman in the West. He’s now been featured in Los Angeles Times Magazine and recently was on Public Radio. He is out there!
HART: There’s also the story of the actress Claudia Shear, who was at the end of her rope. She was heavy, charactery, was never taken seriously, and couldn’t even get an agent. Then, through the suggestion of a friend, she sat down and wrote her experiences in the form of a monologue. The play, Blown Sideways Through Life, was first given a reading, and was produced soon after. Within three weeks of the show’s run, she was signed by ICM!
LA PADURA: Hers is a phenomenal story, a fairy tale. Her show has now been aired on PBS.
HART: Definitely, provided that they’re not vanity productions. The actor who puts up the money shouldn’t be the only one showcased. The whole cast has to be shown in a good light. The play’s the thing, not the producer/actor’s vanity.
LA PADURA: We had a very hard time casting that film because of the subject matter (AIDS, gay themed). Though we got Bruce Davison early on—his was the first name on the first list I made—every agency we approached found an excuse for their actors not to do it. We heard absurd excuses like, “A directors’ strike is being threatened, so we have to wait.” Or, “Our actor is coming out of a bad relationship and can’t focus on a new project.”
LA PADURA: This was the first time AIDS was going to be dealt with in a mainstream film. The climate has, of course, changed since. But in 1989 it wasn’t cool. Not only was the film about gay characters, but also about gays who were dying of this disease.
HART: At the time, agents were obviously afraid that their clients wouldn’t get work because of it.
LA PADURA: Luckily, because of our knowledge of the regional theatre scene, we finally managed to get terrific actors. One day, I got a piece of mail from The Hartford Stage Company, and there was Mark Lamos’ picture in it. We immediately thought that he would be great as Sean, one of the leads. I called and asked if he would be interested. He was. But he couldn’t leave town. He was (and still is) the artistic director for The Hartford Stage Company. So we all went there to read him and he got the part.
HART: I do think actors should definitely send cards to casting directors to remind them what they’re up to. Often we may forget actors whose work we admire and who may just be perfect for a role we are casting.
HART: The most intimidating part of the auditioning process is going into a room and facing a bunch of strangers. But if the actor keeps in mind that the people sitting on the other side of the room are all rooting for him to do well (because they want to cast the project as soon as possible), his anxiety may disappear. We want your reading to work out as much as you do. We know this has been said before, but still, actors don’t seem to understand the importance of this fact.
LA PADURA: So remember that when you enter a room next time. Other than that, try to be honest about everything; about your résumé, your capabilities and your experience, etc. More than anything else, what we look for in a performance is sheer honesty and integrity. Do that, and the rest will take care of itself.
La Padura/Hart Casting
310.845.2163
To contact via e-mail: http://www.lapaduraandhart.com/contactus/
9336 W Washington Blvd. Bldg O, Ste 275. Culver City, CA 90232