Backstage Magazine: November 14, 2019 with SAG special issue by Backstage

11.14.19 • BACKSTAGE.COM

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C O N S I D E R A T I O N

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7+ PAGES of Casting Notices

LIZZY CAPLAN TA L KS C R A F T, “ C A S T L E RO C K ,” + K I L L IN G I T I N THE AUDITION RO O M

THE DIRECTORS ISSUE

Pedro & Antonio

They’re back together. The legendary director and star talk the “Pain and Glory” behind their latest cinematic endeavor

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CONTENTS

vol. 60, no. 28 | 11.14.19

THE GREEN ROOM 8 A look at SAG-AFTRA’s new Member Imagination Center

10 This week’s roundup of who’s casting what starring whom

12 Lizzy Caplan on facing rejection and diving into the deep end

ADVICE 15 CRAFT

Directing 101

15 #IGOTCAST

Delaney Charlotte Burke

16 SECRET AGENT MAN Blast to the past

FEATURES 6 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH... Erin Doherty

14 MEET THE MAKER

Scott Z. Burns, “The Report” writer and director

16 THE ESSENTIALISTS

Ruth E. Carter, costume designer

17 IN THE ROOM WITH Mary Hidalgo

23 ACTORS AWARDING ACTORS

Everything you need to know about the 26th annual SAG Awards

32 ASK AN EXPERT

Erik Lingvall on how to connect with a character when it doesn’t feel like a natural fit

CASTING COVER STORY PAGE 18

THE DIRECTORS ISSUE

Pedro Almodóvar in conversation with his longtime muse Antonio Banderas about their most personal project to date, “Pain & Glory”

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24 New York Tristate 26 California 29 National/Regional Pedro Almodóvar and Antonio Banderas photographed by Nico Bustos. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.

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BACKSTAGE, vol. 60, no. 28 (ISSN#53635 USPS#39740) IS A WEEKLY PUBLICATION, WITH OCCASIONAL DOUBLE ISSUES IN MARCH, MAY, SEPTEMBER, FEBRUARY, JUNE, AUGUST AND DECEMBER AND ONE ISSUE PUBLISHED IN APRIL AND JULY (except the fourth week of December) by Backstage LLC, 45 Main St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, $3.99 per copy, $99 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Backstage, 45 Main St., Ste. 416, Brooklyn, NY 11201.Publication Mail Agreement No. 40031729. Â©2017 Backstage LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Backstage LLC: Joshua Ellstein, Chief Executive Officer.

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B A C K S TA G E 5 W I T H . . .

Erin Doherty By Elyse Roth

What was your big break? I guess it started with “Call the Midwife.” I trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and I started working in theater straight after, which was amazing. I think I met the CD for “Call the Midwife” as soon as I left school, and a part popped up maybe seven or eight months later and I got it. That’s it, really; as soon as you get your foot in the door with screen stuff, it tends to just trickle on from there. “Call the Midwife” was my first big break in terms of screen acting. What’s your worst audition horror story? I’m quite awkward when first meeting people, so my horror story would probably be going for a hug and then getting trapped in this weird handshake thing. Everyone’s nice about it, but that’s all that you end up thinking about. As an actor, you’re meeting people and trying to be nice and start a working relationship, so you go for hugs! But for some people, it’s just not their vibe and you have to respect that. Then you have to learn to rock a weird handshake-hug thing, because it happens all the time.

What advice would you give your younger self? Calm down. Our job is predominantly to audition. You go up for more things than you get—that’s just a fact—so you’ll always be in this not-knowing headspace. Take the pressure off of yourself and just enjoy. Sink your teeth into what you love about it and don’t worry about other people’s opinions. You might not get a job, and [if you don’t,] it wasn’t for you. Your view of a character, the way you wanted to play them, wasn’t the director’s view, so it wasn’t right. Trust your instincts and have fun. What performance should every actor see and why? My biggest influence was Meryl Streep. My dad is a big movie buff; he would tell me to watch different films and actors, and he introduced Meryl Streep with “Kramer vs. Kramer.” I think everyone needs to watch that film. Watch it for Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, because it’s pure acting. They’re both doing really good work and you can see it, it’s kind of electric. It’s [got] really good scenes, really good dialogue, and they’re just alive on film. Honestly, it changed my life. •

“IN MANY CONTEXTS, IF YOU REALLY LOVE SOMETHING AND YOU REALLY WANT SOMETHING, I TRULY BELIEVE YOU’LL MAKE IT HAPPEN, BECAUSE THERE’S NO ALTERNATIVE.”

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I L L U S T R AT I O N : N AT H A N A R I Z O N A / P H O T O : J O S E P H S I N C L A I R

“The Crown” Season 3 introduces an all-new cast of grownup characters, including Prince Charles, Camilla Shand, and Princess Anne, the latter of whom is played by Erin Doherty. Previously of PBS’ “Les Misérables,” Doherty enters this beloved Netflix series with a sense of mystery and a bit of an attitude, adding a fresh tone to the royal affair. Her delivery all season long is a lesson in timing— you haven’t seen retorts this good since Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess on “Downton Abbey.”

What’s the wildest thing you’ve done for a role? For me, prepping is the most fun part; I will go all the way for every meeting. When I went up for [Princess] Anne, I watched a clip of her on repeat and I ordered coffee with her voice. I had to try to embody her before going into a room and attempting to be her. I basically take her out for a walk, that’s how I put it. I need to get her out in public before I put her in a room with a casting director. If you go in thinking, I’m going to introduce you to this person that I know really well now, it’s more fun.

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HAVE YOU BEEN CAST IN A PROJECT THROUGH A BACKSTAGE CASTING NOTICE? Share your story with us and you might be featured in an upcoming issue! Just tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast and we’ll be in touch to hear your success story!

Gabrielle Carteris. “No matter where you are in the country, you will be able to access our distance learning program to attend classes and events in the Member Imagination Center.” The center was announced by Carteris in October at a meeting of the union’s National Board. Sponsored by the union’s nonprofit educational wing, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the gem in the center’s crown is the on-camera lab, which the foundation piloted in New York City over the past two years. “That has been highly successful,” said the newly elected president of the foundation, actor Courtney B. Vance. “[W]e’d been looking for a space to make this valuable program available in Los Angeles.... We’re grateful to SAG-AFTRA for giving this program a home in their Member Imagination Center. ”

UNIONS

A New Space for SAG-AFTRA Members

THE UNION HAS OPENED THE DIGITAL MEDIA–FOCUSED MEMBER IMAGINATION CENTER IN LOS ANGELES BY ALEX ATES AG-AFTRA, the nation’s union for screen and audio talent, recently opened an educational facility for union members as part of a larger initiative to provide resources to locals and reach out to those around the nation through digital methods. Located in the union’s national headquarters in Los Angeles, the Member Imagination Center provides classroom and meeting spaces, equipment for union-related livestreaming and podcasting, studios for the filming of educational videos,

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and a members-only on-camera lab for video auditions. And while the facility is on the West Coast, union officials insist the center is for SAG-AFTRA members nationwide. “This space is extraordinary. It is being developed specifically to serve our national membership as a forward-looking think-tank equipped with digital media educational offerings and distance learning capabilities, giving members across the country dynamic ways to interface, hone their craft and expand their knowledge,” said SAG-AFTRA President

“It is being developed specifically to serve our national membership as a forward-looking thinktank equipped with digital media educational offerings and distance learning capabilities.” —SAG-AFTRA PRESIDENT GABRIELLE CARTERIS

The lab provides free professional camera operators to film self-tape auditions for union actors. More than 14,000 auditions have been taped at the New York facility’s on-camera lab, according to a press release. The launch of the center’s various components will be staggered until its completion in spring 2020. Other features include a concert stage for recording artist union members with VIP seating for influential industry guests and scouts, and other facilities for distance learning. In October, a union representative told Backstage that the union is anticipating a February opening for the center’s remaining components like the audio-visual recording and training studio. Webinar classrooms and the oncamera self-taping lab are now open. Ribbons were cut on the facility earlier this month. • BACKSTAGE.COM

K AT H Y H U T C H I N S / S H U T T E R S T O C K . C O M

Gabrielle Carteris

F E S T

W I T H

L O S

N O V E M B E R

BUY PASSES F E S T. A F I .C OM

#A F I F E S T

A N G E L E S

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FIND OUT WHAT’S CASTING RIGHT NOW! We have acting opportunities on Backstage.com and beyond.

WHAT’S CASTING

Disney+ Takes a Slap Shot THE MIGHTY DUCKS WILL RETURN TO SCREENS

“The Mighty Ducks” Everyone’s favorite underdogs are lacing up their skates once again. Though the Mouse has only recently launched its muchanticipated streaming service, Disney+, the Disney team is already stringing together a new, nostalgia-packed lineup for years to come. Part of that push is a serial reboot of the 1992 classic “The Mighty Ducks.” The original film followed a lawyer taking on coaching duties for a hockey team as part of his community service after being arrested for drunk driving. This time around, the series will focus on a 13-yearold boy who’s been axed from his junior league hockey team. Noting her son’s disappointment, the boy’s mother sets out to make her own team, finding players, a coach, and a rink. The newly announced series is still early on in its production and no actors have been attached, but

Koczara/Shevchenko is on board to assemble the cast. The series, which hasn’t announced an official premiere date, is slated to begin shooting in February 2020 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

GET CAST!

FOR MORE UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS AND CASTING NEWS, VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/NEWS/CASTING.

“Uncharted” Tom Holland is hanging on in “Uncharted” waters with his next project. The actor, best known for playing the titular role in the most recent “Spider-Man” franchise, is preparing to take on another iconic part. The project, based on the video game of the same name by Naughty Dog, is said to be an origin story for Nathan Drake, a distant relative of English explorer Sir Francis Drake. In previous iterations of the film, Drake had been aged up; however, the current version will act as the game’s prequel and depict when he first encounters his friend Sully. Despite some setbacks in production, including recently losing a director (and

TELEVISION

Heading to the Big Leagues IN NEWS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PLUCKED FROM OUR COLLECTIVE dream board, the classic film “A League of Their Own” is being adapted into an Amazon Prime series, with D’Arcy Carden and Abbi Jacobson

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several before that), the shoot is scheduled to go on as planned. Holland is currently the only name attached to the project cast by Denise Chamian. Should the film continue to move forward, a projected start date is set for February 2020 in Berlin. “Pieces of a Woman” Vanessa Kirby has passed her Princess Margaret tiara from “The Crown” on to Helena Bonham Carter and is stepping into her next project, “Pieces of a Woman.” Shia LaBeouf will join Kirby as they take

on the lead roles in the heartbreaking film cast by Chrystie Street. The project will tell the story of a couple who experiences tragedy after their home birth goes drastically wrong. Facing insurmountable grief, the woman finds her closest relationships crumbling under the loss of her child. The film is set to begin production during the first week of December in Montreal. • For the latest news, check out backstage.com/resources to find thousands of production listings, casting directors, acting classes, agents, and more!

attached to star. Jacobson will also write and executive produce. The respective “The Good Place” and “Broad City” actors will herald a modernday version of Penny Marshall’s 1992 film—which starred Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, and Tom Hanks—with Will Graham writing and executive producing with Jacobson. Additional casting is to come. —CASEY MINK BACKSTAGE.COM

M A R G AU X Q UAY L E C A N N O N

BY REBECCA WELCH tay in the loop on industry and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles!

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BACKSTAGE LIVE PRESENTS Our weekly sit-down with the best and brightest of stage and screen

BACKSTAGE LIVE

Never Backing Down LIZZY CAPLAN ON “CASTLE ROCK,” FACING REJECTION, AND DIVING INTO THE DEEP END

Caplan brought her own ideas to Annie Wilkes while still honoring Kathy Bates. “The film ‘Misery’ really is what people think when they think of Annie Wilkes, even more so than the book. And what [Bates] did and how she portrayed Annie Wilkes, it just fit perfectly with Stephen King’s writing. Her folksy way of speaking, it just matched up perfectly with what Kathy Bates did. I was listening to the book on audiotape recently, and even

that actress was kind of falling into what Kathy Bates did, like her cadences. So I don’t know if in my mind they are one and the same and I can’t separate the two, but I knew I didn’t want to throw away everything I had seen just to create something from scratch. I wanted our Annie to believably be able to become that Annie in the future. It’s like a steppingstone.” The table read for “Castle Rock” made Caplan nervous to share her ideas. “I was working on how I wanted to walk and how I wanted to move, the voice I wanted to use—but I didn’t audition for this, [and] I didn’t tell anybody any of these ideas before the table read, and [at] the table read you’re sat down so none of the physicality is being used at all. Nobody knew I was doing it this way or planning to do it this way. So, after the table read I was positive I was getting fired…. I feel like actors, when you do a table read [it’s] horrible. I hate doing them; I don’t know anyone who likes doing them. And then you finish, and you want people to come up to you and be like, ‘That was

THEATER

Not So Pretty THE INCOMING BROADWAY REVIVAL OF “WEST SIDE STORY” IS SAID to be a reimagining of the golden age musical, but it’s only now starting to become clear just how far a departure it may be from the show we

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Lizzy Caplan great! Great job.’ And if they don’t— they never do!—then you’re like, Well this is it. I’m fired. And this felt like such a big swing, ’cause I just sort of sprung it on them. I was very sure that that was going to be the end for me. But here we are!” She understands why acting is a parent’s worst nightmare. “The reason why it’s every parents’ nightmare is because it is a very tough life. You don’t have any consistency when it comes to finances or knowing when your next paycheck is going to

be or if you’re ever going to get a job—period. You’re constantly on this shaky ground, or at least for the first many, many years. So I think that this industry has a way of testing you. It does everything possible to make you quit, and the people who stick it out are the people who then have the potential to go on to do something great. So you’re gonna want to quit: Don’t quit! That’s my only advice.” • Want to hear more from Caplan? Watch our full Backstage Live interview at facebook.com/backstage.

know and love. News broke recently that the Ivo van Hove adaptation has cut two of the Stephen Sondheim tuner’s songs: “I Feel Pretty” and the “Somewhere” ballet. Audiences won’t have to wait too long to see the changes for themselves: Performances begin at the Broadway Theatre Dec. 10. —CASEY MINK BACKSTAGE.COM

C A I T L I N WAT K I N S

BY JALEN MICHAEL izzy Caplan has always impressed with her roles in film and on television—but her most impressive yet may be “Castle Rock” Season 2, on which she carries the torch from Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning turn as Annie Wilkes. The horrific Hulu series from creators Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason combines characters and settings from Stephen King novels like “Misery” to tell a thrilling story all its own. Caplan recently sat with Backstage to discuss how she got into the role and advice she has for all aspiring actors.

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THIS WEEK’S CULTURAL SPOTLIGHTS

MEET THE MAKER

Scott Z. Burns, “The Report” writer and director BY ELYSE ROTH with a star-studded cast. “We live in a time where accountability and transparency have become harder and harder to find,” he says. “This ultimately is a story about holding people accountable and about government transparency, and I feel like those things are timeless.”

AS A CREATOR, YOU NEED TO BE OPEN TO WHERE your work takes you, even when it’s unexpected. Take Scott Z. Burns, for instance. With “The Report,” the filmmaker initially set out to write a dark comedy based on the two psychologists who engineered the enhanced interrogation techniques used against suspected terrorists during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But when he learned that a member of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office, Daniel Jones, spent years investigating and writing a report about what had really happened, what the government knew, and what it did to cover up what it knew, Burns happened upon a story he felt was even more worth telling. “His story became as compelling to me as the story of the report. I threw away my previous version of the script and started over,” Burns says. In starting over, Burns had to begin with the man in the center of the story: Jones. Unlike some of the other politicos portrayed onscreen, “he

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wasn’t a famous person,” Burns explains. “When I started thinking about who should play him, I wanted to think of what actor exhibited the kind of curiosity and relentlessness that I felt Dan embodied. We needed to find somebody who could dig into the role and who’s a little bit hidden to the obsessiveness of the character. To do what Dan did, you need to be relentless and obsessive.” A conversation with producer Stephen Soderbergh surfaced Adam Driver’s name. Soderbergh felt that Driver’s military background and persistence in building a character would resonate with the project and the character. Next came finding the right Feinstein, and Burns thought of Annette Bening, with her Northern California roots and her interest in politics. Burns considers himself lucky to have filled out the rest of the cast with actors like Corey Stoll, Jon Hamm, and Maura Tierney, but the project wasn’t about making a blockbuster

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D I R E C T I N G : G U R U XO X / S H U T T E R S T O C K . C O M ; B U R K E : D I R T Y S U G A R

Adam Driver in “The Report”

To do justice to that core idea, Burns’ writing process mimicked the cycles of work seen from Jones over the course of the film. Jones distilled a nearly 7,000-page report down to 500 pages to present it to Senate committees, and in the making of the film treatment, Burns attacked his drafts, as well. “I did a lot more table reads with this script than I ever have before because, hearing it out loud, you can begin to see when you were going too far into the weeds or when you were doubling back on yourself,” he says. “A lot of it was just the repetition of hearing it and editing and hearing it and editing and hearing it and editing.” By the end of the film, you might feel the weight of more than 10 years of governmental misdeeds distilled into two hours, and that’s part of the reason Burns felt the story made a better narrative than a documentary. “Having Adam show you on his face what six or seven years of toil looks like when you find out that the people who sent you off to do this might not have the courage to have it come out is something you need an actor for,” he says. “Same with Annette—you have an actor who can portray the dilemma of wanting to help get a terrible truth told, but on the other hand recognizing her obligation to her party and a very real fear of what the consequences of getting the report out might be.” No longer the dark comedy he envisioned, Burns calls “The Report” a political thriller. But it’s the moments that veer into documentary territory that, despite a cast full of famous faces, make you forget this true story was engineered to push you to the edge of your seat—and that’s exactly what Burns was going for. •

AT S U S H I N I S H I J I M A /A M A Z O N S T U D I O S

“Having Adam [Driver] show you on his face what six or seven years of toil looks like...is something you need an actor for.”

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THIS WEEK’S CULTURAL SPOTLIGHTS

4. Pay your actors. This is huge. Whether the actors I cast were union or not, I wanted to give everyone the same union rate. Actors deserve to be paid. 5. Decide on a budget. Do you want to spend $200 and film your friends in your backyard, or spend $15,000 and get a top-ofthe-line crew? 6. Get a great line producer. They are your best friend, the person who helps you stick to your budget, tells you what you can and can’t do, and decides the caliber of equipment you can use on your shoot.

CRAFT

Directing 101 BY MATT NEWTON

D I R E C T I N G : G U R U XO X / S H U T T E R S T O C K . C O M ; B U R K E : D I R T Y S U G A R

AT S U S H I N I S H I J I M A /A M A Z O N S T U D I O S

I’VE HAD LOTS OF TIME ON SETS, both as a professional TV and film actor and as a coach, but nothing prepared me for directing my first short thriller. It’s a whole different beast. Here’s what you need to know the first time you direct your own film. 1. Be prepared to get tons of submissions. I received 3,500 submissions for four characters, through online casting sites such as Backstage as well as through agents and managers. I called in 60 actors, called back 25, and chose four to be my leads. It was overwhelming. As an acting coach, I already know a lot of actors, and so I mostly brought in the people I knew and whose work I was familiar with. My casting director also brought in some actors from workshops and such. 2. Go for the best actors. I didn’t care if an actor was union or BACKSTAGE.COM

not or had an agent or not. Because it was a SAG-AFTRA short, I allowed both union and nonunion actors to submit. I just wanted the most talented, dedicated actors. You can have the best equipment in the world, but if the acting isn’t good, the film won’t work. I didn’t care if an actor had been on 20 TV shows or only had theater experience; I just wanted someone to bring my lines to life in a unique and interesting way. 3. Make the actors feel comfortable in the audition room. This is such a huge part of the process, and because I’ve been there, I know how much better the performance will be if the actor feels comfortable and creative. Try to limit the awkwardness as much as possible and give them very specific direction. All directors should learn how to effectively articulate their thoughts to actors.

7. Create a crowdfunding campaign to help finance your film. I highly recommend Indiegogo or Kickstarter. This allows anyone to contribute to making your film and you can offer great rewards in return, instead of just begging your family for money or maxing out your credit card (don’t!). 8. Prepare to spend every moment working on the film during preproduction. It’s not just about yelling “action” and “cut” during principal photography. You’ll spend all of your preproduction time discussing wardrobe, props, catering, lodging, transportation, budget, location scouting, and more, making sure every tiny detail is taken care of so that the shoot goes as smoothly as possible. 9. Be confident in your talent. This goes for actors and directors. You run the entire show, and everyone working on the film is looking to you for direction and answers. Believe in what you’re doing and everyone else will, too.

#IGOTCAST. Delaney Charlotte Burke By Franchesca Viaud DELANEY CHARLOTTE BURKE uses Backstage to fulfill her love of live theater—but she also knows she’ll have to venture outside her comfort zone to continue honing her craft. Here’s how she does just that. Know when to break from tradition. “I don’t think other sites allow you to get as specific as Backstage. I typically look for live theater auditions but, honestly, being new to this industry, I’ve been trying to put myself out there and apply for anything that I feel fits my type.” But consistency has its rewards, too. “Apply for everything and go to every call, even if you have no idea what it entails. You only limit yourself by saying, ‘No, I’m not good enough,’ and not showing up. Get yourself there and do the thing; that’s the only way you’ll learn [and] grow.” You aren’t set in stone. “We are always learning, so give yourself time to grow and know you aren’t in [your] final form. You are forever a student, and most people want you to succeed and help you on your journey.” TO SEE YOUR SUCCESS story in print, tweet @Backstage

Newton is an acting coach, a filmmaker,

using the hashtag #IGotCast.

and a Backstage Expert. 11.14.19 backstage

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THIS WEEK’S CULTURAL SPOTLIGHTS

THE ESSENTIALISTS Ruth E. Carter

costume designer

’m writing this column 20 years ago. To be clear, you’re living in the present. And I’m in the year 1999. If you’re wondering how Secret Agent Man became a time traveler, the answer is surprisingly obvious: I used a DeLorean. Anyway, a few weeks ago, the lease ran out on my black BMW and I decided to buy something interesting, something that would make me stand out from the pack. I was thinking about getting an old-school Mustang, but then I came across a restored DeLorean, and that baby had my name all over it. While checking out the car, I realized the owner had customized the interior to match the one in “Back to the Future.” How cool is that? I started playing with the dials and just for fun, I

16 backstage

11.14.19

entered “10-04-1999.” That’s the date I started working as an assistant at one of the largest agencies in town. Next thing you know, I was driving home, feeling good about the purchase. So I jumped on the freeway, punched the accelerator, and bang!—I timetraveled back to the day my career was born. Curious to see myself, I headed over to my old office in Century City and made my way upstairs. Then I spent the rest of the day spying on young me, and I came to a startling revelation: This business used to suck. The first proof of this was when my younger self took a call from casting. They needed a reel from one of our clients right away, so young me jumped into action. He hurried down to the storage room, found the right DVD, and

With “Dolemite Is My Name,” costume designer RUTH E. CARTER was given more than just the opportunity to dress Eddie Murphy—she was also given a “second chance” to nail ’70s style, helping her actors delve deeper into their portrayals along the way. The actor wears the costume—not vice versa. “You can’t stack a lot of things on some people, because the garment begins to wear them. They don’t embody the garment and the character. There is that balancing act within that transformation process; once we get to set or the garment is ready to perform, I enjoy that the actor doesn’t need me anymore…. I wanted to be an actor, so I feel like I understand how the garment has to feel right as well as look right.” Want to design costumes? Start with the stage. “Get into theater. It’s easier to work in the theater, and it gives you a great foundation for characterization, breaking down a script, and understanding the actors. It gives you the story from beginning to end every night. You see the arc. You see how the clothes transition from the stage to the audience and you see immediately how it affects the audience. You can hear the reaction…. That’s how I learned. It’s not the glamour of Hollywood, where you have the stars, but I think it’s actually a pure view of the art of costume design.” FOR THE FULL Q&A, visit backstage.com/magazine.

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R A Q U E L A PA R I C I O

Blast to the Past

By Casey Mink

I L L U S T R AT I O N : S P E N C E R A L E X A N D E R ; “ D O L E M I T E I S M Y N A M E ”: F R A N Ç O I S D U H A M E L

SECRET AGENT MAN

called a messenger service, who promised to deliver it to the casting office within the next three hours. In 2019, I would just copy the reel’s link and email it to casting. Mission accomplished in less than 30 seconds, and it doesn’t cost the company a dime. Close to noon, the mail got dumped on my desk. Holy cow! The stack of manila envelopes stuffed with headshots was taller than the “Stranger Things” kids. I had forgotten how much money actors used to spend on pictures that ended up in the trash. Nowadays, 99 percent of submissions come in by email, which is a massive cost-saver in terms of time, energy, and materials. My last observation about the past is a doozy. It took me a moment to spot the difference— but it’s the phones! They never stop ringing. Everyone is talking to someone. I realized that back in the present, my office is fairly quiet because everyone connects by email. Instead of a constant ringing, I mostly hear tapping on keyboards. Is that a good thing? Or have we lost something? Confused, I decided it was time to go home. But first, I stepped up to young me and whispered, “Buy stock in Amazon and Netflix. Seriously. Just do it.” On that note, I hurried back to my DeLorean, and that’s where I am right now, still in the past, writing this column. If you’re reading it, that means I made it back without changing the present—phew! But if you’re reading something crazy like Secret Manager Man, then I definitely created a paradox that screwed up the timeline and I need to learn a lot more about gigawatts and plutonium. •

11.13.19 • BACKSTAGE.COM

66)

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

(LE MANS ’66)

IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING BEST PICTURE

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

(LE MANS ’66)

“ ‘ FORD

v FERRARI ’ REPRESENTS BIG SCREEN MOVIEMAKING AT ITS BEST. IT DELIVERS ON EVERY CYLINDER.” – PETE HAMMOND, DEADL I NE

“

2019

SCREEN AC TOR S GUILD AWARDS

F O R Y O U R S A G A W A R D S ® C O N S I D E R AT I O N

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE MARK RUFFALO

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ANNE HATHAWAY MARE WINNINGHAM

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE TIM ROBBINS BILL CAMP VICTOR GARBER BILL PULLMAN

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE MARK RUFFALO ANNE HATHAWAY TIM ROBBINS BILL CAMP VICTOR GARBER MARE WINNINGHAM BILL PULLMAN

Screenplay by Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan Directed by Todd Haynes Sign up at FocusInsider.com for exclusive access to early screenings, film premieres and more. For more on this film, go to www.FocusFeaturesGuilds2019.com

Contents

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

TELEVISION

8 “Avengers: Endgame” 10 “Barry” 12 “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” 14 “Black-ish” 16 “The Crown” 18 “Downton Abbey” 20 “Euphoria” 22 “Fleabag” 24 “Ford v Ferrari” 26 “Game of Thrones”

TOM HANKS IN “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD” | PHOTO: LACEY TERRELL

28 “GLOW” 30 “The Good Place” 32 “The Handmaid’s Tale” 34 “Harriet” 38 “Hustlers” 40 “The Irishman” 42 “Jojo Rabbit” 44 “Just Mercy” 46 “Killing Eve” 48 “Knives Out”

ADEEL AKHTAR AND SANDRA OH ON “KILLNG EVE” | PHOTO: GARETH GATRELL/BBC AMERICA

50 “Marriage Story” 52 “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” 54 “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” 56 “Parasite” 58 “Pose” 60 “Stranger Things” 62 “Succession” 64 “This Is Us” 66 “Us” 68 “Veep” 70 “Waves” 4 BACKSTAGE.COM

DYLLÓN BURNSIDE AND BILLY PORTER ON “POSE” | PHOTO: MICHAEL PARMELEE/FX

Cover designed by Ian Robinson.

Chief Executive Officer

Joshua Ellstein

Chief Financial Officer

Michael Felman

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Samantha Levin Managing Editor

Briana Rodriguez

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Ian Robinson

Melinda Loewenstein

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Margaret Ruling

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Allie White

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Benjamin Lindsay Awards Editor

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Pete Martin Senior Staff Writer

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Brandy Colbert Copy Editor

Regan Hofmann

PRODUCTION Production Manager

Mark Stinson

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Francis Ramos

Social Media Specialist

Katie Minard

Jeff Lilley

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Victoria Beal Neill Kennedy Christina Kleppinger Christine McKenna-Tirella Hannah Williams

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Joe Zeleny

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Dayee Leung

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Caitlin Watkins

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Byron Karlevics

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Casting Editors

Elaina Crockett Riley Fee Daniel Gelb Lisa Hamil Effie Reich

Rebecca Welch

Product Designer

Natalie Petruch

Stephanie Chung Anna Szatkowski Ben Wasserman

Marketing Designer

Stanley Zuo

Ben Carleton

ADVISERS Senior Adviser Peter Rappaport

Editorial Assistant

Franchesca Viaud Contributing Writers

Alex Ates Marci Liroff Allie Volpe

Backstage, in addition to being the most trusted name in casting for over 50 years, has expanded its entertainment news coverage to include the ever-changing world of awards. We’re calling this extension of the brand “FYC,” inspired by the growing number of film, theater, and television projects up for voters’ consideration. This insider perspective provides everything you need to know about the Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, SAG Awards, and more, covering the most important news and telling trends of stage and screen. The “FYC” reader has a finger on the pulse of what is no longer awards season, but rather a year-round celebration of the industry’s best acting and artistry.

Backstage was founded in 1960 by Ira Eaker and Allen Zwerdling 6 BACKSTAGE.COM

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING

BEST PICTURE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY

A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE JOAQUIN PHOENIX

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY

A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ROBERT DE NIRO

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY

A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ZAZIE BEETZ

FRANCES CONROY

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY

A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE JOAQUIN PHOENIX ROBERT DE NIRO ZAZIE BEETZ

FRANCES CONROY BRETT CULLEN GLENN FLESHLER

“JOAQUIN PHOENIX GIVES THE GREATEST PERFORMANCE OF HIS CAREER – HE IS ELECTRIFYING.”

– REX REED,

BILL CAMP SHEA WHIGHAM MARC MARON

“THE SUPPORTING CAST COULDN’T BE BETTER.”

“JOAQUIN PHOENIX IS ASTONISHING.

HE LOOKS THIN, FRAIL, HUNGRY. HIS PHYSICALITY IS PRECISE – THE WAY HE MOVES, SHUFFLES, RUNS, SITS, SMOKES, SHRINKS. HIS INTENSITY IS ON FULL DISPLAY AND IT’S CAPTIVATING.”

– PETE HAMMOND,

– TERRI WHITE,

W W W . W B A WA R D S . C O M

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

TELEVISION

“Avengers: Endgame”

BY JACK SMART

GWYNETH PALTROW, TESSA THOMPSON, ELIZABETH OLSEN, BRIE LARSON, POM KLEMENTIEFF, AND LETITIA WRIGHT IN “AVENGERS: ENDGAME” | PHOTO: FILM FRAME

Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Jon Favreau, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Wong

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Sarah Finn

“AVENGERS: ENDGAME,” IN ADDITION TO BEing one of the highest peaks of mainstream movie history—making $1 billion in five days, becoming the highest grossing film of all time— may also have set the record for Hollywood’s biggest acting ensemble ever. “Biggest” in the sense of megawatt star power, of course, as its cast is no stranger to both blockbusters and award-winning fare. But also “biggest” in the sense of sheer numbers; its final credits sequence presents elaborate title cards for a whopping 54 actors. After all, the superheroic extravaganza from directors Anthony and Joe Russo and adapters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely is the literal endgame of the 22 installments preceding it, films in what is known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, brought to fans by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s cherished “Avengers” comics and Disney’s Marvel Studios. No fewer than 54 stars were needed to conclude this epic chapter of a pop culture phenomenon. And when the powers that be at Marvel set out to bring their superheroes to the big screen, from 2008’s “Iron 8 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

DISTRIBUTED BY: Walt

Man” onward, they knew they needed stars with real acting talent. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye—plus Samuel L. Jackson as superhero supervisor Nick Fury—constituted the original titular team in 2012’s “The Avengers.” In that epic first assemblage of characters from multiple franchises, the actors understood the tonal tightrope these films required: a steely determination worthy of comic book heroes punching bad guys, and a fun, often offbeat sense of humor. They took world-ending threats seriously while having the time of their lives. Joined in more Marvel flicks by eventual “Endgame” stars Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, and more, the growing Avengers team continued to walk that line between seriousness and fun. When Thor is wallowing in guilt after failing to save humanity, Hemsworth hams up the character’s drunken

Disney Studios Motion Pictures transformation while allowing us to see glimmers of real grief. Even Josh Brolin as Thanos, the big baddie of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame,” mixes menace with moments of camp. And it’s because of the wry wit Downey and Johansson bring to Iron Man and Black Widow that their final, fateful moves land like the gut punch of a prestige drama. And when, at the movie’s rousing crowd pleaser of a final showdown, Evans’ Captain orders the Avengers to “assemble” (spoiler alert: They’re rejoined by fallen heroes, including Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther, Letitia Wright’s Shuri, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, and Chris Pratt’s StarLord), it feels like he’s assembling the most impressive ensemble in all of cinema. It’s an onslaught of charisma, the ultimate payoff of watching actors bring beloved heroes to life. These stars work together to blend comedy, tragedy, and fist-pumping action, united in both their mission to defeat the bad guys and entertain the heck out of moviegoers. •

FOR YOUR

BASED

I N

C ONSIDER ATION

T R UE

A L L CAT EGORIE S

STORY

INC LUDING

BEST PICTURE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE MICHAEL B. JORDAN

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE BRIE LARSON KARAN KENDRICK

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE MICHAEL B. JORDAN JAMIE FOXX ROB MORGAN TIM BLAKE NELSON

RAFE SPALL O’SHEA JACKSON JR. KARAN KENDRICK BRIE LARSON

“ SUPER B P E R F O R M A N C E S.” – OWEN GLEIBERMAN / VARIETY

W W W. W BAWA R DS. COM

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE JAMIE FOXX ROB MORGAN TIM BLAKE NELSON

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

TELEVISION

“Barry” BY JACK SMART

DARRELL BRETT-GIBSON, SARAH GOLDBERG, ANDY CAREY, D’ARCY CARDEN, AND HENRY WINKLER ON “BARRY” | PHOTO: ISABELLA VOSMIKOVA/HBO

Anthony Carrigan, Glenn Fleshler, Sarah Goldberg, Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Henry Winkler

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Sharon Bialy, Sherry Thomas

CREATED BY:

Alec Berg, Bill Hader

DISTRIBUTED BY: HBO

“BARRY” HAS OFTEN BEEN REFERRED TO AS A dark comedy. In its second season’s finale, Bill Hader and Alec Berg’s HBO series seems to make that descriptor literal; the title character—a hit man, sure, but generally a pretty affable guy!— recedes into the darkness of an empty hallway, having just committed atrocities most television dramas would consider too grim. Hader, in writing, directing, and acting as Barry (for which he has won two Emmy Awards), is not only testing the limits of what we consider comedy; his show is also interested in dissecting the notion of an “antihero.” Are people who do bad things still fundamentally good? What if they’re forced into it? And at what point are we, as an audience, unable to forgive an antihero their trespasses? “Barry” feels partly like a response to prestige TV’s other recent antiheroes (Tony Soprano of “The Sopranos,” Walter White of “Breaking Bad,” and Annalise Keating of “How to Get Away With Murder” come to mind), and partly intent on creating something entirely its own. Because, let’s be clear: “Barry” is a bonkers show. It’s filmed impeccably, has an excellent handle on believable twists we don’t see coming, and is preoccupied with big questions about morality. 10 BACKSTAGE.COM

But it is also nuts, and audaciously so. Just look at Season 2, Episode 5, titled “ronny/ lily.” Nothing on TV in 2019 was as jaw-droppingly zany. Following Barry’s attempt to ambush a target that goes so far awry as to seem like a waking nightmare—complete with a demonic teenager proficient in tae kwon do and biting faces—the episode mounts the plot’s stakes to unimaginable heights, straining our suspension of disbelief almost to the breaking point. But the reason we believe this story every step of the way is its players. Outlandish as they may be, there’s enough raw human emotion and genuine chemistry between them to convince us this is all still within the realm of reality. Emmy winner Henry Winkler as lovable schmuck and borderline exploitative acting guru Gene Cousineau sells us on the poor guy’s mourning over his lost lover, only to slip in a line delivery so pathetic it’s hysterical. Sarah Goldberg’s Sally is every talented but frustrated actor finding her own voice; she has a Season 2 monologue listing all her neuroses that Goldberg nails in one remarkable, unbroken take. Filling out Gene’s acting class are D’Arcy Carden, Rightor Doyle, Kirby HowellBaptiste, and more, each stealing hilarious

moments in the spotlight. Their ability to cohere into Gene’s cult following, particularly during their autobiographically inspired and overly committed theater pieces, is ensemble acting at its funniest. Populating the other half of Barry’s double life, that of a veteran-turned-hit man in way over his head, are Stephen Root’s Monroe Fuches, who wiggles out of any situation no matter how criminal, and Anthony Carrigan’s NoHo Hank, the daffily upbeat Chechen mafia boss. Poor Fuches is an asshole and a coward, but Root periodically reminds us that his fatherly devotion to Barry is bone-deep; NoHo Hank’s attachment to Barry is similarly touching, as are his enthusiasm for American culture and for his criminal brethren. (Side note: The show’s funniest moment may be Carrigan laugh-vomiting.) And just as, by all accounts, we should see this all as absurd clownery, we also should not find ourselves rooting for Barry. But Hader dares us not to. The multihyphenate gives us too many laughs and glimmers of hope at redemption for us to write him off as a murderous sociopath. We can’t wait to see if this antihero keeps getting away with it. •

“HOOKED ME WITHIN

SECONDS.” – TVLINE

BEST DRAMA SERIES LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

FYC Jessica Biel

BACKSTAGE – FULL PAGE

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

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“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

BY MANUEL BETANCOURT

TOM HANKS AND MATTHEW RHYS IN “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD” | PHOTO: LACEY TERRELL

MAIN CAST: Tammy

Blanchard, Chris Cooper, Tom Hanks, Christine Lahti, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson

CASTING BY:

Avy Kaufman

MARIELLE HELLER’S “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE Neighborhood” is not so much about children’s TV host Fred Rogers as it is about the ethos Rogers instilled in his audience. Whenever he walked into his home and came down the stairs to swap his jacket for a comfy cardigan on PBS’ long-running “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” he radiated a sense of warmth and candor. As soon as Heller re-creates that scene, she makes clear that this winning and winsome homage will treat its characters with equal care. The film feels like a warm hug you hope never ends. Arguably one of the most beloved actors of his generation, Tom Hanks brings with him decades’ worth of goodwill and charm to his portrayal of Rogers, making his casting feel meant to be. The two-time Academy Award winner embodies what made the famed TV personality such a disarming presence on- and offscreen: his ability to listen. Whenever he’s addressing Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), the journalist penning a profile of him, Hanks’ Rogers is always actively listening. With patience. With kindness. He’s just as successful taking on the show’s many 12 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Marielle Heller

Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster

DISTRIBUTED BY: Sony

Pictures Releasing

puppet characters, making Daniel the tiger as real a presence as anyone else onscreen. Hanks’ serenity works as a foil to the bubbling anger that runs through Rhys’ performance. Always one exasperated sigh away from lashing out, his Vogel is a cynical reporter with a habit of running away from personal troubles (like his frayed relationship with his father, Jerry), and his profile of Rogers forces him to reckon with all he’s tried to suppress. Seeing the two actors share intimate scenes in which Rogers’ inviting silence edges Vogel into ever-more-unnerving moments of self-examination is one of the many joys of Heller’s drama. And while the film is structurally a two-hander between Rhys and Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” boasts a robust ensemble coloring the world around those seemingly ill-matched men. As Vogel’s estranged father eager to be involved in his son’s life once again, Chris Cooper is touching and vulnerable, even as he doesn’t hide Jerry’s flaws; in the role of Vogel’s wife, Andrea, Susan Kelechi Watson finds a woman as eager to support her husband

as she is to note his stubbornness. And when the film embraces a childlike wonder to blur the line between reality and Vogel’s fantasy world (which looks not unlike Rogers’ neighborhood, of course), the cast keeps things grounded, earning many a tear with tender musical moments involving Rogers’ puppets and heart-to-heart conversations between family members learning how to find their way back to one another. Peppering the film’s tearjerking moments with their brilliant comedic timing are a group of seasoned actors—Christine Lahti as Lloyd’s deadpan, no-nonsense editor, Tammy Blanchard as his loud and loving sister, and Enrico Colantoni as Rogers’ wryly funny producer—who all play beautifully opposite one another. Heller’s ensemble collectively understands what it means to approach their characters with empathy. In this, they embody the sensibility of both “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and Rogers himself, reminding us that the best way to see the emotional truth in one another is to approach life with kindness and an open-hearted sense of play. •

“...RAW AND WRENCHING...” – INDIEWIRE

BEST DRAMA SERIES LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

FYC Elizabeth Olsen

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ENSEMBLES IN FILM

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“Black-ish” BY JACK SMART

ANTHONY ANDERSON, LAURENCE FISHBURNE, AND LORETTA DEVINE ON “BLACK-ISH” | PHOTO: ABC/KELSEY MCNEAL

Anthony Anderson, Miles Brown, Deon Cole, Laurence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis, Peter Mackenzie, Marsai Martin, Jeff Meacham, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marcus Scribner, Yara Shahidi

MAIN CAST:

FOR A FAMILY SITCOM ON A TRADITIONAL network, ABC’s “Black-ish” manages to cover an impressive amount of ground. It tackles hotbutton sociopolitical issues facing Americans today, especially black Americans, without coming off as didactic. It endears us to the Johnsons, as charming yet flawed as any real-life family. And it does all this without ever sacrificing comedy; perhaps most impressive of all is the show’s ability to keep pulling the rug out from under a highly amused audience tuning in every week for the laughs. Creator Kenya Barris (who has since handed the showrunner reins over, first to Kenny Smith and Jonathan Groff and now to Courtney Lilly) has constructed a playground in which to explore and toy with modern trends and questions. The fact that “Black-ish,” six seasons in while having launched two spinoff comedies, Freefrom’s “Grown-ish” and ABC’s “Mixed-ish,” is still finding original, wacky-yet-true ways to do so is thanks in large part to the players on that playground. Led by Anthony Anderson as Andre aka Dre and Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow aka Bow, this ensemble cast ably takes on slapstick, satire, or tearjerking drama as needed. With Zoey (Yara Shahidi) now off at college, the remaining Johnson family children are 14 BACKSTAGE.COM

CASTING BY:

Alexis Frank Koczara

CREATED BY:

Kenya Barris

DISTRIBUTED BY: ABC

maturing—or at least, changing—in ways that most American parents in 2019 would recognize. In the midst of his gap year, Junior (the unabashedly funny Marcus Scribner) moves into his own place and struggles to prove to his parents that he’s independent. Scribner walks the line between kid and adult, mentoring his siblings yet maintaining playfulness. Jack and Diane (young superstars Miles Brown and Marsai Martin) remain goofy and sassy, respectively, while dealing with the unexpected pitfalls of the transition to teenagerdom. (Case in point: After showing their friends videos of Bow dancing, they must suffer through her being dubbed “the hot mom.”) Then there are Deon Cole, Jeff Meacham, Wanda Sykes, and Peter Mackenzie, all providing different shades of comic relief as Dre’s co-workers. Jenifer Lewis continues to slay as Dre’s mother, Ruby; her reaction shots and invocations of “black Jesus” alone are award-worthy. Raven-Symoné, as his sister Rhonda, is deliciously deadpan. Laurence Fishburne plays the family’s steadfast (and stubborn) rock as “Pops,” newly engaged to Loretta Devine’s Lynette. She’s just one of the spectacular guest stars on “Black-ish,” a growing list that keeps on giving: Andrew Daly; Tyra Banks; Octavia Spencer (as

herself!); and Anna Deavere Smith, Daveed Diggs, and Rashida Jones as Bow’s family. Ross’ former “Girlfriends” co-stars Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones, and Persia White recently staged a fabulous reunion. In fact, part of what makes “Black-ish” so successful is the way it folds offscreen inspiration into its subplots: Barris has called the show “a mixture of life imitating art and art imitating life.” Dre is a swaggering goofball, sure, but he’s also a vessel through which the series’ team of writers can explore distinctly 21st century philosophies and weave in issues facing their own families, careers, or marriages. Watching the show, you get the sense that Dre’s monologues about black history or arguments with Bow about police brutality are just dramatizations of conversations Americans are having every day. “Black-ish” has educational and even highbrow aspirations, but always in the guise of a lighthearted sitcom—a traditionally facile mode of storytelling whose boundaries it continues to push. It’s a show that resonates because everything, from the writing to the consistently stellar acting, feels personal. And because their stories stem from that specificity, the Johnsons feel universal. •

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

LUPITA NYONG’O BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

WINSTON DUKE TIM HEIDECKER EVAN ALEX BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

ELISABETH MOSS SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

LUPITA NYONG’O WINSTON DUKE ELISABETH MOSS TIM HEIDECKER SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH EVAN ALEX MADISON CURRY

“ FORCE OF NATURE.” NYONG’O IS A

THE WASHINGTON POST

universalpicturesawards.com

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

TELEVISION

“The Crown”

BY ELYSE ROTH

HELENA BONHAM CARTER AND BEN DANIELS ON “THE CROWN” | PHOTO: DES WILLIE

Helena Bonham Carter, Olivia Colman, Erin Doherty, Emerald Fennell, Tobias Menzies, Josh O’Connor, Jason Watkins

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Nina Gold, Robert Sterne

CREATED BY:

Peter Morgan

DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

THE ACTORS ON THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED third season of Netflix’s “The Crown” had a tricky job. They needed to bring their sharpest acting to the beloved prestige drama, playing real public figures while also following in the footsteps of actors who spent two seasons playing those same characters. The heavy hitters writer-producer Peter Morgan and casting directors Nina Gold and Robert Sterne assembled to tackle the British royal family from the mid-1960s to the late ’70s handled the task with the utmost care. This season, we see the reigning queen of England and her family grappling with events like Prince Charles’ investiture as the Prince of Wales, the Aberfan mining tragedy, unrest in Parliament, and Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk. Like the previous seasons, each installment operates almost as a short film, showcasing slices of the Windsors’ lives over the course of more than 10 years. The isolated nature of each episode makes the chemistry between the cast members a further triumph. Not only are we meant to believe that we’ve already spent 20 episodes with these people, now all portrayed by different actors, but the believability of their family ties 16 BACKSTAGE.COM

must be proven despite the fact that the main cast members rarely occupy the same frame. It’s no surprise that Oscar winner Olivia Colman can produce an expertly layered, nuanced performance. Colman never fails to bring interest to her portrayal of the stoic Queen Elizabeth II, though the role requires persistent subtlety and restraint. The challenge of following Claire Foy, the actor who established a version of this real-life public figure (and won an Emmy for it), falls heavily on Colman. Yet, as soon as she’s onscreen, it’s impossible to look away. She’s commanding and believable, making the viewer understand through 10 episodes the weight of the crown her character must singularly bear. Helena Bonham Carter brings her trademark commitment to the role of Princess Margaret. Picking up where Vanessa Kirby left off, Bonham Carter is every bit as snarky, irreverent, rebellious, and hard-partying as is expected of the queen’s younger sister. She might go from wallowing in bed in one scene to being the life of the party in the next, and Bonham Carter seems at home in both circumstances. It’s easy to

forget she hasn’t been playing opposite Colman for seasons; they sizzle with chemistry as their onscreen relationship builds the compassion and tension typically only achieved in romantic arcs. New characters of note on Season 3 include a young adult Princess Anne (Erin Doherty), Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor), and Camilla Shand (Emerald Fennell). Doherty as Princess Anne is a welcome addition to the already fraught family dynamic, always speaking her mind. She’s never afraid of confrontation and has the calm confidence of someone who “knows their place” in the hierarchy. O’Connor paints a nuanced picture of a conflicted prince who tries to juggle the weight of his role and responsibility as Prince of Wales with enjoying university like a normal student and navigating first love in the shadow of his predetermined future. A potentially unsympathetic scenario becomes the opposite in O’Connor’s hands. A new season of “The Crown” brought new challenges for a new cast of actors, but it quickly becomes clear that the show is finally back to give fans exactly the royal drama they’ve been craving. •

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

DANIEL KALUUYA

BOKEEM WOODBINE

JODIE TURNER-SMITH INDYA MOORE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

DANIEL KALUUYA • JODIE TURNER-SMITH • BOKEEM WOODBINE CHLOË SEVIGNY • FLEA • STURGILL SIMPSON • INDYA MOORE universalpicturesawards.com

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

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“Downton Abbey”

BY ALLISON CONSIDINE

LAURA CARMICHAEL, IMELDA STAUNTON, AND MAGGIE SMITH IN “DOWNTON ABBEY” | PHOTO: LIAM DANIEL

MAIN CAST: Hugh

Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt, Matthew Goode, Harry Hadden-Paton, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Penelope Wilton

CASTING BY:

Jill Trevellick

HOW DOES THE LONG-RUNNING BRITISH television drama “Downton Abbey” transfer to the big screen? Well, it gets bigger. The feature film provides cinematic aerial shots of the titular estate, grand costumes, and ample time for entangled subplots. At the center of it all is the sprawling cast—a tight-knit ensemble that has long worked together to comprise a winning team. The film from the show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, and director Michael Engler, who helmed the series finale, is the cherry on top for fans of the 15-time Emmy-winning ITV/PBS drama. The beloved cast garnered three SAG Awards for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series during the show’s six-season run, and they reunite for the film like old friends after a four-year hiatus. The residents and staffers of Downton Abbey pull their weight in preparation for the film’s main event—the English monarchy coming to the Yorkshire estate for an overnight visit. It’s a high-stakes, once-in-a-lifetime honor that requires all the best players to represent Downton. 18 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Michael Engler

Julian Fellowes

DISTRIBUTED BY: Focus

Jim Carter’s Mr. Carson, Downton’s erstwhile butler, comes out of retirement for the excitement. Suited in a tailcoat and white bow tie, he’s unflappable. He heads up the preparations, usurping the duties of the newly appointed head butler Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier). When King George V and Queen Mary arrive with an entourage in tow, complete with their own head butler and a pompous French chef, the Downton Abbey staff come together to show the special guests that they, too, can provide the royal treatment. The mild-mannered lady’s maid Anna Bates (Golden Globe winner Joanne Froggatt) leads the charge in the so-called “revolution,” with a ploy to regain control of the kitchen and serving posts. Between polishing the silver and procuring foodstuffs, there’s also a secret pregnancy, a thwarted assassination attempt, and even a budding romance to keep the Crawley family and their servants busy. The stately manor’s Lady Mary, played with poise by the inimitable Michelle Dockery, makes sure to care for the Downton crew amidst the commotion. She even

Features and Universal Pictures International lends her opulent sleeping quarters to Anna and her husband (Brendan Coyle) when Anna goes into labor as the royal soirée unfolds downstairs. Perhaps the most important mark of a good team is its ability to bring in new players. For the film, the principal cast was joined by a number of newcomers, including Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton and Tuppence Middleton (“Sense8”), who both imbue more strains of drama—a hushed family secret and a ripple in the Crawley line of inheritance. Even with these plot entanglements, two-time Academy Award winner Maggie Smith, the acerbic Dowager Countess of Grantham, still manages to steal the spotlight. When Tom Branson (Allen Leech) shows interest in a distant Crawley relative who is actually a stakeholder in the family inheritance, she takes it upon herself to promote a correspondence between the two. “I won’t dislike it. I’ll lick the stamps myself,” she quips. Indeed, the movie points to a future for the Downton Abbey estate—and possibly to a continuation of the upstairs and downstairs antics that propelled this ensemble to the big screen. •

“ANTONIO BANDERAS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS CAREER. THIS IS ACTING OF THE HIGHEST ORDER, SUBLIME IN EVERY DETAIL.” -Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

“THIS IS QUITE POSSIBLY HIS FINEST— SO FINE-GRAINED IN ITS ATTENTIVENESS TO EVERY NUANCE OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHIC SUFFERING THAT YOU CAN’T HELP THINKING ALMODÓVAR IS SPEAKING THROUGH HIM.” -Stephanie Zacharek, TIME

WINNER WINNER BEST ACTOR

HOLLYWOOD ACTOR AWARD

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

HOLLYWOOD FILM AWARDS

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Antonio Banderas FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

pain and glory written and directed by Pedro

Almodóvar

“PENÉLOPE CRUZ IS RADIANT.” -Stephanie Zacharek, TIME

GRADE: A “PENÉLOPE CRUZ’S DEPICTION IS HEARTFELT AND AFFECTIONATE. BREATHTAKING TO WATCH.” -Bradley Warren, THE PLAYLIST

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Penélope Cruz OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

TELEVISION

“Euphoria” BY CASEY MINK

HUNTER SCHAFER, ZENDAYA, AND MAUDE APATOW ON “EUPHORIA” | PHOTO: EDDY CHEN/HBO

Maude Apatow, Angus Cloud, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer, Algee Smith, Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya

MAIN CAST:

THOUGH IT MAY BE A TOUGH PILL TO SWALlow for those of us who were born before the new millennium, the kids of Generation Z are officially old enough to partake in the same sex, drugs, and alcohol-induced debauchery of the generations that came before it—and partake they do on HBO’s “Euphoria.” The series was the instantaneous show of the summer when it debuted in June, perfectly suited for the sweltering hedonism of warmer months. Set in a decidedly unremarkable town filled with decidedly remarkable teenagers, the Sam Levinson–created drama employs every episode to showcase each character’s respective demons, all of which are harrowing enough to render your own high school traumas on par with an afternoon at Disneyland. Ironically, that’s most true of our protagonist Rue, played with magnificent sadness by former Disney Channel star Zendaya. But there’s nary a whiff of child actor pluck in this fully realized performance. Portraying an addict who’s pushed herself so far past the line she can no longer even see it, Zendaya’s physical and emotional agony becomes as much 20 BACKSTAGE.COM

CASTING BY:

Jessica Kelly, Mary Vernieu

CREATED BY:

Sam Levinson

DISTRIBUTED BY: HBO

Rue’s burden to bear as it is the audience’s—until Jules comes along. “The OC” had Seth and Summer; “Gossip Girl” had Chuck and Blair; and “Euphoria” has Rue and Jules, the latter portrayed by acting newcomer Hunter Schafer. Schafer, who is transgender, wields her inexperience on-camera like a weapon, imbuing her character with an outsider’s tenderness so delicate it has the synesthetic feel of porcelain. And Schafer isn’t the series’ only acting newbie; cast with razor-like precision by Mary Vernieu and Jessica Kelly, the ensemble features an embarrassment of acting riches across the board, to the extent that anointing a standout is futile. Alexa Demie turns the “femme fatale” archetype on its head by giving her Maddy exactly as much power as is constantly, simultaneously taken from her. Helming the storyline with the most potential for melodrama, she and Jacob Elordi as Nate torment and love and feud with one another, ensuring that soapy gratuity is subverted instead by the genuine horrors of first love. Speaking of subversive, you won’t see a character nor performance like Barbie Ferreira’s Kat, who reclaims her body and

femininity in ways that resonate specifically in 2019, which is almost—but not quite—a good thing. And Sydney Sweeney (who in 2018 met two gruesome ends on both “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Sharp Objects”) is given her meatiest small-screen role yet as the wide-eyed, longing-to-be-longed-for Cassie. Finally, Angus Cloud as drug-dealing burnout Fez gives what may be the most realistic television performance of all time, which he does with a total of about 100 words season-long. And while the hormone-addled teens are the primary focus of “Euphoria,” a few adult actors deserve honorary mentions, including Eric Dane (Nate’s father, who proves the apple doesn’t fall far from the sinister tree) and Nika King as Rue’s out-of-options mother. While the series would have functioned wonderfully as a standalone eight-episode miniseries, it will be back for a second season. That’s due largely to the actors’ investment in these human beings—whom they and the show treat as such, despite their young age—making its return so welcome, even if it does so on a cloud of vape smoke. •

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

PAUL WALTER HAUSER OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

SA M R OCKWELL · JON HAMM OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

K AT H Y B AT ES · OLIVIA WILDE · NINA AR IA N D A OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

W W W. W BAWA R DS. COM

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

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“Fleabag” BY BRIANA RODRIGUEZ

PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE AND ANDREW SCOTT ON “FLEABAG” | PHOTO: STEVE SCHOFIELD

MAIN CAST: Sian

Clifford, Olivia Colman, Hugh Dennis, Brett Gelman, Bill Paterson, Jenny Rainsford, Andrew Scott, Fiona Shaw, Hugh Skinner, Phoebe Waller-Bridge

CASTING BY:

Olivia Scott-Webb

CREATED BY:

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

DISTRIBUTED BY: Amazon

HUMBLE ACTORS OFTEN PALM OFF THE credit for a great performance to great writing. But in the case of “Fleabag,” it really is hard to discern where more talent lies: in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s pen, Andrew Scott’s restraint, Olivia Colman’s fake laugh, or Sian Clifford’s side-eye. Yet even describing the subtle characteristics that make a fictional person appear real on camera feels reductive when looking at the work of this tremendous ensemble cast. “Fleabag” masked itself, in its first season in 2016 and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival play that preceded it, as a dark comedy about a hapless London woman known only as Fleabag, dealing with her sadness and crumbling self-worth with casual sexual encounters, deflective jokes (always witty ones), and a sky-high bar tab. But by the end of writer-producer-actor Waller-Bridge’s second season, which dominated the comedy races at the 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards, this simple story evolved into a profound meditation on grief, purpose, and emotional bonds. Early in Season 2, Fiona Shaw, making an appearance as a voucher-bought mental health 22 BACKSTAGE.COM

Prime Video, BBC

counselor (rubbing lotion into her elbows, an award-worthy gesture itself) asks Fleabag if she’s close with her family. Fleabag responds: “We get on with it.” Much of the show’s delight comes from watching them try. At the top of the season, for instance, their forced joy at an engagement dinner feels familiarly uncomfortable, the actors believably balancing both the playfulness of the scene, its subtext-laden dialogue, and the escalation that ensues. It’s a master class in using comedy for dramatic ends. Waller-Bridge shines brightest in these dual moments, her signature straightto-camera asides somehow still getting laughs while deepening in nuance. Coloring Fleabag’s world as the members of her family are the caustic and hilarious Clifford as her sister, Claire; Brett Gelman as Claire’s horrendous husband, Martin; a bumbling Bill Paterson as her father; and a pitch-perfect Colman as her conniving Godmother. And then, of course, there’s the Priest. Scott’s character is representative of a deep moral struggle, and the actor plays every note of that dilemma

with gorgeous perspicacity, not to mention wondrously disarming charm—it’s impossible to resist falling for him. It’s an emotional balancing act in six episodes, to which each actor contributes more than the sum of their parts. From one installment to the next, they get to play darkly funny—as when Fleabag, in a flashback, turns up to her mother’s funeral looking accidentally gorgeous and Claire and Boo (Jenny Rainsford) are incredulous—then heartfelt—as in the exchange between Fleabag and “Women in Business” award winner Belinda Frears (a wonderful Kristin Scott Thomas). “People are all we’ve got,” Belinda tells her. And that’s “Fleabag” at its core: a love letter to the people who see us. At times, watching Waller-Bridge’s story feels like watching magic, a sleight of hand trick that fools you into thinking you know the cards being dealt, until, suddenly, the color of the deck has changed and your name is inexplicably written across the two of spades. It becomes, somehow, personal: You know it’s just a television show, but you can’t help but feel it’s much more. •

WINNER OF 12 EMMY AWARDS INCLUDING ®

OU T S TA N DI N G D R A M A S E R I E S

“ABSOLUTELY “ STELLAR” “VISUALLY A MASTERPIECE”

STUNNING”

VARIETY

THE NEW YORK TIMES

USA TODAY

“THE

TV DRAMA OF OUR TIME”

“

THE WASHINGTON POST

TRIUMPHANT AND EPIC” VULTURE

EXHILARATING”

“

“TRULY

NEWSDAY

“TV’S

MOMENTOUS” GQ

GREATEST SHOW OF ALL TIME” LOS ANGELES TIMES

STUNNING

“

in a way that no other tv show comes close to pulling off ” VOX

“one of the

BEST DRAMAS IN THE HISTORY OF THE SMALL SCREEN”

“ERA-DEFINING”

DEADLINE

ROLLING STONE

“one of the most

CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT shows of the era”

A.V. CLUB

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TELEVISION

“Ford v Ferrari”

BY BENJAMIN LINDSAY

MATT DAMON AND CHRISTIAN BALE IN “FORD V FERRARI” | PHOTO: MERRICK MORTON

MAIN CAST: Christian

Bale, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Matt Damon, Noah Jupe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Ray McKinnon

CASTING BY:

Ronna Kress

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU COMBINE THE powers of one of today’s most acclaimed and decorated character actors with one of the most beloved everymen of the big screen? If “Ford v Ferrari” is the barometer, you’ve got a rousing, real-life buddy dramedy—and two of the best performances of the year. Oscar winner Christian Bale stars as Ken Miles, the inimitable legendary racecar driver whose hair-trigger temper is only matched by his live-wire capabilities behind the wheel. He’s unbeatable in the driver’s seat. That’s the hope, at least, for the Ford Motor Company and Henry Ford II, who begrudgingly employ Miles and former world champion-turned-car salesman Carroll Shelby, played by a never-better Matt Damon, to build a world-class racecar and beat Ferrari on the international stage in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966. “Ford v Ferrari” may well make you forget that you’ve seen and heard this underdog racing story before—even if you’ve never heard the tale of Miles and his iconic victory. (The Brit was posthumously inducted into the Motorsports 24 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

James Mangold

Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Jason Keller

DISTRIBUTED BY: Twentieth

Century Fox (through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Hall of Fame of America in 2001.) And that’s largely thanks to Bale and Damon, whose unfettered chemistry is so natural—Bale’s workingclass English brogue balanced by Damon’s twangy Southern all-business gentleman—that it’s a wonder they haven’t worked together before. Their thrilling collaboration with director James Mangold (Oscar-nominated for “Logan”) and screenwriter Jez Butterworth (a Tony winner this year for “The Ferryman”) may be a first, but we’d bet it’s not their last. And that’s to say nothing of the first-rate ensemble cast at their back. Theater heavyweight Tracy Letts has been having a bit of a big-screen moment these last few years, with standout turns in “The Post,” “Lady Bird,” and the upcoming “Little Women,” and he’s put to his best use yet here as the snarling, thinskinned Ford, calling the shots from his tower only to soil himself (literally) seeing how the real work is actually done at 200 mph. His sobbing “I had no idea” while sitting in the passenger seat with Shelby after a race around the track is the comedic highlight of a film surprisingly

brimming with them. Joining him is Jon Bernthal, best known for action-heavy outings like Netflix’s “The Punisher,” who’s given surprising warmth and emotional levity as Lee Iacocca, a Ford marketing executive with a heart. Josh Lucas as his counter—the smarmy, back-stabbing, dollar-sign-is-the-bottom-line Leo Beebe—is hatefully watchable. Plus, it makes his ultimate humiliation at the hands of Miles and Shelby all the more satisfying. Even Noah Jupe (of “A Quiet Place” and this year’s “Honey Boy”) as Miles’ young son Peter has his time to shine, breaking your heart twice over. And Caitriona Balfe (best known for her breakout role on Starz’s “Outlander”) imbues Mollie, the wife and mother pining for Miles’ safety at home, with grit and headstrong allure. A particular highlight is when she spots her ne’er-do-well husband and Shelby, tempers rising under pressure from Ford, as they begin sparring on the sidewalk outside their home. She just pulls up a chair in her front lawn and watches, an amused audience—not unlike that of “Ford v Ferrari” itself. •

RICH AUTHENTICITY zendaya is EXCEPTIONAL” “

INDIEWIRE

BEAUTIFULLY SHOT

“

artfully composed ” THE WASHINGTON POST

“ hunter schafer is

EXCELLENT and TRANSFIXING” DECIDER

“★★★★”

“★★★★

“TRULY

CHICAGO SUN -TIMES

“ VISUALLY

visually striking”

STUNNING”

ROLLING STONE

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

REMARKABLE” DEADLINE

“EXCELLENT

real and exceptionally realized ” THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“DOWNRIGHT

GORGEOUS has an undeniable pull ”

VARIETY

EXHILARATING and INTOXICATING

“

visual style that pulsates with life” TV LINE

“★★★★” THE GUARDIAN

“ zendaya

EXTRAORDINARY ” THE BOSTON GLOBE

“

EYE-POPPING CINEMATOGRAPHY ” USA TODAY

BEAUTIFULLY FILMED”

“

NEW YORK MAGAZINE

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

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“Game of Thrones”

BY LISA GRANSHAW

KIT HARINGTON, SOPHIE TURNER, MAISIE WILLIAMS, AND ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT ON “GAME OF THRONES” | PHOTO: HELEN SLOAN/HBO

MAIN CAST: Alfie

Allen, John Bradley, Gwendoline Christie, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead Wright

WINTER IS OVER AND THE IRON THRONE IS NO more after HBO’s fantasy hit “Game of Thrones” ended with its eighth season this spring. Finally, we saw Westeros face the ever-looming threat of the Night King and the White Walkers before it turned to the ultimate showdown for the rule of the Seven Kingdoms. The David Benioff and D.B. Weiss–created series based on George R.R. Martin’s classic fantasy novels kept us captivated, not just with its unpredictable plots but with characters given life by a stellar, sprawling ensemble cast that excelled despite some of the bumps the show faced along the way. Just look at how Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister made us love and loathe the family that always pays its debts. They each made their characters interesting in their own right, but there was also an intensity to their scenes that spoke to the complicated nature of the blood, hate, and loyalty that tied them together. Dinklage, who recently won his fourth Emmy for the role, brought wit, heart, and sarcasm to an audience stand-in character striving to 26 BACKSTAGE.COM

CASTING BY:

Nina Gold, Robert Sterne

CREATED BY:

David Benioff, D.B. Weiss

DISTRIBUTED BY: HBO

believe a better world was possible. Loyalty— not just to family, but to Emilia Clarke’s conquering queen Daenerys Targaryen, whom he desperately wanted to believe in—gave Dinklage so much to work with during the many heartwrenching scenes the Hand of the Queen had to have this season. Clarke’s impassioned performance as the Mother of Dragons, meanwhile, showed us how Daenerys inched ever closer to crossing the line in her quest for power, while still managing to surprise us with her ultimate decisions. You could see the bonds straining and breaking as she tensely tried to explain, argue, and command those around her, including Sophie Turner’s Sansa Stark and Kit Harington’s Jon Snow. And when Jon, Sansa, Maisie Williams’ Arya, and Isaac Hempstead Wright’s Bran are reunited at Winterfell, it’s one of the show’s most powerful moments. Each actor is brilliant at highlighting the many ways these young Starks have changed, but even as they disagree, they do a wonderful job making you feel that there is a deep, unbreakable familial connection between

them. Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy also shines in some of the season’s most emotional moments with his adopted family as he attempts to redeem himself. Of course, if you only look at the prominent houses of Westeros, you miss other actors that are just as essential to the ensemble, like Rory McCann, Liam Cunningham, John Bradley, Iain Glen, Carice van Houten, Jerome Flynn, Conleth Hill, Kristofer Hivju, Jacob Anderson, Nathalie Emmanuel, and even the astonishingly rendered dragons. A special standout was Gwendoline Christie as the strong yet vulnerable Brienne of Tarth. She’s still the capable loyal knight we’ve grown to know, but in this final season, we see her owning her role as a trusted adviser to Sansa and allowing herself to be emotional in powerful scenes between her and Jaime. It’s that kind of unfading chemistry among these actors and the many others in the cast that made the show worth watching. While the television industry desperately tries to find the next “Game of Thrones,” the fact is there may never be a way to replicate the magic of these actors. •

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES AND ALL OTHER CATEGORIES

“ UNMISSABLE ”

“ FLAWLESS ”

“ WICKEDLY SMART ”

“ QUIET PERFECTION ”

“ PERFECT ”

“ A MASTERPIECE ”

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

TELEVISION

“GLOW” BY ALLIE WHITE

MARIANNA PALKA, ELLEN WONG, SHAKIRA BARRERA, SUNITA MANI, REBEKKA JOHNSON, KATE NASH, BRITNEY YOUNG, AND KIMMY GATEWOOD ON “GLOW” | PHOTO: ALI GOLDSTEIN/NETFLIX

Shakira Barrera, Alison Brie, Kimmy Gatewood, Betty Gilpin, Rebekka Johnson, Chris Lowell, Sunita Mani, Marc Maron, Kate Nash, Sydelle Noel, Marianna Palka, Gayle Rankin, Kia Stevens, Jackie Tohn, Ellen Wong, Britney Young

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Elizabeth Barnes, Jennifer Euston

CREATED BY:

Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch

DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

A GROUP OF LEOTARD-CLAD WOMEN PLAYacting inside a wrestling ring isn’t exactly a conventional setup for an inspired feminist series, but it’s exactly that unexpected juxtaposition that continues to make Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch’s “GLOW” such a treat three seasons in. Inspired by the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling circuit of the 1980s (yes, this was a real thing), the Netflix comedy features a diverse ensemble of strong, kickass women as they navigate the camp of performative wrestling and the truths, flaws, and camaraderie behind it. Television stalwarts Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin take top billing as former best friendsturned-enemies-turned-kept at arms’-length co-stars-turned-maybe friends again Ruth Wilder and Debbie Eagan, respectively. But to forget the rest of the SAG Award–nominated ensemble would be flagrant misconduct (wrestling terminology!). Unlike their wrestling characters—often purposefully cheap stereotypes and caricatures—the women who share the ring with Brie and Gilpin make up one of the most fun casts of the year. Season 3 finds the group in Las Vegas, 28 BACKSTAGE.COM

headlining a nightly show at the Fan-Tan Hotel & Casino (run by a truly glorious Geena Davis). It would have been easy to lean heavily on the glitz, schmaltz, and grit of ’80s-era Vegas, but for a season set in an over-the-top period in the most over-the-top place in the world, it’s remarkably restrained. The cast leans on the tackiness, sure, but it’s the smallest exchanges that have the biggest impact. While “GLOW” certainly isn’t the first show to weave gender inequality, double standards, sexual identity, racism, class discrimination, and homophobia into its episodes, the smart writing allows the talented ensemble to make those themes feel fresh, relevant, and unique. It’s obvious the actors take pride in telling these stories, even if they’re doing it in metallic spandex and sky-high hair. In a true testament to just how watchable and dynamic they are, much of Season 3 doesn’t involve any wrestling at all. These characters have become vivid and magnetic enough that while you certainly enjoy their utterly ridiculous brawls, you’re also fine watching them do just about anything. Like wait in line for a breakfast

buffet. Or chase a toddler down a casino hallway. Or get a haircut. Or face the realities of aging. Or discuss a miscarriage. Or question what it means to be an LQBTQ+ woman of color. Or have a conversation about the Holocaust, Cambodian genocide, and shared trauma. In less talented hands, these plotlines would be just that: flat words on a page. But thanks to Brie, Gilpin, Sydelle Noel, Kate Nash, Britney Young, Gayle Rankin, Kia Stevens, Jackie Tohn, Kimmy Gatewood, Sunita Mani, Rebekka Johnson, Ellen Wong, Marianna Palka, and Shakira Barrera, they come to life in ways that are so multidimensional, you’ll raise your standards for authentic stories showcasing complicated women. Plus, Marc Maron, Chris Lowell, Kevin Cahoon, and a handful of other men add their own dramas to the proceedings without ever stealing focus from these gorgeous ladies of wrestling. What started as the tale of two estranged friends signing on for a budget women’s wrestling show directed by a flailing B-movie director quickly became a showcase for a truly great TV ensemble. The fourth (and, unfortunately, final) season can’t come soon enough. •

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“The Good Place”

BY ALLIE WHITE

TED DANSON, D’ARCY CARDEN, MANNY JACINTO, JAMEELA JAMIL, AND KRISTEN BELL ON “THE GOOD PLACE” | PHOTO: COLLEEN HAYES/NBC

Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Jameela Jamil, Maya Rudolph, Adam Scott

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Ben Harris, Allison Jones

CREATED BY:

Michael Schur

DISTRIBUTED BY: NBC

THERE ARE SHOWS THAT GO TO GREAT lengths to cast a deep ensemble, only to quickly focus in on one or two as central characters. There are shows that require tinkering well into the first (or second) season to combine characters that strike the right narrative tone. There are shows that have to recast, rewrite, and rework as ensemble members cycle on or off the call sheet. NBC’s “The Good Place” is not one of those shows. The core cast of Michael Schur’s comedy established themselves as one of the strongest—and most infectiously charming—ensembles the small screen has ever seen from the day their characters died. Despite its otherworldly, philosophical, spacetime continuum–jumping premise and the fact that its four primary characters were heinous human beings before reaching the afterlife, the series’ four seasons have not featured a single moment when viewers aren’t rooting for the group, even in their darkest, most demonic moments. Yes, that includes when Kristen Bell’s Eleanor Shellstrop admits that her favorite book is “Kendall Jenner’s Instagram feed.” Led by the hilarious Bell, an Earthside piece 30 BACKSTAGE.COM

of “human garbage,” our gang includes William Jackson Harper’s Chidi Anagonye, a professor of ethics and moral philosophy constantly paralyzed by the fear of making a wrong decision; Jameela Jamil’s upper-class, name-dropping Tahani Al-Jamil; Manny Jacinto’s Jason Mendoza, Jacksonville’s greatest undiscovered amateur DJ and terrible criminal; 4-and-a-halfbillion-year-old demon in disguise Michael, played by an affable (and Emmy-nominated) Ted Danson; and the all-knowing robot-like guide to the afterlife Janet, played by series breakout D’Arcy Carden. Casting a series is no joke, but casting a series with a mutable premise, time jumps, memory wipes, and constant reboots is even harder. For it all to work, the audience somehow needs to empathize with characters who definitely don’t belong in the Good Place as individuals and as a collective unit. And Bell, Harper, Jamil, Jacinto, Danson, and Carden are irresistible. It’s so fitting that this series, the premise of which is that interpersonal bonds and human connection are utterly essential to life in this world, features an ensemble as cohesive as this

one. And they blend seamlessly with outsize recurring and guest stars, including Marc Evan Jackson, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Emmy nominee Maya Rudolph. “The Good Place” is one of the purest illustrations on television today of the whole being greater than the sum of its acting parts. The stars are individually brilliant, seamlessly playing off one another, shining when it’s called for, backing off when necessary. But as an ensemble, these afterlife misfits take Schur’s hellishly clever, twisty premise and elevate it to places that manage to be both hilarious and touching. Every scene is equal parts zany, ingenious, and emotional. (Yup, even when Michael explains the finer points of torture in the Bad Place, penis flattener and butthole spiders included.) It’s a series about four people (plus one reformed demon and one all-knowing Janet) struggling to figure out what it means to be capital-G good. And while no one can tell you how to make it to the actual Good Place, we can say unequivocally that “The Good Place” and its cast are very, very good. •

. ” Y R A N I D AOR R T X E . ” T H N . A H I R L A L H I E R Y B “HH S E I H T S T F CA O E H S T E , L M O B T T M O E B S O N E T S “ T OP T E B HE IS DAMON W

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TELEVISION

“The Handmaid’s Tale”

BY CASEY MINK

KRISTEN GUTOSKIE, SUGENJA SRI, ANN DOWD, BRADLEY WHITFORD, JOSEPH FIENNES, ELISABETH MOSS, CHRISTOPHER MELONI, JULIE DRETZIN, AND YVONNE STRAHOVSKI ON “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” | PHOTO: SOPHIE GIRAUD/HULU

MAIN CAST: Alexis

Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Joseph Fiennes, Max Minghella, Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Bradley Whitford, Samira Wiley

CASTING BY:

Sharon Bialy, Russell Scott, Sherry Thomas

CREATED BY:

Bruce Miller

DISTRIBUTED BY: Hulu

YOU’D THINK THAT BY ITS THIRD SEASON, “The Handmaid’s Tale” would have leavened just a bit in the physical, emotional, and mental atrocities to which it subjects its characters—and thus its viewers—throughout each hourlong episode. But then again, real-world horrors certainly haven’t relented since the Hulu drama premiered in the spring of 2017; why, then, should the series’ fictional ones? In fact, it seems a safe bet that when we look back on the eventual legacy of this streamer, a footnote on every page will be its inextricable mirroring of this era’s war on human rights. But with this most recent season, which premiered June 2019, Hulu’s Emmy-winning episodic may have achieved its most chilling real-world parallel to date: desensitization. Just as a “new normal” method of grappling with current events has become a survival tactic during the current period of unrest in America, it has also become requisite for watching “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Ritualistic assaults and impalements that during the first season were shocking are now par for the course with every gorgeously shot installment. And yes, believe it or not, that is an excellent thing for a show that 32 BACKSTAGE.COM

has graduated from zeitgeist lightning rod to one of this moment’s defining cultural tentpoles. To be fair, the dystopian world Margaret Atwood created in her 1985 novel—in which a military theocracy uses female bodies as breeding vehicles—has for decades packed a political punch. And with the help of series showrunner Bruce Miller, that world has been rendered disconcertingly real from Episode 1. It is through its cast’s performances, however, that the “Handmaid’s” premise is moved from the realm of “this is plausible” to “this might be inevitable.” That, of course, starts from the top, which in this case is “Handmaid’s” Emmy-winning star and producer Elisabeth Moss. Despite having laid bare her cards for years, Moss gets more revelatory the longer we know and more deeply we care for her June. Her signature close-ups in particular—a barely registered flicker of the eye, an involuntary grimace—should be studied in on-camera acting classes. She’s carried the gargantuan series on her back with aplomb, but watching her step up and into a leadership position this season is akin to watching a caged dog at last released in full ferocity.

That isn’t to diminish Moss’ sparring partners: Emmy winner Ann Dowd finally comes into full, devastating focus this season with an award-worthy episode highlighting Aunt Lydia’s backstory, while Serena Joy Waterford remains the most ambiguous character on television thanks entirely to the devilish sympathy Yvonne Strahovski lends her. Rounding out the ensemble, Samira Wiley, Joseph Fiennes, Max Minghella, and the ever-heartbreaking Alexis Bledel each provide displays of character study with every episode, bringing into sharp focus the imaginable reality of their unimaginable circumstances. What truly makes the third season of “Handmaid’s” excel, however, is the welcome addition of Bradley Whitford (Moss’ former “West Wing” co-star), whose eccentric and capricious Comdr. Lawrence gives these most recent episodes the new blood needed to avoid a narrative slump. Whitford, his coif as pigmentless as a ghost, strikes the perfect balance between protective and putrid; it’s no wonder he’s already won himself an Emmy for the gig—with plenty more awards for him and his collaborators to follow, surely. •

“AUGUST DIEHL AND VALERIE PACHNER EXUDE AN ETHEREAL RAPPORT.” Ti m G r i e r s o n ,

Written and Directed by

Fo r Yo u r C o n s i d e ra t i o n

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AUGUST DIEHL

VALERIE PACHNER

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AUGUST DIEHL, VALERIE PACHNER

Based on True Events FOXSEARCHLIGHT.COM/FYC

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“Harriet” BY JACK SMART

ZACKARY MOMOH AND CYNTHIA ERIVO IN “HARRIET” | PHOTO: GLEN WILSON/FOCUS FEATURES

MAIN CAST: Joe

Alwyn, Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr.

CASTING BY:

Kim Coleman

HOW DID IT TAKE UNTIL 2019 TO GIVE HARRIET Tubman—escaped slave, abolitionist, suffragette, and all-around American legend—the Hollywood treatment? Big-budget, big-screen biographies have long been instrumental in bringing history’s most important and compelling figures to the masses, informing us of their accomplishments and giving them flesh-and-blood humanity. Who and what the makers of biopics decide to highlight, teaching or reminding us of fascinating, pivotal moments that rippled through time and still resonate today, is part of the genre’s fun; Hollywood biopics are history writ large. Tubman’s life is chock-full of those fascinating, pivotal moments. Born into slavery in 1822 Maryland, Araminta “Minty” Ross, as she was called at first, escaped to freedom in Philadelphia—a journey made, inconceivably, solo—before returning over a dozen times to rescue friends, family, and other enslaved people north via the Underground Railroad. She later served as a scout for the Union army and became the first woman in the history of the United States to lead an armed expedition. Throughout her long life, Tubman also experienced fevered visions, the result of a childhood head wound, which she insisted were premonitions directly from God. 34 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Kasi Lemmons

Gregory Allen Howard, Kasi Lemmons

DISTRIBUTED BY: Focus

Features

If those kinds of details don’t make a riveting feature film, what does? With writer-director Kasi Lemmons’ biopic “Harriet,” Tubman finally gets the rendering she has long deserved. Her life had elements of a gripping thriller, heartrending drama, and even a superhero origin story (visions from the future!). Thanks to a script from Lemmons and Gregory Allen Howard and a cast of heavyweight talent orbiting around Cynthia Erivo’s magnificent Tubman, moviegoing audiences can now shed a tear or pump their fists in triumph watching her story—or both, as is often the case. Much of the film’s narrative weight falls on Erivo’s shoulders in the titular role. A rising star from England who won the 2016 Tony Award as Celie in “The Color Purple” and stole the show in last year’s “Widows” and “Bad Times at the El Royale,” the actorsinger has an innate charisma no matter what she’s doing. There’s something about her use of stillness; in “Harriet,” Erivo often plays guarded and watchful, making us wonder what her wide eyes are seeing. The extraordinary circumstances of Tubman’s life could invite a lesser actor to go big and broad. Instead, Erivo defaults to a mesmerizing restraint, making

a rousing speech later in the film land with explosive effect. Surrounding Erivo and helping her shine even brighter is an ensemble cast that has embraced the movie’s inspiring, even adventurous spirit. As antislavery activist and Underground Railroad conductor William Still, Leslie Odom Jr. (a Tony-winning star for “Hamilton”) plays fastidious to comedic effect; there’s a montage of Tubman returning from missions with more and more freed slaves that lets Odom Jr. earn the film’s biggest laugh. Musician Janelle Monáe, having already proven her bona fides as an actor of utmost subtlety in “Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures,” plays proprietor Marie Buchanon with equal parts regality and gentle empathy. Clarke Peters, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Zackary Momoh, Deborah Ayorinde, and more heighten the story’s emotional stakes as Tubman’s family. And Joe Alwyn’s Gideon serves as the soulless villain of “Harriet,” its reprehensible representative of white slave owners; in increasingly tense scenes opposite Erivo, the actor doesn’t shy away from degrading and even humiliating the character. Tubman, after all, is the rightful hero and centerpiece of this blockbuster—at long last. •

E M M Y® W I N N E R P A T R I C I A A R Q U E T T E E M M Y® N O M I N E E J O E Y K I N G

For Your Consideration

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

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“Hustlers” BY ELYSE ROTH

CARDI B AND CONSTANCE WU IN “HUSTLERS” | PHOTO: COURTESY STX FINANCING, LLC

MAIN CAST: Cardi

B, Madeline Brewer, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Trace Lysette, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Mercedes Ruehl, Julia Stiles, Mette Towley, Constance Wu

CASTING BY:

Gayle Keller

ANY WORDS YOU’D USE TO DESCRIBE “Hustlers” are a giveaway that you’ll be entertained: a buddy crime dramedy; an early 2000s period piece complete with flashy costumes; a sticking-it-to-the-man revenge story with a big comeuppance to cap it off. As much as those elements combine to make this real-life story thrilling, it’s so much more than that thanks to an incredible script and direction by Lorene Scafaria and her all-star cast led by Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu. Adapted from a New York Magazine article by Jessica Pressler about a team of New York City strippers who exploit their club’s Wall Street clients for money (and are later caught), the film puts women front and center. Sharing the screen with Lopez and Wu are Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, and Madeline Brewer, plus hilarious cameos from the likes of Lizzo and Cardi B, making for a refreshingly diverse cast. (“Hustlers” broke the record for biggest opening weekend for a film featuring multiple leading women of color.) Lopez and Wu adeptly navigate scenes revealing their characters’ complexity and humanity. 38 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Lorene Scafaria

DISTRIBUTED BY: STX

Lopez’s introduction to the film as Ramona is an unforgettable pole dancing sequence to Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” that leaves Wu’s Destiny—and the audience—with mouth agape. Her charisma and commitment are evident throughout as Ramona acts as a sort of den mother, a source of comfort and security, to her fellow strippers making ends meet by whatever means necessary. And it’s astounding how much command Wu has of her emotions, as both an eager dancer in 2008 and later, in her suburban living room, recalling the events that ended with her in handcuffs. When Julia Stiles’ reporter, Elizabeth, suggests Destiny joined Ramona’s schemes for camaraderie rather than revenge, we feel deeply for her. Although Wu and Lopez form the story’s central friendship, it’s the ensemble that supplies the film with such a unique energy. Reinhart, best known for her role as Betty Cooper on the CW’s “Riverdale,” shows a new, comedic side as oddball Annabelle; her timing is impeccable as she delivers some of the film’s funniest lines. As

Entertainment Mercedes, Palmer’s dynamism opposite heavy hitters like Lopez makes it seem as if they’ve been working together for years. Brewer, best known for “The Handmaid’s Tale,” manages to wreak havoc and elicit sympathy in equal measure in the film’s second act. And Trace Lysette and Mette Towley get quite the fabulous introduction, and hold their own, as part of the ensemble of strippers. “Hustlers” spends many of its initial scenes in a locker room or onstage with the club’s dancers, packed with dialogue that zings like a game of pinball—quick and bouncing from one character to another. Yet, no one woman steals attention away from another. Later, during a scene where the women celebrate Christmas together, you feel the love, playfulness, and sisterhood between them. The chemistry Scafaria fostered in her cast becomes the film’s heart, and this is what sticks with you after leaving the theater. It’s a stranger-than-fiction, high-energy, femaledriven crime drama that’s not a gender swap, sequel, or prequel. And it’s one of the best films you’ll see all year. •

FOR YOUR SAG AWARDS CONSIDERATION ®

“‘THE IRISHMAN’ IS A REVELATION,

a s in t o x ic a t ing a f i l m a s t h e y e a r h a s s e e n , a l l o w ing M a r t in S c o r s e s e t o u s e hi s e x p ec t ed m a s t e r y o f a l l e l e m e n t s o f f i l mm a k ing t o e nd s w e did n o t s e e c o ming . I t w o u l dn’t b e t h e f i l m i t i s w i t h o u t t h e m a s t e r c l a s s in nu a nc ed ac t ing t h a t R o ber t D e N ir o , A l P ac in o a nd Jo e P e sc i pr o v id e . A s g o o d a s t hi s t r i o i s , a n equ a l s t r e ng t h o f ‘ T h e Ir i s hm a n’ i s h o w w e l l i t ’s ac t ed ac r o s s t h e b o a r d in a s t o r y s o w id e -r a nging i t l i s t s m o r e t h a n 16 0 r o l e s . H a r v e y K e i t e l , R a y R o m a n o a nd B o bb y C a nn a v a l e a r e a l l e s p ec i a l l y g o o d . A nn a P a quin b ec o m e s t h e f i l m’s m o r a l c e n t e r.

A LANDMARK FILM.”

NETFLIXGUILDS.COM

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“The Irishman”

BY BENJAMIN LINDSAY

RAY ROMANO, AL PACINO, AND ROBERT DE NIRO IN “THE IRISHMAN” | PHOTO: NETFLIX

MAIN CAST: Bobby

Cannavale, Robert De Niro, Stephen Graham, Harvey Keitel, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Sebastian Maniscalco, Al Pacino, Anna Paquin, Joe Pesci, Jesse Plemons, Ray Romano

CASTING BY:

Ellen Lewis

ROBERT DE NIRO HAS JOKED THAT THANKS TO the de-aging technology used in “The Irishman,” he could continue to have a viable acting career for the next 20 years. After watching him in nearly every frame of Martin Scorsese’s threeand-a-half-hour organized crime epic, you’re going to hope he does, too. The true story based on hit man Frank Sheeran’s life (as relayed in Charles Brandt’s 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran & Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa”) follows De Niro’s Sheeran from his days as a truck driver in the 1950s to his unlikely involvement with Joe Pesci’s Russell Bufalino of the Bufalino crime family. Climbing the ranks from low-grade mule to one of the Pennsylvania mobsters’ top right hands, he eventually befriends Al Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa and becomes his personal guard, only to be caught between divided loyalties when Hoffa refuses to play by the Bufalinos’ rules. It’s a decades-sprawling tale brought to vivid life by never-before-seen motion-capture technology. The 76-year-old De Niro plays Sheeran from his 30s through his 80s, with Pesci and Pacino also embodying younger versions of 40 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Martin Scorsese

Steven Zaillian

DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

themselves, conveying the physical and psychological toll that time’s slow march demands. De Niro’s performance, while violent, may go down as one of his most heartbreaking. Between bouts of swinging-pendulum anger and affection, his Sheeran is subdued and introspective; the two-time Oscar winner and Scorsese favorite knows that the eyes can’t hide even the hardest of feelings. “The Irishman” is riddled with bloodshed, but it’s a slow burn, and De Niro capably fans its flame. With Pacino, on the other hand, you get exactly what you expect from the masterful actor—and it’s exactly what you want. Few can play hair-trigger hot-headedness and largerthan-life machismo like this Oscar winner, and in his debut collaboration with genre master Scorsese, his take on union leader Hoffa is one for the books. Whether delivering one of his iconic rally speeches, picking a literal fist fight with a political adversary, or monologuing to Sheeran’s audience of one, he’s simply unforgettable, stealing his every scene. And that leaves Pesci, who makes us remember just how cherished a presence he is onscreen. Never one to boil, Pesci’s Bufalino keeps his

sinister powers on simmer, a conductor of crime even when you can’t see him doing it. The trick to Pesci’s performance, however, is that he makes you feel for the man despite the monstrosity. It’s no surprise, considering he won an Oscar for “Goodfellas,” another of his several projects with Scorsese, that “The Irishman” marks the 76-yearold actor’s dazzling return to form. Aside from the main trio, this film is stuffed with one of the best—and flashiest—ensembles of the year. Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, and Bobby Cannavale round out a who’s-who of New York acting vets; Stephanie Kurtzuba makes a case for being the go-to mobster wife from here to eternity; and Sebastian Maniscalco makes one for casting more standups as scene-stealers. For their limited screen time, both Jesse Plemons and Anna Paquin could offer college credit for their lessons in how to sell a gesture or a look. But even with one of the year’s most impressive acting lineups at his back, it’s De Niro’s show, and we’re just lucky enough to witness it. “The Irishman” is certainly a contender for picture, script, and direction, and any ballot this awards season would be remiss to not include the screen icon on the leading actor ticket. •

FOR YOUR

SAG

A W A R D S® C O N S I D E R A T I O N

“SCARLETT JOHANSSON AND ADAM DRIVER GIVE MEMORABLY RAW AND TENDER PERFORMANCES. Laura Dern, Alan Alda and Ray Liotta are tremendous.” THE INDEPENDENT

“THE

PERFORMANCES ARE SUBLIME.” ROLLING STONE

from academy award® nominee NOAH BAUMBACH

NETFLIXGUILDS.COM

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“Jojo Rabbit”

BY ELYSE ROTH

ROMAN GRIFFIN DAVIS, TAIKA WAITITI, AND SCARLETT JOHANSSON IN “JOJO RABBIT” | PHOTO: KIMBERLEY FRENCH

Alfie Allen, Roman Griffin Davis, Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie, Stephen Merchant, Sam Rockwell, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Archie Yates

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Des Hamilton

HOW DO YOU FIND LEVITY IN ONE OF THE darkest periods in human history? How could an actor today portray Adolf Hitler as a silly man, sharing his outlandish ideas with casual enthusiasm? Is it possible to look for laughs in historical events that, these days, don’t seem too far in the past? The answer would seem to be no, but actor-writer-director Taika Waititi, along with his cast of accomplished names and one young acting newcomer, somehow make it happen. “Jojo Rabbit” walks a very fine line as it follows a Hitler Youth member, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), who has been raised in Nazi Germany and whose imaginary best friend is a much more personable version of Hitler (Waititi) than people know to be true. But after he’s injured and no longer has a chance to serve as the Führer’s right-hand man, Jojo discovers his mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), has been hiding a Jewish girl in their house. Everything he’s learned about his country, his family, and the “enemy” comes into question. As Germany gradually loses the war, Jojo befriends the young Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie, best known 42 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Taika Waititi

DISTRIBUTED BY: Fox

Searchlight Pictures

for “Leave No Trace”) and feels caught between turning her in, what he’s been taught to do, and protecting himself and his mother from the repercussions of this rebellion. In his first film role, Davis commands the screen like a seasoned pro. Within the first minutes of the film, you understand Jojo completely, and Davis’ on-screen chemistry with Waititi’s Hitler, McKenzie’s Elsa, and Johansson’s Rosie have the easy familiarity of someone who has been in front of the camera many times before. He strikes that balance between funny, sweet, young, and naive—a skill required for a story inviting us to see war from a child’s perspective. McKenzie plays the friend and foil to Davis with perfect calibration, her careful stoicism bringing out both defiance and compassion in Jojo. The audience gets to be in on the joke with Elsa while Jojo reconciles what he knows about Jews and their allies with this unexpected friendship of circumstance. The other emotional center of “Jojo Rabbit” is Johansson’s warm, playful, and supportive Rosie. She understands her son’s Nazi fanaticism

comes from the world he’s been brought up in and that it’s a necessary evil under the authoritarian regime. But there’s clearly more to her. Jojo’s discovery of Elsa hiding in their wall, and his dawning understanding that his mother is part of the resistance, paints a complex picture, for him and for us, of who this woman is. (With her other contenders, “Avengers: Endgame” and “Marriage Story,” this is clearly a career-best year for Johansson.) And serving as comic relief and highlighting the ridiculousness inside a humorless regime are Nazi officers and camp counselors Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, and Oscar winner Sam Rockwell; their clownish characters provide an increasingly absurdist look at what power and authority might do to people inside a hateful government. After its Grolsch People’s Choice Award win at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, it’s obvious “Jojo Rabbit” resonates with audiences, while also risking becoming divisive. Bringing to life a historical snapshot with such a comedic twist is Waititi’s vibrant cast, drawing out humor and genuine emotion in equal measure. •

F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R AT I O N I N A L L C AT E G O R I E S I N C L U D I N G

BEST PICTURE

★★★★★”

“

THE TIMES

“EXCEPTIONALLY ACTED.

It’s a gift to see JONATHAN PRYCE and ANTHONY HOPKINS, two actors of this caliber, playing against each other.” VARIETY

“SCINTILLATING.

JONATHAN PRYCE and ANTHONY HOPKINS give glorious performances. I can’t wait to see it again.” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

NETFLIXGUILDS.COM

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“Just Mercy”

BY JACK SMART

JAMIE FOXX AND MICHAEL B. JORDAN IN “JUST MERCY” | PHOTO: JAKE GILES NETTER

Jamie Foxx, Michael B. Jordan, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Carmen Cuba

“THIS IS ABOUT ALL OF US,” READS THE TAGline for the upcoming feature film “Just Mercy.” From producer-star Michael B. Jordan and writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton, based on the real-life account of lawyer-activist Bryan Stevenson, the movie’s saga is as universal—and as stirring—as that quote suggests. Stevenson, an attorney who in the 1990s took his Harvard degree to the Deep South and began representing men on death row he believed to be wrongfully imprisoned, has the kind of story that, only in retrospect, seems to lend itself well to a Hollywood depiction. As “Just Mercy” makes clear, Stevenson did not set out to establish something as ultimately far-reaching as his human rights organization, Equal Justice Initiative, is today. Nor did he have any idea, as a black man moving to Montgomery, Alabama, just how many challenges and roadblocks would stand in his way—and how dangerous his work would become. As portrayed by Jordan, Stevenson is charming, modest, and somewhat buttoned up, determinedly optimistic about making institutional change. That optimism starts to feel like naiveté 44 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Destin Daniel Cretton

Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham

DISTRIBUTED BY: Warner

during his first prison visit in Montgomery, which begins with an uncomfortable and unnecessarily invasive strip search. That’s the first of many tests for Stevenson: comply with a despicably racist system in order to be able to fight it. Never rise to their bait. Bend, but do not break. As Stevenson’s work progresses and begins threatening the local status quo, he and his allies find themselves in more and more danger. Jordan excels at conveying the flurry of adrenaline and emotions underneath the man’s placid facade; you can feel him tamping down his outrage, or, during a cop’s routine traffic stop that may as well be an outright threat, fear for his life. The fiery yin to Jordan’s steady yang is Eva Ansley, Stevenson’s legal assistant and first of many employees. More able and much more willing to speak her mind, Eva is brought to vivid life by Oscar winner Brie Larson, who proved a strong collaborator with Cretton in “Short Term 12” and “The Glass Castle.” The first death row case they have a shot at overturning is that of Walter McMillian, a black man convicted of murdering a white woman. It’s

Bros. Pictures McMillian more than anyone who emphasizes to Stevenson how much of a long shot reversing his conviction would be. In the role, Oscar winner Jamie Foxx reminds us why he’s such a masterful on-camera actor: Watching him go from a man who’s accepted his end to feeling glimmers of previously unthinkable hope, there are no barriers between his emotions and us. He can break your heart just by breathing. Equally remarkable performances come from Rob Morgan and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as McMillian’s neighboring cellmates Herbert Richardson and Anthony Ray Hinton, respectively. Tim Blake Nelson turns in a chillingly memorable turn as Ralph Myers, the man who could potentially exonerate McMillian, while Rafe Spall does an admirable job at demonstrating District Attorney Tommy Chapman’s crumbling certainty about the case. Both find ways to lend the tiniest bit of grace to the people benefiting from a racist system that silences and dehumanizes innocent people like McMillian—to this day. That’s what makes “Just Mercy” feel so urgently relevant. •

FOR YOUR SAG AWARDS® CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES I N C LU D I N G O U TSTA N D I N G P E R F O R M A N C E BY A N E N S E M B L E I N A M O T I O N P I C T U R E

“The Generous, Rolling Spirit Comes from Its Ensemble Cast. HUGELY ENTERTAINING.” “DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH “EDDIE MURPHY’S BACK “Eddie Murphy IS A STANDOUT, and Lets Fly with Gives a Rollicking, Completely all the Comic and Raucous Performance. Stealing Dramatic Ammo in The Supporting Cast is the Show.” His Acting Arsenal.” ONE OF THE “The Entire Cast is EXCELLENT.”

YEAR’S BEST.”

“A TERRIFIC Ensemble.”

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“Killing Eve”

BY ASHLEY STEVES

SANDRA OH AND JODIE COMER ON “KILLING EVE” | PHOTO: PARISA TAGHIZADEH/BBC AMERICA

Kim Bodnia, Jodie Comer, Sean Delaney, Owen McDonnell, Sandra Oh, Fiona Shaw

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Suzanne Crowley, Gilly Poole

CREATED BY:

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

DISTRIBUTED BY: BBC

“CEREBRAL” AND “UNIQUE” ARE WORDS THAT get tossed around a lot when talking about crime dramas. BBC America’s “Killing Eve,” however, is one unlike any you’ve ever seen, and there are countless reasons why, after its first season aired, it was all anyone seemed to be talking about. Along the lines of such thrillers as “Sherlock” and “Hannibal,” “Killing Eve” is a cat-andmouse chase, but cut from a different cloth— more cat-and-cat, and, occasionally, mouseand-mouse. The chase here doesn’t have a clear-cut endgame; the saga doesn’t end with the antagonist in police custody. In “Killing Eve,” our cat and mouse, as portrayed by Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh, aren’t so much pitted against one another as they are intermingled and intertwined. The series follows Eve Polastri (a Golden Globe– and SAG Award–winning Oh), an MI5 investigator on the hunt for the psychopathic and skilled assassin Villanelle (2019 Emmy winner Comer), who is leaving a trail of high-profile murders across several countries. As Eve tracks Villanelle, she becomes bizarrely obsessed with her. And Villanelle, who learns she is being hunted, becomes equally obsessed with Eve, 46 BACKSTAGE.COM

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leading the two to engage in a series-long, crosscontinental waltz. Whereas the first season, led by showrunner Phoebe Waller-Bridge of “Fleabag” fame, unfolded at a breakneck pace, the second is a slow burn, dramatic and introspective. With Emerald Fennell taking over as showrunner for Season 2 (and Suzanne Heathcote in the seat soon for the upcoming Season 3), part of the excitement is that the series gets a new set of eyes each year, a chance to take new risks. But there are certain aspects that will remain unchanged: the show’s look and feel and its expert, layered performances. “Killing Eve” builds its world through aesthetic. It dwells on decadence and lushness and, most importantly, overt femininity, using food, fashion, and a palette of pinks, reds, and corals to convey female desire. Eve and Villanelle are reflected in one another and back to each other—not just their own desires, but how each wishes to be seen by the world around them. Oh, up until this point in her career, has been undercast and underutilized. With “Killing Eve,” she has found the show she was always meant for, and the leading role she has always

deserved. As Eve, she is subtle and complex, expressive and subdued. Eve the character is cool and collected until the fire around her catches her hem, but Oh the actor is always in control. Where Eve is dangerously curious, Villanelle is curiously dangerous, and Comer, particularly in the show’s second season, is transcendent. There’s no discounting the show’s writing here— it makes it so easy to be taken in by a ruthless killer—but Comer is the show’s surprise weapon. With the flick of a switch, she goes from devilishly charming to disconnected to sorrowful, until you’re content with just being terrified. The remarkable Oh and Comer lead an equally skilled supporting cast, including a brilliant Fiona Shaw as Carolyn Martens, the head of the Russia section at MI6. Shaw garnered a well-earned British Academy Television Award for her portrayal of her manipulative yet inscrutable character. Making up the supporting cast are Owen McDonnell, Sean Delaney, Kim Bodnia, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, and others, still, all of whom add to the intensity, wit, and power that makes “Killing Eve” one of television’s most riveting dramas. •

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“Knives Out”

BY ELYSE ROTH

LAKEITH STANFIELD, NOAH SEGAN, AND DANIEL CRAIG IN “KNIVES OUT” | PHOTO: CLAIRE FOLGER

Ana de Armas, Toni Collette, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford, Riki Lindhome, Jaeden Martell, Frank Oz, Edi Patterson, Christopher Plummer, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, M. Emmet Walsh

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Mary Vernieu

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SUPERHERO, AN international spy, a Netflix teen star, and multiple members of Hollywood royalty walk onto a movie set? According to filmmaker Rian Johnson: “Knives Out.” It’s impossible to look anywhere on the screen during the murder mystery-drama-comedy without seeing stars. And yet, because of Johnson’s brilliant writing and direction, no frame of the film feels crowded. Johnson and casting director Mary Vernieu collected a heavy-hitting cast to tell the tale of the investigation into the apparent suicide of Thrombey family patriarch Harlan (Christopher Plummer). Someone close to the events anonymously hires a private detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), to look into what really happened, and Harlan’s nurse, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), is dragged into the center of the narrative. Blanc wants to use Cabrera as his assistant because she’s physically incapable of lying (she’ll vomit on the spot), she was often in proximity to the deceased, and she was a confidante and witness to the family’s many feuds. Someone in the family has to be at fault—after all, before his death, the wealthy Harlan had 48 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Rian Johnson

DISTRIBUTED BY: Lionsgate

planned to financially cut off his children, Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Walt (Michael Shannon), along with his daughter-in-law, Joni (Toni Collette). He informed each one just before his birthday celebration on the night he appeared to die by suicide. Cinematically quirky filmmaking, dysfunctional family dialogue, and world-establishing production design make “Knives Out” pure enjoyment. Johnson has given actors well-known from bigger franchises (including Chris Evans as grandson Ransom Drysdale) new, lighter, but no less substantial material. It’s an ensemble cast of colorful personalities, none of them quite like the others. Other supporters include the uptight Donna Thrombey (Riki Lindhome) and the cheating Richard Drysdale (Don Johnson), plus Meg Thrombey (Katherine Langford), who needs her grandfather’s money to finish college, and white supremacist Jacob Thrombey (Jaeden Martell). It’s a true whodunnit; up until the delicious moments where viewers learn the truth, anyone is a plausible culprit. The first twist comes when the will is read: Harlan has left everything to Marta, who goes

from innocent pawn to scheming gold digger in the family’s eyes. Although Harlan had told them they were being cut off, they didn’t know he had made it official. To watch the desperation and manipulation that follows is to revel in the characters revealing the worst of themselves, which is where the actors shine; Collette masks Joni’s manic materialism under the guise of earth mother, while Evans’ can’t-be-bothered trust fund kid sees the humanity in Marta and lends a helping hand (or does he?). The “Knives Out” cast list is so long, it’s easy to overlook more minor but just as compelling performances, including Edi Patterson as Fran the housekeeper who discovers Harlan’s body, blood spattering the walls of his attic room. Lakeith Stanfield as police officer Lt. Elliot and Frank Oz as the family’s lawyer, Alan Stevens, are both testaments to the actors’ ability to develop characters with only a handful of scenes. In this “Arrested Development”–meets– “Sherlock Holmes” genre bender, it’s those kinds of skillful performances that make a winding, knotted narrative possible and keep you guessing until the very last reveal. •

“POWERFUL. THE CAST IS SUPERB.” “EXCEPTIONAL. ONE OF THE BEST SERIES OF THE YEAR.” “THE CAST INCLUDING KAITLYN DEVER, TONI COLLETTE AND MARRITT WEVER IS STELLAR.”

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“ALL THREE LEADS DELIVERING POWERHOUSE PERFORMANCES.”

“ONE OF THE BEST ENSEMBLES OF THE YEAR.” FYC.NETFLIX.COM

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“Marriage Story”

BY JACK SMART

SCARLETT JOHANSSON AND ADAM DRIVER IN “MARRIAGE STORY” | PHOTO: COURTESY NETFLIX

Alan Alda, Laura Dern, Adam Driver, Julie Hagerty, Scarlett Johansson, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Merritt Wever

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler

THE TITLE OF NOAH BAUMBACH’S NEW FILM is an accurate description, if a slightly misleading one. “Marriage Story” indeed tells the story of a marriage: a joyful, messy, intense, imperfect one, but ultimately, and most importantly, one that has concluded. Yet Baumbach’s latest sits somewhere between depressing divorce drama and optimistic, even buoyant, character study. The writer-director’s films tend to feature ordinary people in everyday circumstances, with just the slightest hint of upbeat quirkiness. “Marriage Story” remains in that category but reaches for higher highs and lower lows; its characters, slightly heightened yet nevertheless real, invite us to laugh and cry in equal measure. Achieving this tonal balance requires an ensemble fully immersed in the story, a commitment to character that allows a director to simply point the camera and capture something natural—as Baumbach often does. His trust in Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, each doing career-best work as divorcing couple Charlie and Nicole, radiates through the screen. So livedin are their performances, and so generous is Baumbach in allowing them to demonstrate it, that we instinctively feel we’re in good hands 50 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Noah Baumbach

DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

from the film’s opening moments, a montage of life in New York City set to voiceovers from Charlie and Nicole describing what they love about each other. And regardless of our own relationship to divorce, the ensuing disagreements, compromises, and complications both logistical and legal will surely resonate. “Marriage Story” is an example of specific storytelling writ universal; chances are audiences will hear or see something recognizable in the performances. On phone calls to Nicole after her relocation to Los Angeles with their young son (Azhy Robertson), Driver is excellent at making Charlie simultaneously stubborn and justifiably outraged, hitting home the point that when relationships end, no one is wrong but everyone feels wronged. When Nicole leaves the room after a muted but tense exchange with Charlie, Johansson’s face crumples into tears, her hopelessness palpable; you get the sense she’s mourning more than just what’s been lost. She’s also ashamed at their failure. But it wouldn’t be a Baumbach effort without a supporting cast to help that central couple shine. The lawyers enmeshed in their case offer either coldhearted professionalism (Ray

Liotta), good-natured humor (Alan Alda), or, in the case of Laura Dern, a bit of both. Her Nora, clad in chic, structured dresses that she wears like armor, will do whatever it takes to win Nicole full custody, and she’ll do so with a smile. Alternating with the escalating legal battles are sequences featuring Nicole’s family, which includes an infectiously charming Julie Hagerty and Merritt Wever. There are also, unexpectedly yet fittingly, musical numbers. Both come from the Stephen Sondheim musical “Company,” another story of heartbreak and healing and taking stock of life. Johansson, Hagerty, and Wever perform a bubbly “You Could Drive a Person Crazy,” while Driver gives a rendition of “Being Alive” that seems to emerge from his very soul. As Charlie sings it impromptu in a bar with his theater company, it’s like he’s both revisiting a familiar tune and discovering its meaning for the first time. That’s a bit what watching “Marriage Story” is like, too; it’s a familiar tale that nonetheless holds up a mirror to ourselves. Thank goodness the film says goodbye to these people—flawed, frustrated, frustrating people we’ve come to know—on a tender note. Otherwise, it would hold us too close, hurt us too deep. •

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“PHENOMENALLY ENTERTAINING.

“ THE PERFORMANCES REALLY SING.”

IT FEELS MORE LIKE AN ENSEMBLE PIECE THAN EVER BEFORE.” ROGEREBERT.COM

BBC

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“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

BY BENJAMIN LINDSAY

MARIN HINKLE, RACHEL BROSNAHAN, AND TONY SHALHOUB ON “THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL” | PHOTO: NICOLE RIVELLI

Alex Borstein, Rachel Brosnahan, Marin Hinkle, Luke Kirby, Zachary Levi, Jane Lynch, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Zegen

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Jeanie Bacharach, Cindy Tolan, Meredith Tucker

CREATED BY:

Amy Sherman-Palladino

DISTRIBUTED BY: Amazon

FEW SERIES ON TELEVISION TODAY ARE AS delightful and, well, marvelous as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” What started in its first season as an exploration of a 1950s Jewish woman’s divorce and unorthodox fling with standup comedy blossomed in Season 2 as a family dramedy of the highest caliber. Giving its supporting players more room to stand apart from the central Midge Maisel, while also introducing beloved new characters, this season was about as entertaining, heartfelt, and scrumptious as hourlong series get. Let’s start with Midge. As played by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Rachel Brosnahan, Midge starts where others stop, goes right where others go left, zigs where others zag. Viewed by most as an oddball or at the very least an attention-grabber for more than just her gossiped-about divorce, she’s most comfortable at the center of a room, in a spotlight, with a mic. But rather than an observational stereotype of what we may expect from a periodpiece housewife or always “on” comedian, Brosnahan’s Midge is a hero worth following to the end: headstrong, whip-smart, loyal, and 52 BACKSTAGE.COM

altogether real. You can’t help but stand in her corner, even when she’s behaving badly. And when she does behave badly, we’ve got others onscreen to keep her in line—or, when that fails, to pull their hair out on the sidelines. Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub as Midge’s father and ideological balance Abe Weissman is pitch-perfect neuroticism with heart. Yes, he’s overbearing. Yes, he’s stuck in his ways and his time. Yes, he’s stubborn and short-tempered and probably a little short-sighted. But he leads with his heart, he’s funny as hell, and, like Midge, he directs his life as an admirably family-first affair—after his Season 2 wake-up call, that is. As played by Marin Hinkle, his wife Rose Weissman’s midlife self-discovery and resulting move to Paris is exactly the kick in the ass Abe needed to realize just how good he’s got it. (Of course, learning of his daughter’s secret comedy act later is a reset button on that growth, but alas.) Here, Hinkle really shows the colors of this Rose. She’s not only a caring and neurotic (are we sensing a pattern yet?) wife and mother, she’s also brilliant and sexy and confident; Hinkle plays to it all in magnificent fashion.

Prime Video

Outside the Maisel-Weissman clan, Alex Borstein takes the cake. An apt foil to Midge’s housewife, the two-time Emmy winner’s Susie is all leather, chain-smoking, hard-edged, butchy verve—in the most appealing way. Rubbing up against Brosnahan’s pristine uptown posturing with her downtown, devil-maycare mindset as her manager, Susie eventually manages to harden some of Midge’s edges, too. They make a stellar team, and so do the actors behind them. Aside from her father, the men in Midge’s life are also award-worthy. As ex-husband, father to her child, and on-again, off-again flame Joel Maisel, Michael Zegen got plenty of standout supporting work on Season 2, particularly in the family’s annual trip to the Catskills. It’s there, too, that Zachary Levi’s Benjamin enters the picture. What begins as a false fit turns to a stirring romance when Levi turns on the charm and Brosnahan meets his every move. We can only guess where this ensemble will lead us in the upcoming third season, but “Maisel,” and Maisel herself, will surely have us in stitches. •

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“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

BY DANIEL GELB

BRAD PITT AND LEONARDO DICAPRIO IN “ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD” | PHOTO: ANDREW COOPER

Austin Butler, Bruce Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Al Pacino, Brad Pitt, Margaret Qualley, Margot Robbie

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Victoria Thomas

AS THE CASTING NEWS FOR “ONCE UPON A Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature film, began to trickle out in early 2018, headlines became a who’s who of Hollywood’s past, present, and future. The film even began to seem overstuffed; would there be any scene left unchewed? Could two of the biggest leading men of the last 20 years make an alternate history of the grisly Manson Family murders work? Tarantino—and casting director Victoria Thomas—pulled it off, as he somehow always manages to do. “Once Upon a Time” is a master class from the idiosyncratic auteur, bolstered by a peerless ensemble. Veteran actor on the Western movie circuit Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his trusted stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), are seeing their Hollywood careers come to a booze-soaked final act. Dalton has been relegated to heel roles on the television oater circuit, while Booth has found work without his longtime partner hard to come by. Scuzzy agent Marvin Schwarzs (an ever-enlarged Al Pacino) recommends that Dalton head abroad for work, but the fading star is reticent to leave the sun-soaked paradise of 54 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Quentin Tarantino

DISTRIBUTED BY: Sony

Pictures Releasing

Tinseltown—especially now that his next-door neighbors are hotshot young director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha) and his rising star wife, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). Meanwhile, the ominous winds of counterculture change are simmering. Jay Sebring (a boyish and economic Emile Hirsch), a frequent guest of the Polanskis, has a foreboding visit from Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) himself, foreshadowing this story’s madcap finale. Our decades-long wait to see DiCaprio and Pitt in the same frame pays off immediately. The two have an unspoken, breezy chemistry in their scenes, with Pitt as straight man to DiCaprio’s neurotic star. The action ambles through a variety of set pieces for the megastars to flex their chops, even in the film’s bloody, bonkers finale (which also includes one of the more believable depictions of an acid trip onscreen). It’s a joy to watch the two work their magic. Robbie is doe-eyed and entrancing, carrying with her the unspoken dread of her grim fate. In one charming moment, the starlet goes to watch a matinee of her performance in “The Wrecking Crew,” peeking around the crowd to gauge

their response to her comedic bits in the film. As Tate’s anxiety begins to subside, she finds herself laughing along, her smile crackling with the boundless promise of her burgeoning career. When Booth is lured to the Manson Family compound by the enigmatic “Pussycat” (a confident Margaret Qualley), the film’s cameos reach a fever pitch. Lena Dunham, Maya Hawke, and Dakota Fanning appear, each under the spell of their charismatic and maniacal leader. Booth insists on a meeting with the bedridden, blind George Spahn (Bruce Dern), assuaging his fear that the rancher had met an unsavory fate at the hands of the hippie clan. Dern is at his gravelly and ornery best in this brief albeit memorable turn. Blink-and-you’ll-miss-them appearances from Timothy Olyphant, Damian Lewis, Luke Perry, Clifton Collins Jr., Scoot McNairy, and Tarantino veteran Michael Madsen only deepen the delight of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Each piece and player finds their way in that meandering, audacious Tarantino style. By the time the flamethrower is warmed up, you’ve already gotten your money’s worth. •

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“PAUL RUDD GIVES TWO OF HIS BEST PERFORMANCES.” “PAUL RUDD'S PERFORMANCES HERE ARE PERFECT.” “PAUL RUDD GIVES A HEROIC PERFORMANCE.”

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“Parasite” By Jack Smart

PARK SO-DAM AND CHOI WOO-SHIK IN “PARASITE” | PHOTO: COURTESY NEON CJ ENTERTAINMENT

Chang Hye-jin, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Lee Jung-eun, Lee Sun-kyun, Park So-dam, Song Kang-ho

MAIN CAST:

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Bong Joon-ho

Bong Joon-ho, Han Jin-won

DISTRIBUTED BY:

DOES BONG JOON-HO MAKE FILMS, OR WOULD they be better described as audacious forays into the writer-director’s imagination, surgically removed from his brain and implanted into the big screen? Such are the questions that come to mind with his latest cinematic mindfuck, “Parasite,” a movie that combines witty satire and edge-of-your-seat horror to tell the story of two vastly different but increasingly entwined families. It’s also the kind of story about which a moviegoer preparing to see it (more like experience it, on a visceral level) should know as little as possible. Bong’s past efforts, including South Korean classic “The Host” and Hollywood epics “Snowpiercer” and “Okja,” have relied on plot zigzags big and small, the kinds of twists you can’t see coming because his stories keep shedding genres like skins. Clever comedy, rip-roaring adventure, abrupt violence, timely satire—Bong somehow shifts gears from one to the next without contradiction, creating seamless pastiches that defy classification. “Parasite” makes several shifts in its second act, the detailing of which would deprive audiences of one of the movie’s greatest effects: 56 BACKSTAGE.COM

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keeping you guessing. When Kim Ki-woo (played by the wonderful Choi Woo-shik), the son of a basement apartment–dwelling family from the wrong side of the tracks, is invited to tutor for the wealthy Park family (Cho Yeo-jeong and Lee Sun-kyun play the well-heeled matriarch and patriarch, respectively) in their luxurious masterpiece of a home, a plan is formed. His sister (Park So-dam) could pass as an art therapy teacher for their son, his father (Song Kang-ho) could be offered to replace their driver, and his mother (Chang Hye-jin) could displace their longtime housekeeper (Lee Jeong-eun). The only thing you’ll be sure of is that the parasitic scheme will all come crashing down around them. But how? Bong is rightfully already taking home statues for direction and screenplay (with co-writer Han Jin-won), becoming the first Korean filmmaker to win the Cannes Film Festival’s top Palme d’Or prize. Hong Kyung-pyo’s cinematography, Lee Ha-jun’s production design, and Jung Jae-il’s music work hand in hand to create unforgettable cinematic moments; there’s a shot of the housekeeper disappearing into a dark stairwell that combines all three elements

to bone-chilling effect. But its cast, largely unknown to audiences outside South Korea, deserves to be similarly showered with accolades. Schlubby and sadeyed, Song’s Kim Ki-taek brims with pride for his poor family, getting us to root for him even as their exploits become criminal. Park’s heedless attitude as Kim Ki-jung would be dangerous if it weren’t so fun. And Cho’s ditzy Park Yeonkyo sobs with concern for her children, making us laugh but convincing us of her essential goodness. In fact, the whole Park family is played with enough tenderness that we sympathize with rather than simply demonize them; yes, they’re a little insensitive, but it’s the fault of a society that fundamentally and unquestioningly separates rich from poor. That’s the most important theme to emerge from “Parasite,” and the reason Bong’s film will be remembered for years to come. In a world of haves and have-nots, there will always be those looking to leech off others, which is bound to get people hurt. Seeing the film’s gut punch of a final shot, you’ll blame the system over the flawed, funny characters brought to life by this ensemble. •

“A

MASTERPIECE .

BOLD WORK FROM AVA D U VERNAY.” NPR

“THE PERFORMANCES ARE UNIFORMLY ASTONISHING.” THE GUARDIAN

FROM THE EMMY ® AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR OF 13TH AVA D U V E R N AY

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“Pose” BY BRIANA RODRIGUEZ

DOMINIQUE JACKSON, HAILIE SAHAR, MJ RODRIGUEZ, AND INDYA MOORE ON “POSE” | PHOTO: MICHAEL PARMELEE/FX

Dyllón Burnside, Angel Bismark Curiel, Dominique Jackson, Kate Mara, Indya Moore, Evan Peters, Billy Porter, Mj Rodriguez, Angelica Ross, Hailie Sahar, Ryan Jamaal Swain, James Van Der Beek

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Alexa L. Fogel

CREATED BY:

Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy

DISTRIBUTED BY: FX

THE SUCCESS OF “POSE” LIES IN ITS ABILITY TO be multiple things at once. Yes, it’s a recordbreaking, trailblazing ensemble series that paints a detailed picture of New York City’s 1980s ballroom world. But it’s the series’ hyperfocus on its characters, played by a cast that for the first time in scripted TV history includes multiple transgender women of color, that makes “Pose” feel intimate despite the crowd. And damn, is it a crowd: the looks, the struts, the vogue-thehouse-down slays. The FX drama from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals is cast by Alexa L. Fogel—from the top of the call sheet down to the unnamed extras—to near perfection. As Blanca Rodriguez, matriarch to her adopted family dubbed the House of Evangelista, Mj Rodriguez brings a tenderness to her mothering of poor, queer kids of color in Manhattan. But she isn’t all soft edges; in crisp focus are the anger, sadness, and desperation that make Blanca such a compelling centerpiece for this series. Making up the rest of the Evangelista clan are Indya Moore as trans sex worker and aspiring model Angel, Ryan Jamaal Swain as burgeoning 58 BACKSTAGE.COM

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dancer Damon, Angel Bismark Curiel as wily Lil Papi, and Dyllón Burnside as the resourceful Ricky. The chemistry among them as a makeshift family is tangible, with each bringing their own essence to the already well-formed dynamics of the show. Meanwhile, the deliciously wicked Dominique Jackson plays Elektra, the cutthroat mother leading their rival House of Abundance, the ying to Blanca’s yang. Where the former prioritizes securing her chosen children’s lasting success outside of the ballroom, Elektra lives to serve only her ego. Yet her dominance over her children (Angelica Ross, Jeremy McClain, Jason A. Rodriguez, and Hailie Sahar among them) changes to believable submission outside of the balls, showcasing how Jackson does, indeed, have the range. Coming in swinging and never letting up is Billy Porter as sharp-tongued ballroom MC Pray Tell, a veteran of the scene who’s fighting his own battle with HIV. The Emmy winner has several standout moments throughout the show, including the heartbreaking realization of

his status, and, later, a hospital musical performance alongside Rodriguez that reminds us why the theater veteran is one of 2019’s biggest stars. And the Season 2 opening had us in tears as he and Rodriguez pay their respects to a deceased loved one on Hart Island before making the rounds from one funeral to the next. Big-picture issues like gay rights, drug abuse, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic are woven throughout the series, but the true baseline of “Pose” is the group of people for whom its creators grant us the space and time to get to know. Despite nearly a dozen actors appearing in almost every episode, their intimate storylines push the real substance of “Pose” beyond flashy vogueing and costumes. Gaudy in just the right places, the series is heartfelt without being saccharine, meaningful without being didactic. “Pose” is something to be celebrated; it stands out in the growing landscape of prestige TV as a source of joy and entertainment. By the end of it, you’ll be wanting to do all of the things the show breathily demands of its audience at the top of every episode: Live! Work! Pose, baby! •

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“A COMEDIC MASTERWORK.

THERE’S TIMELESSLY COMIC GIVE-AND-TAKE IN THE BARBED BANTER BETWEEN THESE PROS.” TV INSIDER

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“Stranger Things”

BY BENJAMIN LINDSAY

NOAH SCHNAPP, FINN WOLFHARD, MILLIE BOBBY BROWN, SADIE SINK, AND CALEB MCLAUGHLIN ON “STRANGER THINGS” | PHOTO: NETFLIX

Millie Bobby Brown, Natalia Dyer, Maya Hawke, David Harbour, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Dacre Montgomery, Winona Ryder, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Finn Wolfhard

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Carmen Cuba

CREATED BY:

Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

YOU KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE A GOOD SUMMER when there’s a new season of “Stranger Things” to binge. While we bemoaned the SAG Award– winning sci-fi series’ absence in 2018, its third season proved that sticking it out until July 2019 was well worth the wait. Matt and Ross Duffer— more commonly jointly referred to as the Duffer Brothers—have never been better, with scripts and horrifically fantastical concepts that get bigger in scale by the hour. But they still know how and when to focus in on their character-driven roots. And with Hawkins, Indiana, residents new and old being front and center on Season 3, there was plenty on which to focus. The kids are the heart of the show, and they’ve only gotten better with age. Not so much “kids” now, they’re teens grappling with coming of age amid the Mind Flayer’s Hawkinswide mindfuck, and the issues they face are ones any teen today can relate to—and any adult can nostalgically recall. Led by a heart-on-his-sleeve Finn Wolfhard, who, thanks to “Stranger Things,” has become a horror genre “it” boy (the “It” franchise, “The Turning”) with indie rock credentials to 60 BACKSTAGE.COM

match (his band, Calpurnia, recently starred in a Weezer music video), the AV Club heroes astounded this year with more emotional heft, greater plot twists, and higher save-the-world stakes. Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown are particular standouts, both needing to grapple with the supernatural in previously unseen and emotionally trying ways. Caleb McLaughlin and Sadie Sink play off each other with ease while also playing the straight man and woman to the ever-heightening antics around them. And while Gaten Matarazzo was MIA from the group for much of Season 3, he got plenty of scene-stealing, comedic-relief screen time with Joe Keery’s Steve Harrington and series newcomer Robin Buckley, played by Maya Hawke, a true breakout and welcome addition to this installment. With Steve otherwise occupied with villainous Russians in an underground lair, his ex–Hawkins High peers get up to adventures of their own. Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton’s Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers are a couple we can’t help but root for; the fact that the actors are a real-life couple only adds to their allure and chemistry.

Speaking of chemistry, David Harbour and Winona Ryder take their Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers into uncharted territory on Season 3. Already well-versed in the workings of the paranormal, the two dive headfirst into uncovering the government conspiracy in the dark underbelly of their small Indiana town. And in the aftermath of Bob’s (Sean Astin) death in Season 2, Joyce is doubly a woman in grief; this year required rich emotional notes that Ryder embraces. It’s a perfect hit. But the runaway star from this season has to be Australian actor Dacre Montgomery. He was all brawny heartthrob upon being introduced on 2017’s second season, but as the core villain this round, possessed by the Mind Flayer, he navigates an emotional high-wire act, giving a complex, demanding performance worthy of our applause. Matched by the series’ bit roles who are all ready to follow the Duffers down their rabbit hole, the ensemble of “Stranger Things” is simply one of the most entertaining and best acted groups of the year—ain’t nothing strange about it. •

FEST WITH LOS ANGELES N OV E M B E R

14 –21

2019 Full Lineup Features

GALAS TRIBUTE SPECIAL SCREENINGS WORLD CINEMA NEW AUTEURS DOCUMENTARY FILMS MIDNIGHT MOVIES CINEMA’S LEGACY SHORT FILMS AFI CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 8 DAYS OF PROGRAMMING – 142 TITLES – 51% WOMEN-DIRECTED FILMS

COME FEST WITH US BU Y TI C KE TS F E S T. A F I .C O M # A F I F E S T

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

TELEVISION

“Succession” BY TYLER O’NEILL

JEREMY STRONG AND SARAH SNOOK ON “SUCCESSION” | PHOTO: PETER KRAMER/HBO

Hiam Abbass, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Peter Friedman, Matthew Macfadyen, Holly Hunter, Danny Huston, Alan Ruck, J. Smith-Cameron, Sarah Snook, Fisher Stevens, Jeremy Strong

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Douglas Aibel, Henry Russell Bergstein

CREATED BY:

Jesse Armstrong

DISTRIBUTED BY: HBO

FEW SHOWS THIS YEAR GENERATED AS MUCH buzz as the second season of HBO’s “Succession.” The acidic dramedy about a family-run media empire is brutally funny and eminently watchable. Showrunner Jesse Armstrong (“In the Loop,” “The Thick of It”) serves his actors a sumptuous buffet of spoils, from intricate plotting to barbed-wire dialogue, and they elevate that material to dizzying heights. The show orbits around the Roy family’s imperious patriarch, Logan, an old-media mogul whom industry vet Brian Cox inhabits with cantankerous stateliness. After fending off coups, Logan sets out to shore up Waystar Royco’s holdings, ferret out whistleblowers, and puppeteer his children to his own ends. Veering through the season from paranoid fury to schoolboy infatuation, Cox plays coy with Logan’s loathsome manipulations. His craggy baritone and imposing-but-eroding presence suggest a man used to bending the world to his will—from inside the prison of his own god complex. But the emotional center of this series is “No. 1 boy” Kendall. A striving but self-sabotaging addict, Kendall is a brittle husk beset by guilt after his involvement in a fatal car accident. 62 BACKSTAGE.COM

Jeremy Strong’s glassy eyes and faraway stare sell the vacancy of a once-power-hungry scion now pinned down as his father’s dutiful mercenary. Strong’s showreel scene contained Kendall’s tremulous, halting plea to his sister (“I would just ask that you take care of me, because if Dad didn’t need me right now, I don’t exactly know what I would be for”), the first instance of naked emotional vulnerability in a show usually allergic to them. As a man desperate but unable to unburden himself of grief, Strong is nothing short of revelatory. Sarah Snook shines as the aptly named Shiv, who is tapped by her father to succeed him as Waystar Royco’s next CEO, until the succession’s failure to manifest curdles her characteristic self-assurance into arrogant insecurity. In Snook’s standout scene, she talks a sexual assault victim out of testifying against Waystar, navigating an ethically fraught scenario with expert caginess, modulating her body language and tone to signal indignation and empathy in what is really psychological manipulation. Rounding out the primary trio of siblings is Kieran Culkin’s Roman. Long the so-called “fuckknuckle” of the bunch, Culkin delights in slinging

Roman’s profane cutdowns; you can practically see his inner child operating the levers. But this year, Roman matures beyond just playing the jester, revealing his sexual peccadilloes and budding business competence. While Culkin still feasts on the scenery, he also peels back the wisecracking veneer to reveal the neediness and doubt that come with being the runt of the litter. Outside the immediate Roy family, there are Hiam Abbas’ mysterious Marcia, Nicholas Braun’s profoundly awkward cousin Greg, J. Smith-Cameron’s deliciously dry Gerri, and more. Perhaps most impressive is Matthew Macfadyen as Shiv’s husband, Tom Wambsgans, a vain coward who punches down to soothe his imposter syndrome. Yet Macfadyen imbues him with such interior turmoil that his indefensible actions are, at least, comprehensible. Watching these actors and the rest of the excellent ensemble bounce off each other is a sublime pleasure. Always in lockstep with Armstrong’s sardonic-yet-serious perspective, they render every interaction a Rorschach test of sincerity versus ulterior motives. To make a roiling viper pit of the ultra-wealthy so compelling in 2019 is no small feat. •

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TELEVISION

“This Is Us”

BY ALLISON CONSIDINE

SUSAN KELECHI WATSON AND STERLING K. BROWN ON “THIS IS US” | PHOTO: RON BATZDORFF/NBC

Eris Baker, Parker Bates, Asante Blackk, Sterling K. Brown, Lonnie Chavis, Griffin Dunne, Niles Fitch, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Justin Hartley, Faithe Herman, Jon Huertas, Chrissy Metz, Mandy Moore, Lyric Ross, Logan Shroyer, Chris Sullivan, Milo Ventimiglia, Susan Kelechi Watson, Hannah Zeile

MAIN CAST:

SHORTLY AFTER ITS THIRD SEASON FINISHED airing earlier this year, NBC’s award-winning “This Is Us” received an impressive three-season pickup, cementing it as an enduring television success. The family drama follows the lives of three siblings, their parents, and a growing orbit of friends, time-hopping from the present to flashbacks of the family’s early beginnings. At the heart of this fan-favorite hit is its tight ensemble, which has been lauded with two SAG Awards for television drama cast. This year’s fourth season kicked off with a whole cadre of new characters in an episode aptly titled “Strangers,” and the newcomers, along with the original ensemble, put forth performances worthy of another win. Among those strangers is Jennifer Morrison, best known for roles on the long-running shows “Once Upon a Time” and “House.” (Morrison’s “House” co-star Omar Epps also joins the series in a recurring role.) Morrison plays tough-as-nails military officer Cassidy Sharp, who suffers from PTSD and alcoholism. Her 64 BACKSTAGE.COM

CASTING BY: CREATED BY:

Tiffany Little Canfield, Josh Einsohn, Bernard Telsey Dan Fogelman

DISTRIBUTED BY: NBC

steely-nerved approach to recovery is an unlikely match for Kevin Pearson (Justin Hartley), who brings charisma with him wherever he goes—even Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. His Hollywood movie star mien belies his soft temperament, which might just be the attitude Sharp needs to really face her demons. Newly appointed city councilman Randall Pearson, played with verve by Sterling K. Brown, is so open to new experiences that he takes his office door off its hinges. Brown, who won an Emmy for the role, brings a sense of renewal to Randall this season and dives headfirst into moving his family, including Susan Kelechi Watson’s steadfast (and dryly funny) Beth, to Philadelphia for the gig. Randall’s can-do nature is juxtaposed with Kate Pearson’s quiet struggle with motherhood. She straddles a fine line of optimism and fear, desperate to provide a full life for her son, who was born blind. The inimitable Chrissy Metz and Chris Sullivan bring new depths to Kate and Toby Damon for this next chapter. Thanks to a

flash-forward into baby Jack’s future, viewers can rest easy knowing that the late Jack Pearson’s namesake will go on to become a successful musician. Newcomer Blake Stadnik, who has a background in musical theater, plays the adult Jack Damon. All the while, we still get glimpses of Jack and Rebecca Pearson’s romance, marriage, and struggles, brought to life by the captivating Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore—still generating some of the best chemistry on TV today. Asante Blackk, an Emmy nominee for “When They See Us,” also wants what is best for his baby in the show. His sweet nature is put to use as Malik, a high school student with a 6-monthold daughter. His crush on Randall’s adopted daughter Déjà, played with openhearted vulnerability by Lyric Ross, is sure to rock the boat. Viewers may have thought they knew where “This Is Us” was headed, but creator Dan Fogelman, along with showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, has crafted new story arcs and branches on the Pearson family tree. It’s sure to continue blossoming. •

WHERE VOICEOVER CAREERS ARE BORN & REBORN

LEARN. A U D I T I O N. NETWORK. HOST

HOST

JOAN BAKER

Actor/Author/ Co-founder, SOVAS

STEVE MACKALL

Actor/Director Late Night with Seth Meyers

JIM CUMMINGS Voice Actor Receives Voice ArtsÂ® Legacy Award

KATEE SACKHOFF

Actor/Producer Receives Backstage Vanguard Award

MEET & LEARN FROM TOP VOICEOVER CELEBS, TV & FILM PRODUCERS, TALENT AGENTS AND CASTING DIRECTORS

SAT. NOV 16 TH HILTON UNIVERSAL, HOLLYWOOD TIX: SOVAS.org

ENSEMBLES IN FILM

TELEVISION

“Us” BY JACK SMART

EVAN ALEX, WINSTON DUKE, LUPITA NYONG’O, AND SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH IN “US” | PHOTO: CLAUDETTE BARIUS/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Evan Alex, Winston Duke, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Elisabeth Moss, Lupita Nyong’o

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Terri Taylor

“THERE’S A FAMILY IN OUR DRIVEWAY.” With those six words, the world of “Us” curdles. The announcement of a family of doppelgängers in the Wilsons’ driveway, interrupting what had been a mostly uneventful vacation in Santa Cruz, California, confirms for the audience that something is very much amiss. Whether or not you had caught its buzzy trailer beforehand, the moment the film reveals itself for the nightmare it is lands like a punch to the gut. From then on, buckle up. The highly anticipated follow-up to writer-director Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” which won him awards aplenty, including an Oscar for best original screenplay, “Us” dabbles in elements of comedy and satire but plays more emphatically in the horror genre than its predecessor. Peele deliberately includes loving homages to everything from Stanley Kubrick to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” tying in symbolism and references that demand a rewatch. It’s a modern horror classic: full of the genre’s typical jump scares but preoccupied with issues of class and xenophobia, using the former to slip the latter into our subconscious. And unlike other monster movies, the monsters of “Us” look a lot like the heroes. Oscar 66 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Jordan Peele

DISTRIBUTED BY: Universal

Pictures

winner Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex play Adelaide, Gabe, Zora, and Jason Wilson, respectively, but they’re also playing the “Tethered” versions of those characters: twisted doppelgänger-clones who rise from underground to sever the bond with their surface counterparts. Each dressed in jumpsuits the color of blood, wielding scissors, and moving with single-minded focus, the Tethered provide a feast for an ensemble who get to imagine and then physically manifest their characters’ worst fears and impulses. With the exception of Red, the only doppelgänger who speaks—“We’re Americans,” she explains, Nyong’o deploying an unforgettably strangled wheeze—the cast must create these shadow figures without dialogue. Duke, a lovable bear as Gabe, lugs his weight around as Abraham, grunting and at one point bellowing with alarming brutality. Joseph has impeccable timing as both the dryly sarcastic teenager Zora and her shadow Umbrae, whose maniacal grin renders every tilt or turn of the head terrifying. Elisabeth Moss gives an especially compelling physical performance, proving that dialogue isn’t necessary when embodying a full-fledged

character. After earning laughs as the droll Kitty Tyler, matriarch of the Wilson family’s friends across the lake, she swoops in as the silent, smiling Dahlia, her eyes somehow both vibrant and empty. The Tethered versions of the rest of the Tylers (Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon, and Noelle Sheldon) dispatch their aboveground opposites in a sudden spurt of violence that Peele stages to stunning effect, leaving Moss’ Dahlia blissfully liberated, gazing into a mirror and dragging lip gloss across her face. And in as different a role as we’ve ever seen from her, Nyong’o sears herself into our minds with her dual performances. The “12 Years a Slave” and “Black Panther” star essentially gets to play both heroic leading lady and wacky supporting character, each different inside and out. Either performance would be worthy of accolades on its own; taken together, Nyong’o belongs at the top of the awards shortlists. Unlike any other ensemble this year, Nyong’o and her co-stars have the distinction of being able to generate tantalizing chemistry with themselves. The actors in “Us” are in many ways twice as impressive as the rest, considering they’re each staring into their own eyes. •

S:8.5”

S:10.25”

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“Veep” BY JACK SMART

KEVIN DUNN, SAM RICHARDSON, AND ANNA CHLUMSKY ON “VEEP” | PHOTO: COLLEEN HAYES/HBO

Sufe Bradshaw, Anna Chlumsky, Gary Cole, Clea DuVall, Kevin Dunn, Tony Hale, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sam Richardson, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Sarah Sutherland, Matt Walsh

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Dorian Frankel, Allison Jones, Sibby Kirchgessner, Pat Moran

CREATED BY:

Armando Iannucci

DISTRIBUTED BY: HBO

THERE’S A KIND OF CATHARSIS IN WATCHING horrible people say horrible things to one another. You get to laugh at people giving in to their basest impulses while also distancing yourself from them in relief—a feeling of “At least I’m not as bad as those idiots.” The idiots of “Veep,” created by Armando Iannucci, are experts in generating that catharsis. Led by producer-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus as political climber Selina Meyer, the HBO satire’s clown car of a cast bring out the very worst in one another, with hilarious results. Whether they’re the ones being humiliated, doing the humiliating, or often some hysterical combination of the two, the SAG Award–winning ensemble turned shameful vices into comedy gold for seven peerless seasons. But watching “Veep,” there’s always an edge to our laughter. Everything is a touch too familiar. Like a funhouse mirror, this series sought to reflect—albeit with exaggeration and slapstick humor—the U.S. politicians and power players of today. Developed not long after Sarah Palin almost became the country’s first female vice president, and concluding after Hillary Clinton almost became our first female president, “Veep” is inspired by recent 68 BACKSTAGE.COM

American history just enough to make us uncomfortable; we can shake our heads and laugh at the incompetence and corruption of these fictional characters, but can we ignore the incompetence and corruption of their reallife counterparts? In its last season (after a two-year hiatus during which Louis-Dreyfus underwent cancer treatment), reflecting reality without imitating it surely became the show’s trickiest tightrope to walk. Because of a president whose daily shenanigans would feel too absurd on any sitcom, showrunner David Mandel had to give the buffoons of “Veep” their own buffoonery. Season 7 feels more frenetic and alarming than those preceding it, still bringing political issues and trends relevant to today, but with a distinct chaos in which its actors can play. And play they do. As Selina’s staffers, supporters, enemies, and everyone in between, the supporting cast around Louis-Dreyfus achieve that goal of ensemble acting: Each can be hilarious solo, but they’re even greater together. As the ambitious and righteous Amy Brookheimer, Anna Chlumsky takes her clenched physicality into riotous, harried territory during her final roller coaster of an

arc. The show’s most ridiculous character, presidential hopeful Jonah Ryan, is somehow believably stupid thanks to Timothy Simons. And as Gary Walsh, the subservient and sassy assistant to Selina, Tony Hale has officially turned muttering under one’s breath into a comedic art form. Kevin Dunn and Gary Cole as Selina’s deadpan advisers Ben Cafferty and Kent Davison, respectively, offset the high-octane hysteria around them. Reid Scott, as schemer Dan Egan, is a similarly low-key foil, his constant smirk reminding us certain men can get away with anything. Sarah Sutherland’s Catherine Meyer and Clea DuVall’s Marjorie Palmiotti become a hapless yet heartwarming odd couple, while their sperm donor, Richard Splett, played with sweet earnestness by Sam Richardson, experiences the unlikeliest political ascendance of all. And although she’s rewritten record books in this role (six consecutive Emmy Awards!), it can’t be overstated how masterfully LouisDreyfus brings Selina’s final chapter to a close. The level of incompetence in President Meyers’ office may be staggering, and the same may be said of real presidents, but in her performance we trust. •

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“Waves” BY MANUEL BETANCOURT

KELVIN HARRISON JR., TAYLOR RUSSELL, RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY, AND STERLING K. BROWN IN “WAVES” | PHOTO: COURTESY A24

Sterling K. Brown, Alexa Demie, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell

MAIN CAST:

CASTING BY:

Avy Kaufman

FROM ITS VERY FIRST SEQUENCE, THERE’S A kinetic energy fueling Trey Edward Shults’ “Waves.” His roving camera, surveying the inside of a car as it breezes down a Miami freeway, imbues this family drama with an unrelenting vibrancy that constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat. Matching the film’s euphoric cinematography and pulsating score, Shults’ actors lean heavily on a kind of crackling physicality that grounds its intimate plot. The director’s focus on his actors’ bodies—muscles straining during wrestling practice, biceps bulging during at-home workouts, shoulders hunching in hospital rooms—highlights that this is a film about the way we carry our ambitions, our burdens, and even our grief in our person. At the center of “Waves” is Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a star wrestler with high hopes of riding his athletic prowess all the way to college until a sports injury and unplanned pregnancy threaten to derail his well-laid plans. Sporting bleached blond hair and a chiseled body, Harrison Jr. is electric, slowly tracing Tyler’s unraveling the more he loses control over the life his father, Ronald (Sterling K. Brown), had mapped out for him. 70 BACKSTAGE.COM

DIRECTED BY: WRITTEN BY:

Trey Edward Shults

DISTRIBUTED BY: A24

“Waves” is structured as a series of duets and moments that ebb and flow while sketching out its interconnected central relationships. It’s a testament to Shults’ ensemble that every one of those matches feels lived-in. Harrison Jr. and Alexa Demie, playing Tyler’s girlfriend, together portray a wildly explosive teenage couple who know exactly how to get a rise out of the other. Their chemistry is undeniable; the two demonstrate how a volatile high school relationship can quickly end in tragedy. Similarly, Tyler’s relationship with his father teems with latent violence. The escalating aggression between the two—at first on-thesurface playful, later violently so—telegraphs a toxic bond that neither can escape. Harrison Jr. and Brown create a father-son dynamic that is layered, never letting it feel one-note. Instead, their competitiveness and hardened adoration for one another feels weighted with years of unspoken resentment that eventually bursts to the surface. Locked outside of Shults’ examination of toxic masculinity is Tyler’s stepmother, Catharine. In the hands of the wonderfully restrained Renée Elise Goldsberry, Catharine

emerges as the film’s beating heart even when she’s left catatonic following the tragic climax that cleaves the story in two. And then there’s Tyler’s sister, Emily (Taylor Russell), who takes center stage in the film’s second half, offering an alternate take on high school alienation and teenage infatuation. Where Harrison Jr.’s performance is all about taking up space, radiating outward with charisma and eventually unfocused rage, Russell’s character at first seems to be retreating inward once her family is ostracized by the community around them. Only Luke, a gangly, awkward wrestler, eventually gets her to open up. Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges makes Luke a breath of fresh air. He’s disarming and open in a way that sets him apart from the other men in Emily’s life. His endearingly halting words and nearbumbling physicality make Luke and Emily’s meet-cute, and later their blossoming relationship, a balm amid the broken home she now finds herself wanting to escape. “Waves” soars on the strength of an ensemble that brilliantly balances scenes of tender intimacy with searing moments of violence, and it ultimately highlights what loss can do to a family. •

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2019–20 Film Awards Season Calendar November 2019

JAN. 7

ritish Academy Film Award B nominations announced

NOV. 14–DEC. 8

Screen Actors Guild Award

JAN. 8

1st annual National Board 9 of Review Awards

NOV. 21

ilm Independent Spirit Award F nominations announced

JAN. 12

25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards

JAN. 13

cademy Award A nominations announced

JAN. 18

31st annual PGA Awards

JAN. 19

26th annual SAG Awards

nomination period

December 2019 DEC. 2

2 9th annual Gotham Awards

JAN. 25

72nd annual DGA Awards

DEC. 3

ational Board of Review N honorees announced

JAN. 30

35th annual Artios Awards

DEC. 4

merican Film Institute Awards A honorees announced

JAN. 30–FEB. 4

Academy Award voting period

DEC. 5

riters Guild of America television W award nominations announced

DEC. 9

olden Globe Award G nominations announced

DEC. 11

SAG Award nominations announced

DEC. 17–JAN. 17 SAG Award voting period

January 2020 JAN. 2–7

Academy Award nomination period

JAN. 2

rtios Awards film A nominations announced

JAN. 3

AFI Awards presented

JAN. 5

7 7th annual Golden Globe Awards

JAN. 6

GA film award W nominations announced

JAN. 6

irectors Guild of America television D award nominations announced

JAN. 7

GA film award D nominations announced

JAN. 7

roducers Guild of America P film and television award nominations announced

72 BACKSTAGE.COM

February 2020 FEB. 1

72nd annual WGA Awards

FEB. 2

73rd annual BAFTA Film Awards

FEB. 8

5th annual Film Independent 3 Spirit Awards

FEB. 9

92nd annual Academy Awards

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

(LE MANS ’66)

“ TERRIFIC LEAD PERFORMANCES BY CHRISTIAN BALE AND MATT DAMON.” – TODD McCARTHY, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

(LE MANS â&#x20AC;&#x2122;66)

BEST PICTURE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

MATT DAMON & CHRISTIAN BALE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

JON BERNTHAL, TRACY LETTS, JOSH LUCAS NOAH JUPE, RAY McKINNON

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE CAITRIONA BALFE OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

culture +

THIS WEEK’S CULTURAL SPOTLIGHTS

IN THE ROOM WITH

Mary Hidalgo THE CAREER VOICEOVER CD EXPLAINS WHY THERE’S MORE TO VOICE ACTING THAN MEETS THE EAR BY ELYSE ROTH

R A Q U E L A PA R I C I O

I L L U S T R AT I O N : S P E N C E R A L E X A N D E R ; “ D O L E M I T E I S M Y N A M E ”: F R A N Ç O I S D U H A M E L

sometimes it’s not as clear. When you have supporting characters, like Snerz in this, which Eddie Izzard voiced, that could be anybody. I tried to think more outside the box with those characters, because you’re allowed to.

FEW CASTING DIRECTORS KNOW THE INS AND outs of voiceover like Mary Hidalgo. A veteran of the field who got her start at Disney, she’s now behind some of the buzziest animation projects out there, including the “Lego Movie” franchise, 2018 Oscar winner “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Matt Groening’s “Disenchantment,” and Netflix’s latest, an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs and Ham.” For the new series, which is now streaming on Netflix, Hidalgo assembled an impressive cast: Michael Douglas, Adam Devine, Ilana Glazer, Keegan-Michael Key, Diane Keaton, and more to bring both iconic characters and newly created ones to life. In conversation with Backstage, Hidalgo explains what she looks for in a voice cast and shares some advice for actors hoping to break in. BACKSTAGE.COM

What was the casting process like for “Green Eggs and Ham”? You start with the characters. I talked to Jared [Stern, the show’s creator], talked to the producers, saw what their desires were, and then we all started making lists and throwing names around. It helps if it’s somebody established; it’s easier. It’s a shorthand; certain actors do certain things. So, you talk about those people. I get the character descriptions, and then I have to make lists according to their archetypes—there’s the grumpy old man, there’s the vibrant young man, there’s the ingénue, there’s the worried mother. How did you determine what these iconic characters should sound like? Jared had a clear idea who those voices should be; Sam I Am had to be young and energetic and funny. But

What are some differences between casting for animation and live action? When I first started doing animation, I thought, Oh, it’s all about the voice and the performance and not about the look. But I’ve kind of changed my view on that, because sometimes, if you want somebody to play a superhero, you think of whose voice would be good. Then you kind of go through those guys who have already played superheroes; you would want, say, Chris Hemsworth over someone who is known for another kind of work. When I was doing live-action work, a lot of times you look at the actor and ask, “Does that person look like the character?” Sometimes, the acting is almost secondary to getting the look. It’s kind of the opposite of what animation is. I just want somebody who does something different than everybody else. What makes someone stand out in a voiceover audition? Sometimes, when I audition actors, they just give me what’s on the page and they don’t dig any deeper. I do like a deeper dig. Read between the lines or do something that just kind of pops away from all the other performances. When I have to do auditions for things, I audition a lot of people. It’s nice to hear something that feels like an oddball take on the character or an interesting voice or emotion. Just reading what’s on the page most of the time doesn’t work for me. • Want more? Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine. 11.14.19 backstage

Verge Nervous Breakthrough Icons on the

of a

After playing auteur and muse throughout their formative years in film, Pedro Almodóvar and Antonio Banderas reunite in “Pain and Glory,” their most personal project to date

PEDRO ALMODÓVAR has been asked if he’s OK a lot lately.

To be fair, he did make a film about a successful Spanish director who’s in so much physical and emotional pain he starts doing heroin and isolating himself to the point of misanthropy. And then he told everyone that the film was based on his own experience. “I’ll assure you, I’m not as bad as in the movie,” Almodóvar clarifies about his latest feature, “Dolor y gloria” (“Pain and Glory”). “I have the feeling now that people love me more than before. And they think that they have to express that feeling toward me, which is wonderful, but they think I’m much worse off than I am.” It doesn’t appear that Almodóvar will be taking up hard drug use at age 70, but the film’s other subplots are indeed intimate and thematically familiar to fans of Almodóvar’s canon. “Pain and Glory” feels both like a crystal-clear distillation of the themes the writer-director has touched on for years in everything from “Volver” to “La ley del deseo” (“Law of Desire”), as well as topics he’s referenced in his own life: the pursuit of great

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filmmaking on- and offscreen, the relationship between parent and child, explorations of female suffering, and, of course, the force of male lust and exoticism. That he tapped on-again, off-again muse Antonio Banderas to play his onscreen alter ego, Salvador Mallo, is a delicious kicker and a leap of faith that’s paid dividends. The filmmaker landed his sixth Palme d’Or nomination at Cannes for the film, while

Banderas picked up a win for best actor, resulting in buzz that’s continued into this awards season. Particularly for Banderas, who has become more selective in his work after suffering a heart attack in 2017, having the award follow last year’s Emmy nomination for playing Pablo Picasso on “Genius” feels like a second victory lap. But a role like Salvador—and in an Almodóvar film, of all things—wasn’t initially on his radar. “It was very surprising, actually, when I got that first call from Pedro,” says Banderas, sitting opposite his director and a translator in a Manhattan hotel suite on a bright day in September. “He said to me, ‘I’m going to send you something that you will find very familiar: situations and people.’ I didn’t know he was talking about himself.” Banderas was admittedly apprehensive to take the part. Their reunion for 2011’s “La piel que habito” (“The Skin I Live In”), though ultimately successful, was reportedly a rocky one, with Banderas bringing his years of technical acting experience to a role for which Almodóvar sought a more emotional performance than an intellectual one. Not BACKSTAGE.COM

By Briana Rodriguez

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having the elasticity of a fictional character was also a consideration, and though Banderas had played real people before (Ché Guevara, Pancho Villa, the aforementioned Picasso), it had never been the case that the living inspiration for his performance was also directing him. However, there are few actors whose history is as enmeshed with Almodóvar’s as Banderas. Before doing his “Laberinto de pasiones” (“Labyrinth of Passion”) in 1982, Banderas was an unknown with a single credit to his name. By the end of the decade, after five films together, the two had established themselves as a force in independent Spanish cinema, introducing unorthodox storylines with panache and adding vibrant new faces to carry them through. And while Almodóvar and Banderas maintained a friendship in the years following their work on 1989’s “¡Átame!” (“Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!”), they went their separate ways after Banderas turned down Almodóvar’s offer to star in 1993’s “Kika,” opting instead for the American-made “The Mambo Kings.” “Hollywood will break you. You’ll waste your talent,” the director told him. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” While opportunities to head stateside came for both men—for Almodóvar, offers to helm “Brokeback Mountain” and “Sister Act” were among them—the director decided to stay in Spain and revolutionized his country’s cinematic culture as a result, while Banderas departed for Los Angeles and similarly did the same for Spanish-speaking leading men in America. It wasn’t until Banderas hit bona fide movie star status and Almodóvar, in turn, hit his own milestones with Oscar wins for “Todo sobre mi madre” (“All About My Mother”) and “Hable con ella” (“Talk to Her”) that we again saw their names on the same marquee. On their 2011 reunion effort, critics lauded Banderas’ performance and Almodóvar’s first stab at a thriller. Yet, it would be another eight years before they would reunite for “Pain and Glory,” their seventh film—and some of their best work to date. Like other Almodóvar works, the film’s narrative flows like a series of concentric circles, this time around aging filmmaker Salvador and his recollections of the formative chapters of his life. From a childhood love of film and vivid memories of his mother to his later creative and sexual awakenings, the instances appear almost like stand-alone vignettes that are woven together to build a web of defining moments. Appearing in them are Almodóvar regulars Penélope Cruz (“Volver”), Julieta Serrano (“Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”), and Susi BACKSTAGE.COM

Penélope Cruz and Asier Flores in “Pain and Glory” Sánchez (“The Skin I Live In”), plus well-known Hispanic actors like Leonardo Sbaraglia and luminous newcomers Asier Flores and César Vicente as the respective young Salvador and his first crush. In addition to the emotional work that came with the role, Banderas built his character through a calculated outer transformation: He styled his hair like Almodóvar—white and sticking straight up—wore some of the director’s clothes, and was surrounded by his possessions throughout filming. His physicality was also taken from the filmmaker’s own experience with chronic pain. Details like placing a pillow on the ground before kneeling to pick something up or wearing shoes without laces were directly lifted from Almodóvar. Beyond the tangible cues and a colorfully animated recap of ailments, the audience needed to feel Salvador’s suffering, and Banderas’ subtlety was essential to making it work. Almodóvar told him early on that he could not become a caricature of the aches, pains, and migraines; he had to refuse the tendency to overindicate. “ ‘The character cannot become a masterpiece on how beautifully Antonio interprets migraines,’ ” Banderas recalls Almodóvar warning. “Actors, we have a tendency, if we find a character like [Salvador], it’s like a gold mine—‘I ache!’ ” he declares, performatively scrunching up his face and reaching for his lower back. “But you have

to trust that overall, that is going to be very destructive. It’s going to distract the audience from the real issues.” Playing Salvador required clear physical choices, but it was a far cry from the physicality required of Zorro, for instance. Living his discomfort in smaller ways—moving with a sense of uncertainty and the anticipation of pain—was enough for him to feel he was doing the character’s body justice. “Antonio is a very alive person, so he had to be serious and more pensive than he usually is,” says Almodóvar. “The acting and the performing, it was this kind of gravity in the character because he is living a really bad period of his life—that was the main thing. But it’s something that you do with the entire body.” As with shaping the physical performance, Almodóvar was fastidious in re-creating his apartment. It’s an ornate collection of beautiful things: wall-size paintings; dozens of books; vases all in the same palette of blues, reds, and whites; magnets arranged on the refrigerator like a mini art gallery. “What I was very interested in with the place where he lives is that he has an immediate past, that it was very colorful and very alive,” says Almodóvar. “He was a very colorful man; he also had a lot of success. The glory that I put in the title? The glory is the apartment full of wonderful paintings.” “Pedro is very picky with objects,” says 11.14.19 backstage

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“Even without realizing it, the actors gave me information about what I should do.” PEDRO ALMODÓVAR

That playfulness is mutual, particularly when it comes to the writer-director’s scripts. Almodóvar often uses preproduction rehearsals to gather information as a screenwriter, tweaking sentences and interactions to the end. “When you write, everything is very abstract,” he says. “I don’t talk in the same way that I write. I write better than I’m talking. But the dialogue should sound real, not well written, so during the rehearsing, I almost rewrite the script, adapting for the actors that will be the characters. I’ve found that I can make a lot of corrections on my own script. The script is a work in process, and it is never ended until you finish the movie. The script is always alive. And shooting is a situation that’s very alive. Even without realizing it, the actors gave me information about what I should do.” In one instance, that feedback was so rich it inspired two new scenes, which Almodóvar wrote the night before they were set to film and handed to the actors in the morning. The interactions, which flesh out Salvador’s relationship with his mother, were expanded upon. Ultimately, Banderas opposite Serrano as his mother and an exchange with Sbaraglia as his former lover yielded some of the actor’s most touching and layered work in the film. High praise for “Pain and Glory” has been a surprise all around, but for no one more than Almodóvar. Initially, he felt a story about a nostalgic gay director in the twilight of his career would leave his audience detached. “[I thought,] Nobody’s going to watch it,” he confesses. “I was conscious I was talking about things very private, very personal. I wanted to do it, but I thought that nobody would be interested.” So, again, the question of autobiography comes up: How much is true to Almodóvar’s own life? Banderas is quick to jump in on his director’s behalf. “The truth is that we are not only the things we do or say in life, right? We are also the things that we think, the things that we express in art, the things we wanted to say but never said, the things that we wanted to do but never did. We are all of that. In that sense, the movie is absolutely biographical because it’s all coming out of his mind.” It’s just one example of the understanding that exists between the pair. “Pain and Glory” is the result of a director and an actor rejoining and trusting each other implicitly. As Almodóvar puts the secret to their fruitful union, “Si tiene fé así mismo en mi, en la combinación de ambos, las cosas salen siempre seguro.” Or, loosely translated: “Actors, have faith in yourself and your director and everything will come together as it should.” • BACKSTAGE.COM

Banderas. “Everything that surrounds the character and surrounds the scene—the books, especially, because those books are sending messages—everything that is in there is for a reason. It’s not like they put things [there] just to dress the table. Pedro goes, ‘I want this book here and I want this one there, and I want this to read [this],’ so you see him walking around you on the set, not only just taking care of you, which he does, but at the same time taking care of the surroundings, the color of the sheets, the size of the pillow, the color of the furniture, discovering that suddenly my reflection in the red furniture on the [viewing] screen was very interesting. So, you play with him as much as you can.”

Actors Awarding Actors Everything you need to know about the 26th annual SAG Awards By Esther Zuckerman

ACTORS ARE THE FACE OF THE CELEBRATIONS IN Hollywood around awards season; they are the most visible representations of the movies being honored. But for the Screen Actors Guild Awards—more than any other event—it’s their night and their night only. Though the guild only began handing out the trophies known as “Actors” a couple of decades ago, the January ceremony has become a crucial stop for anyone gunning for Oscar. And while it’s plenty glitzy, there’s also often a charming camaraderie on display; the show opens with testimonials from the attendees about their early acting experiences. (The official website credits Angela Lansbury, who opened the inaugural evening, with beginning this practice.) To celebrate and prepare for this awards season, Backstage is rounding up all the basics you need to know about the big awards ceremonies. Here’s everything you’ve ever wondered about the wonderful SAG Awards.

C A I T L I N WAT K I N S

WHEN DID THE SAG AWARDS FIRST TAKE PLACE?

You might be surprised to learn that the SAGs are actually relatively new. The first celebration took place in 1995, with trophies going to Tom Hanks for “Forrest Gump” and Jodie Foster for “Nell.”

WHO VOTES ON THEM?

Why, the actors, of course! These festivities are

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all about the performers, which is why winners usually thank their peers in speeches. All SAGAFTRA members who have paid their dues are allowed to cast ballots.

HOW DO THEY VOTE?

While everyone can vote for the winners, the nominating process is a little more exclusive. To choose who will be up for the prizes, nominating committees in film and television are randomly selected from among SAG-AFTRA members. The same people can’t choose the nominees every year; those who sit on a committee must wait eight years before being on the same one again.

WHEN AND WHERE ARE THE AWARDS HELD THIS YEAR? The 26th annual SAG Awards will be held Jan. 19, 2020, at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium.

WHO DO THEY HONOR?

Performers across film and television. That means SAG presents the standard honors for women and men in leading and supporting roles, but there are also awards for casts as a whole. That’s where eligibility can get a little tricky. To get onstage as part of the prestigious outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture award, rules state that a performer must have been credited on a separate title card, leaving out those in memorable but

smaller roles who share billing. (Those who are in the cast crawl get certificates.) To be considered part of the ensemble of a TV series, a contender must appear in more than half of the episodes within the nominating timeframe and be either a series regular or guest star. Certificates are doled out to those who have appeared in at least three episodes in the calendar year. SAG is one of the few awards bodies that recognizes stunt performers, with awards for stunt ensembles in film and TV, and each year, SAG names a recipient of its Life Achievement Award.

HOW CAN I JOIN THE FUN?

Getting your SAG card is a rite of passage for any actor, so knowing how to join the union is crucial. The first step: Getting hired. Then, you can supply your paycheck stubs or an original activity printout or report from the payroll company that includes your name, social security number, the name of the production company, the title of the production, the salary you were paid, and the dates you worked to SAG-AFTRA. You can also apply for membership in SAG-AFTRA if you’ve been a member for at least a year of an affiliated organization, including Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA’s Canadian counterpart, ACTRA, among others. • For the full guide on everything you need to know about the SAG Awards, visit backstage.com/magazine. BACKSTAGE.COM

PLAYS MUSICALS FILM TV & VIDEO COMMERCIAL MODELING VARIETY VOICEOVER GIGS EVENTS

PLAYS

CASTING

Visit backstage.com/findtalent and click on “Post a Notice.” SUBMIT A NOTICE | Include all relevant project requirements, including any pay, fees, dues, costs, required ticket sales or nudity. SUBMIT YOUR CALLS FOR CAST AND CREW:

NEW YORK TRISTATE PLAYS ‘Cry It Out’

•• Casting two roles in “Cry It Out.” Storyline: When it comes to being a new parent, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Brilliantly funny and painfully true, “Cry It Out” confronts the pressure to have it all when having it all is a giant lie. •• Company: City Theatre Company, Inc. Staff: Marc Masterson, artistic dir.; Kim Weild, dir.; Molly Smith Metzler, writer; Pat McCorkle and Katja Zarolinski, casting dirs.; Nathan Francis, casting asst. •• Rehearsals begin Feb. 4, 2020; previews begin Mar. 1; runs Mar. 6-22 in Pittsburgh, PA. •• Seeking—Jessie: female, 30-39. Adrienne: female, 30-39. •• Auditions will be held by appt. Dec. 9 and Dec. 10 (callbacks) in NYC. •• For consideration, email picture and resume with your Equity status to submission.mccorklecasting@gmail.com. Submissions deadline is Nov. 18. •• Pays above scale at $700/wk. Equity LORT D Non-Rep Contract.

‘Emma’

•• Casting “Emma,” a world premiere adaptation by Kate Hamill. Synopsis: Emma Woodhouse prides herself on being a mischievous matchmaker with an impeccable track record, much to the chagrin of her dear friend Mr. Knightley. Her latest scheme revolves around the sweet Harriet Smith, whom Emma advises to reject a perfectly good marriage proposal in favor of another eligible bachelor. But her best-laid plans are turned upside down by unpredictable displays of affection, the arrival of two charming new guests and Emma’s sudden realization that the men she and Harriet truly love may have been under their noses all along. •• Special note: All actors should have an excellent sense of humor and command of language--be able to speak the text at speed of thought, as well as commit to high-stakes emotion. The tone is much much more akin to screwball comedy than “classic” Jane Austen. Abandon stiff

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ideas of style. All characters speak with an RP accent. Actors of all ethnicities are strongly encouraged to submit. •• Company: Guthrie Theater Foundation. Staff: Joseph Haj, artistic dir.; Meredith McDonough, dir.; Pat McCorkle and Katja Zarolinski, casting dirs.; Kate Hamill, adaptation. •• Rehearsals begin Mar. 10, 2020; runs Apr. 17-May 31 in Minneapolis, MN. •• Seeking—Harriet Smith/and as Cast: female, 20-29. Mrs. Weston/and as Cast: female, 35+. Mr. Knightly/and as Cast: male, 30-49. Mr. Elton/and as Cast: male, 27-39. •• Auditions will be held by appt. Dec. 4, Dec. 5 and Dec. 6 (callbacks) in NYC. •• For consideration, Equity members email picture and resume, along with Equity status to submission.mccorklecasting@gmail.com. Submissions deadline is Nov. 29. •• Pays $1,161/wk. Equity LORT A Non-Rep Contract.

Ford’s Theatre Season

•• Seeking Equity actors and singers for various roles in the upcoming season. Season includes “The Trip to Bountiful” (Horton Foote, writer; Michael Wilson, dir. Rehearsals begin Aug. 18, 2020; runs Sept. 23-Oct. 18); “A Christmas Carol” (Charles Dickens, source material; Michael Wilson, adaptation; Michael Baron, dir. Rehearsals begin Nov. 3, 2020; runs Nov. 19-Dec. 31, 2020); “My Lord, What a Night” (Deborah Brevoort, writer. Rehearsals begin Dec. 21, 2020; runs Jan. 22, 2021-Feb. 21); and “Man of La Mancha” (Dale Wasserman, writer; Joe Darion, lyrics; Mitch Leigh, music; Stephen Rayne, dir. Rehearsals begin Jan. 29, 2021; runs Mar. 12-May 22). Note: Ford’s Theatre employs an in house SM and ASM, but are accepting SM and ASM submissions for potential replacements and future consideration. •• Company: Ford’s Theatre Society. Staff: Jose Carrasquillo, dir. of artistic programming; Erika Scott, artistic programming mgr.; Stephanie Klapper, casting dir.; Lacey Davies and Anna Tochia, casting assist.; Caitelin McCoy and Deena Danishefsky, casting. •• Season rehearses and performs in Washington, DC. •• Seeking—Equity Actors & Singers: all genders, 18+. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 25 from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (lunch, 1-2 p.m.) at Pearl Studios NYC (519), 519 8th Ave., 12th fl., New York City, NY 10018. Audition Room: Studio K Holding

Casting picks of the week BY LISA HAMIL

musical

‘South Pacific’ Stay younger than Springtime in East Haddam, CT

stage

‘A Wrinkle In Time’ Travel through time to be a hero in Anaheim, CA

film

‘Suicide Squad’ Save the world with Margot Robbie and Idris Elba in Fayetteville, GA

stage

‘The Drowning Girls’ Take a deep breath in NYC for this tale of misogyny and murder

tv ‘The Right Stuff’ Blast off to Cocoa Beach, FL in this series for National Geographic

Room: Studio H Check lobby upon arrival for any changes. EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided. •• Prepare a brief classic or modern American monologue, or a brief musical theatre song; or a one minute monologue and 16 bars of a song. Bring picture and resume. •• Pays $969/wk. Equity LORT Non-Rep Contract.

‘Much Ado About Nothing’

•• Casting Equity actors for “Much Ado About Nothing.” •• Company: Shakespeare Theatre Company. Staff: Simon Godwin, artistic dir.-dir.;William Shakespeare, playwright; Carter Wooddell, casting dir.

•• Rehearsals begin Mar. 24, 2020; runs May 5-June 14, 2020 at Shakespeare Theatre Company, DC -Sidney Harman Hall in Washington, DC. •• Seeking—Hero: female, 20-29, all ethnicities. Dogberry: female, 30-69, all ethnicities. Borachio: male, 30-39, all ethnicities. Don Pedro: male, 40-49, all ethnicities. Claudio: male, 20-39, all ethnicities. Don John: male, 30-49, all ethnicities. Friar Or Sister Frances: all genders, 30-59, all ethnicities. Beatrice: female, 30-49, all ethnicities. Benedick: male, 30-49, all ethnicities. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 22 (AEA by appointment) and Nov. 23 (AEA by appointment) in NYC. •• For consideration, email picture and resume asap to CastingShakespeare@ shakespearetheatre.org. Be sure to mention your are submitting for NYC appointment. STC is committed to building an inclusive organization that reflects the national artistic landscape and communities that we serve. We encourage people of all communities to submit themselves for consideration for all roles available. All actors cast must have experience working with Shakespeare’s language. •• Pays $1,064/wk. Equity Non-Rep LORT B+ Agreement.

‘Native Gardens’

•• Casting “Native Gardens.” Synopsis: Pablo, a high-powered lawyer, and doctoral candidate Tania, his very pregnant wife, are realizing the American dream when they purchase a house next door to community stalwarts Virginia and Frank. But a disagreement over a long-standing fence line soon spirals into an all-out (hilarious) war of taste, class, privilege, and entitlement. •• Company: Portland Stage Company. Staff: Jade King Carroll, dir.; Jenn Haltman, casting dir.; Anita Stewart, artistic dir. •• Rehearsals begin Feb. 11, 2020; runs Mar. 3-29 in Portland, ME. •• Seeking—Tania Del Valle: female, 29. Pablo Del Valle: male, 31. Virginia Butley: female, 55-65. Frank Butley: male, 55-65. •• Auditions will be held by appt. Dec. 10 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Dec. 11 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in NYC. •• For consideration, email picture and resume, including your Equity status, to auditions@portlandstage.org. Actors of all abilities, ethnicities, and gender identities are welcome to submit. •• Pays $717/wk. Equity LORT Non-Rep Contact. BACKSTAGE.COM

NEW YORK TRISTATE casting ‘The Children’

•• Casting Equity actors for “The Drowning Girls.” Synopsis: “The Drowning Girls” is inspired by the Scotland Yard case of the notorious serial killer George Joseph Smith and his victims, the “brides of the bathtub.” While the historical figures of Bessie, Alice and Margaret were white women, women of all races are strongly encouraged to audition. Actors must be comfortable working with water on stage. No submerging will be required. •• Company: Drama League. Staff: Rebecca Marzalek-Kelly, dir.; Beth Graham, Charlie Tomilnson and Daniela Vlaskalie, writers; Harriet Bass Casting, casting co.; Harriet Bass, casting dir.; Gama Valle, casting assoc. •• Rehearsals begin Jan. 9, 2020; runs Jan. 24-25, 2020 as part of the Drama League’s New York Directing Fellowship DirectorFest at the New Ohio Theater in NYC. •• Seeking—Bessie: female, 30-35, all ethnicities. Alice: female, 25-29, all ethnicities. Margaret: female, 35-45, all ethnicities. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 25 (AEA by appointment) in NYC. •• For an appointment audition, email photo and resume to hbasscasting@ gmail.com (preferred) or mail to Harriet Bass Casting, 112 W. 34th St., 17th fl., New York, NY 10120. Mark submissions “The Drowning Girls.” Callbacks will be held Nov. 26. •• Pays $500 flat fee. Equity Showcase-NY Equity Showcase Code.

‘The King’s Speech’

•• Casting Equity actors for “The King’s Speech,” a tour of the historical drama. Note: All SM and ASM positions have been filled. •• Company: King’s Speech On Stage LLC. Staff: ADH Theatricals LLC, general mgr.; BACKSTAGE.COM

‘Whisper House’

•• Casting Equity actor/singers for various roles in “Whisper House.” •• Company: The Civilians. Staff: Duncan Sheik, music & lyrics; Kyle Jarrow, writer; Steve Cosson, dir.; Tara Rubin and Peter Van Dam (Tara Rubin Casting), casting; Wiley DeWeese, music dir.; Margaret Moll (The Civilians), managing dir.; Amy Ashton (The Civilians), artistic assoc. •• Rehearsals begin Feb. 10-Mar. 4, 2020; tech runs Mar. 6-11; runs Mar. 12-Apr. 19 in Brooklyn, NY. •• Seeking—Christopher: male, 11-12, White / European Descent. Lily: female, 40-55, White / European Descent. Yasuhiro: male, 40-55, Asian. Doctor/ Sheriff: male, 40-59, White / European Descent. Male Ghost: male, 18-29, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, White / European Descent. Female Ghost: female, 18-29. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 21 from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (lunch, 1-2 p.m.) and Nov. 22 from 9:30 a.m.5:30 p.m. (lunch, 1-2 p.m.) at Actors’ Equity New York Audition Center, 165 W 46th St., 16th fl., New York City, NY 10036. EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided. •• Prepare a song of your choice in the style of the show or Duncan Sheik. Bring picture and resume. •• Pays $615/wk. Equity Off Broadway Contract.

MUSICALS

•• Pays small stipend. Equity NY Basic Showcase Code.

‘South Pacific, EPA

•• Casting Equity performers for “South Pacific.” •• Company: Goodspeed Opera House. Staff: Rob Ruggiero, dir.; Ralph Perkins, choreo.; Adam Souza, musical dir.; Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, book; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyrics; Richard Rodgers, music; Paul Hardt, casting dir.; Michael Gennaro, exec. dir.; Donna Lynn Hilton, line prod. •• Rehearses Mar. 17, 2020; runs Apr. 17-July 2, 2020 at Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddem, CT. •• Seeking—Emile De Becque: male, 45-59. Ensign Nellie Forbush: female, 25-30. Bloody Mary: female, 35-55. Liat: female, 18-25. Lieutenant Josep Cable: male, 18-30. Luther Billis: male, 30-45. Captain George Brackett: male, 40-60. Commander William Harbison: male, 40-49. Ngana: female, 11. Jerome: male, 8. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Dec. 11 (AEA by appointment) and Dec. 12 (AEA by appointment) in NYC. •• For consideration, submit your pic and resume to Goodspeedsubmissions@ gmail.com with the role you are submitting for and your union affiliations in the subject line. No second party submissions permitted. Callbacks for Principal roles Jan. 8-9, 2020. •• Pays $969/wk. Equity LORT Non-Rep LORT B Agreement.

DO IT FASt!

COMEDY INTENSIVES

‘Sondheim on Sondheim’

•• Casting Equity and non-Equity actor singers for “Sondheim on Sondheim.”

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The company is expected to be 8 versatile singer-actors who will play multiple roles and sing collectively a total of over 50 numbers from dozens of Sondheim shows, from the familiar to the obscure. This will be the first NYC revival of Sondheim on Sondheim since its original Broadway production ten years ago. •• Company: Theater 2020, Inc. Staff: Judith Jarosz & David Fuller, prod. artistic dirs.; David Fuller, dir.; Judith Jarosz, choreo.; Giles Hogya, lighting designer. •• Rehearsals begin Jan. 16, 2020 (6:30-10 p.m. weekdays and 2-7 p.m. weekends); runs Feb. 20-23, Feb. 27-29, Mar. 1, Mar. 5-8, and Mar. 14-15 (Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 4 p.m.) at Founders Hall Theater, St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St., Brooklyn Heights, NY. •• Seeking—Singers: 18+. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 17 from 7-10 p.m. (sign-in, 6:30 p.m.) and Nov. 23 from 2-6 p.m. (sign-in, 1:30 p.m.) at ART/NY South Oxford Space, 138 S Oxford St., Studio G (holding room); auditions in other studios, Brooklyn, NY 11217. An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. •• Prepare one song by Stephen Sondheim. Bring picture and resume. Studio G (holding room), auditions in other studios. •• Callbacks will be held Nov. 24, 2019 2-8 p.m. •• Note: Theatre 2020 is committed to casting without regard to race or ethnic origin and encourages all ethnicities to audition.

IMPROV • WRITING • MUSIC 15% OFF WITH CODE: INTENSE

MUSICALS

‘The Drowning Girls’

Michael Wilson, dir.; David Seidler, writer; Billy Hopkins and Ashley Ingram, casting dirs.; Michael D’Amato, casting assoc. •• Rehearsals begin January 2020; tour begins Feb. 11, 2020 at The National Theater in DC; Mar. 19, 2020 at Hartford Stage in Hartford, CT; May 1 at The Winter Garden in Toronto, ON; July 7-Aug. 2, 2020 at Phoenix Theater Company in Phoenix, AZ with the possibility of other venues to follow. •• Seeking—Bertie: male, 35-39, White / European Descent. Lionel Logue: male, 40-59, White / European Descent. Elizabeth: female, 30-39, White / European Descent. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Dec. 3 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (lunch, 1:302:30 p.m.), Dec. 4 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (lunch, 1:30-2:30 p.m.) and Dec. 5 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (lunch, 1:30-2:30 p.m.) at Pearl Studios NYC (519), 519 8th Ave., 12th Fl., New York City, NY 10018. EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided. •• Actors will read from sides, provided at the EPA. Bring picture and resume. One or more of the following is expected in attendance: Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram, and/or Michael D’Amato. •• Pays $2,168.33/wk. Equity Production (League) Agreement.

PLAYS

•• Casting Equity actors for “The Children.” Synopsis: When a recent disaster at the local power plant has left the town devastated with nuclear pollution, Hazel and Robin remain determined to preserve the normality of their retired lifestyle. But when their former colleague Rose unexpectedly shows up, their impromptu reunion turns into a decision about accountability. Will they enjoy their golden years or, for the sake of the future generations, fix the system they’ve helped create? •• Company: Portland Stage Company. Staff: Christopher Grabowski, dir.; Jenn Haltman, casting dir.; Anita Stewart, artistic dir. •• Rehearsals begin Mar. 17, 2020; runs Apr. 7-26, 2020 in Portland, ME. •• Seeking—Robin: male, 60-69, all ethnicities. Hazel: female, 60-69, all ethnicities. Rose: female, 60-69. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Dec. 12 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (AEA by appointment) and Dec. 13 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (AEA by appointment) in NYC. •• For consideration, email picture and resume with your AEA status to auditions@portlandstage.org. We welcome actors of all abilities, ethnicities and gender identities to submit. •• Pays Equity $717/wk. LORT Non-Rep Agreement.

casting CALIFORNIA

CHORUS CALLS ‘Something Rotten’ PLAYS MUSICALS

•• Casting Equity singers and dancers for “Something Rotten.” •• Company: Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities. Staff: Rod A. Lansberry, artistic prod.-dir.; Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck, choreo.; Nolan Bonvouloir, musical dir.; Wojcik | Seay Casting, casting dirs. •• Rehearsals begin Mar. 17, 2020; runs Apr. 10-May 3, 2020 in Arvada, CO. •• Seeking—Male Ensemble Dancers: male, 18-39, all ethnicities. Female Ensemble Dancers: female, 18-39, all ethnicities. Equity Ensemble Singers: all genders, 18-39, all ethnicities. •• Equity Chorus Calls will be held Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. (Equity male singers) and at 2:30 p.m. (Equity female singers) at The Growing Studio, 344 W 38th St., 4th Fl.; Holding Studio 2, New York City, NY 10018. And Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. (Equity female dancers) and at 2:30 p.m. (Equity male dancers) at Pearl Studios NYC (500), 500 8th Ave., 3rd fl.; holding studio 314, New York City, NY 10018. ECC Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided. •• Appointments for this production will be held in January. •• Dancers: Arrive warmed-up and ready to dance. Bring tap shoes and character shoes. Ladies, bring tap heels if you have them. In case you are asked to sing, prepare 16-bars of a comedic contemporary musical theatre song in the style of the show. Bring your book and an up-to-date headshot and resume. Present will be Nolan Bonvouloir, MD, Dena DiGiacento, audition choreographer, and Gayle Seay & Scott Wojcik, casting dirs. •• Singers: Prepare 16-bars of a comedic contemporary musical theatre song in the style of the show. Bring your book and an up-to-date headshot and resume. Present will be Nolan Bonvouloir, MD, and Gayle Seay & Scott Wojcik, casting dirs. •• Pays $969/wk. Equity Non-Rep LORT B Agreement.

Audition Highlights NEW YORK TRISTATE

Thurs. Nov. 14 ‘What The End Will Be’ ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ (also 11/15) ‘Hello Dolly!’ Tour Shanghai Disney Resort VR World Floor Instructor

Fri. Nov. 15 ‘Mac Beth’ American Shakespeare Center Season Goodspeed Musicals 2020 Season

Sat. Nov. 16 ‘Mother’s Day’ ‘Adaptable to Change’ ‘Same Time, Next Year’ (also 11/17)

Sun. Nov. 17 ‘Love and Death’ ‘Sondheim on Sondheim’

Mon. Nov. 18 ‘How To Succeed...’ (also 11/19-20) ‘Memphis,’ Raleigh (also 11/20) ‘We Will Rock You’ Royal Caribbean

Tues. Nov. 19 ‘Jersey Boys’ ‘Memphis,’ NYC EPA ‘Blippi Live,’ Non-Equity Nat’l Tour

For the full auditions calendar, visit backstage.com/auditions

‘South Pacific’

GIGS

•• Casting Equity singers and dancers for “South Pacific.” •• Company: Goodspeed Opera House. Staff: Rob Ruggiero, dir.; Ralph Perkins, choreo.; Adam Souza, musical dir.; Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, book; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyrics; Richard Rodgers, music; Paul Hardt, casting dir.; Michael Gennaro, exec. dir.; Donna Lynn Hilton, line prod. •• Rehearses Mar. 17, 2020; runs Apr. 17-July 2, 2020 at Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddem, CT. •• Seeking—Equity Dancers: all genders, 18+. Equity Singers: all genders, 18+. •• Equity Chorus Calls will be held Nov. 25 at 10 a.m. (Equity male dancers who sing) and at 1 p.m. (Equity female dancers who sing) at Pearl Studios NYC (500), 500 8th Ave., 12th fl. 1215 (holding), New York City, NY 10018. And Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. (Equity male singers who move well) and at 2 p.m. (Equity female singers who move well) at Pearl Studios NYC (500), 500 8th Ave., 3rd fl. 314 (holding), New York City, NY 10018. ECC Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity

26 backstage 11.14.19

Monitor will be provided. •• Dancers: Bring flats or dance sneakers. Bring picture and resume. Singers: Bring music to sing in the style of the show. No contemp or pop material. Bring picture and resume. Callbacks Dec. 13. We will not be seeing nonunion talent at these Union ECC calls; nonunion call is Dec. 9. •• Pays $969/wk. Equity LORT Non-Rep LORT B Agreement.

GIGS Brand Ambassador for Hemp Beverage Company

•• Seeking brand ambassadors to help grow new hemp beverage company. Will be responsible for representing the brand at events, making appearances throughout the tri-state area and distributing beverages as needed. •• Company: Malka Media. •• Work begins Nov. 19 in the Tri-State area.

•• Seeking—Brand Ambassador: all genders, 21-35, all ethnicities, to help grow new hemp beverage company. Will be responsible for representing the brand at events, making appearances throughout the tri-state area and distributing beverages as needed. •• Seeking submissions from NJ. •• Send submissions to derek.king@malkamedia.com. •• For consideration, submit video telling us why you would make a great fit to represent this fast growing hemp beverage brand. •• Video submission should include: How would you describe yourself ?; Our brand is about living your best life. How do you live your best life?; and Have you ever used CBD or Hemp products? If so what is your experience? Include instagram and social channels information. •• Pay based on day rate. Food and gas stipend included.

WORKSHOPS Creating Your Own Content Workshop

•• Seeking participants for a Creating Your Own Content Workshop. Instructor states: “Have an idea, short film, sizzle, presentation, pilot, web series, music video, feature etc. and want to shoot it? If so, this workshop is for you. I’ll discuss the process of creating your own content from pen to page to production to post to platform. Some of the topics discussed: Finding the right team / collaborators / crew, non-union vs. union talent, protecting your IP, setting realistic goals, your endgame, festivals, table reads, managing expectations, insurance and more. Bring questions and fun attitude. Class won’t exceed more than 15 people.” •• Staff: Stephanie Little, content creator. •• Class runs Dec. 7 in NYC. •• Seeking—Content Creator: 18+. •• Seeking submissions from NY. •• Send submissions to stephanielittle@ mac.com. •• Cost is $125/one day workshop.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PLAYS ‘A Wrinkle in Time’

•• Casting “A Wrinkle in Time,” a play. Synopsis: One dark and stormy night, the eccentric Mrs. Whatsit arrives at the home of Meg Murry, a young teen who doesn’t fit in at her New England high school. Meg’s scientist Father vanished over two years ago, under mysterious circumstances. Aided by Mrs. Whatsit and her friends, Meg, her gifted brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin are transported through time and space on a mission to rescue their Father from the

evil forces that hold him prisoner on another planet. John Glore’s delightful, wildly theatrical adaptation brings Madeleine L’Engle’s acclaimed story magically to life. •• Company: The Chance Theater. Staff: Darryl B. Hovis, dir. •• Rehearsals begin Jan. 6; runs Feb. 14-Mar. 1, 2020 (Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. & 5 p.m.; & Sun. 11 a.m., 2 p.m. & 5 p.m) at Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA. •• Seeking—Meg: female, 18-25, all ethnicities, to play 12 years old; an outcast, both intelligent and insecure. However, she loves her family and is loyal, especially with her brother Charles Wallace. Meg’s weaknesses lie in her anger, impatience, and individualism. Actor 1 Charles Wallace, Ensemble: male, 18-25, all ethnicities, to play 5-year-old Charles Wallace and other characters in the ensemble. Charles Wallace is brilliant and blunt. Sensitive and empathetic, yet vulnerable. He has an uncanny ability to know what others are feeling. Actor 2 Mother, Mrs. Who, Camazotz Woman, Aunt Beast, Ensemble: female, 25-50, all ethnicities, to play multiple characters. Mother is a scientist with a double doctorate, Mrs. Murry is also a loving mother, caring for the family she has left. Troubled but well composed, she restrains her emotions for her children. Mrs. Who is one of three celestial beings with a dry sense of humor. She is serious and contemplative, a no nonsense kind of celestial being. Uses quotes to express her thoughts. Actor 3 – Mrs. Whatsit, Man With Red Eyes, Ensemble: all genders, 25-55, all ethnicities, will play multiple characters male and/or female. Mrs. Whatsit is a celestial being who is kooky, and tramp like, but a good teacher, and is the one best able to explain much to the children on their journey. Man with Red Eyes is a leader of Camazotz who is mysterious and dangerous. He is a vessel of IT and attempts to hypnotize the children into submitting to IT. Actor 4 – Calvin, Ensemble: male, 18-25, all ethnicities, to play 14 years old. His public persona is popular, athletic, sarcastic, and most importantly of all, cool but underneath he is honest, empathetic, and sweet on Meg. Like Charles, he has an ability to sense other’s thoughts. Actor 5 – Father, Mrs. Which, Camazotz Man, Ensemble: male, 30-55, all ethnicities, will play multiple characters male and/or female. Father is a physicist who works for a secret government agency, father of Meg and Charles Wallace, has been missing for over a year. Very smart and affectionate. Mrs. Which is the oldest of the three celestial beings who accompany the children on their adventure, their leader who keeps them on their toes. She is the one who usually provides the group with the clues the children need to solve the problems encountered during their travels. •• Auditions will be held Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at Chance Theater, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, CA 92807. •• Send submissions to casting@chancetheater.com. •• For an audition appointment (starting at 8 p.m.), visit www.chanceauditions2.as. me/ Bring current headshot and resume BACKSTAGE.COM

CALIFORNIA casting and sheet music. For more info, visit https://chancetheater.com/get-involved/ auditions-2/. •• Pays $450-$650 total for the 18 performance run.

FEATURE FILMS ‘Hubba Hubba’

SHORT FILMS ‘Like Flying’

•• Casting “Like Flying,” a short film led by American Film Institute alums. Synopsis: A young Chinese girl finds out about a family secret. As she discovers more about the adult world and their desires, she loses her innocence. •• Staff: Tracy Shen, dir.; Greg Schroeder, prod. •• Shoots Jan. 18-19 2020 in the L.A. area. •• Seeking—Ming: female, 8-10, Asian, an 8-year-old Chinese girl, who is curious and passionate about the world around her; she is playful; sometimes she feels like she has to fight for her parents’ love. Mother: female, 30-40, Asian, a Chinese woman, came to America with hope. The opportunities have been so limiting that she feels like hitting a wall sometimes. She’s in constant war with her husband, so she becomes tired. She loves “Ming” very much, but doesn’t know how to express it. Katie: female, 20-30, Asian, Ming’s Father’s mistress. She is young, beautiful, and idealistic. They probably work together a lot in the factory and she falls in love with him. Father: male, 35-45, Asian, charming when he wants to be. He gives some affection to “Ming” and “Mother,” but he doesn’t love them. The fact that he feels stuck makes him miserable and wants to prove his manhood. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to tshen@afi.edu. •• No pay. Copy, credit, and meals provided. BACKSTAGE.COM

•• Casting a PSA geared towards high school students spreading awareness about sending nudes. This is a non-profit shoot hoping to help make a change. •• Company: Lancelot Media Inc. Staff: Ella Fairon, prod.; Tori Romo, dir.; Bedik Bedikian, cinematographer; Alicia Simon, prod. design. •• Shoots Nov. 23-24 in Los Angeles, CA. •• Seeking—Alli: female, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student who gets sent a nude photo. Beckah: female, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student spreading awareness about sending nudes. Carly: female, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student about to send a nude in the bathroom. Danielle: all genders, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student spreading awareness about sending nudes. Eric: male, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student gets caught by teacher with nudes on his phone. Franny: all genders, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student spreading awareness about sending nudes. Greg: male, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student sending nudes. Teen Girl: female, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student spreading awareness about sending nudes. Teen Boy: male, 13-19, all ethnicities, high school student spreading awareness about sending nudes. Old Creepy Man: male, 50+, all ethnicities, old creepy perverted man. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to toriromo10@gmail. com. •• IMDb credit and meals and crafty provided.

‘Tiger Talk’

•• Casting “Tiger Talk,” an amateur short film about a broke college graduate, named Amber Yang, who wakes up to find that her voice has been replaced with the roars and growls of a tiger - a development that severely hinders her search for employment. •• Company: USC Asian Pacific Cinema Association. Staff: Christine Suh, coprod.; Grace Guo, co-prod. •• Shoots Nov. 23-24 at the USC campus in Los Angeles, CA area. •• Seeking—Man: male, 30-45, all ethnicities, a company representative who offers Amber a last-minute job interview at a career fair. Constantly busy, impatient, and shows little consideration for new employees. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to suhjchri@usc.edu. •• Send in headshots, reels (within 3-5 days), and resumes via email to suhjchri@ usc.edu with the subject line “[Role] / APCA Team B.” •• Copy, credit, and meal provided.

STUDENT FILMS ‘Box Office’

•• Casting “Box Office.” Synopsis; A troubled teen girl is forced to survive the summer working for her eccentric Uncle’s run down theater while managing his offbeat employees. •• Company: Chapman University - Dodge College. Staff: Christian Hurley and Max

Audition Highlights CALIFORNIA

Fri. Nov. 15

‘Did You Know - Officer Wellness’

Sat. Nov. 16

L.A. Connection, Comedy Improv ‘@lol_mermaid’ ‘Master Eb’s Spirit’ ‘Meals 4 Monologues’ ‘Stellar Glory’ Video Game Promo

Mon. Nov. 18

Step One Dance Company, Los Angeles

Weds. Nov. 20

‘A Wrinkle in Time’ ‘Lolas’, All-Female Singing Group For the full auditions calendar, visit backstage.com/auditions

Shepardson, dirs.; Ben Oliphint, showrunner; Brandon Ptasznik, prod. •• Rehearses December and January; shoots Jan. 19-23 and 25 at Frida Cinema, East 4th St., #100, in Santa Ana, CA. •• Seeking—Amanda: female, 18-20, all ethnicities. George: male, 40-60, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic. Ed: male, 40-60, all ethnicities. Spencer: male, 18-26. Roberta: female, 60-80, all ethnicities. Martin: male, 40-50, all ethnicities. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to boxofficepilotcasting@gmail.com. •• No pay, but gas and wardrobe compensation available. Deferred payment for SAG-AFTRA.

‘Denisse’

•• Casting “Denisse.” Synopsis: When a very private and guarded undocumented medical student is asked to speak at the US Senate hearing, she must grapple with the hostile opposing testimonies, demands of medical school, and the threat of deportation in order to give her testimony to help save the policy that protects her and 800,000 undocumented immigrants. We will be doing a scene from this story for a thesis project that will be shooting in Spring 2020. •• Company: University of Southern California. Staff: Alexa Villarreal, prod.; Grace Lee, dir. •• Shoots Nov. 22 and 24 in Los Angeles, CA. •• Seeking—Denisse Rojas: female, 25-30, Latino / Hispanic. Young Denisse: female, 10-15, Latino / Hispanic. Young Nadia: female, 10-15, Latino / Hispanic. Ingrid:

female, 35-45, Latino / Hispanic. Juan: male, 40-50, Latino / Hispanic. Agent Langford: male, 30-50, all ethnicities. Agent Newman: male, 30-50, all ethnicities. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to afvillar@usc.edu. •• Auditions will be held Nov. 16 and Nov. 17. •• Copy and credit provided.

‘Falling For You’

•• Casting “Falling For You,” a student music video. Synopsis: It revolves around the story of two friends who realize they have feelings for each other as their prom approaches. •• Company: Art Center College of Design. Staff: Aryan Gupta, dir. •• Rehearsal and table reading date TBD at Art Center College of Design Hilside Campus; shoots Dec. 4, 6, and 7 at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. •• Seeking—Ryan: male, 15-20, a senior in high school; a bright and somewhat reserved person, he is in an internal struggle of admitting to himself that he likes his best friend, Katherine. Katherine: female, 15-20, an upbeat, athletic and charming senior in high school; she is best friends with Ryan, but struggles to admit that she has feelings for him as well. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to aryan.gupta2809@ gmail.com. •• Note your availability for the shoot dates. •• Copy and meals provided.

‘The Moore Family Haunting’

•• Casting “The Moore Family Haunting,” a student film. Synopsis: After the death of their mother, 16-year-old Dawn is subject to her 12-year-old sister Lily’s delusions involving visits from their mother in the dead of the night. Lily is convinced the supernatural events appearing to her are a result of the ghost of their mother, but Dawn is certain that this is Lily’s unhealthy way of coping. However, when Dawn becomes increasingly unable to find logical reasons for the supernatural things occurring within her house, she is unable to deny the signs any longer and unwittingly finds herself confronting the presumed supernatural source terrorizing her home. •• Company: Chapman University. Staff: Matt Wassong, dir.; Laura Mittelberg, prod. •• Role of Sofia Moore: shoots one day between Nov. 10-14 (depending on availability) for photo shoot. For role of Matthew Moore: shoots one day between Nov. 10-14 (depending on availability) for photo shoot; various days between Nov. 15-17, 22-24. •• Seeking—Matthew Moore: male, 35-60, White / European Descent, loving father to two daughters (ages 11 and 16). After the death of his wife, he is called away on a business trip, unaware of the supernatural disturbances in his home. Shoots Nov. 15-17, 22-24. Must be available one day (depending on availability) between Nov. 10-14 for a family photo shoot in Santa Ana, CA. Sofia Moore: female, 35-60, White / European Descent, beloved mother to two daughters.

11.14.19 backstage

FILM

•• Casting 32 performers for the finale in “Hubba Hubba,” a 1943 musical with original music. Synopsis: “Hubba Hubba” is about kids in a parochial school putting on a show to raise money for a serviceman’s canteen in their town, a famous movie star coming to town to find her old boyfriend, and then there’s a Nazi spy (but that’s another story). •• Producer states: “A number of people have reported to the producer that (this shoot)is the most fun that they have ever had.” •• Staff: Patrick Meiklejohn, prod.-dir. •• Shoots Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in San Pedro, CA. •• Seeking—Finale Performers: 18+, all ethnicities, to look 18, 32 performers to march and lip synch in the finale. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to stpat4@yahoo. com. •• Include a headshot and resume in your submission. •• Pays $120. Actors will also be paid $25 for the costume fitting. Lunch will be provided both days.

PSA About Sending Nudes

casting CALIFORNIA Modeling job. No on-screen acting involved. Looking for a mother for photographs with our lead sisters. The photo shoot will take place during the day between Nov. 10-14 (depending on availability) in Santa Ana, CA. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to wratten@chapman.edu. •• Pays $125/day plus gas provided.

MUSICALS

‘The Most Ordinary Woman’

FILM COMMERCIAL MODELING

•• Casting “The Most Ordinary Woman.” •• Company: ArtCenter College of Design. Staff: Jacky Deng, dir. •• Shoots TBD in Pasadena, CA. •• Seeking—Auntie Angelina: female, 35+, all ethnicities, an independent woman who is willing to sacrifice anything she has and dedicated her life for this disabled children; a weak and skinny woman like is also a disabled person and she had experience a conflagration when she was only three months old and born with a level three vision disability. Happy: male, 18-32, all ethnicities, the most optimistic character in the film; he is the character who reduces or deflects the tension every time when there’s a problem or an argument appears; as auntie Angelina is lonely and sad, Happy is the man who will comfort her. Carson: male, 18-32, the reflective character that shows what majority of people in society are like now; Carson is not satisfied with what his mother has done to him and he always demands more from his family. Yet, he believes these disabled people are the same type of monsters simply by their appearance and the natural defect that they have. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to zdeng2@inside. artcenter.edu. •• The audition will take place on Nov. 16 at the LA Times Theater in ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA from 12:50-2:50 p.m. •• No pay. Copy provided.

ONLINE COMMERCIALS & PROMOS Fitness Beverage Social Shoot

•• Shooting product shots in hand, photos in studio against colored backdrops, natural environment shots with product in workout studio, shots outdoors in nature on hiking trails, etc. and quick interviews of what fitness means to you that will be cut with video shots out in nature with product. •• Company: Rosewood Studios. Staff: Jordan Sider, dir. of prod. •• Shoots 2-3 days (most likely 10 hours per day) between Nov. 20-29 in L.A. Note: Exact shoot dates are TBD. •• Seeking—Fitness Beverage Model: all genders, 21-35, all ethnicities. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to braden@rosewoodcreative.com. •• For consideration, answer the following questions: Overall: Where are you from?

28 backstage 11.14.19

What’s your name? How old are you? Propel People interview Questions: What got you into fitness? How do you stay motivated? What are your simple ways to move? What do you tell yourself on the days when you don’t feel like working out? How do you exercise? What’s your favorite way to move? How does exercise bring you joy? Describe how you feel when you are working out and sweating? Do you have a work out partner? Who inspires you? Do you practice something special mentally or physically? When do you feel at peace? Why did you start working out? How do you treat yourself? Passion to Move Questions: How does [insert exercise] make you feel? Why [insert exercise]? How often do you [insert exercise]? Where do you [insert exercise]? •• Pays $350/day + meals. Non-Union Social Media Shoot.

Spirit Beverage Commercial

•• Casting a 30 second online commercial for beverage spirit brand. •• Company: Rosewood Studios. Staff: Jordan Sider, dir. of prod.; Angela Rodarte, prod. supervisor. •• Fittings Nov. 19 or 20; shoots Nov. 21-22 in Los Angeles, CA. •• Seeking—Miguel: male, 30-45, Latino / Hispanic, unique, interesting characters, quirky, “Best In Show” - Christopher Guest Esque. Lloyd: male, 45-60, White / European Descent, Airline Pilot: Mustache or white hair a plus; looking for unique, interesting characters, quirky, “Best In Show” - Christopher Guest Esque. Pearl: female, 25-40, all ethnicities, looking for unique, interesting characters, long hair, interesting features, quirky, “Best In Show” - Christopher Guest Esque. Jane: female, 25-40, all ethnicities, looking for unique, interesting characters: long hair, interesting features, quirky, “Best In Show” Christopher Guest Esque. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to jordan@rosewoodcreative.com. •• Note your availability. •• Pays $1200 session and one-year usage, online only. Non-union.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MUSICALS ‘Sunday in the Park with George’

•• Casting “Sunday in the Park with George” in San Francisco at the Alcazar Theater. •• Company: Gatehouse Theatre Company. Staff: Margo MacDonald, exec. dir.; Caity Redfern, artistic dir.; Rachel Pospisil, dir. •• Rehearsals run June 1-19 (6 days/wk. from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.); performances/tech from June 21-July 5 (9 performances including previews) in San Francisco, CA. •• Seeking—George Seurat/George: male, 20-30, all ethnicities, in Act 1: George Seurat, a rather cold artist obsessed with his work at the cost of his personal life. Constantly troubled and borderline obsessive. Act 2: Seurat’s burnt-out descendant and inventor-sculpture searching for his purpose. In the end, he is able to use his connection to the past to find the meaning in a blank canvas. Nurse/Mrs/Harriet Pawling: female, 20-30, all ethnicities, the Old Lady’s attendant; calming and assertive. Jules/ Bob Greenberg: male, 20-30, all ethnicities, a rival artist; callous, critical, and ultimately shallow. He forces Frieda to engage in extramarital affairs. Yvonne/ Naomi Eisen: female, 20-30, all ethnicities, Jules’ pampered wife, as snippy and snooty as her husband. Soldier/Alex: male, 20-30, all ethnicities, a French military man, polite and gentlemanly. Close with his companion, though he yearns for a separation. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Apply on Backstage.com. •• Include a video with your submission of your singing and acting ability. •• Pay provided.

PRINT MODELING NATIONAL COMMERCIALS ‘Silly Human’ •• Casting “Silly Human.” Synopsis: In need of women to take 1950s portraits for a short film. The shoot is one individual portrait and will be used in the short film Silly Human. The film revolves a sitcom of the time and the headshots are of past actresses. •• Company: Biola University. Staff: Emilio Mazariegos, prod.; Cory Williamson, dir. •• Shoots Nov. 17 from 5-10 p.m. in Hollywood, CA. •• Seeking—1950s Actresses: female, 23-35, White / European Descent, 1950s sitcom actress that has been on the fictional show, only for headshots. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to emilio.j.mazariegos@biola.edu. •• The models will be fit into a slot and taken portraits of. •• No pay.

‘That Feeling When’

•• Casting “That Feeling When,” a quirky, comedic TV commercial about two roommates with opposite routines, for a skincare start up called Curology. •• Company: Curology. Staff: Justine Mar, prod. •• Shoots week of Jan. 6, 2020 and Jan. 13 in the San Francisco, CA area. •• Seeking—Asher: male, 22-32, Asian, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, 25 y/o. Asher puts quality-of-life high on his list of priorities. He’s a smart guy, but he’s goofy, and always cracking jokes. He’s apprenticing as a classic car mechanic, and loves posting his current projects to his Instagram account. On his bus commute, Asher likes reading sci-fi books set in the future, with a preference towards mysteries and space operas. At home he loves to sketch clas-

sic cars while listening to some records, watch his favorite streaming comedies, and just hang out with his roommate and best friend, Zoe. Asher has always had a bit of an acne problem. Nothing crazy, but he finds himself battling with occasional breakouts and zits. Maybe it’s his job, maybe it’s his diet, but he would love to find a solution. The only problem is— he thinks a solution doesn’t exist, and even if it did it’s too much work to figure it out. Zoe: female, 23-33, all ethnicities, 27 y/o. Zoe is an optimizer. She always has been. Zoe works as a project manager at a cool ad agency. She’s highly organized, always multitasking, and constantly thinking ahead. Even though she has a pretty highstress job, she values her me-time and loves to treat herself after a long week of work with a night out with friends, noodling on her electric piano, or the occasional movie night at home with her roommate and best friend, Asher. Zoe has been an athlete since she was a kid and loves playing as an attacking forward on her adult league soccer team a couple nights a week. Self care is a priority, but she still feels she hasn’t had the time to find the right skincare routine to help her feel fresh and ready to crush another day at work. Mailman: male, 40-55, all ethnicities, efficient, dependable, and knows the ins and outs of his job. Narrator: female, 30-45, conversational, raspy, alto. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to justine.mar@ curology.com. •• Include a video audition with the script/ prompt attached with your submission otherwise you will not be considered. •• Pays $800/day (includes talent session & usage) for lead roles; $350/day (includes talent session & usage) for day players; Usage Terms: Broadcast/Online, Worldwide, In Perpetuity.

LOCAL COMMERCIALS Drain Clog PSA

•• Casting a PSA that will be locally broadcast in Monterey County to inform the public about the negative effects of pouring fats, oils, and grease down the drain. •• Company: Advance Creative. Staff: John McConaghy, prod. •• Shoots Nov. 14 or 15 in Livermore, CA. •• Seeking—Fats: 18-35, you are representing cooking fats as part of a rap group. Oils: 18-35, you are representing cooking oils as part of a rap group. Grease: 18-35, you are representing cooking grease as part of a rap group. Clog Buster: 18-40, you are a super hero here to protect the people and their sewers from damaging clogs. •• Seeking submissions from CA. •• Send submissions to john@advancecreativegroup.com. •• Pays $100/day for supporting roles (Fats, Oil, Grease) which will be a half day in a studio. $200/day for lead role (Clog Buster) which will be a full day in studio and on location. Full Buyout. BACKSTAGE.COM

NATIONAL/REGIONAL casting

NATIONAL/ REGIONAL

•• Casting Equity actors and singers for the Alhambra Theatre & Dining 2020 Season. Season includes “Love Letters” (A. R. Gurney, playwright. Rehearsals begin Jan. 1, 2020; runs Jan. 9-Feb. 9, 2020), “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” (Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows, writers. Rehearsals begin Feb. 10, 2020; runs Feb. 20-Mar. 22, 2020), “Singin In The Rain” (Betty Comden and Adolph Green, screenplay; Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed|, songs. Rehearsals begin Mar. 16, 2020; runs Mar. 26-Apr. 26, 2020), “Grease” (Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, bookmusic-lyrics. Rehearsals begin Apr. 20, 2020; runs Apr. 30-June 7, 2020), “Cinderella” (Richard Rodgers, music; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyrics; Douglas Carter Beane, new book by. Rehearsals begin June 1, 2020; runs June 11-July 26, 2020), “The Music Man” (Meredith Wilson, book-music-lyrics; Meredith Wilson and Frank Lacey, story by. Rehearsals begin July 27, 2020; runs Aug. 6-Sept. 13, 2020), “Love, Sex, And The IRS” (Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, playwright. Rehearsals begin Sept. 24, 2020; runs Sept. 24-Oct. 18, 2020), “Footloose” (Tom Snow, music; Dean Pitchford, lyrics; Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, stage adaptation. Rehearsals begin Oct. 12, 2020; runs Oct. 22-Nov. 22, 2020), and “A Wonderful Life” (Sheldon Harnick, book-lyrics; Joe Raposo, music. Rehearsals begin Nov. 16, 2020; runs Nov. 25-Dec. 24, 2020). •• Company: Theatre Partners LLC. Staff: Tod Booth, exec. prod.-dir.; Shain Stroff, choreo. •• Season runs in Jacksonville, FL. •• Seeking—Equity Actors And Singers: all genders, 18+. Equity Singers And Dancers: 18+. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Dec. 9 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (lunch break TBD) and Dec. 10 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., from 1-3 p.m. (Equity male/female singers who move) (Equity Chorus Calls) and from 3-5 p.m. (Equity male/female Dancers who sing) at Alhambra Rehearsal Hall, 10131 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225. •• An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. EPA: Prepare a brief traditional musical theatre song. Bring picture and resume. Non-AEA actors will be seen as time permits. •• ECC: Singers: Prepare a brief traditional musical theatre song. Dancers: Dancers, please be warmed up, ready to go. Bring Jazz and Tap shoes. All bring picture and resume. The Alhambra Theatre & Dining also holds local auditions for every show in Jacksonville. Check these individual audition dates with Equity Audition Site or our website. BACKSTAGE.COM

•• Casting Equity actors and singers for various roles in the upcoming Ford’s Theatre 2020-21 season. Season includes “The Trip to Bountiful” (Horton Foote, writer; Michael Wilson, dir. Rehearsals begin Aug. 18, 2020; runs Sept. 23-Oct. 18); “A Christmas Carol” (Charles Dickens, source material; Michael Wilson, adaptation; Michael Baron, dir. Rehearsals begin Nov. 3, 2020; runs Nov. 19-Dec. 31, 2020); “My Lord, What a Night” (Deborah Brevoort, writer. Rehearsals begin Dec. 21, 2020; runs Jan. 22, 2021-Feb. 21); and “Man of La Mancha” (Dale Wasserman, writer; Joe Darion, lyrics; Mitch Leigh, music; Stephen Rayne, dir. Rehearsals begin Jan. 29, 2021; runs Mar. 12-May 22). •• Note: Some roles have been precast. All SM and ASM positions have been filled. Breakdown programming and dates subject to share. •• Company: Ford’s Theatre Society. Staff: Jose Carrasquillo, dir. of artistic programming; Erika Scott, artistic programming mgr. •• Season rehearses and performs in Washington, DC. •• Seeking—Equity Actors & Singers: all genders, 18+. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 12 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (lunch, 1-2 p.m.) at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW, Washington, DC 20004. An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. •• AEA Actors seen on first come, first seen basis. Prepare either a brief classic or modern American monologue that’s no more than 90 seconds; or a brief musical theatre song no more than 90 seconds; or a very brief monologue and 16 bars of a song combined total 90 seconds. Provide your own sheet music. An accompanist will be provided. •• Note: Questions specific to Ford’s Theatre casting may be submitted by e-mail to auditions@fords.org. No phone calls. •• Pays $969/wk. Equity LORT B Non-Rep Contract.

‘Shear Madness’

•• Casting Equity actors with some improvisational skills for “Shear Madness.” Note: Each “Shear Madness” production is set locally, so all characters should have a little Chicago in them, but don’t go heavy on the dialect. •• Company: Southport Theater LLC. Staff: Walter Stearns, prod.; Warner Crocker, dir. •• Rehearsals begin January 20, 2020; runs Feb. 7-Apr. 12, 2020 in Chicago, IL. •• Seeking—Barbara DeMarco: female, 30-40. Mikey Thomas: male, 23-30. Tony Whitcomb: male, 38-50. Eddie Lawrence: male, 30-55. Nick Rossetti: male, 30-50. Mrs. Shubert: female, 55-70. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 18 from 6-9 p.m. (break from 8:208:40 p.m.; AEA by appointment) and Nov. 19 from 2-6 p.m. (break from 4:20-4:40 p.m.; AEA by appointment) at Mercury

SOUTHEAST

Fri. Nov. 15

‘Jurassic World Live’ (also 11/20)

Sat. Nov. 16

‘Jezebel: The New Supply’ ‘Four’ (also 11/17)

Sun. Nov. 17

Disneyland Paris, Look-alikes ‘Oy to the World’ ‘Memphis,’ Raleigh, NC EPA

Mon. Nov. 18

‘Sesame Street Live!’

Tues. Nov. 19

‘Marvel Universe Live’ Hong Kong Disneyland, Female Lookalikes (also 11/20) Shanghai Disney, Look-alikes (also 11/20)

Weds. Nov. 20

Hong Kong Disneyland, Vocalists For the full auditions calendar, visit backstage.com/auditions Theater Chicago, 3745 N Southport Ave., Chicago, IL 60613. EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided. •• AEA Members may sign up through the Member Portal. •• Prepare a short (under two minutes) comic monologue. Be prepared with a second monologue (style your choice) Bring headshot and resume. •• Pays $777/wk. Equity CAT Tier 5 Agreement.

‘The Tempest’

•• Casting Equity actors for “The Tempest.” •• Company: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. Staff: Steve Maler, dir. •• Rehearses TBD in Boston; runs July 22-Aug. 9 in Babson Park, MA. •• Seeking—Equity Actors: all genders, 18+. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 18 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (lunch, 12:30-1:30 p.m.; AEA by appointment) at Boston Center for the Arts - Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02116. An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. •• Prepare one Shakespeare monologue, preferably around two minutes. If time allows, we may also ask to see an additional contemporary monologue, also around two minutes.

•• For an audition appointment, AEA members may sign up online at www.commshakes.org/auditions. For questions email auditions@commshakes.org or call Natasha at (781) 239-5693. •• Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is an equal opportunity employer. Actors of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, and abilities are strongly encouraged to audition. Local Boston area actors strongly encouraged to attend. Anticipated rehearsal schedule TuesdaySundays. Rehearsal location will be in downtown Boston. Performances will be held outdoors on the Boston Common. Actors are responsible for their own transportation to all rehearsals and performances. •• Pays $500/wk. Equity LOA Agreement.

Theater at Monmouth 2020 Season, ME EPA

•• Casting Equity actors for the Theater at Monmouth 2020 Season. Season includes “Cymbeline” (Charlie Marie McGrath, dir.; William Shakespeare, playwright), “Seascape” (Kate Bergstrom, dir.; Edward Albee, playwright), “Julius Caesar” (Bill Van Horn, dir.; William Shakespeare, dir.), and “Sofonisba” (Dawn McAndrews, dir.; Callie Kimball, playwright.) Seeking six AEA Actor Tracks. Each actor in the summer company plays three or four roles, and all shows are rehearsed and performed in repertory. •• Company: Theater at Monmouth. Staff: Dawn McAndrews, prod. artistic dir. •• Season rehearsals begin June 16, 2020; runs July 10-Aug. 23, 2020 in Monmouth, ME. •• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Dec. 9 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (lunch, 1:302:30 p.m.) at Theater At Monmouth, 796 Main St., Custom Hall, Monmouth, ME 04259. An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. •• Prepare two short, classic monologues, one of them must be Shakespeare. Note: There may only be time to audition with one piece, so prepare your best piece first. Bring picture and resume, stapled together. For an audition appointment, Equity members can email boxoffice@theateratmonmouth.org or call (207) 933-9999 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Note: Seeking theatre artists who would like to join a strong ensemble company and are interested in teamwork, collaboration and artistic growth, in a creatively-charged atmosphere in a beautiful rural community in central Maine. Performers of all ages, ethnic and racial backgrounds, and gender identification are strongly encouraged to audition. •• Pay anticipated $480/wk. Equity LOA Agreement.

MUSICALS ‘Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story’

•• Seeking submissions for the role of Lloyd in “Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story.”

11.14.19 backstage

MUSICALS

Alhambra Theatre & Dining 2020 Season, EPA/ECC

Ford’s Theatre Season

Audition Highlights

PLAYS

•• Pays $655/wk. Equity Dinner Theatre Agreement. Limited housing is available for out of town actors.

casting NATIONAL/REGIONAL

MUSICALS

•• Company: Cincinnati Playhouse in The Park. Staff: Blake Robison, artistic dir.; Marcia Milgrom Dodge, dir.; Andy Christopher, music dir.; Alan Janes, playwright; Stephanie Klapper Casting, casting. •• Rehearsals begin Jan. 2, 2020; runs Jan. 18-Feb. 16 in Cincinnati, OH. •• Seeking—Lloyd: male, 18-49, Black / African Descent. •• Seeking submissions from OH. •• For consideration, submit photo and resume to klappercasting@gmail.com. Casting will be reviewing submissions and inviting actors to put materials on tape for the team. •• Equity LORT Non-Rep LORT B (Pays above AEA minimum + pension/health + travel/housing; current min: $941/ wk.)

FILM

‘Something Rotten’

•• Casting Equity singers and dancers for “Something Rotten.” •• Company: Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities. Staff: Rod A. Lansberry, prod. artistic dir.; Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck, choreo.; Nolan Bonvouloir, musical dir. •• Rehearsals begin Mar. 17, 2020; runs Apr. 10-May 3, 2020 in Arvada, CO. •• Seeking—Equity Actors: all genders, 18-39, all ethnicities, experienced performers with strong acting and singing abilities are needed. Strong dancing abilities including tap are required. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Dec. 3 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (lunch, 1-2 p.m.) at Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO 80003-3448. An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. •• For an audition appointment, visit http://arvadacenter.org/on-stage/auditions. Do not contact the production staff. •• Prepare 16-32 bars from a song appropriate to the style of show. Please bring sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. No recorded music or a cappella allowed. A current headshot and résumé are required. •• For more info, visit www.arvadacenter.org. •• Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend every audition. •• Pays $969/wk. Equity Non-Rep LORT Agreement.

‘The Sound of Music’

•• Casting “The Sound of Music” with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. •• Company: A.D. Players. Staff: Kevin Dean, artistic dir.; Jake Speck, exec. dir.; Emily Tello Speck, dir.-choreo.; Stephen W. Jones, music dir. •• Rehearsals begin May 26, 2020; runs June 17-July 12 with a tentative extension through July 19, 2020 in Houston, TX.

30 backstage 11.14.19

•• Seeking—Maria Rainer: female, 20-35. Captain Georg Von Trapp: 35-45. Max Detweiller: male, 30+. Elsa Schrader: female, 35-45. Mother Abbess: female, 40+. Rolf Gruber: male, 17+. Liesl Von Trapp: female, 17+. Sister Berthe: female, 18+. Sister Margaretta: female, 18+. Sister Sophia: female, 18+. Franz: male, 30+. Frau Schmidt: female, 30+. Herr Zeller: male, 40+. •• Equity Principal Auditions will be held Nov. 15 from 1-5 p.m. (by appt.) at A D Players Saint St. Annex, 2613 Saint St., Houston, TX 77027. •• All actors will be scheduled in three minute increments in order to allow for your audition and any quick questions from our directors. •• For consideration, email your time preference, headshot and resume to Hannah Smith at auditions@adplayers. org. •• For singing roles, may either prepare one 32 bar cut or two 16 bar cuts or a combination of 1-minute monologue and 16 bar cut. Bring sheet music in the proper key and with any cuts clearly marked. Accompanist provided. For non-singing roles, prepare one 1-minute monologue. •• Note: Ages 17+. Youth roles will be auditioned at a separate time. Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to attend. Especially interested in local talent. •• Pays $541/wk. Equity LOA Contract.

Walt Disney World Various Shows, Open Call

•• Casting musical theatre performers and Pop Vocalist’s for a variety of shows at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, FL. •• Company: Walt Disney World Company. Staff: Mark Catlett, casting dir. •• Runs at the Walt Disney World® Resort near Orlando, FL. •• Seeking—Musical Theatre Performers: all genders, 18+. •• Auditions will be held Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. (sign in, 12:30-1 p.m.) at Actors’ Playhouse Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Miami, FL 33134. An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. •• Click the “My Profile” button at DisneyAuditions.com to create or update your profile. Prepare 16 bars of a musical selection and provide clearly marked sheet music, in the correct key, for the accompanist. Upon signing of Walt Disney World Individual Employment Contract, candidates are eligible to immediately apply for membership in Actor’s Equity Association. Applicants must be 18+ and authorized to work in the United States. Potential relocation and housing may be available to qualified performers hired into specific roles. •• Pays minimum $17.61 hr., with potential AEA pension, Equity 401K, & Disney health. Equity Disneyworld Agreement.

VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices

CHORUS CALLS ‘Something Rotten’

•• Casting Equity singers and dancers for “Something Rotten.” •• Company: Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities. Staff: Rod A. Lansberry, prod. artistic dir.; Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck, choreo.; Nolan Bonvouloir, musical dir. •• Rehearsals begin Mar. 17, 2020; runs Apr. 10-May 3, 2020 in Arvada, CO. •• Seeking—Male Ensemble Dancers: male, 18-39, all ethnicities, characters are 20’s to 30s, strong tap dancers who sing very well; must be comedic and inventive; will portray various character parts throughout the show and will understudy principal roles; this is a tap heavy show, there are several consecutive tap numbers. Female Ensemble Dancers: female, 18-39, all ethnicities, characters are , 20s to 30s, strong dancers who can tap very well and sing very well; will portray various character parts throughout the show and will understudy principal roles. This is a tap heavy show, there are several consecutive tap numbers. Equity Ensemble Singers: all genders, 18-39, all ethnicities, characters are 20s-30s, experienced performers with strong acting and singing abilities are needed. Strong dancing abilities including tap are required. must be comedic and inventive; will portray various character parts throughout the show and will understudy principal roles; this is a tap heavy show, there are several consecutive tap numbers. •• Equity Chorus Calls will be held Nov. 26 at 10 a.m. (female dancers) and at 12 p.m. (male dancers) and Dec. 2 at 9 a.m. (singers) at Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO 80003-3448. An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. •• For an audition appointment, visit http://arvadacenter.org/on-stage/auditions. Do not contact the production staff. •• Dancers: Wear clothing you can comfortably dance in. Tap shoes required. •• Singers: Prepare 16-32 bars from a song appropriate to the style of show. Please bring sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. No recorded music or a cappella allowed. A current headshot and résumé are required. •• For more info, visit www.arvadacenter. org. •• Pays $969/wk. Equity Non-Rep LORT Agreement.

FEATURE FILMS ‘Cherry’

•• Casting “Cherry,” a dramatic feature film from directors Joe Russo & Anthony Russo (“Avengers: Endgame”). Project description: “An Army medic suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder becomes a serial bank robber after an addiction to drugs puts him in debt.” •• Company: Angela Boehm Casting. Staff: Angela Boehm, casting dir.;

Anthony Russo & Joe Russo, dir.; Jessica Goldberg, writer. •• Shoots Nov. 18, 21 & 22 in Cleveland, OH area. •• Seeking—Turkish Extras: male, 18+, Middle Eastern, White / European Descent, Turkish speaking extras preferred. •• Seeking submissions from OH. •• Send submissions to annie@angelaboehmcasting.com. •• Include your name, contact info, height, weight, location, if you speak Turkish (yes/no, how fluent), and 2-3 recent photos. •• Pays $9/hr., with a guaranteed 8 hours of pay.

‘Freedom’s Path’

•• Casting extras for the feature film “Freedom’s Path,” starring Ewen Bremner, RJ Cyler, Gerran Howell, and Thomas Jefferson Byrd. •• Staff: Brett Smith, dir. •• Shoots Nov. 19 in the Northwest Arkansas area. •• Seeking—Troops: male, 18-45, Black / African Descent, strong character looks (rough faces, beards etc), no experience necessary. •• Seeking submissions from AR. •• Send submissions to acabackgroundcasting@gmail.com. •• To apply, submit two pictures: one headshot and one full-body. Phone pics are fine. Include contact information. •• Some pay.

‘The Suicide Squad’

•• Casting the Warner Bros. feature film “The Suicide Squad” (shooting title: “El Dorado”), starring Margot Robbie and Idris Elba. •• Company: DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Staff: James Gunn, dir.; Tammy Smith, casting dir. •• Shoots Nov. 20 in Fayetteville, GA. •• Seeking—Palace Guards, Servants & Attendants: all genders, 18-60, Black / African Descent, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, upscale looks. •• Seeking submissions from GA. •• Send submissions to projects2@ TSCasting.com. •• Include three pictures, name, phone number, location, email, age, height, weight, and sizes. •• Pays $100, with OT after 8 hrs.

‘Untitled Body Swap Thriller’ •• Casting the Blumhouse Productions feature film “Untitled Body Swap Thriller” (shooting title “Freaky Friday the 13th”), starring Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton. Project description: “After swapping bodies with a deranged serial killer, a young girl in high school discovers she has less than 24 hours before the change becomes permanent.” •• Company: Blumhouse Productions. Staff: Christopher Landon, dir.; Patrick Ingram, casting dir. •• Shoots Nov. 25 in Atlanta, GA. •• Seeking—Woman with Theatrical Flying Harness Experience: female, 20-49, all ethnicities, young looking and happily chubby. •• Seeking submissions from GA. •• Send submissions to FF13extras@ gmail.com.

BACKSTAGE.COM

NATIONAL/REGIONAL casting •• Include recent photo, résumé, and all contact info. •• Pays $80/8 hrs.

SCRIPTED TV & VIDEO ‘Chicago Fire’

‘Cobra Kai’

‘Doom Patrol’

‘The Right Stuff’

•• Casting for the TV series “The Right Stuff,” starring Patrick J. Adams and Joe Dempsie. Project description: “U.S. fighter pilots are recruited to test experBACKSTAGE.COM

THEME PARKS Hong Kong Disneyland, Female Lookalikes

•• Seeking female character lookalikes (who can act) for Hong Kong Disneyland. Company states: “Get ready for a life-enriching experience in one of the world’s most exciting and exotic locales!” •• Company: Disney Parks Live Entertainment. Staff: Jennifer Lawrence, casting dir. •• Works begins Spring 2020 (six month contract) in Hong Kong, China.

Hong Kong Disneyland, Vocalists

•• Seeking male and female vocalists ready for a life-enriching experience to perform in Hong Kong Disneyland. •• Company: Disney Parks Live Entertainment. Staff: Jennifer Lawrence, casting dir. •• Six month contracts begin mid to late spring 2020 in Hong Kong. •• Seeking—Simba: male, 18-30, Black / African Descent, youthful African Prince destined to become King. Moves well. Pop tenor. Scar: male, 18-40, Black / African Descent, evil uncle to Simba. Menacing presence; baritone. Nala: female, 18-30, Black / African Descent, beautiful African Princess. Moves well; pop soprano. Storyteller: female, 18-40, Black / African Descent, African host who tells the story of “The Lion King”; soulful pop alto. Miss Kitty: female, 20-35, White / European Descent, the sultry and spirited proprietress of the local saloon in the new gold mining town of Grizzly Gulch. Singer/Actress/Street Performer that moves well. A brassy alto – strong G below middle C to C (possibly a mixed C#). Merida: female, 18-25, White / European Descent, 5’5”-5’8”; strong dynamic and expressive presence with Principal qualities. Mover with strong upper body/arm presence. Vocal Range:

STAGE STAFF & TECH Theater at Monmouth 2020 Season, ASM

•• Seeking Equity ASM for the Theater at Monmouth 2020 Season. •• Company: Theater at Monmouth. Staff: Dawn McAndrews, producing artistic dir. •• Season rehearsals begin June 16, 2020; runs July 10-Aug. 23, 2020 in Monmouth, ME. •• Seeking—Equity ASM: 18+. •• Seeking submissions from ME. •• For consideration, email submissions to dawn@theateratmonmouth.org or Dawn McAndrews, Theater at Monmouth, Re: ASM Submission, P.O. Box 385, Monmouth, ME 04259. Submissions deadline is Jan. 9, 2020. •• Pay anticipated $440/wk. Equity LOA Agreement.

VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices

11.14.19 backstage

GIGS

•• Casting the DC Universe live action TV series “Doom Patrol,” starring April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero & Joivan Wade. Project description: “The adventures of an idealistic mad scientist and his field team of superpowered outcasts.” •• Company: DC Comics, Warner Bros. Television. Staff: Greg Berlanti (“Titans”), exec. prod. •• Shoots Nov. 20 in Conyers, GA. •• Seeking—Spectators: male, 18-35, White / European Descent. •• Seeking submissions from GA. •• Send submissions to TDP2. BGCasting@gmail.com. •• Include three pictures, name, age, phone number, height, weight, sizes, and location. •• Pays $85/8 hrs.

•• Casting the FX TV pilot “Reservation Dogs,” from director Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok”). Project description: “Follows four teenagers in a Native American housing project in Oklahoma who commit petty crimes and fight crimes.” •• Company: Midthunder Casting. Staff: Taika Waititi, co-writer, exec. prod. & dir.; Sterlin Harjo, co-writer & exec. prod. •• Shooting dates TBA in Oklahoma. Accepting submissions from the US & Canada. •• Seeking—Teenagers: all genders, 13-22, Indigenous Peoples, lead roles, seeking Native Americans, to play teenagers, all types, all shapes, all sizes, no experience necessary. •• Auditions will be held Nov. 16 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Springhill Suites Downtown Marriott, 600 E. Sheridan Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73104. And Nov. 17 from 2-6 p.m. at Courtyard Downtown Marriott, 415 S Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74103. And Nov. 18 from 2-6 p.m. at Best Western Hotel, 3499 N. Wood Dr., Okmulgee, OK 74447. And Nov. 19 from 2-6 p.m. at Executive Inn, 2323 Boren Blvd., Seminole, OK 74868. •• Send submissions to info@midthundercasting.com. •• Include your name, contact info, reservation or city/state/country (US or Canada), and two photos (face & body). If you have an agent, include the name of your agent (not required). If under 18, submission must be made by a parent or legal guardian. •• Professional pay.

A (below middle C) to C# (octave above middle C). Pop Sound. Rapunzel/Elsa: female, 18-25, White / European Descent, 5’6”-5’9”; strong dynamic and expressive presence with Principal qualities. Mover with strong upper body/arm presence. Vocal range: G (below middle C) to E (10th above middle C). Ariel: female, 18-25, 5’6”-5’9”; strong dynamic and expressive presence with Principal qualities. Mover with strong upper body / arm presence. Vocal range: G (below middle C) to E (10th above middle C). Tiana: female, 18-25, Black / African Descent, 5’5”5’8”; expressive face and acting abilities with Principle qualities. Strong mover with good upper body and arm presence. Vocal range: G (below middle C) to F (11th above middle C). •• Auditions will be held Nov. 16 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. (sign-in, 10-10:30 a.m. Enter through the front door, take the elevator to the 4th fl. and follow the signs. Callbacks to be held later that afternoon.) at Baltimore Center Stage The Head Theater, 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202. And Nov. 20 from 10-11 a.m. (sign-in, 9-10 a.m.; callbacks to be held later that afternoon) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Rehearsal Facility, 3271 Sherberth Rd., Kissimmee, FL 34747. And Nov. 25 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. (sign-in, 10-10:30 a.m. Callbacks to be held Nov. 26.) at Screenland Studios, 10501 Burbank Blvd., N. Hollywood, CA 91601. •• Prepare two 16 bar selections of a song that best showcase your vocal range, and provide clearly marked sheet music in the correct key for the accompanist. Prerecorded accompaniment tracks or a cappella auditions are not allowed. Bring a headshot and resume. •• Excellent benefits include roundtrip airfare, medical and dental coverage, paid vacations and sick days, plus a competitive salary.

VARIETY

•• Casting for the YouTube Red series, “Cobra Kai,” starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. Project description: “Set thirty years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, the series focuses on Johnny Lawrence reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, which causes his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso to be reignited.” •• Company: YouTube Red, Central Casting Georgia. Staff: Josh Heald, exec. prod. •• Shoots Nov. 21-22, in Fayetteville, GA. •• Seeking—Vietnamese Soldiers: male, 18-60, Asian, must be new to the show. •• Seeking submissions from GA. •• To apply, submit name, phone number, sizes, and current photo to cobra@centralcasting.com. •• Pays $150/10 hrs.

‘Reservation Dogs,’ Lead Roles

•• Seeking—Disney Female Character Look-alikes: female, 18-35, 4’11”-5’8” (150-173 cm), needed to portray Disney princesses and heroines from the following Disney animated features: “Aladdin,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Captain Marvel,” “Cinderella,” “Frozen,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Moana,” “Pocahontas,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” and “Tinker Bell.” •• Auditions will be held Nov. 14 from 10-11 a.m. (sign-in, 10:30-11 a.m.) at Pearl Studios, 500 8th Ave., 3rd fl., New York City, NY 10018. And Nov. 17 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (sign-in, 10:30-11 a.m.; enter through the front door, take the elevator to the 4th fl. and follow the signs) at Baltimore Center Stage - The Head Theater, 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202. And Nov. 19 from 9-10 a.m. (sign-in, 8-9 a.m.) and Nov. 20 from 6-7 p.m. (sign-in, 5-6 p.m.) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Rehearsal Facility, 3271 Sherberth Road, Kissimmee, FL 34747. And Nov. 22 from 2-3 p.m. (sign-in, 1:30-2 p.m.) at The Industry Dance Academy, 15040 Oxnard St., Van Nuys, CA 91411. And Nov. 24 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (sign-in, 10:30-11 a.m.) at Millennium Dance Complex, 5466 E La Palma Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92807. •• Wear comfortable attire; you will be asked to learn a movement combination. Bring a copy of your current headshot and resume. •• Pay TBD. Company states: “Excellent benefits include roundtrip airfare, individual housing with paid utilities, shuttle service to and from work, medical and dental coverage, paid vacations and sick days, plus a competitive salary, a daily living allowance and the Magic of Disney!”

TV & VIDEO

•• Casting “Chicago Fire,” an NBC TV series. Project description: “The story of firefighters in Chicago, both on a personal and professional level.” •• Company: NBC Universal, Dick Wolf Productions, Joan Philo Casting. Staff: Joan Philo, casting dir. •• Shoots Nov. 19 in Chicago, IL. •• Seeking—Prep School Students: male, 16-21, White / European Descent. •• Seeking submissions from IL. •• Send submissions to cf51xtra@gmail. com. •• Include your your height, weight, sizes, age, phone number, city, state, all clothing sizes, and a recent photo. There might be a wardrobe fitting you will need to attend before the filming. •• Pays $96/8 hrs. + auto bump, if applicable.

imental aircraft and rockets to become first Mercury astronauts. TV adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s book ‘The Right Stuff.’” •• Company: National Geographic Channel, Frontrunner Casting. Staff: Leonardo DiCaprio, exec. prod.; Melanie Moreno, casting dir. •• Shoots Nov. 20-21, in Cocoa Beach, FL. •• Seeking—Extras: male, 25-55, White / European Descent, to play politicians, reporters, and military, must be new to show, men must be OK being clean shaven & getting a late 1950’s short haircut. •• Seeking submissions from FL. •• Send submissions to TheRightStuff@ FRcasting.com. •• Include two photos, name, and phone number. •• Pays $125/12 hrs.

Ask An Expert

Q: I’m stuck on a project in which the fictional circumstances of the material are so extreme I feel unable to connect to it. I can’t seem to create an “as if” that works. Any advice? OUR EXPERT Erik Lingvall is an acting coach and a Backstage Expert.

You have to empathize with any character you’re portraying, free of judgment. It’s not that you need to condone or agree with the actions your character has taken in their life. But if you want to authentically bring this character to life, when you’re in the moment, you’ve got to find a way to embrace their humanity, even if said character is a killer. When connecting to any role, regardless of how extreme the situation may be, it’s essential to accept that this set of circumstances is happening to you, not some outside “character.” Replacing “he” or “she” with “me” or “I” can instantly assist in making the situation more personal. Say yes to the given circumstances and allow your imagination to vividly create the reality as dictated by the writer. If you have a scene that’s really difficult to connect to, take away any of the thoughts that are hindering your ability to connect and stop overthinking it. Basically, just simplify. For example, an actor I work with had an audition in which she was a young teacher sleeping with a student. She started getting wrapped up in whether she would come across as believable. The way she combated it was by simplifying and asking questions from the character’s perspective, like, How do I feel about the student? Ultimately, her audition felt true and organic.

The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.

Remember, your job is to tell a story with as much truth as you can while having as much fun as you can, regardless of the character or story. My favorite example of someone bringing to life a horrific character in a seemingly fun way is Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs.” He was able to find the humanity and charm in a human-eating serial killer. In turn, that made his character extremely likable, and eventually led to him winning an Academy Award for the role! •

* Submit questions for our Experts on Backstage’s Facebook or Twitter accounts or via our forums page at backstage.com/forums!

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