In The Envelope: An Awards Podcast

What should actors know about a casting director’s job? And what is pursuing a career in casting like? Today’s episode, featuring an intro from Jack and Christine and two interviews with award-winning CDs, pulls back the curtain on the gut-based and logistical processes involved in, as Emmy nominee Ellen Lewis puts it, the “creative collaboration with a director and/or writer to cast actors that will fill the world that they are envisioning.” And there’s plenty of advice for auditioners, as fellow 2021 Emmy-contending CD Avy Kaufman reiterates her empathy and respect for actors: “It’s gotta be so hard to walk into a room with a stranger, give one take or maybe two takes.... Know your material, do the best you can. And good luck.” Avy Kaufman has cast some of your favorite films and TV shows, from “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Garden State,” “Lincoln,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” to “Billions,” “The Alienist,” “High Fidelity,” and “The Stand.” She’s earned Primetime Emmy Awards for casting “Da