With all the recent controversy about the lack of inclusion at the Oscars, and on the evening before the motion picture academy took action to broaden its membership, the point was made several times during the 31st annual Artios Awards that casting directors are responsible for most of the diversity seen on screen and on stage.
The awards, put on by the Casting Society of America, honor the best casting in film, television, theater and new media and were handed out in concurrent ceremonies January 21 held in New York at the Hard Rock Café and in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton.
Actor Greg Grunberg was host of the West Coast gala, which featured Aaron Sorkin presenting Danny Boyle (“Steve Jobs,” “Slum Dog Millionaire,” “127 Hours,” “Trainspotting”) with the career achievement award and Sarah Paulson lauding Bernard Telsey as she handed him the Hoyt Bowers award.
Telsey is a CSA and an AMPAS board member who has cast some of Broadway’s most memorable productions including “Hamilton,” “Rent,” “The Normal Heart” and “Hairspray” in addition to his on-screen casting work for shows like “Smash” and “The Wiz Live!”
Paulson, who stars in FX’s “American Horror Story” and the cable network’s upcoming “American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson,” lamented that although Telsey is a good friend, he’s never cast her in anything.
“He’s changed the lives of actors on Broadway,” she said, while noting that Telsey is also an experienced actor. “Many hold you responsible for their careers. I revere you in word and deed.”
“I owe you a movie,” Telsey told her in his acceptance speech, adding this bit of commentary about Paulson, “I love watching her – and not casting her.”
Concluding on a serious note, he said he was awaiting the day when casting directors can be acknowledged with an Oscar and/or a Tony Award for casting.
A vein of humor ran through the entire awards presentation. Presenter Jay Duplass joked about his character on “Transparent.” “Josh Pfefferman has had more sex in one season than I’ve had in my entire life, and I’ve been married for 15 years,” he said.
Grunberg made this remark about Alexandra Billings, who also appears in “Transparent:” “She’s trans and Jewish—a TILF.”
“Transparent” took home two Artios, for television pilot comedy and television series comedy.
Another theme throughout the evening was the fear, dread and insecurity that actors feel when auditioning for casting directors. America Ferrera, currently starring in NBC’s “Superstore,” which features a diverse cast, talked about her many auditioning travails.
“When I was asked to share a casting story, I’ve been racking my brain all day whether to share the one where I tried to make a statement by keeping my retainers in — that’s real life. Or the one where I tried to make a statement by refusing to blow-dry my hair and wearing my curly natural hair, or the story where I tried to make a statement by doing an audition tape in white face. That’s a true story, unfortunately,” she said. “But I think I’m done making statements on my casting tapes.” She also thanked the casting directors who first took a chance on her by giving her a role in 2002’s “Real Women Have Curves.”
Here is a complete list of the 2016 Artios Awards winners:
BIG BUDGET – COMEDY
“The Big Short” Francine Maisler, Meagan Lewis (Location Casting)
BIG BUDGET – DRAMA
“Straight Outta Compton” Cindy Tolan, Victoria Thomas, Meagan Lewis (Location Casting), Beth Sepko (Location Casting), Carolyn Pickman (Location Casting), Lucinda Syson (Location Casting), Pat Moran (Location Casting)
STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT – COMEDY
“Me & Earl and the Dying Girl” Angela Demo, Nancy Mosser (Location Casting), Katie Shenot (Location Casting)
STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT – DRAMA
“Room” Fiona Weir, Robin D. Cook, Jonathan Oliveira (Associate)
LOW BUDGET – COMEDY
“Dope” Kim Coleman
LOW BUDGET – DRAMA
“The Stanford Prison Experiment” Angela Demo
ANIMATION
“Inside Out” Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon
TELEVISION PILOT COMEDY
“Transparent” – Eyde Velasco
TELEVISION PILOT DRAMA
“Empire” – Leah Daniels Butler, Claire Simon (Location Casting), Shelby Cherniet (Associate) (
TELEVISION SERIES COMEDY
“Transparent” – Eyde Velasco
TELEVISION SERIES DRAMA
“Game of Thrones” – Nina Gold
TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
“Olive Kitteridge” – Laura Rosenthal, Carolyn Pickman (Location Casting), Maribeth Fox (Associate), Jodi Angstreich (Associate)
CHILDREN’S PILOT AND SERIES (LIVE ACTION)
“Girl Meets World” – Sally Stiner, Barbie Block, Brett Greenstein, Collin Daniel, Howard Meltzer, Sherie Hernandez (Associate)
TELEVISION ANIMATION ADULT
“Bob’s Burgers” – Julie Ashton-Barson
TELEVISION ANIMATION CHILDREN
“Bubble Guppies” – Michelle Levitt, Gene Vassilaros, Danielle Pretsfelder (Associate), Shondre Austin (Associate)
NY BROADWAY THEATER – COMEDY
“You Can’t Take It With You” – Jim Carnahan, Jillian Cimini (Associate)
NY BROADWAY THEATER – DRAMA
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” – Daniel Swee, Cindy Tolan
N.Y. BROADWAY THEATER – MUSICAL
“The King and I” – Abbie Brady-Dalton
N.Y. THEATER – COMEDY
“A Month in the Country” – James Calleri, Paul Davis
N.Y. THEATER – DRAMA
“Between Riverside and Crazy” – William Cantler, Karyn Casl (Associate)
N.Y. THEATER – MUSICAL
“Clinton, the Musical” – Tara Rubin, Kaitlin Shaw
REGIONAL THEATER EAST
“Carousel” – Jay Binder, Claire Simon (Location Casting)
REGIONAL THEATER WEST
“Othello” – Tara Rubin
LOS ANGELES THEATER
“Spring Awakening” – Beth Lipari, Bruce H. Newborn
SPECIAL THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE – EAST
“Parade” – Craig Burns
SPECIAL THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE – WEST
“Unscreened Summer Series” – Meg Morman, Sunday Boling
THEATER TOURS
“Matilda the Musical” – Jim Carnahan, Nora Brennan, Jillian Cimini
SHORT FILMS
“Muted” – Robin Lippin
WEB SERIES
“Deadbeat” – Jessica Daniels
