What Makes Actors Pop with 'Nobody Wants This' Casting Directors

The casting team behind Netflix's Nobody Wants is here to make sure "everybody" wants to cast you! Casting Directors Brett Greenstein and Collin Daniel join host and actor Robert Peterpaul to chat through what actually gets actors hired, from self-tape prep to how tiny choices can make a co-star role feel alive. 

In this episode for actors, you’ll learn:

• What “being prepared” looks like in practical audition terms
• If you need to be off book or not
• How many actors are typically called in for co-star roles
• How props can help or hurt you
• What makes a performance feel specific, natural, and real
• How they scout new talent on Instagram and TikTok
• What they learn from working with legendary talent like Kristen Bell, plus much more!

BRETT GREENSTEIN, CSA, and COLLIN DANIEL, CSA, launched Greenstein/Daniel Casting more than 20 years ago. Together, they have cast hundreds of hours of entertainment.

Their television credits include the global Nobody Wants This, Never Have I Ever, Superstore, Reboot, Shrill, American Housewife, Home Economics, Kenan, BH90210, Melrose Place, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Odd Couple, and Hot in Cleveland. Their film credits include the RuPaul movie, Stop! This! Train!, and Good Burger 2 for Paramount+, which became the streamer’s most-watched original movie in its history. Additional credits: the animated series The Prince and Santa Inc., as well as the Lifetime movie The Menendez Brothers.

In addition to being Artios Award winners, Brett and Collin have received several nominations, including for their casting work on Nobody Wants This. They were also Emmy nominees for casting The Muppets Mayhem on Disney+. Both Brett and Collin are members of the Casting Society of America and the Television Academy.

This is - How We Role. Discover fresh casting calls at castingnetworks.com.

Follow Host, Actor and Producer Robert Peterpaul (Amazon's Sitting in Bars with Cake, The Art of Kindness podcast) on Instagram @robpeterpaul and learn more at robertpeterpaul.com.

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Transcript

Cold Open And Show Setup

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hi, I'm Brett Greenstein. I'm six foot. Hi, I'm Colin Daniel. I'm six three. And you're listening to How We Roll? Oh, great. Wait, you're both so tall.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

I'd okay, I'm gonna feel extra short. When it comes to working in entertainment, there's a lot of hows, and they all boil down to how we navigate this wild industry. While how we follow our dreams is uncertain, how we roll along the way is in our hands. Welcome to How We Roll, a podcast for actors by casting networks. Hello, fellow actors. It's your friend Robert Peter Paul back to answer more questions that get you one step closer to following your dreams. Because not chasing your dreams? Well, nobody wants this. Today's episode features an insightful conversation with another dynamic duo in casting. The brilliant Brett Greenstein and Colin Daniel, currently earning major acclaim for Netflix's breakout hit, Nobody Wants This. Founders of Greenstein Daniel Casting, Brett and Colin have spent more than 20 years casting hundreds of hours of television and film you definitely know and binge. Some include Never Have I Ever, Superstore, Shrill, Ten Things I Hate About You, and even Melrose Plays. They're Artios Award winners, Emmy nominees for The Muppets Mayhem, which is my frame, and recent Artios nominees for Nobody Wants This, which we unpacked today, amongst other hows like how actors can pop in auditions, how we can approach co-star roles, how we can use props like pies in auditions, how we can all learn from Kristen Bell, I mean, come on, and so much more. Honestly, I'm gonna say it. Everybody wants this conversation. We also want you to submit your house on social media at Casting Networks and at Rob Peterpaul. Thank you for being here. Here's how we roll with Brett Greenstein and Colin Daniel. We're rolling. Brett and Colin, B and C, thank you for joining us on How We Roll Today. Thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_02 2:40

Thank you for having us. It's our pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Congratulations on everything. I mean, I it most specifically on your hit Netflix series, Nobody Wants This, which I do want it. It's one of my comfort watches, and it's just you've done such an incredible job, specifically

First Jobs And Casting Beginnings

SPEAKER_00 2:54

with season two, which we'll get into. But I'm thrilled to have the both of you here to pick your brains on that, on casting, and so much more. Wonderful. Lava. Yay! So we like to start at the very beginning, which is rumored to be a very good place to start. Before you two came together and crafted honestly a resume of credits that I think is longer than, you know, a method actor's backstory. I'm curious, what were your first paid gigs in the entertainment industry? Brett, we can maybe start with you.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Uh my first paid gig was I was like, this is my entry into the entertainment business. I was reading scripts uh and doing coverage, which is what they would call. I I don't even know if they still do it. Probably AI does it now. But I would uh read scripts and basically write up sort of like a report about what the script was about. I kind of had to put in my opinion of whether I thought it would make a good movie or not. And basically I would give that to the development executives who were at this production company who were inundated with scripts. So a lot of the time they would just look at the coverage to kind of just see what the movie the script was about. So that was like a freelance thing I did for a while before diving further into this.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

Is there anything you could share that you helped pass through that you sort of were like, I read this and then it got made?

SPEAKER_02 4:12

No, I don't think I read anything that ever made it into a film. It's so bad. That's how many bad scripts, and that's how many, that's how much like how many people are trying to make it in the, you know, trying to get a script in. I don't think certainly nothing that I can remember that was a standout. No.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Okay. Well, this is a good setup because that was literally your job and nothing went through. And the fact that y'all have touched sort of the mightest touch, I'll say, on so many hit projects, it's just a rarity. But before we get into that, Colin, what was your first paid gig? Do you remember?

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Yeah, I'm trying to think. I guess my first paid gig was actually as a I worked on a couple commercials as a casting assistant and a couple music videos, and then I quickly realized I wanted to be in I knew I when I moved out to Los Angeles, I wanted to work in casting in TV. And I literally got a book of TV casting casting directors and started calling offices. Being like, Do you need anyone? And I happened to call the office of Jeff Greenberg, who did the show Frasier, and they happened to be looking for someone at that very time. And I ended up interning with him and staying with him for six, seven years and working my way up the ranks on the until the end of Fraser.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

That's incre and then Colin said, I strictly work with greens, because now we have our friend Brett here, different green last name, but right. You want to be somewhere that's green, my buddy. And your initials are C D, which I'm sure you've put together a million times over by now.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

But it's all meant to be.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

It's all meant to be C D, comma, C D.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

C D, comma, C D, comma, B G, which you know, different term in our industry. That's pretty cool. Comma CSA. Comma CSA, comma, L O L. Flashing forward, you guys have quite the dynamic resume as I mentioned here. And we have a lot of actors, obviously, that tune into our podcast. And I think aside from maybe the breakdown and and breaking down the script, which we've talked about a bit on here, your collaboration really starts during the audition. And I've heard you both say the best tip you have is to simply be prepared. For beginners listening, I guess what do you each think being prepared as an actor really looks like? What's sort of your ideal dream actor coming through?

SPEAKER_01 6:23

I think it's someone who has maybe done some research, knows what the show is, if that's possible. It's

What Being Prepared Actually Means

SPEAKER_01 6:30

not always possible, depending on if it's a pilot, something that hasn't aired yet. But just kind of knowing the tone of the show, I think is very important. And if it is a, you know, a pilot per se or something that hasn't aired, I think you can look up other credits of the writers, see what kind of tone they tend to write for, um, just as a good starting place in an audition. You know, just coming in, you know, with a little backstory of who you're auditioning for and what the project is is always very helpful because I think a lot of actors don't take the time. They're like, oh, it's another audition. I'm just gonna lay it down on tape and go for it. And you know, to have a little bit more preparation, I think just puts you a little bit ahead of the game.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

Yeah. I think that's beautiful advice. Yeah, are you retweeting Brent?

SPEAKER_02 7:18

Is that the right thing? And we never expect people well, I was gonna say we don't expect people to be off book per se in terms of preparation, but certainly just feeling familiar with the sides, feeling like you can be loose with them. You can have them in front of you, it's totally fine. You could have them in your hand. We don't expect you to be off book until you're maybe further down the line in the process, like in a chemistry read or an end one test. But just just generally feeling comfortable with them, but also having them near you is totally fine. We don't expect people to be off book for that first for that first round.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

That's beautiful to hear because I I mean I know I put a lot of pressure on myself to be off book, and I think if it's two pages, usually you can kind of handle that. But sometimes you have, you know, a couple auditions in a day, and it's nice that you guys it's a kind thing to sort of say that, especially in this world now where I'm sure as casting you can tell a lot of people are using teleprompter just to kind of like bang it out, and there's all these apps that we have, which is so different. And I certainly want to pick your brains a bit on what's changed, but we do have a listener question that's kind of in this realm, which is from shout out to Kennedy Martin, KM. Talk about initials. I don't know why I said yours, but I did. She was wondering how many actors do you typically call in for the roles where there is a tighter turnaround, the co-stars specifically, which I feel like co-stars are some of the trickiest auditions, right? Because sometimes you have like two or three lines and it's like you want to act, but you want to be natural. It's like just say the line. What what's your advice there? And then also how many people do you typically call in for those roles?

SPEAKER_01 8:49

I would say typically for a day player, we'd probably call in around

Co-Star Numbers And Self-Tape Reality

SPEAKER_01 8:54

30.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:56

And then kind of whittle it down from there. We're you know, we're actually going through that on an episode right now where we have a lot of co-stars.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

And it's on average around 30, I would say. Wow, so it's just a win to get called in for a co-star, really.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

I mean, that's going through submissions. You know, you figure we have a submission out for a barista right now. And I think there's, you know, almost 4,000 submissions. So it's highly competitive.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

Yes. You need blue light glasses. And the beauty that everybody, you know, with the self-taping world now is we're seeing more people than we ever used to see because before in the before times, when we would cast in person, um, you know, we we had very a limited amount of hours in the day. So, you know, and so maybe we would do an hour session, you know, and that for a co-star for the sparista. And maybe back then we would see like 12, maybe 14 people. So now at the beauty of self-tape, we can see more. We can go through them and kind of edit from there. But uh more people are getting opportunities in this new world, in this new sort of casting way, because we just have the beauty of more time and not having to be in a room for an hour when we can do this at any time of the day and night and go through all the tapes at our leisure. And uh yeah. So I think it the the beauty is that more people are getting opportunities, even though it's only maybe, you know, 25 to 30 people, it's more than it used to be.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

I think we've I love that. We've I think we've found so many new actors that we never would have seen before had we been in the room because we've put out so many extra auditions to go through. And, you know, it might be a pitch from a manager we don't know very well, and somebody kind of, you know, on the new beginning of their career that we're like, yeah, let's give them a try. Whereas when we were in the room, we'd have to be very particular in who gets those 12 or 14 slots because we know we need to get a cast that day and that hour. And now we have a little bit more flexibility. We've just met so many more actors and hired so many more actors that never would have had the opportunity. I think in the old school audition way. And I know everybody has pros and cons about both of being in the room and not being in the room, but I don't know. I think the pros definitely outweigh it at this point for us adding ways as casting directors.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

You know, that's something that comes through when I was researching the both of you, which was so fun because I've loved so many of the things that you've worked on to sound like a broken Muppet record over here. And that's something you talk about a lot is giving people their start or their chance, which has gotten a little bit more rare, I think, because you can see so many people now. But of course, you know, look at Broadway, for example. Theaters all celebrities now, commercials, more famous people. And then it kind of trickles down to the guest stars, the co-stars. So that's super special. And I guess just while we're on the barista of it all, I wonder what are your feelings on props? What are your feelings on seeing people hold the coffee cup, maybe not make it a bit, or maybe just create it in their minds? What are your feelings on someone maybe being by an actual bar? Like, do you just like to see a simple backdrop and a performance, or do you like to bend the medium a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 12:08

I think keeping it simple, keeping it um, you know, minimal is is the way to go. Um certainly we've seen props where they totally work and it makes us

Props, Simplicity, And When It Works

SPEAKER_02 12:20

laugh and they nail it. And other times we see people who just get so bogged down by a costume or props or um, you know, too much uh uh blocking, you know, working the room. Like just for the for the sake of this, just keep it easy, keep it simple, keep it grounded. Um, we we all know what's going on in the scene. You don't have to telegraph everything in it because you'll just do that on the day on set. That said, if there's a prop that you want to use that makes sense and it's not gonna get in the way and it's not gonna be distracting, sure, use it. We we don't have a problem with it. It's just uh we've just seen people uh sometimes where it just gets to be like too much. Well, that's great advice. No, I I have to I I remember one time we were casting a we were casting a pilot a long time ago, and this girl was eating a piece of pie in in her audition, because I think they were in like a bakery scene or in a cafe scene. Yeah. And just the way that she was eating it, and I would never really suggest people eating during audition, but the way she was eating it, also while doing the scene, I think it kind of what she ended up getting the job. And I just think it there was something about it that was just really, really funny. And so I don't know. You just have to make sure you know you're gonna it's gonna nail and it's gonna land.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Yeah, I think that's excellent advice. You know, props to that again. And I I had a call back recently because I ate cake in bed and that's what he was doing in the scene. And I think you can feel as the actor if it works for you and enhances your performance or if it just becomes a bit like you can kind of you can feel it. Don't let the the prop be the star. Right. Speaking of co-stars and nobody wants this season two specifically, we have a bunch of new ones, like Rabbi Cohen's assistant. I remember in I think the first episode of the season had a funny little bit. What is your advice for auditioning for those roles specifically? What do you like to see in a co-star audition?

SPEAKER_01 14:04

I think just someone that brings their own natural take to it that we're not seeing in every other audition. I think a lot of times it just comes down to yes, probably all 10 of these ladies could play the assistant, but she brought something extra to it in her read that it just kind of popped and worked and is the right role for the right actor at the right time.

SPEAKER_02 14:28

And and we gravitate towards characters, we just love specificity and just people who bring their own take to it or just uh their own sort of twist on it. And um, we love we love wacky actors, we love character actors, we love just people who are just a little bit outside the box. And so that's the kind of stuff people that we gravitate towards. And and I think um, luckily a lot of our producers do too on on many of our shows. We just like to we like a little bit of a cork, you know.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Yeah. I love that. Well, I like a little bit of a quirk, a wine quirk, a personal quirk, you know, quirk it up. I think for these uh roles, a lot of people, especially in comedies these days, are wanting to see more improvised takes. I know you said stick to the script. Do you like maybe a take that's a bit looser as well, or or an improvised button? What do you sort of see for, I guess, a show like Nobody Wants This?

SPEAKER_01 15:23

I think not too much improv for a show like Nobody Wants This. I think the writers tend to want to hear what they've written for the most part. You know, a button or two, I think, is fine, but we're not a big let's do a whole improv take kind of show. You know, some shows are, and we've worked on many of those where producers really respond to that. But this one in particular, I think we tend to gravitate towards people who stick to the script, especially if it's a few lines. You don't want, you know, if you have three lines and all of a sudden you have seven lines in the audition, it's probably not the greatest idea.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense to me. The magic and especially when you only have two lines to begin with, if it's a co-star and you have two lines to begin with, get those lines exactly right. Like we were just going through auditions yesterday, and the the line is so simple for this one role. And this one actor just was like completely making up the line made sense, but it was just not the words on the page. And it was just such a I thought it was such a bold move. I'm like, wow, the task was so easy. You just had to say the line as written. Um, and they completely just said something else. And they did it twice in both takes. So I just that's just not the way to go, especially on something so small. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

Yeah, that makes sense. Respect the the writers, at least for the the one take you're gonna send in, and then maybe again you could do a little fun run. Yeah. But for a show like Nobody Wants This, what makes it so cool, and I'm sure you know this, is that it thrives on these unexpected pairings. And I know the creator, Aaron Foster, originally even saw someone like a Nick Kroll, I think, in Adam Brody's part. Can you talk to me about how finding these unexpected pairings or choices sort of guides your process as the casting directors?

SPEAKER_01 17:06

I mean, think on that one.

SPEAKER_00 17:08

Like even with a barista scene, is it sort of like, okay, you know it's opposite a Kristen Bell or wherever it is, it's like, are you thinking about who would contrast nicely against each person?

SPEAKER_01 17:17

Oh yeah, I mean, that's a I mean, we certainly, you know, a lot of times, just from the standpoint of the scene, we have to figure out who else is in it and stay away from someone who might look too much like Kristen Bell and Justine Lou. You know, and that weeds out a lot of people right away. You know, we're staying away from the blondes in that particular scene, most likely. Not to say we don't cast blondes, but just in terms of, you know, a starting place when we're going through submissions, like, oh, that person, you know, I think the look's too similar, and there's probably not a good great contrast there.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Um and then and also just in in terms of physicality, also, like like Tim Simons on our show. He's a very tall guy. And so sometimes it's really funny to

Contrast, Chemistry, And Casting Pairs

SPEAKER_02 18:03

pair him with someone really short and they're, you know, and and that just sort of you know brings out the comedy of their of their dynamic. Other times it's great to have somebody that's almost at his level so that they can go toe to toe and and doesn't feel so imposing or or uh intimidating. So uh it a lot of it is physicality, a lot of it is just matching in terms of uh looks. Um, you know, and sometimes when it's a chemistry or a romantic kind of thing, we also think about that. You know, does this the energy does it work? Is that does it feel like the right vibe? Are these people gonna click?

unknown 18:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

A lot of times you you you don't know with chemistry. You you know, you hope. We were very lucky with this show. Or I guess we did do chemistry like Adam read with Tim Simons originally, so we knew there was chemistry there. Kristen read all with the girls testing for Justine's part. So we were able to see the chemistry, which is you know, a really important part of a casting process in a show, especially with an ensemble that's this small. So we were very lucky that we, you know, once we had Adam and Kristen in place, we were able to do those chemistry reads because that's a you know, shows can live or die on chemistry. And yeah, this one, luckily, it all kind of pe everything, all the pieces fell in together. It's like a puzzle.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Oh yeah. I mean, this one's all about relationships too. So if the relationships aren't working, the show's not really working. And I appreciate you sharing that something so hard to explain as chemistry, because you kind of just have to feel it and see it. I wonder, just to make a pit stop really quick, I I'm a Muppet. I gotta ask you about the Muppets here for just a second because you did work with the Muppets on a project. You were I mean nominees for this project, I believe. Speaking of that chemistry of pulling in stars, you know, obviously most of the people working alongside Muppets are celebrities, interesting people to think about who would play off of them. I guess how dreamy was that? And how do you go about fitting those puzzle pieces together? Is it like who would work well against a Muppet? Let's think about that.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Basically, for the Muppets, it was mostly once the agents knew about it, it was people reaching out to us saying so-and-so is a fan of the Muppets. And, you know, we went to the big agencies saying, Who do you have that's a fan of the Muppets? And surprisingly, the list is very long.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

And we preface it with like, there's no money here, you're not gonna get a big payday, but you get to play with the Muppets for a day. And yeah, people just love it. And and a show like The Muppets is a lot of cameos, it's a lot of uh stump casting, um, it's a lot of pops of of familiar faces. Um, and that's super fun to do, uh, especially when um when you get like a big star who's just like you know, reliving a childhood fantasy of being able to play with the Muppets, it's really fun. Oh, yeah, but that was that was an awesome show. Bummed it only got one season, but we love doing it.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

No, I love the Muppets. I'm actually going to the creature workshop in a couple weeks, which I'll probably black out. I'm so excited because the Fraggle Rock is coming to Broadway, so we're doing something fun with them. But looking at those big stars, I guess on the opposite end, in regards to sort of the process evolving, you've also been very open about finding new talent on Instagram and TikTok and social media, which I think is so cool. What sort of pops to you when you're scrolling? What is it about somebody in the feed that makes you stop and maybe send it to each other and then possibly call them in?

SPEAKER_02 21:28

That's a good question.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

Um I don't know if there's anything specific that I don't know, we're just so used to looking for someone quirky and funny and different that we're just kind of in tune with each other, where we're also sending each other links or reels of someone that's like, oh, hey, check out this person. Let's try them for this part coming up. It's just kind of um I don't know that I can really put into words what it is.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

We're not ever looking for something specific. It's just and like I I said earlier, we're just so attracted to characters and to really such unique individuals. And so when we seem and a lot of the times you're not seeing people who are experienced or um you know, they're pretty green, you know, and they're just kind of just doing themselves. They're just like being who they are on on Instagram or on TikTok or whatever. You know, we don't know how they're going to be with a script. We don't know how they're going to be with sides, how they're

Finding Talent On TikTok And Instagram

SPEAKER_02 22:25

going to be with material that's not theirs. Um so it's super fun to try it. And a lot of the times sometimes it just does, you know, they might not be ready. Um, sometimes they totally are. And um, you know, we've been able to hire a lot of people that way. It's been, it's, it's an it's an interesting avenue to find some talent for sure.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

That's so cool. It all goes back to green. I mean, to be being it's not easy being green, I guess we could say maybe it is sometimes being green. There is something to be said for being green, though, because you're not thinking about the business end, which I think can sometimes hinder an actor's creative brain because they're thinking too much about the business end of things, even during an audition. So I think that's super cool. But I do wonder, and I know you're so good at it and it's your passion, but how does that then feed into how sort of kind you are to the both of yourselves? And how do you refill your cup? Because if you're always, you know, scrolling is downtime for a lot of people, but I get it. As actors, even watching a TV show, you're sort of thinking always about the business. But how do you do that?

SPEAKER_02 23:23

I watch a TV show without having IMDB right next to me. And I just like I see a cast, who's this guy? I've never seen them before. Oh my God, this person's amazing, or I wonder if this person's represented. Or, you know, just like I'm all constantly looking people up every time I watch a show. So I I I see it in a whole different light because I'm I'm enjoying the show most of the time that I'm watching, but I also like look at it from a casting point of view and just and I love when I see people I've never seen before and when I see somebody who just really pops, it's like, oh, that's good for that casting director finding this person. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

I've been watching The Pit, and I was just telling Brett, I was like, it gives me such anxiety to watch that show, just thinking of all the parts they have to do in an episode.

unknown 24:07

Gosh, I know.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

You know, we're used to half-hour TV where you know, maybe we'll have a big episode that has 15 roles, and then you look at a show like that where just in one hour there's probably 30 plus. I mean, kudos to them. That's a whole whole other ball game, and they do a terrific job.

unknown 24:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:26

It's not so much the cats, but it's the scheduling of all those actors, and just I can't even imagine those deals and how they go about making, you know, getting everybody to line up their dates, and it's just um it's gotta be a monstrosity of a job.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

I remember booking, I forget what it was, booking something during COVID, and I think I was like the COVID backup. Do you guys still have backups for things? Is that like sort of natural in case there's a No, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:53

Okay. We really don't so much anymore.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

That makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

Yeah. Those days. But I think like something like the pit.

unknown 24:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

Yeah, maybe they do when there's so much. You certainly have had your big episodes from two favorites in this household, I'll say, are Superstore and Never Have I Ever. And then of course nobody wants this as well. I know nobody or Never Have I Ever, Nobody Have I Ever. That could be combined. We were hoping there would be like a little spin-off for a while there.

SPEAKER_02 25:17

There were rumors, but there was going to be for a minute, but I know.

SPEAKER_00 25:21

It was so good. What do you two think? This is sort of a bigger question as well, but what do you think is the secret to really casting a good ensemble for shows like these? You know, nobody wants this, and never have I ever had that similarity of there being like big star power at the center with Mindy and Kristen. So I'm sure that kind of helps. But is it like you're looking at one person and it all kind of branches out from the room?

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Remember if I ever was a whole different beast though, because we needed kind of a teenage star that didn't exist. Boy, you found one. And you you know, after I don't know how many We did a worldwide search for that part. Yes, a huge search. And we found Maitree in a you know little town in Canada and she'd never been on TV before. And it was you know, it's a it was a big gamble for Netflix and everyone to take on an actor that's never been on TV who's all of a sudden gonna be in every scene. And I remember when we first saw the dailies, we're like, oh wow, she she really did it. And she did. I think it was the you know, I said it before, the right role at the right time, the right person. And I think she kind of embodied who the character was at that stage in her life as well, which really helped. And we were able to build an ensemble around her, and luckily, I don't think we did a lot of chemistry reads for that besides her with her people playing her mother. Um my gosh, one of our favorites, and she's just the best. Did we do I'm trying to remember if we did any chemistry reads with her and her love interest or not?

SPEAKER_02 27:05

I don't think we did.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

Yeah, I think we could you kind of roll the dice on a lot of those shows and hope it works. And they were the writers were so great, they were able to create a great love triangle that continued through the whole series, and that that's a testament to them.

SPEAKER_00 27:20

You roll the dice down Wisteria Lane. I do just have to ask, because I'm sure you did set visits. What was it like to shoot on Wisteria Lane? I mean, that's so iconic. I peeped it from the first episode. I was like, I know that house.

SPEAKER_01 27:31

A lot of that show was shot during COVID, so I don't know. I think we went maybe a handful in the last year. It was during the days when casting was not allowed on set. Anybody extra was not allowed.

SPEAKER_02 27:45

We got to do a few table reads in person right before COVID, and then everything didn't see everybody else for years until because everything was just online. So I think we saw everybody at the rep party.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

Many seasons, whatever. Yeah, it was that was such a great show. Well, I guess looking at another great show in locations, location, location, location, with nobody wants this, the casting of Los Files is such an integral character for the show as well. And I know it's a quick commute for Kristen and some others, but I don't know how familiar you two were with the area beforehand, but it makes me wonder in general, do you do a lot of research and scoping out a location before you sort of put the people in that are inhabiting it? And how does that kind of influence your casting?

SPEAKER_01 28:30

We're usually casting prior to the location being set for the most part. A lot of times it'll say in the script, we're shooting at um whatever restaurant it might be. It might turn out to be a restaurant in, you know, Los Files that they're wanting to use, but it doesn't always end up being that exact one. So we a lot of times are casts prior to that happening.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Yeah. But I think the genius of this show is beautiful things of the show is that it's such a great love letter to Los Angeles and just like the way it's shot, the establishing shots, the montages throughout the city, and especially the east side of Los Angeles, like Silver Lake and Eagle Rock and Los Filas and Highland Park. Like it's, you know, I just think they they do such a beautiful job like setting the scene of the of the city and um

Building Ensembles And The LA Love Letter

SPEAKER_02 29:22

just making you feel like you're a part of it. And I just I love it. I love how it's done.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

Yeah, it's almost another character in the show, is Los Angeles. Yeah. Which is so great because there's so few productions here now that we have the luxury of having an LA-based show, too.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

Yeah. And I live on that side of town. So it's so cool to see, like, oh, that's the place I get coffee, and we're having it on the show.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

It's so cool. Yeah, we have good friends out there, and we were there recently, and they just got engaged, and they're like, I want to do a photo shoot in front of the movie theater where they hide that big kiss on the corner. And it's created such moments for people. People are so connected to this show that I'm sure it's a little easy to get new guest stars and recurring people for a season two, a season three. I wonder, in addition to Leighton, I I love seeing Seth Rogan and Kate pop up, you know, as the cool rabbi. How did those two come about? Because those two definitely stuck out to me this season. They were such fun additions.

SPEAKER_01 30:16

Leighton kind of came up in conversations, I think, in the writer's room earlier on in the season. And I think they went to Adam saying, Hey, would you be cool with this? And like, I'm down if she's down. And she was on board right away. I mean, the great thing about season two is all of a sudden we had agencies and actors calling us saying, Oh my god, I'll do anything on the show. You know, we still get those calls of people saying, I'm dying to do on the show be on the show. You know, we kind of have we kind of have a running list of people that we know are huge fans that want to do something and matter of finding the right role for them now. Um, major soul ever a change from season one where no one knew what it was from season two, then all of a sudden Seth Rogan's a huge fan and make him an offer, sure, I'll do it. And you know, it all kind of fell into place real very easily.

SPEAKER_00 31:13

Yeah. And I'm sure you get bigger stars then coming in, and it makes I always am curious about this. Would sometimes they do? Let's say Jennifer Coolidge is a huge fan of the show, and you're like, Well, we don't have anything, but we have this barista. Like, would you ever sometimes be like, we do have a co-star thing that maybe they'd flesh out? Like, is that ever happened? Sometimes that can almost take you out of it. Yeah, like a cameo.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

You know, a cameo in a really small part. We don't do we don't do a ton of that on the show. I think they're we're not real stunt casty per se for the most part in general. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

Yeah. It's a lot of Kristen Bell's friends, which is cool too. And obviously the show centers around her, and she's also an EP. What have you two learned from working with her? Because she's such a well-regarded powerhouse in this industry. And I wonder if you are taking away anything season to season.

SPEAKER_02 32:03

She is so smart and so uh such an amazing actress and such a uh open and warm and really intuitive producer and and she's involved in every aspect and is so kind to everybody on set and all the actors, especially the guest actors who float in and out. Um and and she was attached before we were. So she was she was on board from you know very, very beginning. And um, you know, and and always kind of said it was funny, it was like she always like, you guys, it's Adam Brody. Adam Brody is the rabbi, he's Noah. Um course we went through the process because that's what they hire us to do. And we, you know, um, but you know, she always knew it was him. And um hats off to her because she was right. She was right. And um she and I think in just everybody, she's just so well loved and liked in the industry. I think that's why a lot of why we're getting so many amazing people, because people want to work with her.

SPEAKER_00 32:58

She is people and animals. I need a sloth to be cast because I think she loves sloths, right? Was that a thing that went viral? I don't know. I would love to see a sloth anywhere, I guess. Anyway, hats off to you two because season three is shaping up to be epic. I think you have Sarah Silverman, Andrew Reynolds, Porna, who we mentioned, and even the show's creator, Aaron Foster. As filming is underway. I guess who what are you most excited for fans to see this this upcoming season?

SPEAKER_01 33:24

Just a lot of things happen this season. It's full of I remember even reading the scripts being shocked this season, not seeing things coming, which I think is really interesting and fun. And, you know, every time we get a script, you know, we're just like a fan as well, being like, oh my god, can you believe this happens? So some big things happen, and it's uh I don't know, I think it's shaping up to be a really, really great season.

SPEAKER_02 33:51

Yeah, it's super funny, super heartwarming. Um, you know, all your favorite characters are back. It's been so fun. We just have had so much fun this season, so we love it. We love doing this.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

I can't wait for it to come back. We mentioned Porno from Never Have I Ever is also joining. I think one goal in life for people is just to work with people you love, right? And for those actors listening, what makes you want to keep working with an actor and have them cross over into the universe that you two are creating of your projects?

SPEAKER_01 34:22

I mean, I think we just always have kind of I guess it goes back to days of being in the room with actors, you know, that we'll always be like porna's all we tested porna for a comedy probably 15 years ago. Wow. You know, and she'd only done dramatic work. She didn't end up getting the part, but we tested her and she'd always been one of our favorites. Just having a real ongoing relationship with someone like that's so so great and nice to be able to continue to put her in things when this role came up. Porna's name came up, and we're like, oh my god, if she'd do this for us, I'd be the you know, the best. And of course she was on board in like two seconds.

SPEAKER_00 35:04

Yeah. Yeah. She's so incredible. I wonder on the opposite end, when someone's not on board in two seconds, when you have an actor that you're really championing and going sort of to bat for, and maybe the producers or whoever aren't quite sold. Do you see something in general that sort of tips the scales when you're you're trying to get somebody cast? Is there one thing you can kind of do that you think has worked? Or I'm sure it's case to case basis, but yeah, it is case to case.

SPEAKER_02 35:31

I mean, I'm thinking about somebody we cast this season. Um, you know, we had to do a little bit of like, here's some clips of them doing comedy. Here's like, look at look how great they look on social media. Here's, you know, go to their Instagram and you'll see what they look like currently. And, you know, because sometimes just it's there's a lot of cooks in the kitchen and a lot of decision makers. And Colin and I are only, we're matchmakers. We present options and you guys choose, you know, who you want to work with. So it's it's not up to us by any means, but um, we certainly will go do a little bit of extra side hustling to sort of, you know, champion somebody or to convince our producers like you guys, we're telling you this is the one and this is why. And do a little bit of extra.

SPEAKER_01 36:12

The particular role he's talking about is in the new season, and we saw a lot of people for it, and everybody was kind of on different pages. The producers were all were liking different people, and it was kind of a pivotal role in the show. So it was important to everybody to get it right. And we're like, like Brett said, we were like, this is the guy we're trying to tell you. And yeah, eventually everyone got there and they ended up loving the actor, so it all worked out.

SPEAKER_02 36:41

And somebody who was supposed to be in two episodes is now in like four or five, and they're obsessed with him. I love that. So yeah, that's the best when when that happens. I love hearing about that. And that's also very gratifying. Uh it's not that we need are needing to be proven right, but we just love when people see what we what we saw. Yeah. Yeah. It's just very sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 37:02

I love that. Yeah. It's also super cool. I just feel like to hear about casting championing actors even more behind the scenes. I think a lot of people don't realize how much you two run the extra mile on the green field. Sorry, to keep bringing up green. What about if you're between two, you know, and it's super close. I feel like just knowing a person is a really good person to work with goes a long way, right? Like I'm sure you you crawl around and find out how someone is as a person scale.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

I can do we've seen a tip the other way this season, in fact. So it can, you know, doing a little research and I think, you know, especially with our showrunners who are so experienced, they know a lot of other showrunners. We know a lot of showrunners, so it's easy to shoot a quick text if you're in question. But you know, for the most part, I think you know, when you're down to the two choices, it's it kind of becomes, you know, you're you're lucky either way. I think at that point, there's benefits to this person, there's benefits to this person. And you kind of have to roll the dice a lot of times in casting and pray that it works.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

Yeah, and a couple seasons later you might bring that other person in for something else, too, right? And you you never know. Exactly. That happens.

SPEAKER_01 38:18

Yeah, that happens all the time. I mean, there are people that you know were auditioning for, you know, Tim Simon's role during the pilot that ended up being on the show in another role, that kind of thing. So it happens all the time.

SPEAKER_00 38:33

Yeah, I love that. I love Tim. I feel bad. I haven't mentioned one of my favorites on the show, Jackie Tone, who I'm just so excited has now gotten this big platform because I've just been such a fan of her for years. Yeah, and I feel like you haven't been able to really see what she can do. Yeah. And she really earned the part.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

She, you know, I know the the story's out there that it's she's Kristen's best friend in real life, and but she really earned it. I mean, we saw a lot of women for that part, and she had to go through the paces like everybody else. And Kristen kind of took herself out of that role and just said, you know, you guys decide on this one. And she really earned it. And it's so great to see her character kind of explode and turn into what you know, she's a series regular now, which is always great to see when a recurring role becomes a series regular.

SPEAKER_00 39:23

And she sort of sets up, I'm guessing, the next season with the conversation she has with Kristen, you know, if they didn't have that conversation. Ah okay, well, this isn't that kind of podcast we're gonna be like, what's going on next? Right. But it is a podcast where we're gonna play an unhinged surprise game. So ring the Kristen bell because we're gonna play a little round of something I made up called Everybody Wants This. The Everybody is You casting. So we can alternate, I think, between Brett and Colin. Though I have to say, I've interviewed a lot of duos, and you two are quite possibly the best at just naturally alternating. It's it's kind of great. So I'll throw out anyway, I'll throw out a phrase and you respond quickly with the best piece of advice you have for creatives and actors listening. Okay. So, you know, you can feel free to expand a touch, but it's sort of a flash round. I'll probably go on a tangent. We'll try. Okay. Give it a shot. This is the first one here. Everybody wants an actor's approach to networking in Hollywood to be.

SPEAKER_01 40:24

Zo, you stumped me already. Everybody say it one more time.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

I know. Keeping the everybody's in these was tough. Everybody wants an actor's approach to networking in Hollywood to be sort of your advice on networking, I guess, really.

SPEAKER_01 40:38

Um I think they want it to be easy and simple. I don't think it is for the most part. I think it's always important to do put it out there what you do, because you never know who you're gonna meet and who you're gonna run into. And I think one connection leads to the next.

SPEAKER_00 40:54

Oh, that was beautiful. I love that. That's that was your answer, Colin. That was a really good answer. So when slating, I don't know why I said slating, like I have a weird accent. When slating, everybody is excited when actors.

SPEAKER_02 41:09

Um when they give us like a whole body shot, when they give us um good lighting, when they give us good sound, when they tell us where they are. Um, you'd be surprised how many times people are just missing information. Like, wait, do you live in LA? We don't know where you are. Um don't make it a bit. Keep it just kind of follow instructions.

SPEAKER_01 41:30

Keep it simple. Keep the slates. Yes.

unknown 41:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 41:33

Yeah, you'd love to give us the whole background. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:37

Okay. For everybody to immediately suck into an act well, that was a weird way to write it. For everybody to immediately suck into an actor scene, they should try to so sort of at the top of a scene,

Rapid-Fire Audition Rules And Real Talk

SPEAKER_00 41:50

is there something an actor can do that sort of sucks you in immediately?

SPEAKER_01 41:54

I don't know if there's anything that sucks us in immediately. I think it's it's just kind of a instinct of doing it as long as we have, that you kind of just know right away, yes, this person's right and it feels authentic and you want to keep watching them.

SPEAKER_02 42:15

Yeah. And when somebody makes it their own and just kind of puts a little bit of a twist on it or just makes puts their own stamp on it, individualizes it, that's that's the kind of thing that we sort of spark to. Like, oh, I haven't thought about doing it that way, but that's really funny. Like, that's just, you know, make it pop. And we're not saying be big or be on the top. Um, just make it pop somehow.

SPEAKER_00 42:38

Yeah, like bubblegum. Well, in the same vein, when making a choice as an actor, everybody wants. So I guess to expand on that, I tried to keep the everybody theme, but I'm like, what am I doing? Everybody. I I wonder making a choice can kind of be so vague and it's very personal, I think. What do you think that means? I guess if we're going to explain that to actors starting out.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

I think making a choice is you know, having a clear uh idea of what the character is in your in your head and what you're portraying, knowing knowing the material and you know, you're just having a real conversation. I think it just needs to feel authentic in that way because so many I think auditions just don't feel real like you're in a real situation. And it it has to be authentic in a way that, oh yes, this person could live in this world and you believe it right away.

SPEAKER_02 43:30

Yeah. It's gotta be conversational, it has to be natural, it has to just feel like it just has to feel real. And, you know, sometimes we see auditions or or the finished product where it just feels so presentational and it just feels like they're putting on a show. And it's just it's and again, it depends on what the show is and if it fits into that world. But for the most part, we respond to people who just keep it real, keep it grounded, keep it moving. Yes, you know, that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 43:57

I love that. I think that's a nice recentering. Because you know, if you're auditioning for, I don't know, let's say a dad role, the choice could be the dad is tired and it's not the dad's wearing this, it's like the dad's wearing this and the buttons are a little off because the dad is tired. It's sort of like having something you can hone in on, is what I'm getting, and I appreciate. Okay. As a professional actor on set, everybody wants you to know your lines, be on time, and stick to the script. Love it. When it comes to hiring a new team member for our casting office, everybody wants. Okay, the two of you.

SPEAKER_02 44:38

Well, we specifically, we obviously we just like somebody who's a team player, somebody who's detail-oriented, um, somebody who can just dive in to the pool and just get busy right away and is willing to learn, willing to learn the way that we like to do things. Listen, we're making television here. We're not creating, we're not curing cancer. We're not um so I think I think you know, we we just like people who are just like-minded like us and just chill and and um we've we've been lucky.

SPEAKER_01 45:11

We've had the same same associates for, I don't know, going on probably 10 years now. We all have a rapport. Um we'd be lost without that. Yeah, Luxa Prairie, yeah, Danny Donitz. They're you know, they keep the keep the show moving behind the scenes. Hey.

SPEAKER_00 45:30

Well, that's a testament to you both as well, because clearly you're you're creating a good vibe and it's all about the vibe, but sometimes it's not. So let's move into we're gonna move into nobody wants this category from actors. I'm just kidding. I thought that'd be so mean. We can't do that. Although it's sometimes good to debunk mistakes. Thanks for playing this weird game. And thank you both just for being here. We always end the show, even though I'm sad to end it, with a gotten or a given. So the best piece of advice you've either gotten or have to give in this industry for everybody out there listening.

SPEAKER_02 46:03

I think, especially as a young actor starting out in the business, um I think you just need to be realistic that stardom may not happen. It may not happen for a long time. Um, the goal is to just be working and to and constantly bettering yourself. Um, and if stardom happens, great, but that shouldn't be the ultimate goal. Um and I think you have to just be patient and you got to keep grinding and you got to network and you got to do the work, you got to keep studying, and um and it will come, it will come your way. But just um the goal should be just to be a working actor and just to be grateful for all the gigs that come your way. Hopefully you can you can make a living from it. Hopefully it can it can satisfy your dream. But you know, I think you just have to be realistic about expectations and uh all of that. Yeah. And I think so.

SPEAKER_01 46:57

Well said an important thing, I think, also for actors is to have a day job, have something else to focus on, because it's so hard to make acting a sustainable living right now that to have some other outlet, um, whether it be a day job, a hobby, whatever it might be, just that keeps you satisfied in other areas of your life. So it's not your it can't be your main focus of existing, I think. I think it helps every actor if there's something else going on outside of not so they're not just in the acting lane 24-7, because it's you know, it's such a competitive business, and there's so many people fighting for these, you know, two-line roles that you have to have something else that keeps you going and makes you happy.

SPEAKER_00 47:49

Yeah. I appreciate both of you saying that. And sometimes, well, actually, a lot of the time the hobby actually inadvertently feeds sort of what you get cast as in a way. Do you see that a lot?

SPEAKER_01 47:59

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 48:01

Yeah. Like I keep getting called in for host roles now, which is

Long Game Advice And Creating Your Own Work

SPEAKER_00 48:05

something I never thought would be a thing. But I'm like, I guess it makes sense because I'm hosting. Right. So it's like do something you love. Very good at it. That'd been a cry. Thank you. That was very sweet.

SPEAKER_02 48:16

And the other thing we also tell and that reminds me of the other thing we tell after July is just create your own stuff. There because there aren't so many opportunities right now, and because Hollywood is in a in a little bit of a you know, it's a little bit of a lull sometimes. We have peaks and valleys in the industry. Like take the downtime to write and create things with your friends and make short films, make um online content, you know, do TikTok videos, whatever it is, just whatever your creative outlet is, you know, if it's an opportunity for us to see you in a new light or an opportunity for you to just have a, you know, a new take on something so that we could see you. I think it's we're always telling people, you know, write for yourself, do things on your own and put it on your reel. We want to see it. We don't care if it's not an actual produced episode of television. We just want to see you acting. And um, so we're always encouraging people to put that kind of stuff on on their reels and clips online. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:14

That's beautiful. And I think, I mean, you two are very established, but I think a lot of actors and people don't realize that it's a little similar in your court as well. I mean, sometimes you're pitching to get a project, pitching to get a job. And we all sort of need these things we can go back to to recenter.

SPEAKER_02 49:28

Yeah, we are different for jobs all the time and and you know, are hoping we get it. And uh sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. But yeah, that's that's we're all we're all in the same boat.

SPEAKER_00 49:39

Well, you know, God, I am glad you got nobody wants this. Y'all are killing it. I admire you both so much. You just work on the projects that a lot of us aspire to. And so thank you for making us smile and bringing us joy at the end of the day with so many things you've touched on. And I I wish you the best of luck this season. Thank you so much. Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_01 49:58

Thank you.