June 19, 2025 • 46 mins
Emmy-winning casting director Julie Schubert (Netflix's The Diplomat) shares insights from her prolific career, offering actors a glimpse into what really happens behind the casting table. Alongside host Robert Peterpaul, the CD reminds us to focus on the joy.
The episode covers:
• How bringing your unique point of view to auditions can get you cast.
• Why being kind and professional can set you apart from other talented actors.
• Her hack for nailing a co-star audition.
• Why callbacks are opportunities to enjoy the work, not stress tests, & more!
JULIE SCHUBERT is an Emmy winning casting director based in New York.
Select film and TV credits include: The Diplomat, Under the Bridge, House of Cards (Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting); Night Comes On (Sundance award winning feature), Deliver Us From Evil; Marvel's The Punisher; Marvel's Daredevil; Marvel's Jessica Jones; Marvel's Luke Cage; Marvel's Iron Fist; Marvel's The Defenders; Mindhunter; Confessions of a Shopaholic, among others. Plus working on iconic films like The Devil Wears Prada and The Departed early on in her career.
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
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, this is Julie Schubert.
I'm 5'6" and I really want tobe on a game show sometime in my
life, and this is how we Roll.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
When it comes to working in entertainment,
there's a lot of hows, and theyall boil down to how we navigate
this wild industry.
While how we follow our dreamsis uncertain, how we roll along
the way is in our hands.
Welcome to how we Roll, apodcast for actors by Casting
Networks.
Hi actors, it's your pal RobertPeterpaul here with a very
(00:40):
special bonus episode.
The opportunity to speak withone of the world's most prolific
casting directors popped up,and we couldn't resist the urge
to share it with you, friend.
There's no specific subjectToday.
We're diving deep on all thethings with Emmy winner Julie
Schubert.
(01:04):
Julie Schubert is a NewYork-based casting director
currently working on the hitNetflix series the Diplomat.
Some other selected film andtelevision credits include Under
the Bridge, sundanceaward-winning feature Night
Comes On.
Deliver Us from Evil.
Marvel's the Punisher.
Marvel's Daredevil.
Marvel's Jessica Jones.
Marvel's Luke Cage.
Marvel's the Punisher.
(01:24):
Marvel's Daredevil.
Marvel's Jessica Jones.
Marvel's Luke Cage.
Marvel's Iron Fist.
Marvel's the Defenders Wow,julie is an expert on all things
MCU.
There's also Mindhunter,confessions of a Shopaholic and,
oh, of course, netflix's veryfirst original series ever,
house of Cards, for which shewon an Emmy Award for
(01:46):
Outstanding Casting Casual.
I see more Emmys in Julie'sfuture, in fact, after this
conversation, I want to give heran award myself for breaking
down everything in such adigestible and inspiring way.
Maybe we should have the how weRolls, the HWR Awards, I don't
(02:07):
know.
Julie reminds us, at the end ofthe day, that this should all
just be fun.
Speaking of fun, you can findmore how we Roll treasures on
social media at Casting Networks, at Rob Peter Paul hey, and on
the Casting Networks YouTubepage.
Now here's how we Roll withcasting director Julie Schubert.
(02:29):
Julie hello, hi, I'm so excitedto talk to you.
I'm such a huge fan of yourwork.
Thank you for being here, thankyou so much.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
I'm excited to be here.
Thank you for the invitation.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Of course.
Well, I got to start out bycongratulating you, I think, for
everything.
I mean season two of theDiplomat, but then also season
three, the renewal announcement,and I think did they say four
or two.
I just all the things,Congratulations.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It's awesome it's going to be and it's just, it's
a show that I love so much andthe team that I love so much,
and it's just it's reallyexciting to to continue to tell
the story.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
You know that love really shines through, and I
think that's probably part ofthe secret ingredient of why we
all love it.
I know I'm like jumping the gunhere, but do you think in your
experience over the years thatmakes all the difference when
people actually love whatthey're working on?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah, I do.
I mean, you know, I've beenreally fortunate in my career.
Most of the jobs that I've beena part of, I've felt very
passionately about them and Ifeel like the actors that I've
been able to get involved inthem also feel passionately
about them.
There's always a few that maybenot so much, but I do.
(03:50):
I think it shows, I think, thatlevel of care, that level of
specificity, that level of joyof going to work with each other
every day.
People don't hate each other.
I mean why aren't we doing?
this.
If people are unhappy, that'sterrible.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I know right.
We do not need to be we doingthis if people are unhappy.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
That's terrible, I know right, we do not need to be
unhappy doing this.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
No, and was this the thing when you were a little kid
?
Was this like the thing thatbrought you so much joy, the
imagination of it, all, theplaytime.
Because that's kind of whatwe're doing still, at the end of
the day, I had no idea this waseven a thing when I was little.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I grew up in a restaurant business, so my life
was all in restaurants.
It was like working the phones,waiting the tables, pizza oven,
because my family has arestaurant out in Bucks County.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Oh, I love Bucks County.
Which one.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
You know, bucks County.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, I love Bucks County.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Where in Bucks County do you know?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Well, I worked at the Playhouse many moons ago and
then I know sort of like thedreamy downtown area and then
New Hope, so I've been all upand down.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
The cool area, so I'm from Southampton.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
So super tiny, like the tiniest of them all, but my
dad opened up a restaurant therelike in the 70s and I mean it's
still there.
My brothers work there, mysister does the marketing, my
sister does the uh does themarketing, my mom does the
catering.
I mean it's a, I'm the only oneand if you actually look at the
menus, there's like a thing inthe beginning that tells the
(05:13):
story of moose and goose, my dadbeing moose, my mom being goose
, and how they have fourchildren Julie, josh Becky and
Sam.
Josh Becky and Sam still worktogether today, but what
happened to Julie?
Nobody knows.
She's gone.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I love that.
Well, listen, I mean, perhapsthe only thing harder than
having a TV show been made andthen be successful is, I think,
keeping a restaurant in businessfor that long.
That's so hard.
So hats off to your fam.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I know they say what they say Fail after the first
year If you get past the firstyear you're in better shape.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
But yeah, Can you shout out the name so everybody
can check it?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
out Mangio's Restaurant in Bucks County,
southampton, pennsylvania.
It's a yes, yeah, it's, it's myhome cooking.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
I love that.
Is it Italian?
Did you say Mangio's?
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, I mean technically, yeah, but it's more
like.
It's more like Philly comfort.
You've got steak, sandwiches,hoagies, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
They should be.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Okay, yeah, I'm excited for that and we're
eventually we'll take the roaddown there, but we got to go
back down the yellow brick road.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I don't know why I I'm sorry.
Yeah, that was a tangent.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
That was beautiful, honestly, I I love that because
I think too, like we're all inthis together.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
I wouldn't be calling you in if I wasn't excited to
meet you and work with you.
I'm in your corner immediatelyas soon as you walk in.
I'm your biggest champion.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Thank you, julie.
Okay, it was great to meet you.
Bye, that's what we need tohear.
Well, I mean, looking back onthat journey, I think maybe you
have that perspective, because Iknow you've talked about how
initially you thought maybe youwanted to be an actor and then
that quickly kind of switchedfor you in school, even though I
think it's changing.
I mean, acting's a crazyjourney and then casting is even
sort of more mysterious.
(06:58):
I think when was the moment youknew you wanted to be a casting
director?
Speaker 1 (07:02):
I was in um, it was my senior year of college, I had
an internship and it was cbsprimetime casting and, uh, it
was the hardest thing I'd everdone, because they were in the
middle of pilot season.
I came in as a replacement.
They didn't originally hire me,um, because I, you know, I'm
not a, I'm not corporate in anyway, shape or form, and but they
(07:23):
they ran to, they ran into,they got into a bit of a a
sticky situation.
One of their interns quit andthe other one had to go away and
they had, I think, 32 pilots atthe time and, um, they just
needed someone there.
They needed someone to answerthe phones cause they were just
so busy.
So they were like, hey, come on, do this for a couple of days.
(07:43):
And I cried the first day, Icried the third day, I didn't
cry the third day and I was likeI can do this, and so that's
how it all kind of worked.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Third time's the charm.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Third day.
I was like I got this, I'mgoing to organize everything,
I'm going to get things together.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I've got.
I know comes to mind Greatmovie, Great movie.
Isn't it?
I'm such a Dolly person andshe's coming to Broadway.
I know the best Dolly forpresident.
You know, and you really putthe hustle in from what I know,
you know working, I think, twoother jobs in addition to that
internship.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Research.
Yeah, I, yeah I am.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
I'm excited, julie.
I'm excited for you to be hereand I think it relates because I
mean what advice do you havefor creatives today on having
survival jobs that serve you?
Because I think it can takeover your life sometimes if you
don't have the right one.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I mean, that's the thing.
I think it kind of broke me alittle bit because I, you know,
I hustled.
I didn't come from a familywith a lot of money, I didn't
come from a place where I hadthe support like financial
support behind me, so I had tobe able to generate whatever it
was that I needed to generate tomake sure that I was going to
be able to do what I did.
And at the time where I wascoming up, you had to get
(08:55):
internships, and internshipswere allowed outside of college.
Um, you know, they didn't havethat same sort of cause I'm not
old.
They didn't have that same sortof because I'm not old.
They didn't have that same sortof like credit system where you
know there's some protectionsaround internships.
I ended up working in castingfor free for a year just to be
able to bring it to the industryin a way.
that was really exciting for me.
So I would wake up at like fourin the morning, I would go to
(09:16):
the Minetta Lane Theater.
I would do wardrobe for theshow Cookin' that was down there
at the time.
I would then go to myinternship or even, technically,
my assistant position atwhatever casting office I was
working at the time, and then Iwould go to the Union Square
Theater where, like you know,doesn't exist anymore, but they
paid you under the table, whichwas really helpful, very, very
(09:36):
legal.
I passed the statute oflimitations so I can say that.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah, no, you're totally fine.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Passion hand and things like that.
And I was really really reallycareful with.
I'm very good at budgeting, I'mvery good at figuring out how
much I need at any given time,and especially during college, I
would go back and work at myfamily's restaurant and just
like hoard money.
So I knew that when I got outof college I'd be able to do
that, and it was at the timewhere student loans didn't come
(10:01):
due for six months.
So I was able to kind of likefigure it out.
But you know, working eightdays a week from like four until
10, 11 o'clock at night mostdays, and it definitely took its
toll.
It was, it was very rough.
Um, I think by the time I was25, I was like I think I'm
burned out, which is a terriblething to say, and like, yeah,
(10:21):
then you figure it out, you letsome things go, you you get a
job that actually pays you asalary, and then it's just, it's
like it's unfortunate becauseit's like this weird hang on
until you get there.
And I was fortunate enough tobe able to figure it out and
hustle in a way that I was ableto hang on, but I don't.
But I, you know, this was 20years ago, where things were
much less expensive, and I don'tknow how to do that now.
(10:42):
That's very un-uplifting, I'msorry.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
It's beautiful.
I love it so much I'm going toput it on a rip-off calendar.
It's great.
No, I wonder now.
I think it's interesting nowbecause you're doing what you
love and all of us actors.
You're trying to do what youlove, or you're doing you know
you're trying to do it again orthere's only doing you know.
We should stop saying trying, Iguess.
But I wonder what's yourmindset in sort of not burning
(11:08):
out, because you've talked aboutwith self tapes how now,
especially if an actor that youdidn't know was submitting
submits, that adds another 1520minutes.
It's sort of like now you couldbe working six in the morning
until midnight if you wanted tobe.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I mean, that's the reality is because we are now in
a system where I'm doing thingslive, I'm doing things on Zoom
and I'm also doing things ontape, because that's the way the
business model has worked.
I have sort of set boundariesfor myself where if I don't
request a tape from you, I won'twatch it.
I just don't have you know, I'mvery careful with how I budget
(11:42):
my day.
Like I said, budgeting isimportant.
It doesn't matter with money, itmatters with everything, like I
need to have a quality of lifewhere I can see my husband at
night and I can, you know, seemy family when I want to, and
theater, because I go to seetheater a lot as well.
And you know, you can't do allof those things if you're just
sitting at your desk watchingYou're nonstop.
(12:03):
So I'm very careful with andI'm very thoughtful with who I
ask to tape.
It's not like I just see apicture and I'm like great.
It's like I look at the resume,I look at the reel, I look at
all the things the packagetogether and then I make the
request.
If I'm asking you to engage inmy process, you should be
(12:25):
absolutely sure that you aregoing to be given the time and
watched everything andeverything will be watched fully
.
I love that Hard to finish yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
But if you are not someone I've requested and
you've sent the tape in withoutme giving the okay, you also
have to realize like I may be ina down spot and I will look at
it, but like you also have torealize that I can't promise
that I will.
I would hope that there'd be alittle understanding there, even
though I know it's hard.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Oh for sure.
No, that makes sense.
I mean, especially castingoffices are so small.
I think a lot of people forget,and it's you know.
There's only so many hours in aday and you watch thousands of
auditions.
I mean, I don't even know thenumber that you've watched
throughout your career.
I'm guessing it's huge.
But taking all, you haven'tbeen counting this whole time.
Taking all that in, you knowwhat I'm interested.
(13:09):
What have you learned aboutacting now, being on the other
side of it and watching allthese actors over the years?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
It's?
It's still a mystery to me, youknow, I think I think what was
really beneficial about going toschool for acting was being
able to learn language, to speakto actors in a way that isn't
just say it this way, do it thisway, kind of thing.
You really are able to talkabout the arc of the scene, the
character development, the storyitself and how that can feed
(13:39):
into choices, which I think is amuch more creative way to
discuss casting and acting ingeneral.
I don't know.
What I've learned is thatactors are uniquely themselves
and they bring themselves towhatever it is that they're
doing, and that's exciting to mebecause I may have an idea of
what I think a role should be.
But when an actor comes in andjust gives it their specific
(14:01):
spin, it's great, it's justrefreshing.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, I love that Also.
You can curse Let it rip.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
I've been told not to curse as much.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
I felt there was one coming.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
No, I didn't know there was actually, but I put
myself back because I was toldto be good today.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Yeah, I guess I shouldn't speak for casting
networks.
I'm just a little Muppet who'slike, yeah, I guess I shouldn't
speak for casting networks.
I'm just a little Muppet who'slike, let's let it fly, julie,
here we go.
But I think that's reallyspecial because I know you also
teach now.
Don't believe in thepay-for-play, I don't think that
that's a great system.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
I admit that when I was much younger, as an
assistant and associate, I didparticipate in that and I
learned very quickly that Ithought I was giving something
back, but I realized that wasn'twhat it was set up to do.
So, I stopped doing it, and sonow I will do these sort of
masterclasses.
I do it with SAG, I do it withuniversities, but it's truly, it
(15:10):
truly has to be set up in a waywhere actors are not being
charged for anything.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Oh, I appreciate that so much.
I think that's awesome and Iwish more people thought that
way.
But in the way you think as ateacher, I'm wondering do you
have a certain philosophy orjust something you hope every
student that you work with takesaway?
Is there like one overalllesson that you're like if you
hear nothing, please hear this.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Yeah, I think, bring your point of view.
I think that's the biggestthing to share.
I can't tell you how many timesstudents come in and they say
what is it that you're lookingfor?
Or actors, it doesn't matter,it could be actors, be anybody
that comes in.
What is it that you're lookingfor?
And, like you've already lostme, I'm looking for you to bring
(15:52):
you and your point of view tothis material.
I can help shape that, I canhelp guide that, but I'm not
going to give you ideas.
That's not, that's not for meto do.
You, as an actor, need to comewith with your thoughts.
Having having looked ateverything that you've been
given.
Then let's play, because that'sthe joy of it, right?
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Yeah, oh, totally.
I mean, actually the joy of youis that I guess you have
psychic powers, because that wasliterally my next question,
which is that you emphasizehaving a unique perspective or
POV rather than what creativeswant.
Just to literally repeat whatyou just said, how do you think
actors can develop a clearindividual perspective during
auditions?
Because I think, especially forpeople starting out, you hear
(16:28):
the word choices, you hearperspective and I feel like
people can interpret that indifferent ways to you.
What does that mean?
Like?
What's your advice ondeveloping that, especially if
you have a day to do it?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
I mean truthfully.
I think it's just a trust inyourself that you know what
you're doing.
I think a lot of anxiety,uncertainty and self-doubt in
this industry in general, myselfincluded we all have those
moments and I think that thatgets in the way of our creative
journeys.
I think the minute that and theminute that you start trusting
(16:58):
that you know what you're doing,that you are confident in it,
the minute you let the rest ofit go and it really lets your
performance shine through.
I mean I'm not saying thatyou're not going to be nervous
to go into these sessions.
I'm certainly still nervous togo into meetings on projects
that I'm really excited to workon and I end up babbling like a
moron and I just try really hardto like.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Well, because you kind of audition too as casting
professionals.
A lot of actors forget that, Ithink.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Absolutely.
We are auditioning the same waythat actors are.
We don't know what our next jobis most of the time.
I'm very fortunate that we'regetting another season on the
Diplomat and I know where Imight be going if they ask me
back, because you never know,because they may not ask me
response.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
So I'm perfect for the show.
You know everybody.
No, but it, you know we are inthe same boat as actors.
We we have to audition.
We are always looking for ournext job and I'm trying really
hard in my old age to enjoywhere I am in the moment and let
it be where it is and justembrace it and just know that
(18:02):
there will be something afterthis.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
That's an important reminder for everybody.
I think my nanny always sayswatch what comes into the void.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I love your nanny.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
My nanny is the best.
If this is the other podcast Iproduce, I'd be quoting her left
and right and she'll probablylisten.
Hi, nanny, I love my nanny, butI think it's underrated to let
yourself be bored these days.
You know, we live in thisculture where you feel like you
have to constantly jump towhat's next, maybe because of
social media and I guess thatcould be a nice cheesy
transition into my question foryou about social media, which is
(18:32):
just is that something youActually well done.
Well, thank you very much.
I'm sailing this ship todayright into that digital
landscape and I would love toknow, Julie, what's your
standpoint on social media?
Is that something you look at?
Is it like if you're betweenactors?
Will you go and look atsomeone's page to get a feel
yeah, Everyone says somethingdifferent.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Yeah, and you know there are studios who have
certain expectations on socialmedia followers and things like
that.
That's not something thatthat's not something that I
embrace in a casting perspectiveand I don't think anybody would
hire me to do that.
I think there are others thatare more better suited for that
kind of that kind of work and noshade to it.
You know it's, it's what theyneed.
(19:13):
That's what they need.
It's just.
That's not the thing that makesme excited to go to work every
day.
I do think that social mediacan be a great tool to get to
know somebody in an intimate way, but you've got to be really
curated with what you put outthere.
So it's like a curated intimacyand you need to be really
willing to stand behind whateveryou put out in that universe,
(19:33):
because if it's something thatis controversial or We'll just
stick with controversial itcould do a job and you just have
to be comfortable knowing thatthat's the case.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
But no.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
I don't.
I don't use social media to,and I use social media to track
down actors.
Sometimes, if they don't havereps, it's I have my own.
I have my own Instagram account, like my, my.
My young the young kids in theoffice created me a Julie
Schubert Instagram accountbecause they're messy and we
post stuff there and when wepost open calls, we have that on
(20:07):
the Instagram account and soit's been wonderful.
I have zero idea how to getverified, but I promise you it's
my account and, yeah, sometimesI use it to try and track down
actors who may not haverepresentation.
I mean, there's certainly beentimes, especially in a project
that I'm working on now, whereI'm reaching into a community
where the actors aren't repped.
(20:28):
It's just not the same systemand it's just it's.
You know it took.
It takes a couple of times andthey're like we thought you were
a scam and I'm like I swear I'mnot a scam.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Well, we could talk offline if I could send you some
information on that through,you know, casting networks.
If you want, we can help youout there.
But it's interesting becausewe're kind of getting into this
detective territory anyway andI'd love to know, in looking at
how you prepare for everyaudition specifically, I'm
guessing you must have so muchfun doing this, but I'm very
curious how do you pick whatmaterials are sent to actors?
(21:00):
I'm sure it's different everytime, but are you like sleuthing
?
Speaker 1 (21:04):
No, it's different every project.
Some projects they like me topull the sides, which is the
thing I like the most, becauseI'm like this is going to be
most helpful for the actor toreally be able to show their
colors.
And sometimes the team prefersto pick the sides and I don't
really have say over it.
It just depends on who the teamis and the project itself.
Yeah, but I like to give inputand hopefully it's listened to.
(21:26):
That's all.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
That makes sense.
I love that.
Well, one thing I think you'reprobably in more control of
every time are the breakdowns,and I would love to know if you
have advice on breaking down abreakdown, because I feel like
we don't really talk about thebreakdown enough, and there's
some clues in there, there'ssome gems usually.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yes and no.
I think there is a real desireto keep as much story out of the
breakdowns as possible thesedays, and I'm not quite sure why
that trend is, but it'ssomething that I don't think is
very helpful to actors, becauseyou don't really get any of the
story.
I mean, you don't get scriptsanymore.
It's very rare to get a scriptto take a look at.
I sort of used the breakdownsat that point to give story info
(22:06):
, but now that's kind of beenstripped down as well.
So my breakdowns tend to bereally broad, which I think is
very unhelpful for actors ingeneral, which is just like age,
ethnicity, gender if thereneeds to be a gender
specifically because of storyand, uh, you know, um.
So I think take from it whatyou will.
(22:27):
The things you should take fromit are who are the creatives
involved, because I think thatthat's a really good way to
understand the tone of a piece,especially if you haven't been
able to get a script.
It's very rare that you see alot of cross folks right Like no
one would hire me for comedy.
No one thinks I'm funny.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I said that at the top of this.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I was like I think I'm very funny, but no one else
thinks I'm funny, and that'sfine.
We're very good at comedy, butI think it's.
It's one of those things whereyou know, if you get something
from me, it may be, it may belike a serial comedy or it may.
It may have some some humorovertones but it's mostly a
drama, right, or a one hour orsomething like that.
(23:09):
Yeah Cause, that's just notwhat people think of me for.
So think of me for comedyeverybody out there.
I would love to do one.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
That's what this is for.
Fyp JS comedy Come on.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, but it's you know.
But I think that's going to behelpful in terms of tone and
kind of giving you some ideas,just based and then based on the
material that you get, tryingto extrapolate whatever you can.
If it's a project, if it's aseries and you know that this
season it's like a season two,you have references you're
looking for because you can lookat a season one If it's not a
season two and it's a season oneor a film, watch stuff from the
(23:42):
director.
I think, especially for a film,watch stuff from the director
because that'll give you a goodsense of that point of view.
And if it's for a series, lookat the stuff that the producers
have done or the castingdirector has done, because I
think that's going to give yousome good, helpful tips into how
to approach your material aswell.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Yeah, that's great, especially in this world where I
feel like genre is so bent andblending overall.
I wish it said sort of likewhat the genre was or something,
because you have to figure outthe tone and that's such a great
way to do that.
It's like, oh, I don't know whyMark Cherry just popped into my
head, probably because I like,love, desperate Housewives.
I think it's such a good binge.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
There you go.
Yeah, it's not the Mark Cherrydoes.
I mean it's a little.
It's like great and campy andspecific, and so you kind of
know what you're going in forwhen you go in for something
that is Mark Cherry, right.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah, exactly, and even the diplomat has like this,
like Carrie's, so great atdelivering, like these little.
There's humor in the diplomatand it's like you could get a
scene with heavy humor and maybeplay it way in the wrong
direction.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
You know so.
But for me you come in.
I see that and I'm like okay,especially in a season one.
In a season two it's a littleless forgiving because it means
you've done your homework.
You haven't done any sort ofprep, but for a season one it's
a little more forgiving.
You're like, okay, you get thenotes, but let's hone in on what
the tone actually is.
And then we kind of adjust itthat way.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Well, while we're talking about humor, I think you
said that you use humor to tryand diffuse any tension or
anxieties in the room withactors, even though we're you
know it's a lot of virtual stuffnow, but even on a live Zoom,
can you share any moments whereeither you did something or you
saw something that worked for anactor, when they were really
nervous in the moment and either, like led to them booking or
(25:19):
just led to them, you know,being called in again, like?
Have you experienced thingsthat you feel like are tangible,
that everybody listening cantry and do in those moments?
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Oh, that's hard.
That's a good, that's a greatquestion, but I don't know if I
can answer that super well.
I.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
That's okay.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Whatever you say will be well, Like I talk a lot
about specificity and for meit's that same sort of
specificity.
In a room and even on a Zoom,my job is to read energy.
I know that sounds reallywoo-woo, but it's like that's
kind of-.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
I love it.
I'm holding crystals under thecamera right, Okay, great.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I love that, but it's one of those things where you
have to be able to read a room,you have to really understand
where someone's head is, and I'dsay, 90% of the time I can, I'm
pretty good at it, and so I I Ican employ different techniques
to diffuse the situation basedon what it is.
So it's really hard to be likethis is the thing that I do or
(26:14):
this is the thing that I say.
I think the one overall note,especially when I see an actor
that's super nervous, I go justsay fuck it, man, let's go.
And then you know, and they'relike ha ha ha, and I'm like, I'm
like literally say the wordfuck it, just do it.
And they're like you know,louder, let's do it again.
And then, like we laugh andtension's broken and then we're
good.
It's just one of those things,so maybe that's the one.
(26:34):
I love that so sorry.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
I love that.
Listen, this is going to havean explicit little thing next to
it which makes it more alluringfor people.
No, I don't know.
I think it's great.
Well, I mean one thing that'snot necessarily on audition
packets.
I mean maybe it could besomehow or there could be like
an ambassador for this.
But I'm really interested and Ifeel like my whole life is
trying to learn about kindnessand how we can like kind of
build a kinder world, and I knowthat sounds woo-woo as well.
(27:00):
Yeah, that's great.
I wonder how do you read thatenergy?
How do you go about seeing ifan actor is going to be good to
work with, especially in thesevirtual times?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Oh, I meet them.
There's no yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Even if I have to meet them virtually not.
You can get a sense ofsomeone's.
You can get a sense someone byhaving a conversation with them.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Okay, I think that's true.
Or like referrals, I thinkeverybody talks, you know,
people forget.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Definitely do that too, you definitely be, like how
did you enjoy working with thisperson?
So, like guys, don't be jerks.
That's all you know.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Well, you know, I, who I heard is not a jerk, is
Keri Russell.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Keri Russell is the hardest, kindest, most wonderful
, hardest working, most kind,wonderful human being period.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
Yeah, yeah, and she is at the helm of the diplomat.
You know, I guess, what do youthink makes her such a great
number one on the call sheet?
You kind of just gave a logline there which could suffice
as well.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Yeah, no, I think, I think that's exactly it.
She's incredibly hardworking.
No one is going to work harderthan Keri Russell and I think
that brings everybody around hera sense of like well, she's
doing it, I got to do it.
She's also super welcoming andkind to everyone, doesn't matter
what her position is, and she'sjust.
She's just a good human whowants to like, have a good time
(28:16):
I love that really talented yeahI mean, what the heck it's like
she has it no one should do, noone should be that good,
wonderful, please it'ssuperhuman.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
someone else who's wonderful is Allison Janney, I
believe, and you know right, wegot to talk about the AJ in the
room.
You know, populating the worldof the diplomat to me seems like
such a fun challenge becauseyou are balancing sort of star
power with newcomers and it'svery specific.
Can you share how you landedher?
I know you wanted her from thestart, I think.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
I mean, there's no question.
It was always a conversationfrom day one of like who can
Alice and Jenny be in the show?
I don't, and you know.
And then she said yes, and thatwas I know.
I keep saying it.
It was so easy because therewas no one else, it was just she
says yes.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, there you go, yeah you.
She says yes, yeah, you go.
Yeah, you got to get thestaples button.
That was like.
That was easy.
Do they still have those?
Speaker 1 (29:08):
I think they still do .
I don't have one on my desk,but I wish I did.
I do have it on my desk.
That's about it.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Well, we'll send you one as a thank you.
I have a cookie.
This is.
Someone just gave me this meJulie.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
I also think there should be a segment of things
that people have on their desks.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Because we all have such weird ass things on our
desk.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Like I have, you know , those things in car washes or
car, like this giant man, thatkind of goes like.
I have one of those on my deskand every once in a while if I'm
feeling frustrated, I just doit and it blows and he goes
around this and it's hilariousand how can you be upset after
you see?
Speaker 2 (29:50):
it.
I love that so much.
I was at for Halloween thispast year.
I did scare my niece, oh, butit was.
Yeah, it was the best, andthere's like a fan inside, so I
literally did look like that.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
That's so good.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
It was a lot.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
It's great, I don't need to tell you, but you know
(30:24):
what else is great is thediplomat again cheesy transition
, and this is such a massiveshow, what the tone and all of
that.
But like that, they're goodpeople and I think that is a
challenge because, like we're,we're curating a group of really
wonderful humans that get to goto work together each day and
like I want people that add tothat, not take away from it, and
so that's what I find thebiggest challenge is to like
(30:45):
meld all of that together.
But wonderfully, there arewonderful human beings that are
great actors that also want tojust go and play and have a good
time.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, I love that so much.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
I feel very fortunate .
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Well, I guess you haven't come across this lately
then, but in those difficultinstances, how do you handle
those times with kindness, thosehard conversations when
something goes wrong?
You know what's your philosophythere.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
I think that's all you can do is be honest about it
, right?
I think you can be like look, Iknow this wasn't your best day.
I know this wasn't the thingthat you feel good about.
We don't feel good about iteither, but this is one day in a
very long career, in a verylong life.
Take a breath, try not to livein it and move on.
I think that's truly the onlyway that you can find it and do
(31:31):
better next time.
And that's that's literally it.
You can.
Everyone has bad days.
Everybody has a bed.
I have bad days.
There are times where I'm onthe phone and I'm and I I get
really short and I get snippyand like that's, no one wants,
(31:52):
that that's, and I apologizeimmediately and it's not not the
way I like to do business, butit's.
But you know, we all have baddays.
It's just the reality of life.
It's how we handle it, movingforward.
That separates you from someonewho dwells and then blames
everybody for it yeah, do youhave a venmo?
Speaker 2 (32:04):
because I'm gonna venmo you for therapy, I feel
like, oh my god.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
No, I think venmo is the devil.
I do not have Venmo.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
You do.
Oh, we can get into that.
But then I want to time forthese other questions because I
also think, yeah, I think somany things on the phone are the
devil, but what's not the devilis the diplomat.
These transitions are so good,I love it.
I'll probably cut that one outno-transcript, you know and then
(32:53):
you could sort of spiral inyour own head what, what's your
advice on that?
Speaker 1 (32:58):
you know it's that's, yeah, it's, it's hard, you're
not wrong.
And like what makes you standout from the five other people
that they're maybe showing thedirector?
Uh, they're doing that samething.
That may look like you, becauseevery you know, or maybe
they're different than you andyou have no idea what the
reality is.
You have no idea how they'representing to the director or
what they're doing to thedirector.
All you can do is what you doand what you do really well,
(33:18):
which is yourself.
And I like to say, with thesesort of one-liners and short
scenes, is that you find thatthese guys never have names.
It's usually a profession,right, and so think of it in
that term.
Like this is a profession likea, like a receptionist.
You know it may not say thatyou're like sitting at a desk on
a computer when you're sayingthis line, but like, what would
(33:39):
a receptionist do?
Would they have a phone withthem?
They have a computer with them.
Like set the scene, set a littlebit of that.
I'm not asking you to go bump,I'm not asking you to like make
a movie out of it, I'm notasking you to like use many
props or things like that, butthink of it in those terms and
it kind of.
And I do think that there'ssomething to be said about an
audition, especially for a shortthing like that, where seeing
(34:01):
that person in the environment,even if it's an environment that
they're just creating out ofnothing, where there is a
beginning and an end, it givesit a little more specificity and
they know what it is that thejob is.
Do you know what I mean?
Bartender what do bartenders doWaitress?
What does a waitress do?
Cocktail waitress?
There's different levels ofspecificity with each job and
required and I think that's agood way to kind of like.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Yeah, that's fantastic advice, advice.
Actually.
I haven't had anybody saysomething like that to me and
it's it's like good looking, youknow.
No, I love that.
You know it's good advice whenit's it really hones in on the
specific simplicity.
It's like it's right there.
Just look at what the job is,you know.
It's the difference betweenstarting the scene like washing
the table as the bartender,versus just kind of standing
there and waiting to say theline.
You know living in theenvironment, so I love that.
I also would love to know ifyou have we talked about allison
(34:53):
, now I'm throwing this cookiearound do you have a dream, a
dream cast for the diplomatlooking forward?
Do you have a dream cast?
dream cast is a great word, it'salready there but do you have
like a, a dream cast in thesense of you wave that wand and
it's on a certain person thatyou're trying to get on the show
next?
Speaker 1 (35:10):
I think it all depends on the writers.
Like I, there's many actorsthat I absolutely love and would
be so obsessed to work with,but I think it's all dependent
on how the writers create theircharacters.
You know, it's not for me tosay let's put this person in the
show, make something happen.
It's for them to be like thisis the show, make something
happen.
It's for them to be like thisis the role, julie what do you
(35:31):
think?
Speaker 2 (35:31):
And I'll be like this person you know.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
So it's kind of hard to be, like you know.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Biddle-dee-bop, what I don't know.
What is that?
What would they wave?
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Oh, biddle-dee-bop-dee-boo,
biddle-dee and I just I need totouch on this very old credit of
yours.
We don't have to talk about itif you don't want to, but you're
associated with the Devil WearsPrada, and that's still in the
news today.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Well, they're doing a sequel, they're doing a second
one.
Yeah, that's exciting.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
And it's coming to Broadway.
It's in the West End.
I mean I want to say Duba MerylStreep's story, that's no.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
I don't, I do, I do.
It was very exciting.
I was the assistant on it.
Ellen Lewis was the castingdirector.
Actually she's also, from whatI understand, casting the sequel
, which is great because EllenLewis is the queen of casting
and you said you've learned likeyou learned.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We talked about kindness a bit, but you said
that's something you learnedfrom her.
I think.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
Juliet Taylor, like the people that I sort of grew
up under and learned from, youknow, it was really amazing
because they were at points intheir careers where they've
proven everything they need toprove.
They were just doing theabsolute most amazing work and I
got to watch it every day and Isaw how they treated people and
it was always lovely and withkindness and support.
And you know, people don't dothe best work they can unless
(36:50):
they feel supported andcomfortable.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
And it makes sense, right?
It's like why would you want tokeep working with someone if
they're not kind?
Which is what I hear aboutMeryl Streep.
It's like usually the people atthe top of their game are
actually treating people withkindness.
Yeah, exactly as people.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yeah people like to work with good people yeah.
Not talented people who arejerks.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
Yeah, true, I mean, Venmo's not the only devil.
But if you have a devil who isproud of story to share, we'll
take it.
If you don't, I have somethingelse that we can-.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Oh no, I mean I was the assistant on it.
I was very much not part of thehubbub them but, uh, I was.
It was a pretty amazing projectthat I got to work on and I'm
pretty grateful for it.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Yeah, that's assistant.
That's a lot of work, though,and that's a same with associate
, and then you know the castingdirector.
All of this is just soincredible and I'm so grateful
you're here, and before you go,I would love if we could just
play a surprise game oh, I lovegames.
Okay, yeah, okay, I want to beon a game show someday.
Welcome Julie.
Okay, I have a theme song thatwill pop in here, just some
(37:51):
cheesy music.
Okay, what if I sang to youlive?
That'd be kind of crazy.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
I'd love to do it, that'd be great.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
So this is called Casting Keywords and basically
I'm going to say a word or aphrase that you and actors
probably hear all the time.
They'll be very simple andit'll be kind of like rapid fire
advice, Like okay, got it.
Yeah, Like word association,but when you hear the word, just
the first piece of tangibleadvice that comes into your head
.
And if there's a larger story,I mean I'm sure you can already
(38:18):
tell I love a tangent, so we cango there Okay great, I will do
it.
All right, Julie, are you ready?
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
Okay, and we'll start off simple.
The first one is self-tapes.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Oh God, already I failed.
Okay, wait so.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Like your general self-tape tip.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
General self-tape tip keep it easy.
Keep it simple.
I'm personally not expectinganything incredibly cinematic.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
I want to be able to see your eyes.
That's good.
You also want to see your eyes.
That's good.
You also want to see someone'seyes in a slate.
What's your deal on slating?
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Ideally full body, name, height and location.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Okay, do you like to see any glimmers of personality?
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Some people like a little.
I'm fine with it.
I feel like the way you sayyour name, your height and your
location tells me a lot aboutyou funny enough.
I feel like the way you sayyour name, your height and your
location tells me a lot aboutyou funny enough.
I don't need any anecdotes, butif you want to throw one in,
I'm not opposed to it.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah, especially if you do it in like a clown suit
or something.
Oh my God, that would beamazing.
No, that'd be crazy.
I think there's a story ofRobin Williams doing it upside
down for an audition.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
That's how he got Mork and Mindy, or something
that makes Mark and Mendy, ofcourse, come on.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
Yeah, when it works, it works.
Okay.
Callbacks Enjoy them.
I like that because you can setyourself up.
Okay, I know this is a littlebit antiquated, but cold reads.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
I don't do them.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
I like that.
There is an app called ColdRead that helps you learn your
lines, which is nice.
I shut that up, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
I don't want to do that to.
If I have to, I have to, butthat's not happened in a very,
very, very long time.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Okay, we appreciate that.
Chemistry reads I think it canbe really important, but rare.
Okay, the term pinned somefolks out there might never have
heard this term.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Okay.
Pinned for me means thatthere's a level of interest in
what you've done.
It does not mean that you havethe job.
It does not necessarily meanthat you're moving forward in
the larger scheme of things fora callback or anything like that
, but it means that you havedone a great job.
Please keep me updated on whatyou have going on.
Does not mean I'm holding youback from taking other work
Absolutely not.
That is not legal, nor okay.
But I do expect, because youknow that I have interest in you
, that you would just keep meupdated on what you have going
on.
Because you know that I haveinterest in you, that you would
(40:25):
just keep me updated on what youhave going on.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Okay.
Speaking of legal Venmo no, I'mjust kidding.
Speaking of legal contracts, doyou have like one tip for
contracts for actors?
Read them, please read them.
That says it all.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Know what you're getting into.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
I love that.
Okay, networking Important, butdon't be a douche about it.
I like that.
I'm gonna put that on a t-shirtactually staying present.
That's like an ambiguous thingthat we hear all the time, you
know, don't be when you'retalking to somebody.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Don't be like looking at your phone or looking behind
that person to see what ifthere's somebody cooler in the
background, because, like whenyou're on the phone with
somebody.
Don't be on your computer,because I can.
Nothing drives me crazier whenI'm having a conversation with
somebody on the phone and I'mlike, okay, you stopped talking
to me because you're on thecomputer.
I got to go Bye.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Yeah, or you can like hear the texting, sometimes,
right, like when people are liketapping the phone, you're like
like if I have to, I'm like, ohwait, hold on a second.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Something really important popped up.
Can you give me three secondsthat I'm back and I'm paying
attention to you you know, butengaged with you, be engaged
with me yeah, communications, Ilove that gut instinct important
I'm gonna be wrong, so don't beafraid to like be open for
change a pre-audition ritual ormantra fuck it and walk in the
(41:38):
room I love that song.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Okay, that's really good.
That's really good.
I think you should start an llccalled fuck it and it.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
I've said enough.
I probably should right.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
Yeah, I think that's great.
Fuck it Productions, thediplomat produced by Fuck it.
Okay, the last one I'll say isOnset Etiquette.
Speaker 1 (41:57):
Don't be a douche.
I mean Onset Etiquette.
Yeah, don't be a douche.
Be where you're supposed to be,know what you're supposed to
know, ask questions if you areconfused and you know.
Don't be a douche.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
I love that.
Well, I'm hopefully not goingto be a douche by asking you
just one more thing before yougo, julie, which is we always
end this show with a got and agiven.
Ok, and so the first piece ofadvice you got in this industry,
and then the best piece ofadvice you have to give now.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Oh wow, oh, wow Okay.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
So they're big, they're big questions.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
They are really big questions.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
But sometimes we get small answers and that's perfect
.
You know, sometimes the big thesmall is big and the biggest
small.
You know.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
Yeah, no, I appreciate that.
I think the best piece ofadvice I've ever been given is
it's okay to fail.
Advice I've ever been given isit's okay to fail.
And I think the best piece ofadvice that I would want to give
is it's okay to fail, because Ithink, knowing that you have a
little I've been known as aperfectionist a lot of my life
(43:01):
and that leads to a lot ofthings not working out, because
nothing's perfect Knowing thatyou are not going to succeed
100% of the time does not meanthat you are a failure.
It just means that this didn'twork out because there's
something else that you have tolearn from it.
So it's okay to fail, as long asyou're learning.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
I love that and I think that was so succinct and
perfect and I totally get that.
And I'm trying to realize ifI'm putting all my energy into
trying to be perfect, I'mprobably missing out on putting
energy into places that could befulfilling or actually like
move me forward.
So it's like a double edgedsword right so hard?
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Exactly, Exactly.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Yeah, but there's no such thing.
But from the outside, lookingin, I'll say you're perfect,
julie, I think you're doinggreat.
No, there's no such thing, butI think you're awesome.
I admire you so much.
I think we need more kindleaders like you and people that
are willing to just have actorsback.
So thank you for what you'redoing and congratulations.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
Thank you, sir.
I appreciate it.
Thank you for having me on yourshow.
This was so fun.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
Thanks, I'm glad.
I can't wait to see what's next.
Hi, this is Julie Schubert.
I'm 5'6" and I really want tobe on a game show sometime in my
life, and this is how we Roll.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
When it comes to working in entertainment,
there's a lot of hows, and theyall boil down to how we navigate
this wild industry.
While how we follow our dreamsis uncertain, how we roll along
the way is in our hands.
Welcome to how we Roll, apodcast for actors by Casting
Networks.
Hi actors, it's your pal RobertPeterpaul here with a very
(00:40):
special bonus episode.
The opportunity to speak withone of the world's most prolific
casting directors popped up,and we couldn't resist the urge
to share it with you, friend.
There's no specific subjectToday.
We're diving deep on all thethings with Emmy winner Julie
Schubert.
(01:04):
Julie Schubert is a NewYork-based casting director
currently working on the hitNetflix series the Diplomat.
Some other selected film andtelevision credits include Under
the Bridge, sundanceaward-winning feature Night
Comes On.
Deliver Us from Evil.
Marvel's the Punisher.
Marvel's Daredevil.
Marvel's Jessica Jones.
Marvel's Luke Cage.
Marvel's the Punisher.
(01:24):
Marvel's Daredevil.
Marvel's Jessica Jones.
Marvel's Luke Cage.
Marvel's Iron Fist.
Marvel's the Defenders Wow,julie is an expert on all things
MCU.
There's also Mindhunter,confessions of a Shopaholic and,
oh, of course, netflix's veryfirst original series ever,
house of Cards, for which shewon an Emmy Award for
(01:46):
Outstanding Casting Casual.
I see more Emmys in Julie'sfuture, in fact, after this
conversation, I want to give heran award myself for breaking
down everything in such adigestible and inspiring way.
Maybe we should have the how weRolls, the HWR Awards, I don't
(02:07):
know.
Julie reminds us, at the end ofthe day, that this should all
just be fun.
Speaking of fun, you can findmore how we Roll treasures on
social media at Casting Networks, at Rob Peter Paul hey, and on
the Casting Networks YouTubepage.
Now here's how we Roll withcasting director Julie Schubert.
(02:29):
Julie hello, hi, I'm so excitedto talk to you.
I'm such a huge fan of yourwork.
Thank you for being here, thankyou so much.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
I'm excited to be here.
Thank you for the invitation.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Of course.
Well, I got to start out bycongratulating you, I think, for
everything.
I mean season two of theDiplomat, but then also season
three, the renewal announcement,and I think did they say four
or two.
I just all the things,Congratulations.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It's awesome it's going to be and it's just, it's
a show that I love so much andthe team that I love so much,
and it's just it's reallyexciting to to continue to tell
the story.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
You know that love really shines through, and I
think that's probably part ofthe secret ingredient of why we
all love it.
I know I'm like jumping the gunhere, but do you think in your
experience over the years thatmakes all the difference when
people actually love whatthey're working on?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah, I do.
I mean, you know, I've beenreally fortunate in my career.
Most of the jobs that I've beena part of, I've felt very
passionately about them and Ifeel like the actors that I've
been able to get involved inthem also feel passionately
about them.
There's always a few that maybenot so much, but I do.
(03:50):
I think it shows, I think, thatlevel of care, that level of
specificity, that level of joyof going to work with each other
every day.
People don't hate each other.
I mean why aren't we doing?
this.
If people are unhappy, that'sterrible.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I know right.
We do not need to be we doingthis if people are unhappy.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
That's terrible, I know right, we do not need to be
unhappy doing this.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
No, and was this the thing when you were a little kid
?
Was this like the thing thatbrought you so much joy, the
imagination of it, all, theplaytime.
Because that's kind of whatwe're doing still, at the end of
the day, I had no idea this waseven a thing when I was little.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I grew up in a restaurant business, so my life
was all in restaurants.
It was like working the phones,waiting the tables, pizza oven,
because my family has arestaurant out in Bucks County.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Oh, I love Bucks County.
Which one.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
You know, bucks County.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, I love Bucks County.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Where in Bucks County do you know?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Well, I worked at the Playhouse many moons ago and
then I know sort of like thedreamy downtown area and then
New Hope, so I've been all upand down.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
The cool area, so I'm from Southampton.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
So super tiny, like the tiniest of them all, but my
dad opened up a restaurant therelike in the 70s and I mean it's
still there.
My brothers work there, mysister does the marketing, my
sister does the uh does themarketing, my mom does the
catering.
I mean it's a, I'm the only oneand if you actually look at the
menus, there's like a thing inthe beginning that tells the
(05:13):
story of moose and goose, my dadbeing moose, my mom being goose
, and how they have fourchildren Julie, josh Becky and
Sam.
Josh Becky and Sam still worktogether today, but what
happened to Julie?
Nobody knows.
She's gone.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I love that.
Well, listen, I mean, perhapsthe only thing harder than
having a TV show been made andthen be successful is, I think,
keeping a restaurant in businessfor that long.
That's so hard.
So hats off to your fam.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I know they say what they say Fail after the first
year If you get past the firstyear you're in better shape.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
But yeah, Can you shout out the name so everybody
can check it?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
out Mangio's Restaurant in Bucks County,
southampton, pennsylvania.
It's a yes, yeah, it's, it's myhome cooking.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
I love that.
Is it Italian?
Did you say Mangio's?
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, I mean technically, yeah, but it's more
like.
It's more like Philly comfort.
You've got steak, sandwiches,hoagies, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
They should be.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Okay, yeah, I'm excited for that and we're
eventually we'll take the roaddown there, but we got to go
back down the yellow brick road.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I don't know why I I'm sorry.
Yeah, that was a tangent.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
That was beautiful, honestly, I I love that because
I think too, like we're all inthis together.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
I wouldn't be calling you in if I wasn't excited to
meet you and work with you.
I'm in your corner immediatelyas soon as you walk in.
I'm your biggest champion.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Thank you, julie.
Okay, it was great to meet you.
Bye, that's what we need tohear.
Well, I mean, looking back onthat journey, I think maybe you
have that perspective, because Iknow you've talked about how
initially you thought maybe youwanted to be an actor and then
that quickly kind of switchedfor you in school, even though I
think it's changing.
I mean, acting's a crazyjourney and then casting is even
sort of more mysterious.
(06:58):
I think when was the moment youknew you wanted to be a casting
director?
Speaker 1 (07:02):
I was in um, it was my senior year of college, I had
an internship and it was cbsprimetime casting and, uh, it
was the hardest thing I'd everdone, because they were in the
middle of pilot season.
I came in as a replacement.
They didn't originally hire me,um, because I, you know, I'm
not a, I'm not corporate in anyway, shape or form, and but they
(07:23):
they ran to, they ran into,they got into a bit of a a
sticky situation.
One of their interns quit andthe other one had to go away and
they had, I think, 32 pilots atthe time and, um, they just
needed someone there.
They needed someone to answerthe phones cause they were just
so busy.
So they were like, hey, come on, do this for a couple of days.
(07:43):
And I cried the first day, Icried the third day, I didn't
cry the third day and I was likeI can do this, and so that's
how it all kind of worked.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Third time's the charm.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Third day.
I was like I got this, I'mgoing to organize everything,
I'm going to get things together.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I've got.
I know comes to mind Greatmovie, Great movie.
Isn't it?
I'm such a Dolly person andshe's coming to Broadway.
I know the best Dolly forpresident.
You know, and you really putthe hustle in from what I know,
you know working, I think, twoother jobs in addition to that
internship.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Research.
Yeah, I, yeah I am.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
I'm excited, julie.
I'm excited for you to be hereand I think it relates because I
mean what advice do you havefor creatives today on having
survival jobs that serve you?
Because I think it can takeover your life sometimes if you
don't have the right one.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I mean, that's the thing.
I think it kind of broke me alittle bit because I, you know,
I hustled.
I didn't come from a familywith a lot of money, I didn't
come from a place where I hadthe support like financial
support behind me, so I had tobe able to generate whatever it
was that I needed to generate tomake sure that I was going to
be able to do what I did.
And at the time where I wascoming up, you had to get
(08:55):
internships, and internshipswere allowed outside of college.
Um, you know, they didn't havethat same sort of cause I'm not
old.
They didn't have that same sortof because I'm not old.
They didn't have that same sortof like credit system where you
know there's some protectionsaround internships.
I ended up working in castingfor free for a year just to be
able to bring it to the industryin a way.
that was really exciting for me.
So I would wake up at like fourin the morning, I would go to
(09:16):
the Minetta Lane Theater.
I would do wardrobe for theshow Cookin' that was down there
at the time.
I would then go to myinternship or even, technically,
my assistant position atwhatever casting office I was
working at the time, and then Iwould go to the Union Square
Theater where, like you know,doesn't exist anymore, but they
paid you under the table, whichwas really helpful, very, very
(09:36):
legal.
I passed the statute oflimitations so I can say that.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah, no, you're totally fine.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Passion hand and things like that.
And I was really really reallycareful with.
I'm very good at budgeting, I'mvery good at figuring out how
much I need at any given time,and especially during college, I
would go back and work at myfamily's restaurant and just
like hoard money.
So I knew that when I got outof college I'd be able to do
that, and it was at the timewhere student loans didn't come
(10:01):
due for six months.
So I was able to kind of likefigure it out.
But you know, working eightdays a week from like four until
10, 11 o'clock at night mostdays, and it definitely took its
toll.
It was, it was very rough.
Um, I think by the time I was25, I was like I think I'm
burned out, which is a terriblething to say, and like, yeah,
(10:21):
then you figure it out, you letsome things go, you you get a
job that actually pays you asalary, and then it's just, it's
like it's unfortunate becauseit's like this weird hang on
until you get there.
And I was fortunate enough tobe able to figure it out and
hustle in a way that I was ableto hang on, but I don't.
But I, you know, this was 20years ago, where things were
much less expensive, and I don'tknow how to do that now.
(10:42):
That's very un-uplifting, I'msorry.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
It's beautiful.
I love it so much I'm going toput it on a rip-off calendar.
It's great.
No, I wonder now.
I think it's interesting nowbecause you're doing what you
love and all of us actors.
You're trying to do what youlove, or you're doing you know
you're trying to do it again orthere's only doing you know.
We should stop saying trying, Iguess.
But I wonder what's yourmindset in sort of not burning
(11:08):
out, because you've talked aboutwith self tapes how now,
especially if an actor that youdidn't know was submitting
submits, that adds another 1520minutes.
It's sort of like now you couldbe working six in the morning
until midnight if you wanted tobe.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I mean, that's the reality is because we are now in
a system where I'm doing thingslive, I'm doing things on Zoom
and I'm also doing things ontape, because that's the way the
business model has worked.
I have sort of set boundariesfor myself where if I don't
request a tape from you, I won'twatch it.
I just don't have you know, I'mvery careful with how I budget
(11:42):
my day.
Like I said, budgeting isimportant.
It doesn't matter with money, itmatters with everything, like I
need to have a quality of lifewhere I can see my husband at
night and I can, you know, seemy family when I want to, and
theater, because I go to seetheater a lot as well.
And you know, you can't do allof those things if you're just
sitting at your desk watchingYou're nonstop.
(12:03):
So I'm very careful with andI'm very thoughtful with who I
ask to tape.
It's not like I just see apicture and I'm like great.
It's like I look at the resume,I look at the reel, I look at
all the things the packagetogether and then I make the
request.
If I'm asking you to engage inmy process, you should be
(12:25):
absolutely sure that you aregoing to be given the time and
watched everything andeverything will be watched fully
.
I love that Hard to finish yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
But if you are not someone I've requested and
you've sent the tape in withoutme giving the okay, you also
have to realize like I may be ina down spot and I will look at
it, but like you also have torealize that I can't promise
that I will.
I would hope that there'd be alittle understanding there, even
though I know it's hard.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Oh for sure.
No, that makes sense.
I mean, especially castingoffices are so small.
I think a lot of people forget,and it's you know.
There's only so many hours in aday and you watch thousands of
auditions.
I mean, I don't even know thenumber that you've watched
throughout your career.
I'm guessing it's huge.
But taking all, you haven'tbeen counting this whole time.
Taking all that in, you knowwhat I'm interested.
(13:09):
What have you learned aboutacting now, being on the other
side of it and watching allthese actors over the years?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
It's?
It's still a mystery to me, youknow, I think I think what was
really beneficial about going toschool for acting was being
able to learn language, to speakto actors in a way that isn't
just say it this way, do it thisway, kind of thing.
You really are able to talkabout the arc of the scene, the
character development, the storyitself and how that can feed
(13:39):
into choices, which I think is amuch more creative way to
discuss casting and acting ingeneral.
I don't know.
What I've learned is thatactors are uniquely themselves
and they bring themselves towhatever it is that they're
doing, and that's exciting to mebecause I may have an idea of
what I think a role should be.
But when an actor comes in andjust gives it their specific
(14:01):
spin, it's great, it's justrefreshing.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, I love that Also.
You can curse Let it rip.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
I've been told not to curse as much.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
I felt there was one coming.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
No, I didn't know there was actually, but I put
myself back because I was toldto be good today.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Yeah, I guess I shouldn't speak for casting
networks.
I'm just a little Muppet who'slike, yeah, I guess I shouldn't
speak for casting networks.
I'm just a little Muppet who'slike, let's let it fly, julie,
here we go.
But I think that's reallyspecial because I know you also
teach now.
Don't believe in thepay-for-play, I don't think that
that's a great system.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
I admit that when I was much younger, as an
assistant and associate, I didparticipate in that and I
learned very quickly that Ithought I was giving something
back, but I realized that wasn'twhat it was set up to do.
So, I stopped doing it, and sonow I will do these sort of
masterclasses.
I do it with SAG, I do it withuniversities, but it's truly, it
(15:10):
truly has to be set up in a waywhere actors are not being
charged for anything.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Oh, I appreciate that so much.
I think that's awesome and Iwish more people thought that
way.
But in the way you think as ateacher, I'm wondering do you
have a certain philosophy orjust something you hope every
student that you work with takesaway?
Is there like one overalllesson that you're like if you
hear nothing, please hear this.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Yeah, I think, bring your point of view.
I think that's the biggestthing to share.
I can't tell you how many timesstudents come in and they say
what is it that you're lookingfor?
Or actors, it doesn't matter,it could be actors, be anybody
that comes in.
What is it that you're lookingfor?
And, like you've already lostme, I'm looking for you to bring
(15:52):
you and your point of view tothis material.
I can help shape that, I canhelp guide that, but I'm not
going to give you ideas.
That's not, that's not for meto do.
You, as an actor, need to comewith with your thoughts.
Having having looked ateverything that you've been
given.
Then let's play, because that'sthe joy of it, right?
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Yeah, oh, totally.
I mean, actually the joy of youis that I guess you have
psychic powers, because that wasliterally my next question,
which is that you emphasizehaving a unique perspective or
POV rather than what creativeswant.
Just to literally repeat whatyou just said, how do you think
actors can develop a clearindividual perspective during
auditions?
Because I think, especially forpeople starting out, you hear
(16:28):
the word choices, you hearperspective and I feel like
people can interpret that indifferent ways to you.
What does that mean?
Like?
What's your advice ondeveloping that, especially if
you have a day to do it?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
I mean truthfully.
I think it's just a trust inyourself that you know what
you're doing.
I think a lot of anxiety,uncertainty and self-doubt in
this industry in general, myselfincluded we all have those
moments and I think that thatgets in the way of our creative
journeys.
I think the minute that and theminute that you start trusting
(16:58):
that you know what you're doing,that you are confident in it,
the minute you let the rest ofit go and it really lets your
performance shine through.
I mean I'm not saying thatyou're not going to be nervous
to go into these sessions.
I'm certainly still nervous togo into meetings on projects
that I'm really excited to workon and I end up babbling like a
moron and I just try really hardto like.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Well, because you kind of audition too as casting
professionals.
A lot of actors forget that, Ithink.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Absolutely.
We are auditioning the same waythat actors are.
We don't know what our next jobis most of the time.
I'm very fortunate that we'regetting another season on the
Diplomat and I know where Imight be going if they ask me
back, because you never know,because they may not ask me
response.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
So I'm perfect for the show.
You know everybody.
No, but it, you know we are inthe same boat as actors.
We we have to audition.
We are always looking for ournext job and I'm trying really
hard in my old age to enjoywhere I am in the moment and let
it be where it is and justembrace it and just know that
(18:02):
there will be something afterthis.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
That's an important reminder for everybody.
I think my nanny always sayswatch what comes into the void.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I love your nanny.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
My nanny is the best.
If this is the other podcast Iproduce, I'd be quoting her left
and right and she'll probablylisten.
Hi, nanny, I love my nanny, butI think it's underrated to let
yourself be bored these days.
You know, we live in thisculture where you feel like you
have to constantly jump towhat's next, maybe because of
social media and I guess thatcould be a nice cheesy
transition into my question foryou about social media, which is
(18:32):
just is that something youActually well done.
Well, thank you very much.
I'm sailing this ship todayright into that digital
landscape and I would love toknow, Julie, what's your
standpoint on social media?
Is that something you look at?
Is it like if you're betweenactors?
Will you go and look atsomeone's page to get a feel
yeah, Everyone says somethingdifferent.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Yeah, and you know there are studios who have
certain expectations on socialmedia followers and things like
that.
That's not something thatthat's not something that I
embrace in a casting perspectiveand I don't think anybody would
hire me to do that.
I think there are others thatare more better suited for that
kind of that kind of work and noshade to it.
You know it's, it's what theyneed.
(19:13):
That's what they need.
It's just.
That's not the thing that makesme excited to go to work every
day.
I do think that social mediacan be a great tool to get to
know somebody in an intimate way, but you've got to be really
curated with what you put outthere.
So it's like a curated intimacyand you need to be really
willing to stand behind whateveryou put out in that universe,
(19:33):
because if it's something thatis controversial or We'll just
stick with controversial itcould do a job and you just have
to be comfortable knowing thatthat's the case.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
But no.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
I don't.
I don't use social media to,and I use social media to track
down actors.
Sometimes, if they don't havereps, it's I have my own.
I have my own Instagram account, like my, my.
My young the young kids in theoffice created me a Julie
Schubert Instagram accountbecause they're messy and we
post stuff there and when wepost open calls, we have that on
(20:07):
the Instagram account and soit's been wonderful.
I have zero idea how to getverified, but I promise you it's
my account and, yeah, sometimesI use it to try and track down
actors who may not haverepresentation.
I mean, there's certainly beentimes, especially in a project
that I'm working on now, whereI'm reaching into a community
where the actors aren't repped.
(20:28):
It's just not the same systemand it's just it's.
You know it took.
It takes a couple of times andthey're like we thought you were
a scam and I'm like I swear I'mnot a scam.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Well, we could talk offline if I could send you some
information on that through,you know, casting networks.
If you want, we can help youout there.
But it's interesting becausewe're kind of getting into this
detective territory anyway andI'd love to know, in looking at
how you prepare for everyaudition specifically, I'm
guessing you must have so muchfun doing this, but I'm very
curious how do you pick whatmaterials are sent to actors?
(21:00):
I'm sure it's different everytime, but are you like sleuthing
?
Speaker 1 (21:04):
No, it's different every project.
Some projects they like me topull the sides, which is the
thing I like the most, becauseI'm like this is going to be
most helpful for the actor toreally be able to show their
colors.
And sometimes the team prefersto pick the sides and I don't
really have say over it.
It just depends on who the teamis and the project itself.
Yeah, but I like to give inputand hopefully it's listened to.
(21:26):
That's all.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
That makes sense.
I love that.
Well, one thing I think you'reprobably in more control of
every time are the breakdowns,and I would love to know if you
have advice on breaking down abreakdown, because I feel like
we don't really talk about thebreakdown enough, and there's
some clues in there, there'ssome gems usually.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yes and no.
I think there is a real desireto keep as much story out of the
breakdowns as possible thesedays, and I'm not quite sure why
that trend is, but it'ssomething that I don't think is
very helpful to actors, becauseyou don't really get any of the
story.
I mean, you don't get scriptsanymore.
It's very rare to get a scriptto take a look at.
I sort of used the breakdownsat that point to give story info
(22:06):
, but now that's kind of beenstripped down as well.
So my breakdowns tend to bereally broad, which I think is
very unhelpful for actors ingeneral, which is just like age,
ethnicity, gender if thereneeds to be a gender
specifically because of storyand, uh, you know, um.
So I think take from it whatyou will.
(22:27):
The things you should take fromit are who are the creatives
involved, because I think thatthat's a really good way to
understand the tone of a piece,especially if you haven't been
able to get a script.
It's very rare that you see alot of cross folks right Like no
one would hire me for comedy.
No one thinks I'm funny.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I said that at the top of this.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I was like I think I'm very funny, but no one else
thinks I'm funny, and that'sfine.
We're very good at comedy, butI think it's.
It's one of those things whereyou know, if you get something
from me, it may be, it may belike a serial comedy or it may.
It may have some some humorovertones but it's mostly a
drama, right, or a one hour orsomething like that.
(23:09):
Yeah Cause, that's just notwhat people think of me for.
So think of me for comedyeverybody out there.
I would love to do one.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
That's what this is for.
Fyp JS comedy Come on.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, but it's you know.
But I think that's going to behelpful in terms of tone and
kind of giving you some ideas,just based and then based on the
material that you get, tryingto extrapolate whatever you can.
If it's a project, if it's aseries and you know that this
season it's like a season two,you have references you're
looking for because you can lookat a season one If it's not a
season two and it's a season oneor a film, watch stuff from the
(23:42):
director.
I think, especially for a film,watch stuff from the director
because that'll give you a goodsense of that point of view.
And if it's for a series, lookat the stuff that the producers
have done or the castingdirector has done, because I
think that's going to give yousome good, helpful tips into how
to approach your material aswell.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Yeah, that's great, especially in this world where I
feel like genre is so bent andblending overall.
I wish it said sort of likewhat the genre was or something,
because you have to figure outthe tone and that's such a great
way to do that.
It's like, oh, I don't know whyMark Cherry just popped into my
head, probably because I like,love, desperate Housewives.
I think it's such a good binge.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
There you go.
Yeah, it's not the Mark Cherrydoes.
I mean it's a little.
It's like great and campy andspecific, and so you kind of
know what you're going in forwhen you go in for something
that is Mark Cherry, right.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah, exactly, and even the diplomat has like this,
like Carrie's, so great atdelivering, like these little.
There's humor in the diplomatand it's like you could get a
scene with heavy humor and maybeplay it way in the wrong
direction.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
You know so.
But for me you come in.
I see that and I'm like okay,especially in a season one.
In a season two it's a littleless forgiving because it means
you've done your homework.
You haven't done any sort ofprep, but for a season one it's
a little more forgiving.
You're like, okay, you get thenotes, but let's hone in on what
the tone actually is.
And then we kind of adjust itthat way.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Well, while we're talking about humor, I think you
said that you use humor to tryand diffuse any tension or
anxieties in the room withactors, even though we're you
know it's a lot of virtual stuffnow, but even on a live Zoom,
can you share any moments whereeither you did something or you
saw something that worked for anactor, when they were really
nervous in the moment and either, like led to them booking or
(25:19):
just led to them, you know,being called in again, like?
Have you experienced thingsthat you feel like are tangible,
that everybody listening cantry and do in those moments?
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Oh, that's hard.
That's a good, that's a greatquestion, but I don't know if I
can answer that super well.
I.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
That's okay.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Whatever you say will be well, Like I talk a lot
about specificity and for meit's that same sort of
specificity.
In a room and even on a Zoom,my job is to read energy.
I know that sounds reallywoo-woo, but it's like that's
kind of-.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
I love it.
I'm holding crystals under thecamera right, Okay, great.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I love that, but it's one of those things where you
have to be able to read a room,you have to really understand
where someone's head is, and I'dsay, 90% of the time I can, I'm
pretty good at it, and so I I Ican employ different techniques
to diffuse the situation basedon what it is.
So it's really hard to be likethis is the thing that I do or
(26:14):
this is the thing that I say.
I think the one overall note,especially when I see an actor
that's super nervous, I go justsay fuck it, man, let's go.
And then you know, and they'relike ha ha ha, and I'm like, I'm
like literally say the wordfuck it, just do it.
And they're like you know,louder, let's do it again.
And then, like we laugh andtension's broken and then we're
good.
It's just one of those things,so maybe that's the one.
(26:34):
I love that so sorry.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
I love that.
Listen, this is going to havean explicit little thing next to
it which makes it more alluringfor people.
No, I don't know.
I think it's great.
Well, I mean one thing that'snot necessarily on audition
packets.
I mean maybe it could besomehow or there could be like
an ambassador for this.
But I'm really interested and Ifeel like my whole life is
trying to learn about kindnessand how we can like kind of
build a kinder world, and I knowthat sounds woo-woo as well.
(27:00):
Yeah, that's great.
I wonder how do you read thatenergy?
How do you go about seeing ifan actor is going to be good to
work with, especially in thesevirtual times?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Oh, I meet them.
There's no yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Even if I have to meet them virtually not.
You can get a sense ofsomeone's.
You can get a sense someone byhaving a conversation with them.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Okay, I think that's true.
Or like referrals, I thinkeverybody talks, you know,
people forget.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Definitely do that too, you definitely be, like how
did you enjoy working with thisperson?
So, like guys, don't be jerks.
That's all you know.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Well, you know, I, who I heard is not a jerk, is
Keri Russell.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Keri Russell is the hardest, kindest, most wonderful
, hardest working, most kind,wonderful human being period.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
Yeah, yeah, and she is at the helm of the diplomat.
You know, I guess, what do youthink makes her such a great
number one on the call sheet?
You kind of just gave a logline there which could suffice
as well.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Yeah, no, I think, I think that's exactly it.
She's incredibly hardworking.
No one is going to work harderthan Keri Russell and I think
that brings everybody around hera sense of like well, she's
doing it, I got to do it.
She's also super welcoming andkind to everyone, doesn't matter
what her position is, and she'sjust.
She's just a good human whowants to like, have a good time
(28:16):
I love that really talented yeahI mean, what the heck it's like
she has it no one should do, noone should be that good,
wonderful, please it'ssuperhuman.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
someone else who's wonderful is Allison Janney, I
believe, and you know right, wegot to talk about the AJ in the
room.
You know, populating the worldof the diplomat to me seems like
such a fun challenge becauseyou are balancing sort of star
power with newcomers and it'svery specific.
Can you share how you landedher?
I know you wanted her from thestart, I think.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
I mean, there's no question.
It was always a conversationfrom day one of like who can
Alice and Jenny be in the show?
I don't, and you know.
And then she said yes, and thatwas I know.
I keep saying it.
It was so easy because therewas no one else, it was just she
says yes.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, there you go, yeah you.
She says yes, yeah, you go.
Yeah, you got to get thestaples button.
That was like.
That was easy.
Do they still have those?
Speaker 1 (29:08):
I think they still do .
I don't have one on my desk,but I wish I did.
I do have it on my desk.
That's about it.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Well, we'll send you one as a thank you.
I have a cookie.
This is.
Someone just gave me this meJulie.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
I also think there should be a segment of things
that people have on their desks.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Because we all have such weird ass things on our
desk.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Like I have, you know , those things in car washes or
car, like this giant man, thatkind of goes like.
I have one of those on my deskand every once in a while if I'm
feeling frustrated, I just doit and it blows and he goes
around this and it's hilariousand how can you be upset after
you see?
Speaker 2 (29:50):
it.
I love that so much.
I was at for Halloween thispast year.
I did scare my niece, oh, butit was.
Yeah, it was the best, andthere's like a fan inside, so I
literally did look like that.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
That's so good.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
It was a lot.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
It's great, I don't need to tell you, but you know
(30:24):
what else is great is thediplomat again cheesy transition
, and this is such a massiveshow, what the tone and all of
that.
But like that, they're goodpeople and I think that is a
challenge because, like we're,we're curating a group of really
wonderful humans that get to goto work together each day and
like I want people that add tothat, not take away from it, and
so that's what I find thebiggest challenge is to like
(30:45):
meld all of that together.
But wonderfully, there arewonderful human beings that are
great actors that also want tojust go and play and have a good
time.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, I love that so much.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
I feel very fortunate .
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Well, I guess you haven't come across this lately
then, but in those difficultinstances, how do you handle
those times with kindness, thosehard conversations when
something goes wrong?
You know what's your philosophythere.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
I think that's all you can do is be honest about it
, right?
I think you can be like look, Iknow this wasn't your best day.
I know this wasn't the thingthat you feel good about.
We don't feel good about iteither, but this is one day in a
very long career, in a verylong life.
Take a breath, try not to livein it and move on.
I think that's truly the onlyway that you can find it and do
(31:31):
better next time.
And that's that's literally it.
You can.
Everyone has bad days.
Everybody has a bed.
I have bad days.
There are times where I'm onthe phone and I'm and I I get
really short and I get snippyand like that's, no one wants,
(31:52):
that that's, and I apologizeimmediately and it's not not the
way I like to do business, butit's.
But you know, we all have baddays.
It's just the reality of life.
It's how we handle it, movingforward.
That separates you from someonewho dwells and then blames
everybody for it yeah, do youhave a venmo?
Speaker 2 (32:04):
because I'm gonna venmo you for therapy, I feel
like, oh my god.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
No, I think venmo is the devil.
I do not have Venmo.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
You do.
Oh, we can get into that.
But then I want to time forthese other questions because I
also think, yeah, I think somany things on the phone are the
devil, but what's not the devilis the diplomat.
These transitions are so good,I love it.
I'll probably cut that one outno-transcript, you know and then
(32:53):
you could sort of spiral inyour own head what, what's your
advice on that?
Speaker 1 (32:58):
you know it's that's, yeah, it's, it's hard, you're
not wrong.
And like what makes you standout from the five other people
that they're maybe showing thedirector?
Uh, they're doing that samething.
That may look like you, becauseevery you know, or maybe
they're different than you andyou have no idea what the
reality is.
You have no idea how they'representing to the director or
what they're doing to thedirector.
All you can do is what you doand what you do really well,
(33:18):
which is yourself.
And I like to say, with thesesort of one-liners and short
scenes, is that you find thatthese guys never have names.
It's usually a profession,right, and so think of it in
that term.
Like this is a profession likea, like a receptionist.
You know it may not say thatyou're like sitting at a desk on
a computer when you're sayingthis line, but like, what would
(33:39):
a receptionist do?
Would they have a phone withthem?
They have a computer with them.
Like set the scene, set a littlebit of that.
I'm not asking you to go bump,I'm not asking you to like make
a movie out of it, I'm notasking you to like use many
props or things like that, butthink of it in those terms and
it kind of.
And I do think that there'ssomething to be said about an
audition, especially for a shortthing like that, where seeing
(34:01):
that person in the environment,even if it's an environment that
they're just creating out ofnothing, where there is a
beginning and an end, it givesit a little more specificity and
they know what it is that thejob is.
Do you know what I mean?
Bartender what do bartenders doWaitress?
What does a waitress do?
Cocktail waitress?
There's different levels ofspecificity with each job and
required and I think that's agood way to kind of like.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Yeah, that's fantastic advice, advice.
Actually.
I haven't had anybody saysomething like that to me and
it's it's like good looking, youknow.
No, I love that.
You know it's good advice whenit's it really hones in on the
specific simplicity.
It's like it's right there.
Just look at what the job is,you know.
It's the difference betweenstarting the scene like washing
the table as the bartender,versus just kind of standing
there and waiting to say theline.
You know living in theenvironment, so I love that.
I also would love to know ifyou have we talked about allison
(34:53):
, now I'm throwing this cookiearound do you have a dream, a
dream cast for the diplomatlooking forward?
Do you have a dream cast?
dream cast is a great word, it'salready there but do you have
like a, a dream cast in thesense of you wave that wand and
it's on a certain person thatyou're trying to get on the show
next?
Speaker 1 (35:10):
I think it all depends on the writers.
Like I, there's many actorsthat I absolutely love and would
be so obsessed to work with,but I think it's all dependent
on how the writers create theircharacters.
You know, it's not for me tosay let's put this person in the
show, make something happen.
It's for them to be like thisis the show, make something
happen.
It's for them to be like thisis the role, julie what do you
(35:31):
think?
Speaker 2 (35:31):
And I'll be like this person you know.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
So it's kind of hard to be, like you know.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Biddle-dee-bop, what I don't know.
What is that?
What would they wave?
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Oh, biddle-dee-bop-dee-boo,
biddle-dee and I just I need totouch on this very old credit of
yours.
We don't have to talk about itif you don't want to, but you're
associated with the Devil WearsPrada, and that's still in the
news today.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Well, they're doing a sequel, they're doing a second
one.
Yeah, that's exciting.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
And it's coming to Broadway.
It's in the West End.
I mean I want to say Duba MerylStreep's story, that's no.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
I don't, I do, I do.
It was very exciting.
I was the assistant on it.
Ellen Lewis was the castingdirector.
Actually she's also, from whatI understand, casting the sequel
, which is great because EllenLewis is the queen of casting
and you said you've learned likeyou learned.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We talked about kindness a bit, but you said
that's something you learnedfrom her.
I think.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
Juliet Taylor, like the people that I sort of grew
up under and learned from, youknow, it was really amazing
because they were at points intheir careers where they've
proven everything they need toprove.
They were just doing theabsolute most amazing work and I
got to watch it every day and Isaw how they treated people and
it was always lovely and withkindness and support.
And you know, people don't dothe best work they can unless
(36:50):
they feel supported andcomfortable.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
And it makes sense, right?
It's like why would you want tokeep working with someone if
they're not kind?
Which is what I hear aboutMeryl Streep.
It's like usually the people atthe top of their game are
actually treating people withkindness.
Yeah, exactly as people.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yeah people like to work with good people yeah.
Not talented people who arejerks.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
Yeah, true, I mean, Venmo's not the only devil.
But if you have a devil who isproud of story to share, we'll
take it.
If you don't, I have somethingelse that we can-.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Oh no, I mean I was the assistant on it.
I was very much not part of thehubbub them but, uh, I was.
It was a pretty amazing projectthat I got to work on and I'm
pretty grateful for it.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Yeah, that's assistant.
That's a lot of work, though,and that's a same with associate
, and then you know the castingdirector.
All of this is just soincredible and I'm so grateful
you're here, and before you go,I would love if we could just
play a surprise game oh, I lovegames.
Okay, yeah, okay, I want to beon a game show someday.
Welcome Julie.
Okay, I have a theme song thatwill pop in here, just some
(37:51):
cheesy music.
Okay, what if I sang to youlive?
That'd be kind of crazy.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
I'd love to do it, that'd be great.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
So this is called Casting Keywords and basically
I'm going to say a word or aphrase that you and actors
probably hear all the time.
They'll be very simple andit'll be kind of like rapid fire
advice, Like okay, got it.
Yeah, Like word association,but when you hear the word, just
the first piece of tangibleadvice that comes into your head
.
And if there's a larger story,I mean I'm sure you can already
(38:18):
tell I love a tangent, so we cango there Okay great, I will do
it.
All right, Julie, are you ready?
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
Okay, and we'll start off simple.
The first one is self-tapes.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Oh God, already I failed.
Okay, wait so.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Like your general self-tape tip.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
General self-tape tip keep it easy.
Keep it simple.
I'm personally not expectinganything incredibly cinematic.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
I want to be able to see your eyes.
That's good.
You also want to see your eyes.
That's good.
You also want to see someone'seyes in a slate.
What's your deal on slating?
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Ideally full body, name, height and location.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Okay, do you like to see any glimmers of personality?
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Some people like a little.
I'm fine with it.
I feel like the way you sayyour name, your height and your
location tells me a lot aboutyou funny enough.
I feel like the way you sayyour name, your height and your
location tells me a lot aboutyou funny enough.
I don't need any anecdotes, butif you want to throw one in,
I'm not opposed to it.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah, especially if you do it in like a clown suit
or something.
Oh my God, that would beamazing.
No, that'd be crazy.
I think there's a story ofRobin Williams doing it upside
down for an audition.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
That's how he got Mork and Mindy, or something
that makes Mark and Mendy, ofcourse, come on.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
Yeah, when it works, it works.
Okay.
Callbacks Enjoy them.
I like that because you can setyourself up.
Okay, I know this is a littlebit antiquated, but cold reads.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
I don't do them.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
I like that.
There is an app called ColdRead that helps you learn your
lines, which is nice.
I shut that up, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
I don't want to do that to.
If I have to, I have to, butthat's not happened in a very,
very, very long time.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Okay, we appreciate that.
Chemistry reads I think it canbe really important, but rare.
Okay, the term pinned somefolks out there might never have
heard this term.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Okay.
Pinned for me means thatthere's a level of interest in
what you've done.
It does not mean that you havethe job.
It does not necessarily meanthat you're moving forward in
the larger scheme of things fora callback or anything like that
, but it means that you havedone a great job.
Please keep me updated on whatyou have going on.
Does not mean I'm holding youback from taking other work
Absolutely not.
That is not legal, nor okay.
But I do expect, because youknow that I have interest in you
, that you would just keep meupdated on what you have going
on.
Because you know that I haveinterest in you, that you would
(40:25):
just keep me updated on what youhave going on.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Okay.
Speaking of legal Venmo no, I'mjust kidding.
Speaking of legal contracts, doyou have like one tip for
contracts for actors?
Read them, please read them.
That says it all.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Know what you're getting into.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
I love that.
Okay, networking Important, butdon't be a douche about it.
I like that.
I'm gonna put that on a t-shirtactually staying present.
That's like an ambiguous thingthat we hear all the time, you
know, don't be when you'retalking to somebody.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Don't be like looking at your phone or looking behind
that person to see what ifthere's somebody cooler in the
background, because, like whenyou're on the phone with
somebody.
Don't be on your computer,because I can.
Nothing drives me crazier whenI'm having a conversation with
somebody on the phone and I'mlike, okay, you stopped talking
to me because you're on thecomputer.
I got to go Bye.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Yeah, or you can like hear the texting, sometimes,
right, like when people are liketapping the phone, you're like
like if I have to, I'm like, ohwait, hold on a second.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Something really important popped up.
Can you give me three secondsthat I'm back and I'm paying
attention to you you know, butengaged with you, be engaged
with me yeah, communications, Ilove that gut instinct important
I'm gonna be wrong, so don't beafraid to like be open for
change a pre-audition ritual ormantra fuck it and walk in the
(41:38):
room I love that song.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Okay, that's really good.
That's really good.
I think you should start an llccalled fuck it and it.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
I've said enough.
I probably should right.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
Yeah, I think that's great.
Fuck it Productions, thediplomat produced by Fuck it.
Okay, the last one I'll say isOnset Etiquette.
Speaker 1 (41:57):
Don't be a douche.
I mean Onset Etiquette.
Yeah, don't be a douche.
Be where you're supposed to be,know what you're supposed to
know, ask questions if you areconfused and you know.
Don't be a douche.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
I love that.
Well, I'm hopefully not goingto be a douche by asking you
just one more thing before yougo, julie, which is we always
end this show with a got and agiven.
Ok, and so the first piece ofadvice you got in this industry,
and then the best piece ofadvice you have to give now.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Oh wow, oh, wow Okay.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
So they're big, they're big questions.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
They are really big questions.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
But sometimes we get small answers and that's perfect
.
You know, sometimes the big thesmall is big and the biggest
small.
You know.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
Yeah, no, I appreciate that.
I think the best piece ofadvice I've ever been given is
it's okay to fail.
Advice I've ever been given isit's okay to fail.
And I think the best piece ofadvice that I would want to give
is it's okay to fail, because Ithink, knowing that you have a
little I've been known as aperfectionist a lot of my life
(43:01):
and that leads to a lot ofthings not working out, because
nothing's perfect Knowing thatyou are not going to succeed
100% of the time does not meanthat you are a failure.
It just means that this didn'twork out because there's
something else that you have tolearn from it.
So it's okay to fail, as long asyou're learning.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
I love that and I think that was so succinct and
perfect and I totally get that.
And I'm trying to realize ifI'm putting all my energy into
trying to be perfect, I'mprobably missing out on putting
energy into places that could befulfilling or actually like
move me forward.
So it's like a double edgedsword right so hard?
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Exactly, Exactly.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Yeah, but there's no such thing.
But from the outside, lookingin, I'll say you're perfect,
julie, I think you're doinggreat.
No, there's no such thing, butI think you're awesome.
I admire you so much.
I think we need more kindleaders like you and people that
are willing to just have actorsback.
So thank you for what you'redoing and congratulations.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
Thank you, sir.
I appreciate it.
Thank you for having me on yourshow.
This was so fun.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
Thanks, I'm glad.
I can't wait to see what's next.
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