Latest / The Demia Avery Show / THE POWER BEHIND THE ROLE! | Casting Director Matthew Morgan

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THE POWER BEHIND THE ROLE! | Casting Director Matthew Morgan · The Demia Avery Show

0:03
[music]
0:32
>> Hello everybody. This is Damia Avery
0:34
with the Damia Avery show The Industry
0:37
and guess what you guys, as usual, we
0:39
have another special guest with us. So,
0:42
let me ask you this question. What does
0:44
it take to spot a star before the rest
0:46
of the world even knows their name?
0:48
Well, my guest today knows a thing or
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two about that. So, with more than 20
0:52
years in the entertainment industry and
0:55
credits including
0:57
Ma, The Card Counter, Blue Bayou, and
1:00
Paradise Highway, he's helped bring some
1:03
unforgettable characters to the screen.
1:06
And get this, he's originally he
1:07
originally wanted to be an actor
1:09
himself. So, you know we got a lot to
1:10
talk about with that. So, get ready for
1:13
some great stories, a little industry
1:15
insight, and of course some fun. Please
1:17
welcome casting director and owner of
1:19
Morgan Casting, Matthew Morgan. Welcome.
1:23
>> Hey, it's my pleasure to be here and I'm
1:25
so grateful to hang with you and to get
1:27
to know each other better and hopefully
1:29
share some insight that will help actors
1:31
along the way. Um
1:33
I love what I do. I truly love it and I
1:36
feel blessed.
1:37
>> I can tell. And guys, his energy jumps
1:39
off the jumps off the screen. So, I know
1:42
we're going to have fun today. So, okay.
1:44
So, my first question, Matthew, I read
1:46
that you originally wanted to be an
1:48
actor, but somewhere along the way you
1:50
discovered you like being behind the
1:52
camera better. So, here's what I want to
1:54
know. When you watch it when you're
1:56
watching an actor audition, does the
1:58
former actor inside you ever come out
2:00
and say, "Oh, I know exactly what that
2:03
poor person is going through."
2:05
And [laughter] has it you know, has that
2:07
experience changed how you treat actors
2:08
in the audition room?
2:11
>> Such a great question and even to this
2:13
day, you know, 20 years into my career,
2:16
I can empathize for an actor, you know,
2:20
for having done it for so many years. I
2:23
remember what it felt like to just need
2:25
to get a foot in the door, to want to
2:27
have someone take a a chance on you, um
2:30
praying for an opportunity to open, a
2:32
door to open. And I remember what it
2:34
felt like being in intimidated rooms and
2:36
having to sort of read the room and, you
2:39
know,
2:39
>> Yeah.
2:39
>> acting can be a tough job. Uh it's
2:42
certainly a job with a lot of beautiful
2:43
rewards, but it can be tough at times
2:47
and um
2:48
I always said to myself, if I ever
2:50
became a casting director and hopped on
2:52
the other side, you know, I would want
2:54
to make actors feel really warm and
2:56
welcome in my space.
2:58
>> Yeah.
2:58
>> You know, my sort of
3:00
approach to bringing out a great
3:03
performance from someone is to uplift
3:07
them and encourage them and to make them
3:09
feel really warm and supported. Um
3:11
everyone's got a different approach and
3:13
you have to be prepared for different
3:14
approaches. I do as well in my career.
3:17
Every director's a bit different, every
3:19
producer's a bit different. You sort of
3:20
have to read your clients,
3:22
but um I do put myself in the shoes of
3:25
the actors and I really try to create
3:27
the best environment for them to succeed
3:29
because I remember how tough it can be.
3:31
>> Yeah, I love that. I love that. And you
3:34
know, a lot of people that that aren't
3:36
actors,
3:37
um
3:38
if they're just wanting to be an actor,
3:40
they think it's such an easy job. They
3:42
think you you know, you read a script,
3:44
you memorize it, you go on camera. Okay,
3:46
when am when am I going to BE A STAR?
3:48
>> [laughter]
3:49
>> HOW LONG IS ALL THIS GOING TO TAKE?
3:53
You know, so you you
3:56
you've done something I I find
3:58
fascinating. Street casting, where you
4:01
find everyday people who may have never
4:03
acted a day
4:05
>> Yeah.
4:05
>> in their lives. Have you discovered like
4:08
someone and thought this person doesn't
4:10
even know that they're talented?
4:12
>> Absolutely. You know, in the beginning
4:14
of my career, um I did mostly commercial
4:16
casting and commercial advertising. And
4:19
uh although I'm from the deep south,
4:21
Mississippi's my home state, um I had
4:23
moved to Toronto, Canada um for work and
4:27
work corporate work. Eventually I
4:31
got into acting when I was in Toronto.
4:33
It was a big city with a lot of
4:34
agencies. And when I first started
4:37
working for a casting company there, um
4:39
I specialized in real people casting
4:41
where we would hit the streets with our
4:43
Polaroid camera before the digital
4:45
camera came out.
4:46
>> Okay.
4:47
>> And we would look for kind of cool and
4:49
unique characters. Um skateboarder kids,
4:52
um punks, goths. Um we were doing a lot
4:55
of music videos at the time, a lot of
4:58
commercial advertising. Um where we were
5:00
looking for just, you know, real folks
5:02
that weren't professional actors that
5:04
didn't do this for their livelihood. And
5:06
along the way, you would run into people
5:08
who were naturally
5:11
gifted. And, you know, they just hadn't
5:15
taken the classes or didn't have an
5:17
agent yet, but I could tell they had
5:19
great actor instincts, good natural
5:21
instincts, and some star quality to
5:23
them. There was something about them
5:24
that really drew me in. They had a great
5:27
presence, a confidence. So, um you know,
5:30
I've
5:31
really enjoyed that process. Um you
5:33
know, now nowadays, the street casting
5:36
doesn't exist like it used to. We were
5:38
actually on the streets.
5:40
Um you know, I was going through the
5:41
French Quarter of New Orleans when I was
5:42
street casting there, hitting up bars
5:44
and restaurants, and getting servers and
5:46
bartenders. You know, nowadays, you've
5:48
got Facebook and Instagram, and
5:50
everything's through social media. For
5:52
the younger, newer casting directors
5:54
that come up, it's a completely
5:55
different search.
5:56
>> Yeah.
5:57
I've been.
6:00
Wow. Okay. So, let me ask you this as a
6:02
casting director. So, let's say an actor
6:03
comes in and they absolutely nails the
6:06
audition. Everybody loves them, but they
6:09
still don't get the part. Now, we always
6:11
hear that it's not necessarily the
6:13
actor's fault. Can you take us behind
6:16
the the scenes and give us a real
6:17
example of how somebody can do
6:19
everything right and still not get the
6:21
job?
6:23
>> It happens all the time. You know, in
6:25
theory, it would be amazing if the most
6:27
talented person always got booked.
6:29
>> Yeah.
6:30
>> But, there's a lot of other factors that
6:31
come into play. You know, um I presented
6:35
some really talented actors to my
6:36
clients, directors, and producers, and
6:39
oftentimes, um
6:40
they
6:42
may have a vision in their head. Many
6:44
times, the directors are also the
6:45
writers of their stories. And the whole
6:47
time they've been writing the script,
6:49
they've envisioned someone for the part.
6:51
So, sometimes, you may have an actor
6:52
who's good, who's pretty talented, and
6:55
could certainly do a great job. Um but
6:58
the they looked exactly like the
7:00
director had envisioned that role, and
7:02
they can often get the part. So,
7:03
sometimes, you know, you can lose a part
7:06
just based on physical
7:09
attributes. Um
7:11
you know, the director, I really love
7:13
this red-headed lady playing this, you
7:15
know, this role, but it reminded the
7:16
director of his school teacher in second
7:19
grade he couldn't stand. You know, like
7:21
sometimes, you get like this is just
7:23
life and human nature. Sometimes, you
7:26
know, an actor can resemble someone that
7:29
the client just didn't like that look or
7:31
reminded them of something going on in
7:33
their own world.
7:34
>> Yeah.
7:34
>> Um
7:35
I can audition people for the part.
7:37
Everyone could be great, and all of a
7:39
sudden, it goes to the investor's niece.
7:42
Um there's things like that that happen
7:44
behind the scenes. So, um
7:47
I can audition some amazing ladies for
7:49
the role of
7:51
um
7:53
of the daughter. So, let's say she's in
7:55
her 20s, and all of a sudden, we book
7:57
Lisa Bonet as the mom. The ethnicity
8:00
changed, so all the ladies who read for
8:02
my daughter may no longer be appropriate
8:03
because our star changed. So, sometimes,
8:06
you know, as actors, I always tell
8:08
actors, when you go in for the part,
8:11
give it your all, give it your very
8:13
best, and leave it on the floor, and
8:16
walk out the door. And if it's meant to
8:18
be, it will be. You know, and what
8:20
they're not privy to are all the things
8:21
that happen behind the scenes, where it
8:23
went to
8:25
um
8:25
an investor's contact, or all of a
8:28
sudden our lead actor changed ethnicity,
8:31
so none of these people would work, or
8:33
the role got cut from the script
8:36
completely. Just things you aren't privy
8:38
to, and you know, you're thinking all
8:39
along, I didn't do a great job, I I
8:41
didn't get the part, but no one got the
8:43
part. So
8:44
>> nothing to do with you.
8:45
>> Yeah.
8:46
Yeah, so there's all those factors that
8:48
come into play that the actors just
8:51
often don't know about.
8:52
>> Yeah.
8:52
>> And um, you know, it's a hard industry,
8:55
where you really have to keep yourself
8:57
motivated, and your heart has to be in
9:00
it. You have to love it, to love the
9:01
process. And I, you know, it does help
9:04
once in a while when you do get that
9:06
booking, it sort of I've got so many
9:08
actor friends that are like, I just
9:09
needed that one booking to keep me
9:11
going, to give me the the faith, the
9:13
sign, right?
9:15
>> Right. Right.
9:15
>> Um, you know, and those little things
9:16
are important along the way, but um you
9:20
know, the average actor spends most of
9:22
their career auditioning, and a small
9:24
portion of their career actually playing
9:26
the role.
9:27
>> role.
9:27
>> So, your job as an actor is to audition.
9:30
So, don't forget that.
9:31
>> Ooh, no kidding. No kidding. Now, I'm
9:34
going to ask you this. Okay.
9:36
So
9:37
actors are always trying to read the
9:39
room.
9:40
So, when you see an audition you
9:42
absolutely love, are you able to keep
9:44
that poker face, or can you can the
9:47
actor tell, you know, that you're
9:49
impressed? And on the flip side, have
9:51
you ever had an audition that didn't
9:53
seem particularly impressive in that
9:55
moment, but you couldn't stop thinking
9:57
about it afterwards?
9:59
>> [laughter]
10:00
>> You know, there have been actors that
10:02
have left marks, for better or for
10:03
worse, after almost every casting. You
10:06
know, I really do a great job, you know,
10:09
just my nature as a human being is to
10:11
find something positive to say about
10:14
every performance and there almost
10:15
always is. You can find a compliment
10:18
to make someone walk out of that room
10:20
and feel great and I think that's
10:21
partially my job. For me as a as a
10:24
casting director, that's something I've
10:25
deemed as as
10:27
an important aspect of what I do and
10:32
if it is
10:33
important for me to point out something
10:35
negative, which it often can be a
10:37
learning
10:38
tool for actors, I will let them know in
10:40
in a very sort of
10:42
respectfully
10:43
a respectful way
10:45
of positive criticism, right? In effect.
10:48
So, but I do try to keep um
10:52
you know, I save face and I put my
10:55
acting skills to test. Now, if someone's
10:57
done a great job, they will often know
10:59
it. I'm all about giving praise in the
11:01
moment.
11:03
Yeah, I think it's important
11:06
for the actor to know cuz very often
11:09
rarely do the actors get feedback from
11:12
us. Once they leave the audition, be it
11:14
virtual or live, you know, casting
11:16
directors get so busy that it's often
11:18
hard for us to take time to give
11:20
feedback
11:21
and many actors I hear friends of mine
11:24
saying, you know, I just don't want to
11:25
ask for feedback. I don't want to
11:26
intrude or be irksome, you know, and so
11:29
forth. So, if I can give feedback in the
11:31
moment, it's such a beautiful
11:33
opportunity.
11:34
>> Yeah.
11:35
>> What do you think that uh um Why do you
11:36
think that uh
11:38
a lot of casting directors, uh not just
11:40
in film, just every you know, for other
11:42
things, they have to keep their poker
11:45
face? Is it that that they don't want
11:47
you to know how good you are or good or
11:50
bad or maybe they don't want to
11:53
over-excite you because you may or may
11:55
not get the role because of something,
11:58
you know? I don't know. You tell me.
12:00
>> I agree with you. I think, you know, if
12:02
someone comes in um
12:05
and they do a really great job, I'll
12:06
compliment them, but I don't want to
12:08
lift them up so much that they sort of
12:10
let down their guard for the next three
12:12
read, right? We want them to still be at
12:14
the top of their game, to still be in
12:16
that actor zone, that actor state of
12:18
mind.
12:18
>> Yeah.
12:19
>> So, after the camera has stopped and the
12:22
actor is headed out the door, be it
12:24
virtual or in person, that's the time
12:27
for me to really um give them some
12:29
praise. Or even after the fact, I will
12:31
email their agents, which they love.
12:33
Then you've got a paper trail, the agent
12:35
can see how great they've done, it makes
12:37
them look really good, and they've
12:38
earned it, right?
12:39
>> Yeah.
12:39
>> Um
12:41
Yeah.
12:42
>> Yeah. Okay, so let me ask you this. You
12:44
know
12:44
>> And I
12:45
I will say one more thing. If I've got I
12:46
want to ans- I think I can better answer
12:49
that question if I have clients in the
12:51
room and it's a callback.
12:52
>> Ah.
12:53
>> I have to be careful that I don't
12:54
persuade them um too much in my own
12:57
direction, you know, my job is to
12:59
present the best people that I truly
13:01
believe in, and then creatively, I want
13:04
my clients to decide, you know, who they
13:06
like best. Um and if they come to me and
13:09
ask me for recommendations or to help
13:12
divide on a decision, I'm more more than
13:14
happy to to do my job and give them my
13:16
honest opinion, but I don't want to um
13:19
sway them in one direction too soon.
13:21
Yeah.
13:21
>> Well, that that's a good point. That's a
13:22
good point. It actually leads me to my
13:24
next question. I like to ask this
13:26
question to casting directors because
13:28
everyone has a different, you know,
13:30
perspective on it. Um now, because
13:33
you've worked on so many different
13:34
productions and you work with some
13:36
pretty recognizable names, have you ever
13:39
fought for an actor that the directors
13:41
or producers weren't initially sold on?
13:46
>> Absolutely.
13:47
>> Mm.
13:47
>> Um if I get my callback list and there's
13:50
someone missing that I really believe in
13:52
and thought just knocked it out of the
13:54
park, someone that I have confidence in
13:57
recommending so strongly, I will go out
13:59
on a limb and
14:02
and confidently recommend them to my
14:03
clients. People love confidence, and you
14:05
can sell anything if you truly believe
14:08
in it. And that's sort of my job as a
14:10
casting director is to sell these actors
14:12
to my clients that I wholeheartedly
14:15
believe in and think they can fulfill
14:17
that the duties of that role and do a
14:19
great job and it often pays off. You
14:21
know, it's worth a shot. You're It's
14:23
like you're never going to know unless
14:25
you try. You're never going to get
14:27
something unless you ask for it. So,
14:29
I'll take that opportunity
14:32
very
14:33
very often to to do that and
14:36
I also have to read the room, you know,
14:38
I may have some clients who are very set
14:41
in their ways and calling the shots and
14:44
I don't feel comfortable doing that and
14:46
I will sort of tread lightly, you know,
14:49
but if we've really established a good
14:51
rapport and just some great trust from
14:53
the get-go.
14:56
It it works it works well and I think,
14:58
you know, clients like that. They know
15:00
that I work with all these Southern
15:02
actors in the region and I know them
15:04
well and many times, you know,
15:07
when we're shooting in the Southern US,
15:08
people will come in from other places.
15:10
So, they rely on our expertise to help
15:13
guide them and they love it when you can
15:15
recommend people. So, I try to. Yeah.
15:18
>> Now, I wonder sometimes if actors are so
15:21
concerned about giving casting directors
15:23
exactly what they think you want that
15:26
they forget to make interesting choices.
15:28
Do you find that happening and and how
15:30
does an actor take a like a creative
15:32
risk in an audition without going too
15:34
far
15:35
off the rails? Like everybody's looking
15:39
like, what in the world was that?
15:40
[laughter]
15:42
>> This is such a great question.
15:44
>> Yeah.
15:44
>> Here's my honest take on it and
15:48
you know, my rules aren't the golden
15:49
rules. Take it with a grain of salt. I
15:52
have over my career worked with a lot of
15:54
casting directors from some very large
15:56
markets and I learn from them, which I
15:57
love.
15:58
I'm never at the stage in my career
16:00
where I think I know it all, right? I
16:02
love learning from others and my best
16:04
advice
16:06
to any actor is of course first and
16:07
foremost follow the instructions as
16:10
written.
16:11
>> Mhm.
16:12
>> Follow the instructions as written. If
16:14
you're given the opportunity to read
16:17
your sides more than once, let's say
16:20
twice, which tends to be
16:22
pretty average, pretty normal. Once in a
16:24
blue moon, you'll get to read it three
16:26
times, and that's usually if the
16:28
dialogue isn't super lengthy. Let's say
16:30
a day player role, a couple of lines.
16:33
You know, I'll tell the actors read it
16:34
once as written,
16:36
>> Mhm.
16:36
>> exactly as written, cuz you're paying
16:37
homage to the writer, who could
16:39
sometimes be your director.
16:41
>> Right.
16:41
>> Um you've done your homework. You've
16:43
read it word for word.
16:44
Nobody's going to get upset.
16:46
>> Right.
16:46
>> Right? The second time, um I say read it
16:51
as written, and show us some different
16:53
actor choices. You know, you definitely
16:56
don't want to repeat read as the first
16:58
read. You want to mix it up and show
16:59
some range. And I find this is the
17:02
opportunity where most actors do a
17:05
slightly different read from their first
17:07
read.
17:07
>> Okay.
17:07
>> That's what That's called playing it
17:09
safe, in my opinion. If you've done your
17:12
first read [snorts] exactly like you
17:15
feel this character should be, you've
17:16
done your beautiful character
17:17
development, you've nailed it. On your
17:19
second read, I think it's more
17:21
interesting to take it somewhere
17:23
completely different. Do a 180, take a
17:26
risk, show me your range, especially if
17:29
you've never worked with this casting
17:30
director for you've got before. You've
17:32
got like a small window of time to wow
17:35
me, to show me what you're capable of.
17:36
So, I love it on that alt read, if you
17:39
can take it to a drastically different
17:41
place.
17:41
>> Yeah.
17:42
>> Um I don't expect you to do that on set,
17:44
cuz it may not be true to the character,
17:46
right? Um but for audition purposes, I
17:49
think it's great, cuz I'm watching all
17:50
of these auditions, and then all of a
17:52
sudden, I'm like, "Whoa, she went
17:54
somewhere I didn't even expect." It's
17:56
memorable. It's a choice that you make
17:58
that's memorable. Um now, the hard part
18:00
is is many actors say, "Well, it feels
18:02
forced. It doesn't feel true to the
18:03
character." Right? So, there's this fine
18:05
line
18:06
>> Okay.
18:06
>> of making sure you [snorts] don't stray
18:08
so far that you're doing yourself a
18:10
disservice. So, having said all that,
18:13
follow your instincts. Usually, your
18:15
instincts are on on point. Um but I like
18:18
it when you can do your first read
18:20
exactly as written, give it your all
18:22
just like it's supposed to be in your
18:23
mind. Your second read, you can take it
18:26
to a different place. And then on your
18:28
third read, if you get that luxury, I
18:30
would sort of make it your own a little
18:32
bit. You where you can put your own spin
18:33
on it, lightly change the words. Uh,
18:37
you know, don't go full improv on us.
18:40
Um
18:40
>> [laughter]
18:41
>> It's like whose script whose script and
18:43
what page is that on?
18:44
>> Yeah.
18:46
>> Oh, man.
18:47
>> So, I hope that helped if it made sense
18:49
sort of my explanation there. Yeah.
18:51
>> Yeah, it does.
18:53
>> Yeah.
18:54
>> So, okay.
18:56
Let's talk uh chemistry, chemistry
18:59
reads. So, two actors can be
19:01
individually wonderful.
19:04
>> Yeah.
19:04
>> But put them together and something
19:05
something just ain't clicking. So, what
19:07
are you watching for when you're pairing
19:09
actors? And have you seen ever seen two
19:12
performers who seem completely wrong for
19:14
each other on paper, but together
19:17
they were magic?
19:19
>> You know, often times I find actors can
19:21
turn it on when the camera's on and they
19:23
seem lovely together. But it's that sort
19:26
of banter when the camera's off when I
19:28
see how they truly interact with one
19:30
another that I think can be the real
19:31
telltale signs. Do they respect one
19:34
another? Are they um passing the torch
19:37
and letting each other shine? If you
19:39
have one actor sort of trying to steal
19:41
the limelight, to me that's a a sign
19:44
of the testament of one's character.
19:46
Yeah. Um
19:47
so, I don't always look for just the
19:50
most talented performer, but when I have
19:52
the opportunity
19:54
I look for people that I also think are
19:55
good people that will represent me and
19:57
my company on set. And it's rare as
20:00
casting directors that we get that
20:01
insight because um the live casting
20:04
sessions that we used to have so often
20:06
don't happen as much, particularly after
20:08
COVID um
20:10
based on distance in the Southeast with
20:12
all these satellite smaller markets and
20:14
so forth. If you live in a big city like
20:16
Atlanta, New York,
20:18
>> Right.
20:18
>> Toronto, LA, you can certainly do live
20:21
castings on the regular, but it's harder
20:23
when you're working in smaller markets
20:24
like Jackson, Mississippi or
20:27
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Little Rock,
20:29
Arkansas, different places that I cast
20:31
where we do everything virtually cuz it
20:33
keeps all the actors on the same page in
20:36
terms of fairness, which I love. Um
20:39
yeah.
20:40
>> I love Mississippi. I don't know I don't
20:42
know if Jerry ever told you. Did you
20:43
know our family is from Mississippi?
20:45
That's our hometown.
20:46
>> I did not know that. I love it.
20:48
>> Jack Jackson, yes.
20:50
>> That's great. [laughter]
20:51
I um was born in McComb, Mississippi.
20:54
>> Okay, I know McComb.
20:55
>> Same hospital as Brandy, Britney Spears.
20:57
>> Okay.
20:58
>> I sure was and I grew up in Canton,
21:01
Mississippi, just north
21:03
just north of Jackson on the outskirts
21:05
and and I loved it. So, you know, I
21:08
fought really hard to sort of get out of
21:10
Mississippi when I was a teenager
21:13
graduating, you know, college high
21:15
school going into college and
21:18
you know, it's interesting how
21:21
flashing back, you know, flashing
21:23
forward, you know, 20 years into my
21:24
career, I end up coming back to the one
21:26
place I was ready to leave
21:29
to do what I love, you know. I wanted to
21:31
sort of see the world. I moved to France
21:32
and worked there for a while. I moved to
21:34
Canada and got my feet wet there as an
21:38
actor and worked as a casting director
21:40
and then over time, I really missed home
21:43
and my family and my grandparents and I
21:44
thought, could I do what I do up here
21:47
back home and I took a leap of faith and
21:50
came back and opened up my company and
21:52
it just opened so many wonderful doors
21:54
for me and it was a real big blessing.
21:56
So,
21:57
>> Awesome. Awesome.
21:58
>> Yeah, but I I work all over the South. I
22:00
have an office in New Orleans and live
22:02
and live in New Orleans and love it.
22:04
>> Yeah.
22:04
>> And I bring in actors on all the
22:07
projects I cast primarily in Mississippi
22:10
and Louisiana from across the Southern
22:12
US. Particularly, I know all the Atlanta
22:15
agents so well. Atlanta has such a a
22:17
beautiful roster of talent.
22:19
>> Yeah.
22:20
>> You know, so I love my Southern zone.
22:24
>> But you know what? I I heard you mention
22:25
Canada
22:27
um and and I I I wanted to ask you, too,
22:30
because a lot of times the actors assume
22:33
being in the bigger places like LA and
22:35
New York and things like that. What
22:37
advantages you think might an actor in a
22:39
smaller market have that they don't
22:41
realize, especially now cuz now that you
22:44
you know, you're really in the South
22:45
now, so you can probably attest to, you
22:48
know, what makes it better or
22:50
>> You know, I've lived in Toronto for over
22:52
20 years. It's the fourth largest city
22:55
in North America. There are thousands of
22:57
actors. I would say there's almost 300
22:59
talent agencies, and I have many friends
23:01
that are actors here, and there's a lot
23:03
of opportunity, a lot of work coming
23:05
through because there's so much crew and
23:07
there's so much actor
23:09
um
23:10
actors and talent. However, there's a
23:11
lot of competition. So, um
23:15
whereas I have friends that are actors
23:17
in New Orleans, and for
23:19
a city like New Orleans, which
23:20
historically has been very busy and
23:23
there's a lot of great films rolling
23:24
through, I would say there's a smaller
23:25
cluster of actors who are doing a lot.
23:28
Um they are working. You will see them
23:30
in this film and that film. The
23:31
opportunity can be there um
23:35
in the smaller markets, if it's a busy
23:37
market with a good crew base,
23:39
you have the opportunity to shine a
23:41
little bit more
23:43
um
23:43
because there's less competition, right?
23:46
>> Yeah.
23:47
>> Um
23:48
you know, on the flip side,
23:50
um
23:52
a city like Atlanta, you're getting some
23:53
massive jobs rolling through, some
23:55
really large productions, right? So, um
23:58
there's different calibers of film and
23:59
TV series that will flip through these
24:01
different markets.
24:02
>> Okay.
24:03
>> Um
24:05
But, yeah, you know, as an actor, you
24:08
for me as a casting director, you know,
24:11
I could have easily gone to New York. I
24:13
could have easily gone to Los Angeles. I
24:16
chose to live in Mississippi and
24:18
Louisiana because I have family there in
24:20
both states, and they were places that I
24:22
just loved. I thought this is where my
24:24
heart is. I can retire here, and I will
24:27
be the best casting director I can be in
24:29
these markets. I already lived in a big
24:31
city, Toronto, and got a taste of that,
24:32
right? So, so when I decided to open up
24:36
my company in the US, I chose places
24:39
that
24:40
that I absolutely loved, like cities
24:42
that had my heart.
24:43
>> Yeah.
24:44
>> I love that.
24:45
>> Life's too short, right?
24:47
>> Absolutely. Absolutely. Now, Matthew,
24:49
I'm going to give you the floor on this
24:50
one. If you could sit every actor in
24:52
America down today for 5 minutes and
24:55
clear up one misconception about a
24:57
casting director or a casting process,
25:01
what would you tell them?
25:05
>> I think the biggest misconception that
25:07
actors may have about casting directors
25:09
is that we're out to get them.
25:12
Um, we are on your side.
25:14
Whether we're nice and lovely by nature
25:17
or tough as nails, you're going to get a
25:19
different sort of range of approaches
25:23
and personalities from casting
25:24
directors, but we can't do our job
25:26
without you. We can't play all those
25:28
roles. We can't play all those parts. We
25:30
need you.
25:32
Um, and we need you to be great so we
25:34
look great. So, know that all the things
25:37
we're doing
25:39
and how hard we can come on come down on
25:41
you sometimes is really for your own
25:43
good. We are trying to make you the best
25:45
skilled actor you can be, the most
25:47
professional
25:49
business person you can be. There's two
25:51
different sides of acting, right?
25:52
There's the craft and then there's the
25:54
business side of it, right?
25:55
>> Right.
25:55
>> So, I think a lot of actors are
25:57
intimidated by casting directors. They
25:59
also have to remember I've watched so
26:02
many casting directors speak over the
26:03
years and one of the
26:05
reoccurring [snorts] sentences I hear
26:07
is, I used to be an actor. So, we many
26:10
of us know exactly what you're going
26:12
through. We have been in your shoes. You
26:15
know, I know what it feels like to come
26:19
to a new market, um, to be the new fish
26:22
in the big pond,
26:24
to have no one know who you are, to have
26:26
no work on your resume, and how do you
26:29
get started? You just need somebody to
26:31
take a chance on you, right? I've lived
26:33
it through my own story. So,
26:36
you know, when I I'd worked in Toronto
26:38
for 10 years, maybe
26:40
a little bit longer, and when I first
26:42
decided to move back to Mississippi and
26:44
open up my business,
26:46
I just thought all this work's going to
26:48
start rolling my way, you know,
26:50
the film industry had really picked up
26:52
at that time. The help had just come
26:54
out. Some big movies were rolling
26:56
through. True Blood had just happened in
26:58
Louisiana. Some big stuff was going on
27:00
in the southern US. And I underestimated
27:04
what it took to start fresh and build
27:06
your way up.
27:07
>> Yeah.
27:07
>> So, I was a commercial casting director
27:09
for the longest time, and I had no film
27:11
work on my resume, but I wanted to do
27:13
movies. So, how do you do a movie when
27:16
you have no movie work on your resume?
27:17
You need someone to take a chance on
27:19
you. So, I remember what it was like,
27:22
you know,
27:23
shopping around my resume to producers
27:26
and directors, and you know, having to
27:28
sort of restart from the bottom and
27:30
build myself up, and and I lucked out. I
27:33
had a really lucky break, and that's a
27:35
different story, or we could talk about
27:37
it if you wanted to, but I had somebody
27:39
take a chance on me that really shifted
27:41
my career, and and I know how that
27:43
feels. So, actors, you know, we we know
27:46
exactly what you're going through.
27:48
>> Yeah.
27:50
>> Wow. Now, Matthew, we've been talking
27:52
about auditions,
27:53
casting decisions, all the things that
27:55
actors need to know, but I want to find
27:57
out a little bit more about you. So,
28:01
we're going to play a little game called
28:02
I'd rather.
28:05
>> All right.
28:05
>> That means I'm going to give you two
28:06
choices,
28:08
and you got to tell me which one you'd
28:09
rather do. Now, some of these might be
28:11
easy, some might make you question your
28:13
entire career, but
28:15
>> [laughter]
28:16
>> but we're going to have a little fun.
28:17
So, you ready?
28:18
>> I'm ready.
28:19
>> Okay.
28:19
>> Let's do it.
28:20
>> First question. I'd rather cast an actor
28:23
who gives me exactly what I envisioned,
28:26
or an actor who completely changes my
28:28
mind about a character.
28:31
>> An actor who completely changes my mind
28:32
about a character.
28:34
>> Mhm.
28:34
>> Oh, yeah.
28:35
>> Okay.
28:36
>> Cuz that shows me they they have no fear
28:39
and they trusted their instincts and
28:40
they weren't scared to go with their gut
28:42
and show me what they wanted to show me.
28:44
>> That's right. That's right. Okay. I'd
28:47
rather cast a romantic comedy with two
28:49
actors who can't stand each other in
28:51
real life or a drama with two actors who
28:54
can't stop laughing.
28:58
>> A drama with two actors who can't stop
29:00
laughing.
29:01
>> [laughter]
29:02
>> Okay. Okay.
29:04
I'd rather discover the next Oscar
29:07
winning actor working at a grocery store
29:09
or discover the next superstar singing
29:11
karaoke at a neighborhood bar.
29:16
>> Ooh, that's a tough one.
29:19
Music is certainly in my wheelhouse.
29:21
>> Okay.
29:22
>> I would go with the second.
29:25
>> With the second. Okay, with the karaoke.
29:27
>> I love
29:28
I love any opportunity when music is
29:32
involved. Yeah, absolutely.
29:34
>> Okay. Okay. I'd rather work with a
29:37
brilliant director who changes their
29:38
mind every 5 minutes or a director who
29:42
knows exactly what they want but refuses
29:44
to listen to anybody else's ideas.
29:49
>> The latter.
29:50
>> Okay.
29:51
>> Yes. [laughter]
29:53
You know,
29:54
>> Uh
29:54
>> it ain't got to be great, but I'll take
29:56
an easy route.
29:57
>> take an easy route.
29:59
>> [laughter]
30:00
>> It's I'll say that because I've done the
30:02
other many a time and I feel like I've
30:04
had my taste of it.
30:05
>> Okay. Okay.
30:06
>> I paid my dues.
30:09
>> All right, I'd rather
30:10
>> honest answer.
30:11
>> That is I love it. I'd rather have to
30:14
cast a movie where every character is a
30:16
villain
30:17
or a movie where every character is a
30:19
superhero.
30:23
>> Ooh. The villains could be fun.
30:26
>> Okay.
30:26
>> I'm going for the villains. Oh, yeah.
30:28
[laughter]
30:29
I think it's often a harder role to play
30:32
and make it believable and great. Yeah.
30:35
>> Love it. Okay, just two more questions.
30:37
>> All right.
30:38
>> I'd rather have an actor who's
30:39
absolutely phenomenal but always 20
30:42
minutes late or an actor who's always
30:45
early but needs 15 takes to get the
30:47
scene right.
30:54
>> Being late
30:55
is not
30:57
an option.
30:58
>> Okay.
30:59
>> It's all going to be downhill from
31:00
there. Yes. Yeah.
31:03
>> All right, so we're going with the 15
31:05
takes.
31:06
>> We're going with the 15 takes. It's
31:07
going to be a long day.
31:09
>> [laughter]
31:09
>> But I know I can count on you.
31:11
>> Right, right.
31:12
>> Yes.
31:13
>> Okay, my last question. I'd rather spend
31:15
an entire weekend digging through record
31:18
stores looking for that one perfect
31:20
perfect vinyl album
31:23
or spend a weekend watching undiscovered
31:25
actors perform at a theater festival.
31:29
>> Have you been doing some research on me?
31:31
>> [laughter]
31:32
>> Just a just a little bit. Just a little
31:34
bit.
31:34
>> I am a massive vinyl collector, lover of
31:37
vinyl.
31:39
You can just I can camp out in the
31:41
record store and flip to my heart's
31:43
content. Yes. Although I do love
31:45
supporting actors and going to their
31:46
live events,
31:47
>> Yeah.
31:48
>> I will happily flip through the records.
31:50
Yes. Oh, yeah. I'm impressed.
31:53
>> Awesome, awesome. Matthew, thank you so
31:55
much. This has been a wonderful
31:56
conversation.
31:58
>> And I appreciate you giving us all your
32:00
industry insights and please come back
32:02
again anytime you you you're ready to
32:04
come back. Would that be okay?
32:06
>> It would absolutely be okay and you've
32:08
got such a beautiful spirit. You made me
32:10
feel so comfortable and at ease. So, um
32:13
there's your deserved compliment of the
32:15
day.
32:16
>> Oh, thank you so much. All right, guys.
32:18
Make sure you check out Morgan Casting
32:21
and we are out of here. Talk to you
32:22
soon. Bye-bye.
32:24
>> Bye.
34:44
>> Mhm.