Behind the character of the Wizard of Oz in the two "Wicked" films lies a whole machine of casting professionals. They prepared long before filming officially began, selecting the people who could play the Wizard of Oz.
"Our job is to find candidates from the actors we already know and the actors we don't know," said Bernard Telsey, one of the key figures in casting, who, along with Tiffany Little Canfield, cast actors for both "Wicked" films.
And the Oscars have begun to recognize this quiet yet subtle work, though many believe it's still too late. A new award for achievement in casting has been added to the prestigious Academy Awards.
The 98th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC on March 15, 2026.
"It's difficult for people to understand our work because it's so private," Telsey said. "This only strengthens the profession and makes people more aware of what we do."
The Emmy Awards have three categories for casting, and the Critics' Choice Awards added a casting award this year. The casting industry has its own awards, the Artios Awards, which were first held in 1985. But the Golden Globes and the Tony Awards do not recognize this profession.
“The better the casting process is done, the less you seem to notice it. Because it’s done so well that you don’t feel anything at all,” said Destiny Lilly, president of the Casting Association with 1,200 members, who also works with Telsey.
"I think it takes time for this art form to gain recognition because a lot of the casting work by directors happens before most of the other members of the production team are involved."
Telsey, along with his team at The Telsey Office, casts actors for everything from films like “Mary Poppins Returns” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman” to television shows like “The Gilded Age” and “Only Murders in the Building.” He rose to prominence on the stage, casting for Tony Award-winning productions such as “Maybe Happy Ending,” “Kinky Boots,” and “Hairspray.”
“Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good” were among the biggest challenges for the team, as they cast hundreds of actors and dancers over more than a year of filming across continents.
Although Cynthia Erivo seemed born to play Elphaba and Ariana Grande was a strong candidate for Glinda, it was the result of a difficult selection process, almost like a gamble.
“It’s only when they walk into the audition room that you think, ‘Wow, this is amazing. Absolutely. No one else could play this role besides these two,’” he said. “You don’t really know until you see it with your own eyes.”
To keep track of as many actors as possible, Telsey went to the theater four or five nights a week and spent the weekends watching television shows and movies. Twice a week, he and his staff met to exchange information about the actors they were watching and make recommendations.
"Every day you feel like you're falling behind and there are hundreds more actors I don't know, how am I supposed to meet them and how am I supposed to watch them perform? So it's a never-ending race," he said.
Casting directors first speak with directors, writers, and producers to understand their vision for the project and then look for suitable actors to audition for. Telsey likens it to a costume designer having to know all the different fabrics and colors available.
Lilly recently achieved a major success by proposing comedian Bill Burr to join David Mamet's latest Broadway play , "Glengarry Glen Ross," alongside Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk. It was Burr's stage debut, but Mamet's explosive lines seemed a perfect fit.
"I think there are a lot of people who have never acted before but can really shine. They just need the right opportunities, the right projects, and a good director to work with," she said.
Over the years, Telsey has witnessed the lines between film, television, and stage blurring as actors freely switch between media. He disagrees with the notion that stage skills are vastly different from screen acting skills.
“The notion that they are different is a myth. Technically they are different, but in essence they are the same. Good acting is still good acting,” he said. “Glenn Close can do musicals, stage plays, television shows and movies and get nominated in every category…”
Telsey, whose first major breakthrough in his casting career was the musical “Rent” —“just a little musical that nobody wanted to do,” he joked—has also witnessed technology transform the job, particularly as auditions moved online, streaming television boomed, and the film industry became increasingly globalized.
"I think we always need to educate our teams about the need for casting to broaden and encompass more fields," he said.
“In most projects, you only have a short time to find actors. Time is not on our side. Things will become even tighter as budgets are cut further in the future.”
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/oscar-lan-dau-vinh-danh-casting-viec-lam-tham-lang-ma-quan-trong-cua-dien-anh-post1082827.vnp
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