Deborah Barylski is known for “finding good kids.” Whether it was spotting Jonathan Taylor Thomas when he was seven or putting Haley Joel Osment on the TV show Thunder Alley when he was five, Barylski knew that their natural ability came through because they were “extremely bright.”
When asked about her “best” discovery, Barylski was quick to explain the nature of the job by saying, “[Casting directors] go to bat for someone every day.” In over 20 years, that’s a lot of times at-bat, and Barylski is still – enthusiastically – at the plate.
First Casting Job
As an assistant with MTM Television. Barylski assisted producers on shows such as Lou Grant, St. Elsewhere, The Bob Newhart Show, and Remington Steele.
“My background was in theatre. I had been teaching as well as doing theatre management and directing on the side. I was deciding between going through an AD/director training program and casting, and casting just seemed more immediate,” Barylski explained about her choice to become a casting director. With an MFA in Directing and Theatre Management from Illinois State University, Barylski has also worked as an instructor at Cal. State, Long Beach.
Road to This Position
“In this business, we all count on the kindness of those we meet along the way,” she revealed. After MTM, Barylski worked as Lori Openden’s associate and then Simon Ayer hired her for her first job as a casting director, at Stephen Cannell Productions. After a year at Cannell, she was hired to do a Viacom pilot for executive producer Hugh Wilson. “It was never my intention to be a freelance contractor as early as I was,” she said. “I thought I’d work in one place, build up my contacts, and then go out on my own. Instead, I was very quickly thrown in the water and I went with the flow.”
That flow included casting programs such as Frank’s Place, The Famous Teddy Z, Home Improvement (the pilot and eight years of episodic casting), Just Shoot Me (pilot, plus three years), and AMC’s The Lot, just to name a few.
Coolest Casting Gig
“Coolest really has to do with people more than the script sometimes, and then sometimes it’s the script, more than the people,” Barylski explained. She notes that Doctor, Doctor, a show she cast with Cami Patton, was a favorite project. “We had fun with the actors. The producers saw the script as the starting point, and the actors got to play, to improvise. The only thing was, every actor felt that they nailed it, because the sessions were so fun.” That project also marked the beginning of a long association with Wind Dancer Productions, right up through Home Improvement.
Key Things She Looks for in an Actor
“It depends on the project,” Barylski said. For example, the midwestern look was important to Home Improvement, whereas Just Shoot Me required a more sophisticated, cosmopolitan look. “For The Lot, I was able to use of actors I hadn’t been able to use before, because they had that ’30s film look. I used a lot of theatre people for that show.”
Always important to Barylski is an actor’s experience in theatre. Her theatre background translates to a knowledge of the work and discipline involved. “A sitcom really is just a 22-minute play.”
Pet Peeves
“Actors who aren’t prepared.” In Barylski’s opinion, being prepared encompasses more than simply making choices. “It’s getting sides, being on time, not coming in hung-over,” she continued. “Have you compared the directions [you were given] to your Thomas Bros. Guide? Have you driven the route? At that time of day?”
Further preparedness comes from doing your homework. “Know the style of the show, the network it’s on, other things the producers have done. Know when you’re walking in what kind of show you’re coming in for. Next to making specific choices, tone is everything,” she summarized.
Advice for Actors
“When you’re preparing for an audition, have two or three ways of doing the role in your back pocket. The producers don’t always know what they want, so they may just ask you to try something else. Have something else ready.”
Many times, according to Barylski, good audition technique is more important than being a good actor. “The auditioning process is a different craft from acting. Become a good auditioner and you will book more work,” she said. And how does an actor do that? “It’s a science. Develop a strategy for what happens in the room. Improv helps, in that it keeps you in the moment, but most of the time in television, they don’t want you to deviate from the script.”
Barylski noted that the business is very self-involved, by its nature. “Partly, you have to be, or you don’t get anywhere. You have to be able to self-assess and set goals. I suggest to people that they have to do something on a regular basis that gets them out of themselves. Your sense of community is important, and such a source of satisfaction. Whether it’s a retirement home or a children’s hospital or anything; get out there, perform, or just touch people so that you can get through any frustration, anxiety, depression. Once a week, go somewhere that gets you outside of you.”
Further advice from Barylski, “Keep training. You should never, ever stop acting. Even if it’s just ten friends getting together and working scenes once a week for four weeks, there is no excuse for not working out.”
And finally, if you are not yet a member of SAG, according to Barylski, “becoming SAG is your ultimate and only responsibility. Get that card.”
Her Opinion on Alternative Submission Methods
“Internet casting is the way of the future, but it’s not there yet,” she said. Barylski showed me her most commonly used links, to the Academy Players Online Directory, IMDB, Variety.com, and WhoRepresents.com. “Until every CD and agent is online, it won’t be universal. But you should follow the guidance of your agent. If your agent does a lot of work online, you should do it,” she advised.
Bottom line, “Make sure you’re in the Academy Players Directory and keep your listing updated,” Barylski said. “I don’t know a single casting director who doesn’t use this tool. Do it, do it, do it.”
Best Way to Get Seen by Her
“With network TV, I don’t do a lot of Breakdowns because so many of our scripts come in on the fly,” Barylski explained, noting that she calls about 20 agents to gather actors. “I attend showcases and plays two to three times a month, so send a flyer,” she advised.
How about unsolicited headshots? “I look at every single piece of mail that comes in,” she insisted. “Not always in a timely manner, but I do look. I love postcards, though. They’re easier to file and keep. I keep photos of actors who are the types I need for the show as well as the ones that have, ‘Meet Me!’ bounc[ing] out of the picture at me. Then, when I have time, I’ll hold generals.”
Her Biggest Casting Challenge
Nine years ago, Barylski struggled to cast the role of the mom in Thunder Alley. “We had three different actresses in the role. We just couldn’t seem to get the right combination of actress and role. This was before Gilmore Girls and actresses didn’t want to make that leap to playing mom roles too early because they felt they could never turn back. I was pretty much trying to cast that role for a year,” she said. Barylski’s solution was to, “cast the net again,” until availability and interest combined with talent and the right look.
Highlight of Her Week
“Sometimes, it’s the table read. It’s like opening night, when all of the guest stars and series regulars come together,” Barylski said. “And some weeks, it’s that somebody we really liked on tape came in and we liked him just as much in person.”
“This job is about finding pieces of a puzzle that will work together, work with the project, and work with the producer. It’s great seeing the puzzle take shape.”
Most Gratifying Part of Her Job
“Working with the actors. Actors are my currency. I enjoy playing with them through the prereads, because that’s where I’m most like a theatre director and that process is fun for me. To finally get the job for someone I believe in, seeing them get the work, that is very satisfying.”
This interview was conducted on October 9, 2001, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.