Judy Belshé-Toernblom, a one-time agent, actor, casting director, and teacher is also an award-winning writer. Her screenplays have won contests with the AngelCiti and Burbank International Children’s Film Festivals, while her books—It’s a Freeway Out There and The Parent’s Guide to the Film and Commercial Industry—have won the Irwin Publicist Award. Belshé comes from humble beginnings, stating, “My little book started out as a ten-page guide called Don’t Ever Do This in My Office. Parents needed a guide.”
This casting director of hundreds of films, pilots, commercials, industrials, instructional videos, and PSAs also teaches classes in Long Beach for children and adults. “I don’t take anybody in the northern region. I stick with actors in Long Beach and points south. I’ll recommend coaches for people who live north of that. I figure kids are losing a lot of their play time in classes. If they are dead-set that they want to be in this business, I want them trained, but I don’t want them to have to drive four hours every time that they have class. I put myself here as an option, and I don’t bankrupt the parents.”
Belshé, who spoke on the Back Stage West free casting director panel at Take One Bookstore on November 6, has a delightful sense of humor and a no-nonsense take on what Hollywood is all about: Freedom.
First Showbiz Job
Although Belshé won a best actress award as a high school senior; she began her “Hollywood work” at the age of 35. “I was busy having a family. I was a gospel singer, guitar-player, songwriter. I enjoyed entertaining. I started teaching piano for Sherman Clay, and through him, I ran into Angel Flores, one of the second generation of Mouseketeers. We decided that I should be their manager. I was talking to these big wigs and I didn’t even know it, but I was pitching my roster of a cruise singer that never docked, an auctioneer, and an out-of-work Mouseketeer. I got on the phone with [agent] George Hunt and he said, ‘I don’t want to rep your people, but you’ve got guts. Come and work for me.'” Thus began Belshé’s work as an agent.
“This just shows you how ridiculous the industry can be. I didn’t know anyone! I had a really funny beginning, Belshé admitted of her multi-hyphenated job description. “On my card, it says CDWTA: Casting Director, Writer, Teacher, Actress. I was a casting director before there was a Casting Society of America. I provide myself freedom and my own medical insurance and, hey, CDWTA is two more initials than CSA,” quipped Belshé.
Currently Casting
It’s always changing, but in addition to several infomercials, Belshé is currently casting a series of Al-Anon Family Groups 60-second PSAs. “I cast non-union and union. I’m where you start and where you want to end up, as an actor,” she observed.
What Agenting Taught Her About Casting
“As an agent, I learned that it’s all about trust. If, as an agent, I just sent casting directors a grocery list, they’d stop calling me. If I sent people who were exactly right for the part, they’d trust me. If–as an agent–you don’t build credibility, it’s a fine line whether you’ll get called again by casting directors. That means you could lose your ability to get your talent in the door. Trust is clout and that’s really all we have in this business. It’s like the stock market: If the confidence in us drops, it takes a lot of time to build that back up.”
This knowledge has impacted the way Belshé operates, as a casting director today. “I’m more sympathetic to the agents, having been there. I know what an armpit of a job that can be. On the one side, you have wonderful people with wonderful talent. On the other side, you have people who can hire them. In between, there’s the question: How do I get seen?”
To that end, Belshé values relationships. “We all leave footprints. In this world, [casting directors] are often treated as if we are invisible. If I attend an industry party, I am just another person coming to the party. As soon as actors learn I am a casting director, I am treated as a person. I say, always treat people as people. Don’t let the way you treat people change based on what it is we can do for you. You have to define you. Don’t let your work define you,” she advised.
Her Biggest Casting Challenge
“Finding a job. [Casting directors] are in a worse position than actors. The actor wants the part. We want all of the parts. I have to accommodate my life financially and every other way in order to work in this business. I’ve never worked on staff where I got a cushy check every week whether I cast one project or ten.”
That said, Belshé expressed that she feels extremely thankful for her work. “I will always be thankful to God and Hollywood for allowing me to be my kids’ mom. This kind of work has allowed me to be with my four kids as a single mom and I will always be thankful for that. If you want to make a difference or if you have something to say, get into this business. Somewhere in your niche, in your time, you’re going to make a difference.”
Advice for Actors
Get in class. “As a talent, you don’t work every week, but when you are in class, you are working and validating why you are here. Shop around and learn from different teachers. The business is not made up of just one personality and neither should your experience. Glean from each class what helped you. An actor is safe in class. It’s where you can make all the mistakes,” Belshé explained.
She also sees value in the networking element of acting class. “This is where you meet others like yourself: People that are having the same experience and drive as you. That is very comforting in this business. It’s not a simple job. At the end of the week, there is no paycheck for auditioning. Network, make friends, be a friend, then pray you get on a show that is the next Friends.”
An Actor’s Most Important Tool
A photograph that looks like you. “I normally will see everyone that is remotely right for the part. I need to. But pictures don’t really tell me anything. You could have a terrific picture, but remember that a picture never booked a job. A picture gets you in the door. If you can’t deliver beyond that good picture, I can’t use you.”
As for what an actor can do to help an agent, Belshé advises keeping the agent well-stocked. “When your agent needs your tools, get them to them yesterday. So I don’t end up with some Xeroxed version of your 8×10.”
Best Way to Get Seen by Her
Online. “The information on what I cast is open to everyone. Not everyone–less than 25% of Los Angeles actors, according to my independent research–has an agent. My job is to service the producer by finding the best talent, wherever they are. I want to give everyone a chance to audition. I utilize every online service to get the word out about my auditions. It’s not privileged information. It’s public!”
As for how many actors Belshé will attempt to see for a role, she reveals that there is math involved. “It becomes a math problem because I look at the number of people I have in front of me and consider how many I can see in one day and still have time to cast the project. I go online first. As for what I’m looking for, that’s talent. Think about it, what do you look for when you see a film? It’s the same thing.”
Belshé acknowledges that online casting is a few years off from becoming mainstream. “We have to let all those old casting directors die before it becomes the way casting is done,” she joked. Belshé advises actors to keep their web presence simple. “Actors get carried away with all this junk on their main pages. Assume we all have older computers, because we do. Every computer you get is older as soon as you bring it home!”
“Get yourself on the top online services like The Link or CastNet or something like that. Let’s speed up this process! We’re all waiting to be beamed up. Ta-dah. It is now possible!”
Most Gratifying Part of Her Job
“Being on the dream-giver side. Every time I give someone a job, I get to validate them. We all seek validation in life and I get to provide that. I’m happy to be here. As long as Hollywood lets me, I’ll stay.”
This interview was conducted in 2002 and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.