“There was no time to be nervous. I just had to act,” said Kevin Scott about his October 2001 acceptance speech at the Casting Society of America’s Artios Awards. For the second year in a row, he and John Levey, along with then-Executive Barbara Miller shared in the Outstanding Achievement in Dramatic Casting [Episodic 2001, Pilot 2000] for The West Wing.
Scott had gone outside with a colleague during the dinner break and was alerted by someone else that he’d just won an award. “I don’t know where my glass of wine went, but suddenly I was running in. I kicked a woman in the process – and I still haven’t heard who that was – I ran up on stage with my hands waving in the air, yelling, ‘I’m here!'” Scott recalled.
Scott is most definitely here. After two seasons casting The West Wing with John Levey, and working together on ER prior to that, Scott has an eye for assembling an ensemble. As a 2001 Emmy winner [for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, along with Levey and Barbara Miller], he’ll continue to have plenty of opportunities to perfect his acceptance speech from the look of his track record.
First Casting Job
A music video for rap artist Too Short. “I went to school in the Bay Area and worked on ‘Short but Funky’ with Tony Lee. He and Robi Reed-Humes sort of ushered me into casting after I finished school.” After that first partnership, Scott continued working on projects with Reed-Humes and Lee, including Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” music video.
Road to This Position
Several years after moving to Los Angeles Scott went on to assist Chemin Bernard at Warner Brothers Television on the pilot Tall Hopes. “I worked at the old Warner Bros. spot with John Levey, Andrea Cohen, Marcia Ross, and Marion Dougherty. Lorimar took over the old Warner Bros. and absorbed Levey. He and I got along well so about a month later, I came with him to the new Warner Bros. I assisted him for three years before Barbara Miller made me a casting director,” Scott chronicled.
Coolest Casting Gig
The West Wing. “It had to do primarily with the writing,” Scott said. “How often does one get to work with someone who creates such incredible material? I couldn’t wait to get the script sometimes.”
Key Things He Looks for in an Actor
“A comfort level with themselves,” Scott said. “They need to feel comfortable in their own skin.”
Scott further explained, “There’s a certain depth to people that comes across in their pictures. I look at the picture and resume thinking, ‘Do I want to get to know this person better?'”
Pet Peeves
Self-doubt. “Actors set themselves up for failure,” he said. “They’ll come in the room and talk about how they just got the material, in essence making an excuse for the job they’re about to do.” Scott attributes this behavior to a lacking sense of self and a desire to indicate that they can do better. “There are all of these excuses. I’m sure we all do it somehow. I’m a tennis player, and I’ve had it said to me, ‘I haven’t hit in weeks.’ This is an old tactic used by some to, in effect, lessen the trauma of their potential failure,” Scott revealed.
Advice for Actors
Quite simply, for Scott, the advice is, “Get the material ahead of time. Study it. Make a choice. Come in here and do it.”
And always, “Practice your craft, whether it be in class, theatre, or something as simple as a staged reading of a work-in-progress. The point is: practice your craft,” he insisted.
His Opinion on Alternative Submission Methods
“Internet casting is a great idea, in that it cuts down on paperwork, but it’s hard, for me at this point, to make the transition. Some of us are trying. For now, though, it’s safer the old way. We don’t know if everyone is linked yet and we don’t want to miss anything. Soon, I think all the agents and casting directors will be linked up to [online casting services] and we’ll see a change,” Scott concluded. “I could see it getting to the point where I will see your picture, click on it, and see a demo reel without having to wait for it to arrive in my office. It’s gonna be the way to go. I can’t wait to have it all at the click of a mouse.”
What about theatre? “Here in Los Angeles, I don’t go that often. I’d like to go see more. I used to do workshops,” Scott revealed. “It’s a touchy situation for lots of casting directors,” he said.”My first year as a casting director was my last year doing workshops. The majority of workshops I did when I was an assistant.”
What were they like? “People would constantly ask how to get on ER and I would specifically say to them, ‘I’m not here for ER. I’m here because I won’t always be an assistant. You should be here because you believe in me as a potential casting director and that when I become a casting director, I might remember you.’ Sure enough, there are people I’ve brought in since I’ve become a casting director. I think actors should take these workshops to learn something, not to get a job, as many casting directors are very good teachers,” Scott summarized.
Best Way to Get Seen by Him
Through your agent. “We have relationships with agents. We know certain agents’ tastes which, over time, we learn to respect and trust,” Scott explained.
What about unsolicited headshots? “I open everything,” he continued. “I like postcards – if I’ve met you – and you’re catching me up on something. Send me a postcard if you’ve changed agents since I last saw you, you’re doing a new play, you’ve booked a job on another show or film. It’s nice to be kept abreast of the progression of an actor’s career.”
Biggest Casting Challenge
“The last episode I did of The West Wing. We were looking for [President Bartlett] at about 17 and Mrs. Landingham at about 22. That was not easy. It wasn’t just about a look, but a quality that each actor has,” Scott revealed. “I wanted to hire actors that would make you say, ‘Wow! That is Kathryn Joosten at 22. That is Martin Sheen as a teenager.'”
Best Casting Discovery
“Dulé Hill. Hands down. I’m proud that he was put on the map through his part on The West Wing.”
And a rediscovery, of sorts: Rob Lowe. “His agent wanted him to come and audition. I don’t think all of us were on the same page when we were working on that role. We finally agreed, ‘Let’s give it a shot.’ His was one of the most amazing readings I’ve ever been witness to,” Scott explained. “In my mind, there was nobody else who was right for it. He had it. There was no comparison.”
It is…? “Most of the times we don’t know. It comes into the room and we go, ‘That’s it!'”
Highlight of His Week
“Seeing the final product,” Scott summarized. “Seeing how an episode finally turned out and knowing I had some part in that.”
Most Gratifying Part of His Job
“Meeting new people. I studied Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, thinking I liked animals so much, and then I realized what I liked was meeting all of these people who brought their pets in. I’m a people person.”
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.