There’s something to be said about a show so irreverent that it cites—on its own website—critics’ passionate disdain for it. Quote the critics? No, Oxygen.com does one better and includes video clips of the critics bashing Girls Behaving Badly.
I hadn’t seen the show when casting director Michelle Foumberg leapt onto my radar screen in November of 2002. Foumberg heard about the series of free casting director panels BSW began cohosting at Take One Film and Theatre Books and wanted to be a part of them [she is one of four scheduled panelists at the February 12th event]. Before our interview, I knew I needed to see an episode of Girls Behaving Badly, so I made sure to check it out.
Part Jamie Kennedy Experiment, part Candid Camera, and part Sex in the City, this show has staying power. Currently in its second season, the show features pranks like offering a sampling platter of “imported cheeses from human breast milk” and getting unwitting men to help carry home “a drunken starlet” from the back of a limo.
What on Earth would the casting director for such a prank show be like? Amazingly intelligent, articulate, and focused. Foumberg knows exactly what she’s doing. “I’m in reality now because it’s hot. I’ve got plans for where I’m going from here. And meanwhile, I’m enjoying exactly where I am!”
First casting job
Intern at MTV in 1999. Foumberg earned her degree in film, planning to be a director. “I didn’t even think about casting. MTV came to my college, looking for interns, and I interned on the Sports Music Festival.” In 2000, she was asked to assist on a dance show for MTV. At that time, she connected with casting director Jason Carbone [The Bachelor, High School Reunion] who became her partner. “We cast Becoming for MTV for two years. We did the pilot and two seasons. I left Becoming to do Big Brother 3 for CBS. I had to take that opportunity to do a network show,” she said.
Carbone called Foumberg after Big Brother 3 to let her know about a new show being developed for Oxygen. While initially hesitant to stay in reality programming, Foumberg quickly realized that a hybrid show would be a great transition job for her. “Last season, this show was rated the highest-rated show ever on Oxygen. These producers are wonderful. What’s exciting is that I’m doing this on my own. I have no partner, no associate, no assistant, nothing. It’s just a fun show: a cast of women who play pranks on—usually—men. I mean, it is a women’s network,” she qualified. “The best thing is, we’re using these women with comedic backgrounds, who are outspoken, who have a lot to say, who fear nothing. It’s a lot of fun working with them.”
Foumberg casts series regulars, pranksters, and marks. “We shoot four times a week, do 13 episodes a season, with five to ten prank segments per show. That’s a lot of casting. I’m looking for three different things during the season. I’m looking for the accomplices who want to set people up. Then, I’m looking for supporting casts. A production team will tell me, ‘We’re doing a prank where Melissa [Howard—of MTV Real World fame] has a family. I need you to cast a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister,’ and they all have to look like they could be her family. It has to be believable. That portion is scripted and I do put out Breakdowns for that,” she explained. “The third thing I’m looking for are women to add to our cast. The producers want the show to grow. We’re not done putting our cast together.”
Where she finds talent
“Last season, besides putting out Breakdowns, I went to all these comedy shows. People say there are no women comedians—but there are! I go to Comedy Union for She-She Comedy, 15 Minutes of FEM—there are so many different women’s shows and that’s where I go to scout. I’m looking for funny women with lots of improv background. Standup is all scripted material, so I need someone who can go off what is thrown at her.”
Foumberg found so many talented women last season that her producers asked her to set up a showcase featuring 40 of them. “I went to the comedy clubs, contacted agents that deal with comedic actors more than others, and set up a showcase at Improv Olympic West. Each woman had two to three minutes on stage. My producers wanted it quick and wanted to see a lot of people. I put it all together so they could see these great women all at once. It’s all on me to get producers the best talent,” she said.
Best way to get seen by her
Postcards. “After I’ve seen somebody for an audition, keeping in touch with a postcard is great. Let me know when you’re going to be appearing somewhere so that I don’t have to track you down to find out what you’re doing next. Send me a postcard and it will go on my calendar. I will try to check you out.”
While Foumberg does open unsolicited headshots and resumes that come her way, that’s not the best way in. “If you do submit, personalize your submission. Make it grab my eye. A headshot and resume says, ‘Hi.’ That’s it. Have you even seen the show? Do you know anything about it? Let me know that. It’s like any other world. You wouldn’t send out your resume with no cover letter. You have to personalize it.”
Key things she looks for in an actor
Writing ability. “If you have some sort of writer’s background, you can come in with your ideas. The women in our cast are not being fed what to do. They’re coming up with it and our writers develop it. They’re cast in their own vision that way and that’s important.”
Additionally, Foumberg is looking for pranksters or accomplices who aren’t looking for their big acting break. “Our show is non-union, so I’m always looking for people who want to play a prank and be on TV but not necessarily work as an actor forever. It’s not brain surgery. It’s play a prank, be on the show. You never know who you’re going to meet, so it’s a great opportunity.”
Advice for actors
“Know what you are auditioning for. No matter what it is, know the project and don’t just come in saying, ‘My agent sent me. I’m supposed to be here at three.’ If the show is on the air, you should schedule the time to see it. If you don’t have time, go to the website. Know what you’re going in for.”
Beyond doing basic research, Foumberg advises actors to be honest. “Don’t lie. Last season, before the show had aired, I had people come in to audition and I had ten minutes set aside for them to watch the show, so they’d be familiar with it. I had told agents that. Actors would come in and say that they’d seen the show! I knew they’d never watched it! I had built in time for them to watch it! They lied and missed an opportunity just to—what—tell me what they think I want to hear? Why? After that, the rest of the audition is a lie.”
What to expect in the room
“It’s a general meeting. It’s not easy for me to judge your improv skills, so we’ll talk about your background, we’ll see how we click, and then go forward. There is no time for sides and really no time for Breakdowns. Sometimes I need people to start [shooting] that day. The turnaround is real quick for this show. We have four segment producers and they submit a casting request. They may be shooting in two days, so I have to get people in now. Agents know, when I call, they’re going to be working fast to get their actors to me.”
Once you get in that room, Foumberg wants you to make an impression. “If you could see how many actors come in, sit down, talk, and then leave, you would know how important it is to stand out and do something different.” We discussed the day of auditions in terms of making a videotape and viewing it using time-lapse photography. If 100 actors walk in, sit, get up, and leave, but one person jumps around, you find you want to stop the tape. Foumberg interjected, “What was that? Go back! Yes, exactly. Stand out. Break the mold. Talk to me. Tell me a story I’ll remember. I don’t need to be asking all the questions. Make sure I remember you so that, even if that role is cut, I’ll know I can call you next time and you’ll deliver.”
This interview was conducted on January 10, 2003, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.