Shawn Dawson is one of the two Dawsons at Ulrich Dawson Kritzer Casting, one of the busiest offices in Los Angeles. The other is Eric. Robert Ulrich and Carol Kritzer round out the partnership. A pro at casting series, Dawson asks one big favor of the actors who self-submit: put the title of the show on the submission envelope. You couldn’t imagine how much this helps in such a busy office.
Key Things He Looks for in an Actor
Preparedness. “Often, scripts are available in our office but nobody picks them up. Do your homework before meeting the producers. The stupidest thing actors can do is ask questions of the producers,” Dawson explained, noting that, by the time an actor is at the producer session level, all questions should have been asked.
An important element to preparedness, according to Dawson, is being specific. “Make a choice,” he said, simply.
While Dawson respects the craft of the actor, it is not something he has aspired to try. “I’ve never had the desire to be an actor. I couldn’t do it. You’re putting yourself out there and being rejected. It’s like a bad dating scene. But everyone in our company is married to an actor. We empathize. We know what you go through. There’s a misconception that casting directors don’t like actors. It’s just not true,” he explained.
Advice for Actors
Training is important, according to Dawson, but it’s not everything. “This girl tested for a series regular role and she was new to the business,” he began. “She was one of three girls we discussed hiring. She’d trained here and here and here. The director wanted to know why she wasn’t any better. Training is great, but too much of the same training can hurt you. Just because your resume is great doesn’t make you a better actor.”
For Dawson, training isn’t just scene study and on-camera technique. “Training includes knowing what’s going on in the business. Don’t come in and say, ‘I don’t really watch TV.’ You have to know styles, tones, and what’s on right now. Look up the director and the casting director on IMDB before you come in. Know what we’ve done,” he advised.
Pet Peeves
Going too far. “There’s an acting school that tells actors to do something outrageous in order to be memorable. I can tell the actors from that school. I’ve had my hair played with. I’ve been kissed,” Dawson recalled. Does he remember these actors? “We remember these people… as freaks,” he joked.
Best Way to Get Seen by Him
Submissions. “We open everything. I love postcards. If I like your look, I’ll tell you to bring me a headshot and resume,” he said, of receiving a photo postcard first. However, make sure your approach is a personal one. “A postcard with a label and no handwritten note, just a printed invitation to your theatre performance, is so random. We like it personal. This town is about relationships,” Dawson summarized.
To that end, Dawson attends casting director workshops. “I’ll spend the first hour of a workshop telling our office’s likes and dislikes, recommending what to do when you come in for the producer,” he explained, noting that the rest of the time is used to see an actor’s work.
His Opinion on Alternative Submission Methods
“I’ve tried [Internet casting services], but until we know that 95% of all agencies are online, it’s twice the work. We do online and paper submissions because we don’t want to miss anything,” he said.
And, speaking of missing something, what role does diversity play in casting? According to Dawson, when an agent calls to ask whether someone of another ethnicity can be submitted on a role, he finds that refreshing. He does, however, discourage against-type submissions without a call first.
What He Would Change About the Casting Process
The rushed timing of it all. “A series is cast weekly. We’ll get the script on day one and have producer sessions on day four. That’s two days to preread 800 to 900 actors for one line. We’ll then bring six people in for producers.” Exhausting or not, Dawson’s job is one that keeps him very gratified, and very busy.
This interview was conducted on November 3, 2001, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.