When taking a script from the page to the stage or screen, finding the right actors is essential. It’s key to discover people who can tell the story and tell it well. As Spike Lee says in his MasterClass, “The wrong actors, the wrong roles could turn out the wrong movie.”
Erica Jensen
Ted Ely
Just ask casting director Erica Jensen. Part of the team Calleri Jensen Davis, Jensen is a true force who has been working in film, television and theater for more than two decades. She sees her job as matching talent with talent—placing the right actor with the right director and/or writer.
“A casting director is like a match-maker, finding the perfect actor for the perfect role,” she says. “Casting Directors are also the middle-person between actors and directors. They have skills that fit many areas and tend to change hats depending on the situation.”
Jensen knew she wanted to be a casting director during her first day interning at the Playwrights Horizons casting office. Fresh from getting her MFA in acting from Illinois State University, Jensen was introduced to the great playwright Christopher Durang. His play Betty’s Summer Vacation was being cast at Playwrights Horizons.
“I watched actor after actor come in and audition, I listened to the director, the writer and the casting director, James Calleri, talk about why certain actors were right while others weren’t,” she recalls. “I loved being on the side of the table where decisions were being made.”
From that moment she knew she wanted to pursue a career in casting. Ultimately Jensen joined Calleri’s agency and never looked back.
The winner of 15 Artios Awards for excellence, the agency has cast for Broadway, Off-Broadway, major motion pictures and television series. Just a few of their Broadway credits include Burn This with Adam Driver and Keri Russell, Hedwig & The Angry Inch with Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall, The Elephant Man with Bradley Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Alessandro Nivola, Of Mice and Men with James Franco, Chris O’Dowd and Leighton Meester, A Raisin in the Sun with Sean Combs, Audra MacDonald, and Phylicia Rashad, James Joyce’s The Dead with Christopher Walken and Hughie with Forest Whitaker. They also cast the television hit “Dickinson” on AppleTV+.
With several exciting projects on the horizon Calleri Jensen Davis is casting the Broadway productions of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, Thoughts of a Colored Man and Blue. “I love matching artists with artists who inspire each other and collaborate to generate great stories,” says Jensen. “And I love discovering new talent and introducing that talent to others.”
Earlier this year, to better reflect the equal partnership that has been key to their success, the agency went from being Calleri Casting to Calleri Jensen Davis. They have reaffirmed their commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion to ensure equal access to opportunity for all performers.
“As a Black business owner, and one of the few BIPOC casting directors in New York, this is a conversation I’ve been involved in for a long time. I know I speak for many when I say I am optimistic about the prospect of real and lasting change when it comes to the stories that get told and who gets to tell them,” explains Jensen. “That said, our primary goal of this renewed focus is to continue to fulfill our team’s mission: to bring the very best talent to each and every project we work on.”
Paramount in the agency’s success is their tight bond and deep respect they have for one another. “I love working with my partners, James Calleri and Paul Davis. I learn new things from them all the time,” says Jensen. “We just really like each other. We are family.”
(From left) James Calleri, Erica Jensen and Paul Davis
Ted Ely
Jeryl Brunner: When productions were shut down what kept you going?
Erica Jensen: We were really nervous about how we were going to survive. At the time of the shutdown, we were working on one or two plays. So, aside from teaching, we weren’t doing much. This left us with a lot of time to really consider what we wanted to do with the business.
In the past we talked about changing the company name, but never did it. Now, suddenly we had the time to discuss what it would look like to rebrand and reinvent ourselves. In a way it was also a recommitment to our company, an expression of wanting to work—wanting to generate more work and opportunities for ourselves. And, so far, it has paid off.
Brunner: How did the agency stay afloat?
Jensen: We applied for and received a PPP loan. We also gave up our office space which relieved us of paying any overhead. Personally, we all teach so that helped in the beginning months when no money was coming in.
Brunner: Can you share one of your favorite casting moments?
Jensen: Very early in my career we were having auditions for an Edward Albee play and the actor, John Ortiz, came in to audition. We had already seen a few guys who I thought were pretty good. Well, John came in and owned the room. He was completely off-book. He used the space, he fully inhabited the character. It was almost as if he didn’t care about impressing us, the people behind the table. It was like we weren’t even there.
He took up space. And he was mesmerizing. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I was so moved, I cried. He is a great actor. He stood out from the rest because he was so confident and not worried about pleasing us. He wanted to do good work. And that was an “Ah Ha” moment for me. It showed me how to distinguish the good actors from the great actors.
Brunner: Why do you think there are not an abundance of BIPOC casting directors in New York?
Jensen: When I was beginning my career, the best way to get a foot in the door was through interning. And the financial issues that involved made interning something only the privileged could do. Many casting directors start as freelance workers and it is hard to generate a livable wage in the beginning. When I started in casting as a full-time intern I made $75 per week. In New York City. Try to live in New York City on $75 per week.
I was a student at the time and I had some financial aid, but it was tough. I never had money and I was just barely paying my rent. Additionally, before my internship I didn’t know being a casting director was a job. I imagine lots of people don’t know about casting as a career.
Brunner: When it comes to the stories that get told and who gets to tell them, what is the industry’s commitment to real and lasting change?
Jensen: When we start hiring more BIPOC casting professionals we will have more advocates behind the table supporting BIPOC artists (actors, writers, and directors).
The casting community is working to open opportunities for anyone who wants to be a casting director by offering free training through the CSA (Casting Society of America) and rethinking the qualifications of a casting director. For example, having a resume with administrative assistant work listed fits nicely into a casting office since so much of the work we do requires such skills.
