But for all Cuba’s strength in seeking untested talent, she has just as much of a proven track record when it comes to reconfiguring an established actor’s persona. As Alex Garland, creator of “Devs,” said: “I would never have met or thought of Nick Offerman without her, and now I can’t imagine the show without him.”
For Garland, “Carmen thinks about casting in a very complete, very nuanced way. She’s incredibly clear-headed, and she always had an eye on the overall balance and tone, as well as granular specifics about what a particular actor would bring.” For “Mrs. America,” Cuba fought hard for comedic actress Tracey Ullman to tackle the role of feminist Betty Friedan. “[She] totally got how her background in comedy was such an asset to the role,” Waller said.
Similarly, in building the 1980s for the Duffers, Cuba pushed hard to cast Winona Ryder, playing on the actress’ own background of teen roles. Combined with making a character actor like David Harbour a lead — and a collection of diverse child actors who naturally felt like one of those groups of friends that defined the Spielberg popcorn era of PG movies — the casting director built something so familiar, and eventually iconic, from components that were unexpected.
Cuba’s approaches are as varied and inventive as the creators who rely on her judgment, with all of them looking beyond what is obvious or what’s been done before. “Authenticity” and “diversity” are buzz words often thrown around the world of casting, but few casting directors have their mind, heart, and eye so attuned to the world around them, seeing the full potential of what a more representative face of TV can actually look like. –Kristen Lopez
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Publish date : 2020-06-22 11:33:07
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