Casting director Melissa Kostenbauder joined The Studio midway through the pilot, stepping into a project that was already attracting buzz with scripts she calls some of the funniest she’s ever read. From wrangling schedules across all ten episodes to helping series creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg pitch roles directly to A-list actors, Kostenbauder had her hands full in the best way possible.
In our conversation, she talks about working with the creative team, getting stars like Bryan Cranston, Ron Howard, and Zoë Kravitz on board, and what makes a great audition tape and headshot stand out. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Watch the full conversation in the video above or on our YouTube channel.
This is one of those shows that I would watch the day it came out, and I never do that. The only thing I didn’t like was that it’s only 10 episodes.
Melissa Kostenbauder: Yeah, I feel the same way. Honestly, I was a fan of the show before it even aired because those were genuinely some of the funniest scripts I’ve ever read in my entire career.
I know you came on board midway through the pilot, but was the main cast already set?
Melissa Kostenbauder: Some of them were. Some of them I did. It’s always very strange when a project is put on a hiatus, especially in the middle of things, but it was because the strike. But luckily, I’m close with Francine and I had known the guys from before, so it was it was a pretty easy transition to come in.
What was the most challenging part about casting the whole thing?
Melissa Kostenbauder: I think just the magnitude of it. I mean, this is not an interesting answer necessarily, but it was just keeping it all together and organized and making sure you knew when people were going to be shooting because they shot all 10 episodes at once. It was not casting for each episode, it was casting per schedule.
I think the biggest challenge was obviously just trying to make sure we got those great people and having that pressure and then also keeping it all organized and moving forward.
I think I saw that a lot of the name actors, their names were already written into the script. Did you have to go and contact those actors and find out if they’re actually interested and available?
Melissa Kostenbauder: Yeah, that’s exactly what we did.
They had actors that were kind of ideal in that situation or for that joke or whatnot. And so, we just took all of them out of the script and got availabilities on everybody and had interest conversations with their agents just to see if this was something they would entertain. And then the ones that were, we would set up meetings with Seth and Evan so that they could kind of pitch the joke or pitch the episode to them. And then they would send them a script afterward. And hopefully, after all of those steps, they would be interested. Sometimes they weren’t after all those steps.
And then if the initial actors they had in mind weren’t available, or weren’t interested, then we had to come up with new ideas and new people to talk about who might fit into those scenes.
There were name actors who we’re not interested in doing it? I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now.
Melissa Kostenbauder: You know, I think it was more just that they didn’t want to play themselves or it just wasn’t necessarily their thing. I mean, you’re an actor, you know that it’s a very personal choice that you make when you take on a role, right? Are you mentally into what the demands will be for that role to be able to access all those points in order to play it successfully.
Everyone is, and rightfully so, talking about Martin Scorsese’s part but Ron Howard was perfect. And then Bryan Cranston, obviously he’s not playing himself, but every time they came on screen, boom, knocked it out of the park.
Melissa Kostenbauder: I know. They were truly wonderful. I mean, Bryan Cranston, every time I see him on screen, laughter erupts from me.
But I think everyone did a really great job. There was never a point in time when someone was on screen, and I felt that they didn’t fully deliver to the absolute potential of what the scene was asking or what they were capable of.
And I loved Zoe Kravitz in it, too. Zoe in those last episodes is the funniest thing.
Were they easy to talk into doing the parts?
Melissa Kostenbauder: You know, I would have to let Seth and Evan answer that. Our process on this one wasn’t that we would send an offer and a script, we would send an offer and the opportunity to zoom or have a sit-down meeting with Seth and Evan, and they would just pitch the idea and the premise of the script. And then if they liked how that sounded, they would tailor the script to them a little bit, send them that and then hopefully they would do it. Sometimes they didn’t. Some got cold feet at the end.
Speaking of Seth and Evan, what was your collaboration with them like throughout the run?
Melissa Kostenbauder: They’re wonderful. They’re very hands-on, they’re very intelligent and very purposeful in what they do. Everything with them is very intentional and they’re really smart about their approach with everything. So, it was really lovely working with them.
For the main cast, did they already have people in mind?
Melissa Kostenbauder: They had Ike [Barinholtz] in mind, and I think that might have been it. And Seth, obviously.
I think he was a pretty good choice.
Melissa Kostenbauder: He was great. I mean, he’s I think he’s so funny in this show.
And I think Ike was perfect. And now he’s doing that Elon Musk movie.
Melissa Kostenbauder: I’ve always been a fan of Ike. He’s so gregarious and just has this wonderful quality about him as a person that’s just so kind and funny and easy to be around. And I think that just always translates into his acting. And I just find him so watchable. This is such a great role for him and I laugh every time I see him on screen.
There’s that one episode about casting. Did that hit home for you?
Melissa Kostenbauder: Very much so. I felt very seen.
But it’s the whole series. I get people asking me about it, especially people who aren’t in the business, because they find it really outlandish. And they’re like, “That doesn’t really happen, does it?” It’s like, “Yeah, it really does. All of that.”
There’s not a point in any part of the show that I would have felt that either I hadn’t seen or heard of firsthand, or someone had told me, it’s all very believable. I think if you work in this industry, you totally agree.
The episode with the continuous tracking shot. How did you go about casting that? Because if one actor with even one little line screws up, they have to start over. How did that play into finding the right actors for that episode?
Melissa Kostenbauder: I really do try to take care and who we’re casting, even for the smaller roles, even non-speaking sometimes we get involved with. But that one specifically, we really wanted to make sure people had on set experience and had worked on some bigger shows, so that when these sorts of situations have come up, they would at least have that basis of knowledge to work within that it wouldn’t be like a learning curve.
I love trying new actors and people who are interesting and new. I love that. But in this particular instance, it really was beneficial to have people who kind of knew their way around a set.
I want to ask you a couple of questions about acting. For self-tapes, what are you looking for? Or not looking for?
Melissa Kostenbauder: I’m really easy. As long as I can see you clearly and hear you clearly, that works for me. I don’t care if you’re standing in front of a refrigerator, as long as I can see you and hear you, that’s all I need.
And then performance wise, it’s just like any audition, just relax into it. I think a lot of times there’s a heightened energy that comes into a person before they audition, so I would just relax into it and be prepared.
I think if you have those two components ready to go, then once you start acting, it’ll come across a lot more naturally and a lot more nuanced.
I’ve always wanted to ask this question… Are slates really that important?
Melissa Kostenbauder: Yeah, they are. And I know, they’re awful and I’m so sorry.
I don’t think they need to be long. I don’t think they need to be more than just your name, your height, maybe where you’re based.
Because, especially on a self-tape, you’re sending this person to other people who weren’t in a room with them. And because this is a visual profession, you really kind of need to get a full picture, not even just for yourself, but just who in the scene you’re going to be with.
So, it really is just to get an idea of the entity that is you, and then, you know, to go with your performance.
For headshots, what stands out to you? I know you guys look on Actors Access, and they’re really little thumbnails. What makes you want to click onto an actor’s picture?
Melissa Kostenbauder: That is such a good question. I have a real thing with headshots, because I do think they’re important and they’re the first introduction to people sometimes.
I personally like them to be professional looking. And that doesn’t mean over Photoshop, it just means like a nice photo of you that almost isn’t trying too hard. I just want to see what you look like.
Sometimes with the bells and whistles or the multiple costumes, that to me is just a bit distracting. I just want to get a really good idea of what you look like. So, if you came in, or if I saw you in person, I could very easily assign you to that photo. Whereas more times than not, you wouldn’t believe that it really is quite different.
And also, I think actors knowing their brand and knowing who they are, and where they kind of fit in the grand scheme of things is really important for a photo as well. Like, let’s say, you’re coming in for a doctor role because that’s what your photo kind of lends to, and you’re like really normal chill, like can’t stand up straight… you’re just not going to get that role, probably.
Have your headshot be toward roles that you would have a really good shot of getting. There’s a lot of exceptions to the role with all of this, right? You can certainly get cast against type and that’s all very interesting, but if you’re trying to just book, help yourself by having a photo that really like shows who you are and who you’re going to be when you walk into the room.
Actors without representation, what’s the best way to sort of get in touch with you or have you know that they exist.
Melissa Kostenbauder: I know that’s a really hard one, right? I mean, social media is great. I always say you can email me, but it’s tough. I think you should just do enough research to try to understand how the industry works so that you can put yourself into those opportunities when they arise for you, whether it is on actors’ access or whatever.
It’s good to have an agent and manager and those people do want to find people to represent. I think it’s just a matter of having a package that represents you well, so that you’re putting your best foot forward.
My last question is, what is the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you in an audition room?
Melissa Kostenbauder: One time, a very long time ago, this one woman came in and pulled hamburgers out of her bra. It was not part of the scene. There were hamburgers in the scene that they were bringing in, but it had nothing to do with being in her bra. I always think fondly about that one.
