Confessions of a Casting Director

In this final episode, Jen Rudin reflects on her twenty-year career as an award-winning casting director as she embarks on her new career as the animation agent at ICM. 

Today's episode features the LIVE chat from June 17, 2020 Wednesdays with Jen. To celebrate Father’s Day, Jen's dad Rabbi James Rudin joined the chat as her special guest.  Not only did he share incredible wisdom and advice from his own years as a stage parent back in the 1980s, but some heartfelt and insight on the importance of education, how to raise strong independent women, and some hope on what to take away once the quarantine is lifted. Oh, and some fun insider stories from when Jen was on Sesame Street and when she was the Cat in the Hat in the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade. Enjoy! 

This week's episode features the May 20, 2020 live recording from Jen Rudin's FREE Wednesday chats for parents and young actors. 

Founder and President of Take 3 Talent Agency, Natasha has been working in the entertainment arena for almost 15 years. In 2009, after working at WPLJ/Radio Disney, MTV in the Press Dept, and Product Model Management she launched Take 3 as a bi-coastal boutique full-service platform for young emerging artists looking for representation and development in the areas of television, film, and commercials. In 2012, Natasha strategically and successfully added multiple new divisions, creating a home for more established artists and adding the 18+ divisions in commercials, voiceover, television, film, and theatre. In 2017, Take 3 launched its comedy, branding, packaging, and influencers divisions, making Take 3 a premiere full-service mid-size talent agency, shedding the boutique title, but not its approach. Natasha oversees all divisions but manages tv/film/packaging for T3’s emerging young talent. She currently manages the careers of Lily Brooks O’Briant (The Big Show Show), Brian Michael Smith (9-1-1 Lone Star), Jacob Laval (HBO Plot Against America, John Mulaney’s Sack Lunch Bunch), Haskiri Velasquez (Saved By The Bell [Peacock]), Jaylin Fletcher (Snowpiercer, Clickbait), Isabella Ferriera (Love, Victor; Orange is the New Black), Uly Schlesinger (Generation HBO Max), Quinn Mccolgan (Non-Stop, Mildred-Pierce, Blue Bloods), Bailey Bass (Avatar Sequels), Curtiss Cook Jr. (CMP, Bull, Power), Jillian Lebling (Bridge of Spies, Blacklist), Madison Lagares (On Your Feet!, Search Party, School of Rock), Wolfgang Lacz (Kevin Can Wait, Jim Gaffigan Show), Nadia Affolter (Jack Ryan, Blacklist) and several more. Visit www.take3talent.com. 

Natasha holds a Bachelor’s degree in music business management, graduated Valedictorian and Summa Cum Laude from FTC in Dix Hills, NY. She lives in NYC with her husband; Emmy Award-Winning Producer, Dave Marken. She is a huge country music fan, loves musical theatre, fashion, travel, anything gold and sparkly, and will admit, CW shows and rom-com’s are her guilty pleasure.

Today's episode features the LIVE recording from Jen Rudin's weekly chats for parents and young actors. This week we celebrated Mother's Day and Jen's mother, Marcis Rudin, was the special guest. Marcia shared tips and wisdom from her own years as a stage mom back in the 1980s. 

Enjoy the episode! 

BONUS: Listen to a full interview with Marcia in Episode 5 of the podcast!

In this special live episode from April 29, 2020, Jen shares animation and voiceover stories, tips, and wisdom from her two decades casting animation and voiceover. In her intro, she shares stories from her days as head of casting for Walt Disney Feature Animation, casting such beloved movies as Brother Bear, The Incredibles, The Princess and the Frog, and more. 

Enjoy these epic stories and more in this episode recorded live on April 29, 2020. 

In this lively chat from Jen Rudin's weekly Zoom chats for parents and young actors, Jen takes us straight to the set in a candid interview with young actor Quinn McColgan and her mother Noelle. Topics covered include safety, tutoring, hours worked, and more. 

Quinn and Noelle share some fun insider stories about filming with Liam Neeson and Kate Winslet! 

For more info on Quinn, follow her on Instagram @quinnmccolgan

In this episode, Jen Rudin chats with legendary vocal coach Bob Marks. Bob shares stories from his days as a rehearsal pianist fr the Broadway production of ANNIE and coaching young Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and more. 

BOB MARKS has been coaching privately for over thirty years. His well-known clients have included Lea Michelle, Debbie Gibson, Britney Spears, and Ariana Grande, as well as cast members of almost every current Broadway musical. He was a pianist with the original Broadway production of Annie and spent two seasons as the Associate Conductor of the Muny Opera in St. Louis. He has given audition and performance workshops and Master Classes across the United States and Europe.  www.BobMarks.com

Join us for a LIVE recording from Jen Rudin's 4th weekly free parent support chat during the pandemic. 

Today's guest is talent manager Karen Lampiasi. 

Lampiasi Talent Management is a boutique management company whose clients are on Broadway and National Tours, starring in films, network and cable TV shows, national commercials and writing/recording music.

Karen graduated from Vassar College as a music major and worked at Motown Records, PolyGram Publishing, and Atlantic Records as an A&R Executive developing new artists and Executive Producing soundtrack albums, including the Gold Album for the hit TV show “The Wonder Years.”  After leaving Atlantic Records, she helped manage recording artists & performers, including multi-platinum recording artist – and sister – Debbie Gibson.

Her own children became immersed in the arts, becoming involved in community theatre, music, film, TV, commercials, voice-overs, Broadway and National Tours.

After working as the NY Talent Scout for an LA-based talent agency, she decided to open her own management company, specializing in representing clients for theatre, film, TV, commercials, and music.

Since forming Lampiasi Talent Management, her focus has been on developing up and coming artists and performers whose abilities and interests allow them to be pursuing multiple areas of the entertainment industry simultaneously.

The combination of her well-rounded knowledge and expertise in the entertainment industry, along with her personal experience as the parent of children who actively worked in the industry, makes her uniquely qualified to help performers of ALL ages maximize their potential and have a successful and fulfilling career. www.lampiasitalent.com

Join us for a LIVE recording from Jen Rudin's 3rd weekly free parent support chat during the pandemic. 

Today's guest is headshot photographer Douglas Gorenstein. Doug shares a lively presentation on all you need to know about headshots! 

DOUGLAS GORENSTEIN was voted "Favorite New York Headshot Photographer" in BackStage.com. He served as the official photographer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where he photographed virtually every major star on the planet. Next time you are at the grocery store pick up a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Tonight Dough ice cream to see the headshot Douglas took of Jimmy Fallon that appears on the carton. For 20 years Douglas has taken amazing acting headshots for kids, teens, and adults at his beautiful NYC studio. His clients have appeared on Broadway, in major films and TV shows, and national commercials. He's proud to be the headshot photographer for Jen Rudin and Bob Marks. Douglas also loves working with actors who are just starting out to make sure they have head shots that get them noticed!More info at: www.douglasgorenstein.com

A live recording from our 2nd weekly free online chat for parents on March 24, 2020! Today's discussion featured an in-depth Q&A on self taping, best practices, lighting and tripod and a bonus chat about voice over recording from home. 

On Monday, March 16, 55 parents gathered on a free ZOOM chat with Jen Rudin, to discuss ways to keep young actors focused during this challenging time. 

Jen shares the discussion here, along with a bonus chat about strategies for working from home! 

For more info, visit www.jenrudincasting.com

In today's episode, Jen Rudin chats with seasoned young actor Rachel Resheff about balancing college and her professional acting career, with insights into Rachel's years as a child actor. 

Rachel Resheff is an actor, singer, and dancer. At age eight, she started her career starring opposite Edie Falco and Elias Koteas in Eric Mendelsohn’s acclaimed film Three Backyards. On Broadway, Rachel originated the role of Young Fiona in Shrek, The Musical, followed by roles in Billy Elliot, Mary Poppins, The People in The Picture (originated lead opposite Donna Murphy) and Larry David's Fish in the Dark (originated principal). Rachel has workshopped and performed in dozens of new works and Off-Broadway plays at Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theater, New York Stage and Film, Roundabout, Soho Rep and the Eugene O'Neil Center. Some of her film and TV credits include Netflix’s: Seven Seconds, Friends from College, and Orange is the New Black and feature films: The Escort, The Boat Builder, Annabelle Hooper and The Ghosts of Nantucket, and the upcoming Giving Birth to a Butterfly.  Rachel is an alumna of the prestigious LaGuardia Arts High School and currently attends Harvard University ('23).

In this episode, Jen interviews Australian-American actress Kirrilee Berger. Jen and Kirrilee first met in 2008 when Jen was the Casting Executive for Disney Theatrical Productions and cast Kirrilee as Jane Banks in the national tour of Disney's hit musical Mary Poppins. 

Australian-American actress, singer, and dancer, Kirrilee got her start at the age of 4 on Sesame Street. Kirrilee went on to do the Broadway national tours of both Billy Elliot and Mary Poppins before the age of 12. In her adult career, Kirrilee has been lucky to have been in over 100 episodes of television working with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood such as Zendaya, Elizabeth Moss and Katharine McPhee. Some of Kirrilee’s most notable credits include The Handmaid’s Tale, KC Undercover, One Dollar and The Who Was Show.

Find Kirrilee @kirrileeberger and follow the Confessions of a Casting Director podcast @confessionscastingpoodcast. 

For more info, visit www.jenrudincasting.com/podcast

LIVE from BroadwayCon 2020, this episode shares the lively CONFESSIONS OF A CASTING DIRECTOR PANEL with Jen Rudin and her Broadway actor guest, Bhavesh Patel. The conversation covers auditions, Patel's tips for performing 8 shows and week, and the importance of being PREPARED for auditions, just in case you get a chance to read opposite Kevin Kline. 

For more info, follow Bahvesh on Instagram @projectpatel and Jen Rudin @rudinj. 

If you are an actor, you will get asked to send in a self-tape! It's the first step for auditions these days. In this very important episode, Jen Rudin goes over the details for how to submit a self-tape for a live action project or for voice over. This episode is full of do's and don'ts! DON'T MISS IT! 

In this episode, Jen Rudin chats with six-time TONY nominee and star of Broadway's MOULIN ROUGE, the incredibly talented Danny Burstein. Danny shares stories from his early years as a student at New York's prestigious High School of Performing Arts, and his journey as a celebrated actor over the course of his career. 

For more info, follow Danny on Instagram @dannybur. 

In this very special episode, Jen celebrates the new year and new decade with an honest, moving and heartfelt chat with her mother, Marcia Rudin. They talk about Jen's childhood acting career, the sacrifices parents have to make and Marcia shares her own wisdom and humor as she advises parents today on the highs and lows of show business. 

Join Jen Rudin with her first podcast guest, writer/producer Brittany Portman. 

Jen and Brittany met when Brittany was a child actor and Jen was a casting executive at The Walt Disney Company. Years later they reconnected when Brittany hired Jen to cast her TV pilot HOOKED. In this episode, Jen and Brittany chat about their lives as professional child actors, shifting into life behind the camera and their shared love of ANNIE. 

In 1995, Jen Rudin spent Christmas season at Macy's dressed up as The Cat in the Hat! She first appeared as the Cat in the 1995 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

Jen shares funny stories about her time as the Cat and offers advice for great supporting jobs for actors in this episode.