Robin Carus has spent her entire life in New York casting. Introduced to it as a young child through the work of her aunt, Terry Berland, she was hooked immediately.
Throughout her 27-year casting career, Carus has done it all: commercials, TV and film. These days, she primarily works in theater. One of her most recent projects, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, starring Norm Lewis, was just nominated for a 2025 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival. She spoke to us from her home office in New York City.
Insights From Robin Carus
- Actors should never apologize during auditions because they are valued and belong in the room.
- Always come fully prepared to auditions to show professionalism and respect for the process.
- Treat auditions as a form of play and have fun exploring the character to bring authentic energy to the performance.
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How did you get started as a casting director?
I grew up around the business, and my aunt, Terry Berland, is a casting director. She’s in Los Angeles now, but when I was growing up, she lived in New York, and I grew up watching her work. I loved it.
My favorite thing to do was when we would come into the city to visit her. I used to love sitting behind the table, and, being a child of the 80s, I memorized cast lists as they came in, not knowing that not everyone had that memory skill set. I sort of thought that’s what people did, not knowing that’s what I was doing, simply to impress the aunt.
It sounds to me like you knew very early on what you wanted to do.
I was six! (Laughs) Maybe for a hot second, I said, “I’m going to be an actor,” but the love of putting the puzzle together was always there.
You don’t know until you step into the business what some of the struggles of being a casting director can be. You [also] don’t realize when you’re younger that some of your mistakes are just that, and that there’s nothing that you can’t get up from.
I think that many creative people, whether they’re actors or young casting directors, often believe that they make mistakes and that these mistakes will haunt them forever, when in fact, it’s just a natural part of life’s learning curve. I just knew that this was the path that I should be on, so I stayed.
It seems to have worked out pretty well.
I’ve had a very fortunate career. I’ve been doing this for 27 years, and I’m in a business I love.
I’m constantly surrounded by creatives, which allows me to be exposed to all these wonderful people and feed off their creative energy and minds. It’s inspiring.
Sometimes, perhaps you look back and you say, “Hmm, would I have done it differently at a different stage of life?” And probably, yes, that is true, because the older you get, the more you learn.
The creative aspect, combined with an appreciation for putting puzzles together, feels like a common trait among casting directors.
I think that we love to be dependent on that quality. We come with, hopefully, extreme creativity and a decent amount of business sensibility. How are you relating to people? How are you managing the expectations of actors, directors, agents and everyone that you are the conduit for?
The fact is, you have to get a cast, so the end will always be positive. The road to the positive might be a little bumpy, but hopefully, you get the cast that people say is wonderful, and brings life to the piece that you’re working on. It doesn’t matter whether it’s commercials, a film or a play. Your job is to infuse it with a little bit of actor magic.
A lot of your work continues to be in theater, and I’m curious about what has kept you there.
I have loved theater since I could breathe, so I think that the fact that I get to help be a storyteller, or at least start to tell the story and let the actors finish it, is amazing.
I’ve been fortunate to get presented with projects that I want to work on and that I’m really proud to be a part of, and I think that it’s really fun to tell stories that are different than your own lived experience.
When you’re in the audition room, and then finally, when you’re watching it all on stage, seeing how it sits with the actors you’ve cast is truly beautiful.
Doing as much theater as you do, is it safe to say you’ve seen every single actor in New York over the last 27 years?
(Laughs) I feel that way. I feel like I gave a lot of people their Equity cards. I love it when I find people I haven’t seen before, who are not yet known to me. That’s exciting to me. I’m like, “Hello, it’s so good to meet you.” New is fun.
I imagine a few of those new actors have gone on to become stars in their own right. Do you have any favorites?
I cast Walk Two Moons, and Gina Rodriguez wound up doing a workshop of it. I loved her. She was so soulful. She was a young New York actress, and here she was.
There have also been so many people who went on to have their Broadway moments that have been part of my stable of amazing folks that I’ve been able to work with.
Can you describe the feeling you get when you meet someone new and they knock your socks off?
Oh, it’s candy! When it’s that new person who’s completely unfamiliar, and you’ve looked over their resume, and maybe you’ve seen some clips of them, whether it’s acting or singing or both, and then they walk in, and they’re just amazing.
It’s so much fun. You get to say, “I hope that the world sees you the way I see you, because I’m so excited about what you bring to the table.” There are people that you love, and when you see that possibility, that “Oh, their career could go anywhere, I wonder what the trajectory will be,” it’s exciting. It really is. Then you say, “I cannot wait to see who snatches you up,” because that’s very exciting, to know that you were a stepping stone in their career.
That seems like a perfect segue into my last question: What piece of advice or wisdom would you give to an actor coming in to see you?
There are a few. First, never apologize.
I think many actors feel that they have to apologize. Why are you apologizing? You exist for a reason. I’m so happy you exist. You’re here with us. A lot of actors come in and they say, “Oh my gosh, sorry, I’m late!” Life happens.
The second thing, and this goes without saying, is always be prepared.
Finally, have fun playing. What we do for a living is we play. It doesn’t matter if it’s a commercial that’s 30 seconds long, if it’s a theater piece with two or three pages of sides, or a film; the same principles apply. Play. Have fun. And if you need to ask questions, please don’t hesitate to do so. You have a creative team in the room with you for a reason. It helps to ask questions, because ultimately, we want you to do your best work.
Final Takeaways
Robin Carus has built a remarkable 27-year career casting for commercials, TV, film and primarily theater in New York. Growing up surrounded by casting through her aunt, she developed a passion for discovering talent and assembling casts that bring stories to life. Her insights reveal the heart of casting as both a creative puzzle and a collaborative journey with actors and creatives alike.
- Robin was inspired early on by her aunt’s casting work and knew from a young age that casting was her calling.
- She emphasizes that mistakes are a natural part of learning and growth in the industry.
- Casting combines creativity with business skills, balancing relationships and managing expectations.
- Carus finds joy in discovering new actors and helping launch their careers.
- Her advice to actors includes never apologizing, always being prepared, and having fun playing during auditions.
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