There’s a very short list of casting directors who have spent their entire careers in a single job, and Christi Soper’s name is on it. For nearly 30 years, she has worked at DreamWorks Animation, helping to cast every single animated movie the company has ever released.
Almost a decade ago, she became the company’s head of casting. In that time, she has cast dozens of films, including highly successful titles such as Trolls, Puss in Boots, The Croods, The Boss Baby and numerous sequels for the Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and Madagascar franchises, among many others.
The Bad Guys was also a solid hit in 2022. Starring Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade and Zazie Beetz, the film grossed more than $250 million worldwide. The sequel, which brings back the original cast and has added Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Brooks and Maria Bakalova, hits theaters August 1. She spoke to us about the film from her office in Los Angeles.
Insights From Christi Soper
- Focus on developing strong vocal skills and comedic timing because animation relies heavily on voice acting to convey emotion and character.
- Be open to collaborative recording sessions since casting directors value actors who can play off each other and bring chemistry to group scenes.
- Show genuine commitment to your character by investing time in understanding and believing in the role, as casting directors appreciate actors who take their animated performances seriously.
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I typically start these conversations about specific projects by asking how you came to be on the project, but since you’ve been with DreamWorks your whole career, how did you start there?
I’m super lucky. I feel very thankful and grateful for being able to work here for so long, and being able to work here at all.
I moved here from Oklahoma. I didn’t know anybody in the business, and a friend hooked me up with an interview with human resources when DreamWorks was starting. I was an in-house temp, and when that time was ending, people asked what I wanted and I said, “I’d like a real path here.” I interviewed at two places in the company and ended up working for Leslie Feldman in casting.
What was it about casting that spoke to you?
I loved actors, and comedy especially, and I just loved the whole process. I loved the performance aspect, and the cool part for me was the way DreamWorks was at the beginning. I worked on live action TV and film, and then, with Leslie, we cast all the animated films from the start. That was cool, because I got to do all the things, and most people are limited to TV, film, or animation.
Once we came under the Universal umbrella, I came over to DreamWorks to do animation and run the animation department.
I’ve talked to people before who do live action and animated casting, and some people say there’s no real difference between the two. That seems odd to me because one’s visual and one’s not. Do you feel that way?
Well, the obvious step is, it’s audio, right? So the acting part — there are people that can be excellent actors and in the booth, you say, “Oh, this is amazing.” Then you go cut it in, you can’t see their face and it wasn’t amazing anymore because there wasn’t a flow to it.
Animation acting has to have movement and melody to it. When you close your eyes, the actor can’t act out all the things that they do in live action. The little nuances that you can do on camera, all that has to come through your voice.
We often equate animation with workshopping a play, primarily due to the time frame involved. I think people now realize that it is hard. We always say some people’s voices just don’t cut through.
That’s not the case for anyone in The Bad Guys.
We have so many amazing people in this movie. All these people are amazing individually, and then to put them all together, with their comedy chops and acting skills, is truly impressive. I just think they all play off each other so well, and I do believe generally they have a lot of fun.
Do they spend time all in the booth together? Or does everyone record solo?
We try to get everyone together. Sam Rockwell is amazing. He’s like, let’s get everybody together and let’s do something fun! They’ve all been great sports, and [producer] Damon [Ross] and [co-directors] Pierre [Perifel] and JP [Sans] — they all think it’s more fun to get everybody together. Especially bringing in the three new bad girls, we wanted to get them together.
Marc and Natasha recording together was fun. I don’t know if I can say [this], but they have a love interest in the movie, so it was fun for them to get to record together and be able to play that in the room together.
What are the challenges of following up a hit film like The Bad Guys? I imagine they say, “Great job, now do better,” right?
(Laughs) I mean, it’s hard because you obviously, you want it to [get even better], right? I’d say for Bad Guys, it was fun because we got to go down a different lane, and there are three new bad girls. We got to go in and say, “What fabulous women can we get to come in and play these parts?”
I remember at the beginning, for Natasha Lyonne’s part, we were going through it and said, “Can you imagine her and Marc having all these scenes together and going back and forth?” How fun.
With Danielle, we wanted a strong character. She’s such a good actress. And Maria, of course. That’s the thing.
Across the board, we’re so lucky to get these fabulous Academy Award nominees, really high-level actors and actresses. They invest time and effort into it, which is incredibly valuable to us.
We want someone who not only wants to do it but also takes the time to find the character and genuinely believes in their work, as it makes a significant difference. Getting those three ladies right off the bat was pretty nice.
Having done this for as long as you’ve done it, and having made as many films as you’ve and worked with as many people as you’ve, is there a wish list of actors that you want to work with? I won’t ask who’s on it.
Yeah, absolutely. And it’s from stars to up-and-comers. We have a list of people we like, and we have a watch list, too. People who are coming up that we’re either interested in or think are fun. I think most casting directors have people they’re watching, or that they love.
Certainly, on the animation side, because these movies take three or four years to make. It might be down the road and [we’re] just looking for something for them, or it might be tomorrow or it might be two years from now that we have something [for them] that’s right.
We’re always looking for people who have interesting voices, and comedy is a big deal. Good actors with good comedy chops.
When I said before I’m not going to ask who’s on it, I lied. Do you have a white whale?
(Laughs) No, I don’t think I should say. Big comedy is what I love, and we’re making family entertainment.
So you want Mom and Dad to laugh, and you want the kids to laugh. You want it to be fun for all. When we can cast someone who can come in and play and lose themselves in the character, it’s a win for everybody.
Final Takeaways
Christi Soper has dedicated nearly 30 years to casting every animated film at DreamWorks Animation, rising to head of casting and shaping hit franchises like Trolls and The Bad Guys.
Soper shares insights into the unique challenges of animation casting, the importance of comedy and chemistry and what she looks for in actors. Here’s a quick recap of her story and approach:
- Christi started at DreamWorks as a temp and worked her way into casting, drawn by her love of actors and comedy.
- Animation casting demands strong vocal performances that carry emotion and nuance without visual cues.
- She values actors who bring fun and chemistry to the recording booth, often arranging group sessions to foster that.
- DreamWorks seeks actors with comedic chops who genuinely invest in their characters, aiming to entertain both kids and adults.
- Soper maintains a watch list of rising talent and established stars, always scouting for voices that stand out for future projects.
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