Get To Know the Casting Director: Melissa DeLizia

With Casting Society’s Annual Artios Awards coming up on March 23, we wanted to feature someone from the stacked list of this year’s nominees for the latest installment of Get to Know the Casting Director. Melissa DeLizia already received a nod for casting the first season of Hulu’s PEN15, and now she’s up for an award in the Television Series Comedy category for the show’s sophomore outing. The casting director has also been previously nominated for Comedy Central’s Drunk History, and her IMDb page displays an impressive list of credits that include other popular series like the Paramount+ iCarly revival. With a busy slate, DeLizia still found time to chat with Casting Networks and provide a window into the person behind all the credits. Keep reading to learn everything from the young age at which she started in the industry to what country is up next on her travel bucket list.

It’s great to virtually meet you, Melissa, and I’d love to kick things off with the start of your career journey. How did you come to realize that casting was the job for you?

I remember that as a kid growing up in Maryland, I’d sit around the TV with my family on Friday nights and watch shows like Full House and Family Matters. I was absolutely fascinated with the entertainment industry. I told my parents that I needed to be a part of it, which they kind of brushed off at the time. But then we happened to move to LA when I was a teenager, and this awesome opportunity to do a casting internship kind of landed in my lap in high school.

Wow. I interview a lot of casting directors, and I’ve never heard of anyone starting out in the business while still in high school. How old were you when that happened?

I was 18 and in my last semester of senior year. At my high school, any senior who had finished up a majority of their credits earlier in the year could get out of school at noon if they had an internship relevant to something they wanted to do with their life. Since I qualified, I’d get to leave school at noon each day and enter into the world of commercial casting. I would sit there as a quiet observer in that bustling office and watch the magic happen. Phones were always ringing and actors were constantly coming in and out. Whether I was taping their auditions, reading with them, or going through headshots, interning there just felt like a dream come true. To me, casting seemed to be the best job you could have.

Regardless of the industry, I feel like it’s rare for a person to realize their dream career so early in life, and now here you are today with the same passion for the job and your own casting company. Not to mention all the recognition your work has received — congrats on your most recent Artios nomination, by the way. What can you tell us about the process of assembling the cast for season two of PEN15?

Season two was really exciting to cast, and we had a few big roles that were introduced with it. Maura [Ashlee Grubbs], the mischievous friend who tries to break the BFF bond between Maya [co-creator/star Maya Erskine] and Anna [co-creator/star Anna Konkle], is one example. Then there was Steve [Chau Long] and Derrick [Bill Kottkamp], the older, mysterious boyfriends of Anna and Maya. These roles were integral to the season two storyline, so we needed to make sure that whoever we cast fit in seamlessly with Maya and Anna, along with the rest of our amazing recurring cast from season one. We auditioned tons of actors from all over for those roles, followed by a couple rounds of callbacks. Then we finally brought actors in for chemistry reads with Anna and Maya, which was the biggest test. Those two are brilliant in their performances, so actors that could hold their own next to them were the obvious choices.

That makes sense, and speaking of casting choices, it’s time for one of my favorite questions to ask. If someone made a film about your life, which actor would you cast to play the role of Melissa DeLizia?

That’s a tough one. First and foremost, if somebody made a film about my life, it would hopefully be a comedy. Kat Dennings and Abbi Jacobson come to mind, that is, if I could be so lucky — they are both genius. Or if Jillian Bell happened to be brunette, she would also be amazing. I’m a fan of so many actresses, which makes it hard to narrow it down to only one. How about we just say that anyone who wants to play me in this scenario can go ahead and sign up? [Laughs]

Those are some fantastic picks. I’d also love to hear what you do in your free time, even though I don’t imagine you have a lot of it. When you are off the clock, though, what do you enjoy doing?

Usually, when I have downtime, I try to catch up on all the things that I don’t make time for when I’m working. You know, like doctor’s appointments and taking my dog to the groomer — super exciting life stuff. [Laughs] But when I actually do have a moment to myself, I enjoy getting lost in a good book. I also always make time to catch up with friends and see my family. Plus, I like to travel whenever I get the chance — I love exploring new places and experiencing different parts of the world.

Any upcoming trips?

I don’t have any really exciting ones to share, but the next country I want to visit is France. My last big trip was to England, Ireland, and Scotland, which was amazing. Edinburgh quickly became one of the top 10 places that I would move to in a heartbeat. And Paris has been on my bucket list for a while, so France is definitely next.

Before we wrapped the interview, DeLizia shared one last insight about her role as a casting director. “Whether I’m casting something in the comedy world or the coming-of-age world or something else entirely, it’s about hopefully making a difference,” she noted. “You want to help ensure that somebody watching the project will feel good, heard, or understood.” Those interested in learning more about the casting director and her work can find DeLizia on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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This interview has been edited and condensed. 

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