Any fan of comedy will be at least a little familiar with Jessica Munks’ casting work. She helped put together the cult classic short-form series Childrens Hospital, she was a mainstay of the enormous hit sitcom New Girl (and helped jump-start Lamorne Morris’ career in the process), she gathered a bunch of handsome gay men together for 2022’s hit comedy Fire Island, and that’s just a fraction of the great work she’s done over a career that has spanned more than 15 years.
Her latest project is the dark comedy Twinless, from writer-director James Sweeney, starring Dylan O’Brien as a man who has just lost his twin brother and joins a support group with other “twinless twins” to help him cope. It had a limited theatrical release on September 5 and will soon be available to stream at home. She spoke to us from her office in Los Angeles.
Insights From Jessica Munks
- Focus on being personable and authentic during auditions to make a memorable impression on casting directors.
- Develop your comedic skills, as many comedic actors can also excel dramatically, expanding your versatility.
- Build strong professional relationships and stay open to indie projects, as they can lead to meaningful collaborations and career growth.
How did you get into casting in the first place?
I grew up really loving film and TV, and so I knew I wanted to work in it. I just didn’t really know what I wanted to do. Then in school, I met people who wanted to be directors and writers, and for a minute, I thought I wanted to be a writer, but obviously that didn’t stick. I had friends who were directors, and friends who were actors, and when they’re doing their student films, I was putting them all together. I did that matchmaking a few times, not really thinking about it, and then one of my friends gave me a casting credit on his student film. I think that was when I decided I wanted to try it out.
How did that lead to a career?
I had three internships. My first one was for legendary casting director Risa Bramon Garcia on a pilot. It was fast and furious, and I loved it. Then I did one on an Adam Sandler film called Bedtime Stories. The associate on that, Melissa Kostenbauder, is still a good friend today, and she just won an Emmy for The Studio. She’s incredible. That was also a really great learning experience. I learned a lot about organization and running sessions, and then I landed with Kim Coleman. Kim gave me my first casting assistant job. I want to say it was in the Spike Lee movie, Miracle at St. Anna, but I’m not entirely sure. In any case, I worked with them for about a year, and then just went on from there.
Did you bounce around a lot after that? Working for a bunch of casting directors?
Actually, no, because that was really just the very beginning for me. After that, I worked at Jeanne McCarthy’s office with Nicola Blair, her partner, for another year as an assistant, and then I got my first associate job with Anya Colloff. She literally took a look at my résumé and just said, “You’re ready, let’s do this.” I had a lot of responsibility very quickly, and I so appreciated that they really trusted me and let me run with things. Within a year, she gave me my first cast and director credit on Children’s Hospital. So I got very lucky and didn’t really do associate work for long. I stayed at her office for eight years because she was so amazing, as is Michael Nicolo, who later partnered up with her. I think it’s one of those things when something’s a good fit, people do stay in one spot, and that was an amazing fit for me. I learned so much from them.
You went out on your own in 2019. What led to that decision?
I think I just felt it was time. I wanted to branch out a little more, though even after I left and did one or two projects, I came back and did another pilot with Anya. I did indies, and then I was at Disney as an exec for two and a half years, and then came back and was in the indie space again. Anya and I actually just did another indie together, which was awesome. I mean, listen, I would always be happy to work with them on anything.
Let’s talk about Twinless. How did you end up in the film? Was Dylan O’Brien already on board? Or did you help attach him?
I cast James’ first feature, Straight Up, and he sent me a draft of this in 2019 or 2020. I thought it was incredible. I’ve always loved James and think he’s totally brilliant. He needed to attach someone to help get financing for this thing, and when I was still working with Anya, we did a really cool anthology series called Weird City for Monkeypaw and YouTube Red (now YouTube Premium). We did the pilot episode and got Ed O’Neill and Dylan in, and it was just so different than anything Dylan had done, so I suggested him to James. They took a meeting, and James just got lucky that Dylan really responded to the script and wanted to become his partner on it. Dylan had started working with David Permut, a veteran producer with a lot of amazing connections. I was actually at the studio when he was gearing up to cast, and I thought I wouldn’t be available for it, but then I was a part of the big mass layoffs at Disney in 2023.
Sounds like a blessing in disguise.
Yeah, well, it was a tough time, of course, losing the stability, and I was pregnant with my son, but the silver lining was I could cast James’ movie, and I’m just so happy with how it all turned out. It’s really amazing.
One of the things I noticed about your career is that while you do other stuff, you tend to do work mostly in comedy. Is that by design or just because it worked out that way?
Right now, people are reaching out to me mostly about indies because that’s what I’ve been doing lately, but I think that’s just how it’s gone. Most of my background is in comedy, so people naturally will think of me for that, but I covered some dramatic stuff when I was in the studio, and I had done some stuff when I was an assistant that was more dramatic. So I’ve had experience in both, but yeah, I definitely think comedy is my wheelhouse, so to speak. I think that when you work in TV for a period of time, you get to know all the people who are actually funny. I found that there are funny comedic actors who also turn out to be really incredible dramatic actors, but I feel the reverse is not always true. I love comedy, and Twinless was amazing because it was a great blend of both, but I think comedy will probably always be present in my career.
What piece of advice or wisdom would you give to an actor coming in to see you?
Oh, it’s changed so much since the pandemic, but I would say that if it’s a live audition, just be yourself. When I was doing TV for a long time, I’d be seeing people all day long, and the ones that really stood out to me were the ones who were just personable and you could have a conversation with them. You remembered them. They stood out to you, and it makes you more motivated to help them get there. That’s really the biggest thing, especially when people are nervous. Just be yourself and remember that life is short, so just try to enjoy it, and what will be will be.
Final Takeaways
Jessica Munks’ journey from student film matcher to accomplished casting director offers valuable lessons for new actors trying to break into the industry. Her experience highlights the importance of authenticity, versatility, and building relationships. Here are a few key takeaways to help you stand out and grow your career.
- Be yourself in auditions and focus on being personable to create a lasting impression.
- Hone your comedy skills, as comedic actors often have the range to take on dramatic roles too.
- Stay open to working on independent projects to build connections and gain experience.
- Remember that casting directors appreciate actors who are easy to work with and bring positive energy.
- Embrace every opportunity as part of your journey, even if it doesn’t immediately lead to a big break.
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