Judy Blye Wilson is a legend in the soap opera casting community. Over a career spanning more than three decades, she worked on All My Children and The Young and the Restless, and cast thousands of actors over the course of that time. Many of them, as you will see, went on to bigger things and greater fame, but that’s only a part of what makes Wilson so good at her job.
The daily grind of soap operas is unlike anything else in the entertainment business, so to be able to thrive there means you’re something special. That’s Judy Wilson, and now the Daytime Emmys will celebrate her career by giving her a Silver Circle Honor at the 2025 ceremony on October 17. She spoke to us from New York City.
Insights From Judy Blye Wilson
- Daytime soap opera casting may see a continuous flurry of different role types during a show’s run.
- There are many moving parts when it comes to casting, especially daytime soaps.
- Stay persistent and open to small roles because they can lead to bigger opportunities over time.
How did you get into casting in the first place?
Well, I was married to an actor, the late Trey Wilson, and as you know, he tragically died at the age of 40. I was sort of in the business, and I had been working for a commercial agent, and then I had the opportunity to go in and apply for the job of assistant casting director at Ryan’s Hope. I got the job, and then Ryan’s was canceled about a year and a half after I got there.
When I went to One Life to Live, I did the extras and under fives, that type of thing. That’s what that job does. Then I went over to All My Children. It sounds simple, but it really wasn’t.
So many casting directors seem to have fallen into this career, and it sounds like you’re no different in that aspect.
Yes, absolutely.
What was it about casting that spoke to you?
I graduated in theater from the University of Texas, but I never really wanted to be on stage. I wanted to work behind the scenes — it was kind of in my DNA.
When I started, I loved it, and it was exactly what I felt that my path really wanted to go in at that time. Once I had the job, working with actors, having been around them and been married to an actor, I really wanted to follow it.
People think casting is an easy job. They’re very wrong. I was casting soaps, and when you take on the big challenge of people that are actually interpreting the series and that the writers like and the producers like and the network likes, and all these people that get involved, it becomes a challenge, especially trying to get it correctly in the eyes of all. Nobody’s trying to be difficult; it’s just a matter of people seeing it their way, and particularly what the writers want. And daytime is very fast. There’s lots of stories and lots of people that enter in and out of the main cast of each show.
I’ve talked to people who have cast soaps, who cast Hallmark movies and Christmas movies, and there is a stigma that goes with it, and yet the people who do them wouldn’t trade it for anything. They love everything about what they do. I’m curious if you feel the same way.
Yeah, 100%. It’s a very difficult job. You have to please a lot of people, and you have to get it right, and hopefully you have the ability to do so. There are lots and lots of different types of roles that come along, and it never does stop. It isn’t like a film or even a prime-time TV series where there’s a beginning, middle and an end. It’s an ongoing process.
I think it’s exciting. I always thought it was wonderful. I really love the activity of casting a lot of different types of people on daytime, because it never ends. (Laughs) There’s no wrap party, right?
You have cast thousands of people over the years. Are there favorite stories you have? Or your favorite people you put on one of the shows?
Oh, my gosh, I did cast thousands of people, but most of my best stories are from All My Children. I cast Mark Consuelos. We were looking for a partner for Hayley, who was Kelly Ripa. The writers wanted a young, gorgeous, Hispanic guy. I looked everywhere you can, I overturned every leaf. I got a picture from Mark. He was in Florida, and someone sent his picture to me, and I showed it to Kelly, and she flipped out. Just from a black and white photo.
We brought him in, and the poor guy had to continue to play the role while we continued to look because the network and the writers and everybody just weren’t sure. (Laughs) We kept testing other people, and he even screen-tested while he was playing the role. It’s one of the most unique stories of all. But eventually that all worked out.
What are some of the others?
There’s just been a tremendous amount of success with people. I cast Sarah Michelle Gellar. I cast Michelle Trachtenberg, I cast Josh Duhamel, who’s doing very well. I mean, there’s so many. I had such luck.
Amanda Seyfried, who is a movie star. I cast Cameron Mathison from Canada, and he was trying to make up his mind whether he wanted to do All My Children or some adventure show in Canada, and I finally convinced him to do All My Children. I cast Jesse McCartney when he was a little boy. There were just tons and tons and tons and tons of people. Oh! I don’t know if you’ve heard the story about Chadwick Boseman.
Probably not, but let’s see!
(Laughs) I cast him first as a character named Reggie. He was a little too old, and so they wanted me to replace him. The kid was supposed to be about 15 or 16 years old, so I had to recast Chad Boseman because of his age, and I cast a 15-year-old Michael B. Jordan. They joked about that on a prime-time show once, together.
We had a lot of success. I could go on and on and on with the people that were successful. Do I have a favorite? No, of course not. I have lots of favorite castings.
When you look back over your career, do you think at all of any kind of legacy that you might have as a casting director?
Gosh, I don’t know. I honestly don’t know how to answer that. I think that I did a very good job and tried very hard, and I was very lucky.
I put my life into my career, and from that perspective, I suppose that it paid off. I don’t know about legacy, but I do know that as a soap opera casting director, I think I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, which would be just simply do my best. I think I did.
Congratulations on this award. That must be very gratifying.
Oh, I cannot even tell you how right you are. It’s very gratifying, and it came out of the blue. I had no idea I was even nominated. Suddenly, they just sent me an email telling me this, and it’s slightly overwhelming. It has a really very rewarding feeling to it, to say the least. Plus, I’m honored and so grateful.
What was your reaction when you got the call that you won?
I was overwhelmed. It took a while to process, and then I started feeling emotional. I felt extremely touched because, like many others, I worked so hard for so many years, and I tried so hard, and it’s so very nice to be recognized for that. I say that with all humility, and I’m very grateful.
Final Takeaways
Judy Blye Wilson’s career shows that casting, especially in daytime soaps, is a challenging but deeply rewarding craft. Her success came from persistence, a keen eye for talent and the ability to navigate the fast-paced, ever-changing world of soap operas while satisfying many creative voices. For actors hoping to break into this space, there are clear lessons to keep in mind from Wilson’s decades of experience.
- Be patient and persistent; soap operas move fast, but roles often require time to find the right fit.
- Understand the collaborative nature of the process; casting involves many opinions.
- Keep honing your craft and be ready to seize opportunities, even if they come unexpectedly or in small roles at first.
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