Mia Cusumano: The Art of Casting with a Visionary Eye
Casting Director Mia Cusumano will tell you that casting is one of the most crucial threads in film and television production, weaving together the story with the actors who bring it to life. With a keen eye for talent and a deep understanding of character dynamics, Cusumano has been instrumental in assembling the casts of numerous projects such as The Trial of the Chicago 7 (for which she won an Artios Award) and The Throwback, making her a sought-after figure in the entertainment industry.
Cusumano’s approach to casting is both intuitive and collaborative, ensuring that each role is filled by an actor who not only fits the part but also enhances the overall narrative.
Mia Cusumano shares her journey into casting, the challenges she faces in the industry and her insights on what it takes to build a successful, cohesive cast.
You began your career as the Casting Coordinator for ABC’s Primetime Casting Office. How’d you get that job? What did the job entail?
I started, first, as an intern at ABC while I was in school. I did a few years of pilot season interning and learned invaluable information about casting. A few years had passed since I had worked at ABC and I was very close to everyone who worked in the New York office. They were looking for a temp to come on for pilot season. I gladly took the position and it turned into a permanent gig.
I was incredibly fortunate to learn from these incredible casting directors. I had four mentors in my first job as a casting assistant. Rosalie Joseph, Marci Phillips, Janet Murphy and Geoffrey Soffer were so patient and kind during the years when I was learning and growing in this industry. Their kindness, not only towards me but towards actors coming in, has always been my guiding light for how I work today.
Give us some childhood background.
I grew up in a very small town in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Old Forge. We are just outside of Scranton. It is a lovely small town of only 10,000 people. All of whom, I either know personally or I am related to. Everyone knows everyone. Which, looking back on it, is one of my favorite things about growing up in a small town.
When I was younger I always wanted to do something creative. I wanted to be a chef. I was about to go to the Culinary Institute of America when I backed out. I love cooking for people I love, but felt cooking for the masses was not what inspired me.
Then I thought about doing interior design, but, ultimately, I ended up studying fashion at FIT. I loved fashion. I still do, but the industry left something cold in me. I started longing to be in casting.
I knew someone who was a casting director and she encouraged me to try it out. I do feel as though fashion and casting are more similar than people might think. It is very similar to trend forecasting. Knowing what people want before they know.
Photo by Nick Parisse, courtesy of Mia Cusumano.You’re the co-owner of M&M Casting, working alongside Meghan Rafferty. How did you two meet? What was the driving force behind you starting your own casting company? Please share your journey about opening up a business.
Meghan and I started working together over a decade ago. Our first project was The Leftovers. What an incredible experience this show was. I loved everything about it. The creative team was just so wonderful and encouraging. I am still inspired by that work.
Meghan and I are business partners and also best friends, so for us building our professional footprint together was a no-brainer.
How would you approach casting a project that doesn’t personally resonate with you?
When something doesn’t personally resonate with me it can be challenging. In those projects maybe the overall story doesn’t speak to me, but there are always characters that do.
When you focus on just individual moments, you connect. Especially when you are working with actors and finding moments of levity with them. Watching an actor take a scene that maybe I was unsure about and then working their magic and turning it into something far more relatable when you hear it out loud vs. just reading it.
Please walk us through your casting process from the first script read to the final casting decisions.
When I first read a script I instantly create a vision of who I see in each role. I start with the first actor that comes to mind and then my mind starts filling with ideas. My creative juices start flowing and I start writing down lists of folks who I think would bring to life these characters and help build the world we are creating. I also put out casting calls for agents and managers to send me ideas.
I would like to say my first impression of a character is always correct. It is not. Sometimes when you start the process you hear the words out loud and you are instantly changed in your concept and vision. Sometimes an actor comes in that can do something in a scene that you didn’t see and it inspires you to move in a different direction.
That is a wonderful thing. To be inspired by one actor’s performance, so much that it allows it to move you, very organically, into a new direction. I love that about my job.
Photo courtesy of Mia Cusumano.How do you approach casting for a role that requires specific cultural or linguistic nuances?
I have had a lot of projects where they are very specific with the characters’ descriptions. With Ramy, specifically, we were casting Egyptian/Middle Eastern actors. As it is with all languages, Arabic is not a one-size-fits-all-all. There are specific regional dialects.
Although you are reading and hearing someone speaking Arabic, you are not necessarily presenting someone who is the specific region you are seeking. There is a lot of outreach to the communities you want to cast. You have to tap into these communities through creative ways. Whether it is through community groups on Facebook, through community centers, or through my Middle Eastern actor friends who are always willing to help spread the word. You just try and make sure you’re authentically telling the story.
Can you share an example of a time when you took a risk on an actor, and it paid off?
I think anytime you are pushing for an actor that your creative team isn’t considering and trying to get them to look in that direction vs. the one they seem to be pulling in, there is a risk. Recently I had two different roles where my creative team wanted to go in a different direction and I was able to change their minds and look at the actor I was strongly fighting for.
It really could have gone badly if they got to set and my team felt they weren’t happy with their performances and it was I who convinced them were the best choices… I was lucky to be told they have been thrilled with both actors. And one they wrote an additional episode for him to be in. So, I consider that a success.
What advice do you have for actors who want to make a lasting impression in an audition?
Enjoy yourself in an audition. Find a way to connect on a personal level to any material you are working on. Even in things you feel are not something that you can connect to, there is always something within the character you can understand and will resonate with you.
I am always drawn to simple, grounded performances. Simple doesn’t mean boring. Simple doesn’t mean there aren’t layers and nuances to the character. Confidence… Be confident in your choices. Confidence is one of the most important qualities in an audition. If you are going to pretend to be anything in an audition, pretend to be confident.
How, if at all, do your personal political views influence the decisions you make in the casting process or in choosing projects to work on? Have there been instances where your political beliefs shaped the direction of a project, or do you strive to keep your professional work separate from your convictions?
I have very strong and vocal political views. And yes, they certainly do influence me in every aspect of my life and the projects I work on. I am very fortunate to be able to work in an industry that embraces telling stories with political tones.
I have been very fortunate to get to be part of that specific storytelling. The Trial of the Chicago 7 and She Said were both vitally important to me and the activism I feel strongly connected to.
Photo courtesy of Mia Cusumano.Anything else you’d like to say?
Always know I am rooting for you. I am always hoping you are the answer to my problem. And my problem is an open role that needs to be cast. At the start of every audition, I go in believing and hoping you are going to be incredible and I am going to get to offer you the role. That is always my hope. For every actor I see.
Visit Mia Cusumano’s Instagram.
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Ilana Rapp is a media-savvy Generation Xer with instinctive wit, quick humor and a taste for deep human emotions. As a former (child) actress with Broadway, film and television credits, she is adept at, well, lots of things.
