Josh Einsohn and Us | Casting Director
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How did Josh Einsohn get started in casting?
This is a HeadGum Podcast.
Who are we interviewing today?
Josh Einsten.
Who is Josh Einsten, Mandy Moore?
Josh Einsten is, was our casting director.
That's correct.
On This Is Us. Yeah.
The only episode he didn't do was the pilot.
Was the pilot. So he did not in fact cast us. He worked with Tiffany Canfield. Yeah, Tiffany cast us.
Yep.
But he came in shortly thereafter and pretty much is...
What role did Tommy Lee Jones play in Josh's career?
Although he does not take full credit. He says it is a team, a collective, which I'm sure I understand. But, you know, he's sort of the one that brings in options. Casting directors, it is their job to ruminate, think back on their experience of people they brought in for other projects and knowing about other actors that are out there in the ether and kind of bringing them, the right people, to the right parts. So that's what Josh's job was. So... Some of our favorites on the show, be it Lyric, Jan Morrison, who played Cassidy, Griffin Dunn.
Both Nickies.
Both Nickies, Michael Angarano, all of the children. Yeah. You know, all of the various ages.
I wish you'd asked them about Alex.
Alex Breckenridge.
Yeah, that's right. Anyway, that's all right.
What challenges does Josh face when casting multiple ages of characters?
I'll get it.
We'll get it next time. I know, there was so much. We'll get it next time. We had a very long in-depth conversation with him just about his experience in the casting world. He said he's been doing this for over 25 years. 25 years. And just like where he was in his life when he was brought on board This Is Us, how This Is Us ended up impacting his own life personally.
That's right.
And some of the choices that he made.
And then just questions about what it's like to be a casting director. Because I feel like we have a lot of artists that probably watch the show and are always wondering, what are they looking for? What are the things that make a good audition pop, et cetera? Because I know that's something very much in my head. It turns out nobody knows.
How did COVID change the audition process?
No one knows. There's no special sauce. There's no secret ingredient.
So please enjoy this interview with Josh Einsohn. 25 years in casting?
Yeah.
Congrats.
Thank you. Yeah, it snuck up on me.
That's nothing. Mandy Moore's been doing it. How many years have you been?
About the same time.
No. 30 something.
What was the urgent recasting of the teen Big Three about?
Casting? Casting for 25 years. Can you believe it? Amazing. I don't have any credits.
Obviously, we started when we were two.
Yeah.
In front of the camera for the first time at age what?
Like... For real, for real, like 15. 15. Yeah, 27 years.
Almost there.
Yeah, yeah, getting there.
You're getting there.
How does Josh determine the right fit for roles in 'This Is Us'?
First camera job? 2006. Well, yeah, 2006 was the first movie I did.
20 years? Yeah, 25 for me because it was 2001. Because you came in on the West Wing when I was there. That's right.
You were on the West Wing?
No, no, no.
Oh, you auditioned for it.
He shouldn't have been on the West Wing. I did a special episode of the West Wing. Right, the live. But I did audition.
Oh, the live, live, live.
What advice does Josh have for actors navigating the industry?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Back when it was on the air. He auditioned while it was, I was like a baby casting associate, but I remember. Do you really? Look at you. Very clearly. Yeah.
Save it, save it, save it.
I feel like we're already recording. We've been rolling.
We're rolling. We've been rolling.
Listen, I want, no, go ahead. I have so much to say.
You said you remember him auditioning for, but I feel like that is like an unspoken huge part of casting.
How did 'This Is Us' influence Josh's personal life decisions?
is it's remembering yeah and then when it comes back around i mean there are also projects i work on that are particularly vivid including this is us sure where like stuff really just sticks in my head and when i was on the west wing like a baby in the industry and casting at that point everybody who came in was like magic to me and being in those rooms was magic sure so like I'm sure I've forgotten a lot at this point, but there was a lot I remember about doing that.
Can we roll the tape back a little bit? And welcome our guests. Yes. Everybody who has something to say about this show usually comments on the music and the casting. When they talk about the special sauce of what This Is Us was, And so much of that is thanks to our guest today, who we've been trying to get on forever, Josh Einsten.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How did Josh Einsohn get started in casting?
0:01–0:47
2
What role did Tommy Lee Jones play in Josh's career?
0:47–1:33
3
What challenges does Josh face when casting multiple ages of characters?
1:33–2:13
4
How did COVID change the audition process?
2:13–2:34
5
What was the urgent recasting of the teen Big Three about?
2:34–2:51
6
How does Josh determine the right fit for roles in 'This Is Us'?
2:51–3:16
7
What advice does Josh have for actors navigating the industry?
3:16–3:47
8
How did 'This Is Us' influence Josh's personal life decisions?
3:47–1:13:29