'If I'm laughing the next day, the actor's right.'
A Q&A with Casting Director, Brendan McNamara
Hello!
I’ve just spring-cleaned my consultancy deck, including two new clients — WPP and Harley-Davidson — and giving my mugshot a much-needed update:
If you want to find out more about using humour wisely and well, take a look. You can also find out more about my methodology, HumourScope®.
For the British spelling (‘humour’) go here:
For the US spelling (‘humor’) go here:
…And if you’re lucky enough to be on an ocean liner, crossing the Atlantic, the choice is entirely yours.
Now down to business…
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This is a funny ad:
…And this is the star of it, Clara Peller:
…And this is her IMDB profile:
…And the campaign she starred in — Where’s the Beef? — was massively successful, netting Wendy’s $292m profit in one year (the equivalent to $891m today) and propelling them to sixth largest fast-food chain in the world1.
But let’s get back to Ms Peller. Why was she chosen? What qualities did she have that made her just right for this type of funny ad?
To answer this, I thought it’d be nice to talk to a casting director. So I called one of the best in the business, Brendan McNamara of Beach Casting.
Brendan’s spent his career picking the right actors for campaigns for household brands like Lidl, Amex and Head & Shoulders. He’s even written a book, It’s the Audition, Stupid!, helping to guide actors through the often-daunting experience of auditioning.
So Brendan, how did you first get into the business of casting actors?
I was one myself. I was a child actor in Ireland and starting working in casting before and after university. I freelanced for a few years before setting up my own company, Beach Casting, in 2007.
When casting for a funny ad, what specific qualities do you look for?
It really depends on the gag involved. I could say “well, very funny people” but sometimes you cast someone who is naturally stiff or awkward because it helps sell the gag. They may never ever be funny again in their lives but for that requirement they may be hilarious. Of course, when more nuanced comedy is needed, then quality comic performers are a must to bring their funny to a gag. That would be for a heightened slapstick performance or a subtly natural comic performance.
What’s your favourite funny commercial that you’ve worked on?
Tough question. I cast Paddy Power adverts for many years and those scripts were always hilarious. I’m a big fan of the McDonald’s Saver Menu “Like getting your money’s worth?” ads. It’s such a simple, fantastic idea that always lands. I cast a few of these and this is my favourite [below]: Hannah Jane Fox is so good as the wife, doing very little, but we feel her pain and embarrassment in such a small space of time.
Do you think closely in terms of the humour being used?
It depends how fully formed the idea is and if it’s already a part of a pre-existing campaign. For example, if a pre-existing campaign uses naturalistic comedy you’re not going to suddenly think of heightened or slapstick comedy.
How do you know when an actor is “right”?
If they make the gag work in the casting room and you’re still laughing when you review the footage the next day. Also, they’ll have to meet the ideas or expectations of the director and creatives, but if they’re “loosey goosey”2 with the idea then the laughs in the room can tell us everything.
What’s your favourite funny commercial ever?
The John Smith’s ads with Peter Kay. I loved them and the writing and delivery was always fantastic.
A big thanks Brendan for your time and answers: if you’d like to find out more, he can be found on IMDB here while Beach Casting are here.
Many thanks for reading,
Paddy
Book a free half-hour meeting with me here.
pg@studiogilmore.com
+44 7866 538 233
LinkedIn: here
Some readers might be unfamiliar with this term: North American slang, meaning ‘relaxed and comfortable.’ (Oxford Learner’s Dictionary).