There’s an industry adage that “90 percent of directing is casting.” But it’s 100 percent of the job for actual casting directors, the professionals who collaborate with the project’s director, producer and other members of the creative team to match performers and roles.
By any measurement — critical reception, awards recognition for actors, global audience fervor — the cast for the two-part “Wicked” movie represents the pinnacle of the art of casting.
As the wide cinematic release of “Wicked: For Good” (on Nov. 21) approached, a clamoring for the screen’s Elphaba, Cynthia Erivo, and Glinda, Ariana Grande, as well as their Fiyero, Jonathan Bailey, has rebounded from its dormant hum since last November to another eruption. While their casting — along with that of the other principals and entire Ozian ensemble — may seem like a no-brainer, it took great effort from casting directors Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey of the Telsey Office.
Erivo and Grande were part of a long line of auditioners for the leading pair. “The wonderful Marc Platt, the producer, and Universal were about ‘We need the two best people, and we don’t care whether they’re unknown or a star. That was said in the beginning,” Telsey told Broadway News back at the 2025 Artios Awards, which recognizes achievement in casting. “Now, is it always true? Who knows? But it was truly said.”
The fact that it was said gave Telsey permission to cast a wide net. The two requirements, as declared by Platt and the films’ director Jon M. Chu, were: “It’s got to be fresh and it’s got to be a surprise,” Telsey recalled. “It’s got to feel like you’re hearing something for the first time. And that’s what was so exciting about both of those women.”
