MICHAEL ZEGEN : Rachel could have chemistry with a bar of soap. She’s just incredibly talented. CINDY TOLAN : Jane Lynch was the linchpin when it came to lining up guest stars. Before the first season was even written, there was this character, a fictional female comedian named Sophie Lennon. We had the idea of Jane, but there was nothing to show her. Amy and Dan set up a meeting with her and had a conversation, and she said yes without seeing the material! When she did that, I knew this was going to be great. Then, once the series started airing, it became easier. I had known Sterling K. Brown for almost two decades, and we connected at an Emmys party after that first season. He literally said, “I love the show. Will you please try to get me on it?” I brought him in to meet with Amy and Dan, and they wrote the part of [singer] Shy Baldwin’s manager for him. KEVIN POLLAK : Moms Mabley was very big on television when I was a kid. I thought she was executed so brilliantly by Wanda Sykes. CINDY TOLAN : Moms was a historical figure, but we wanted her to have a contemporary feel. Who could do it and make it a surprise? There’s no one better than Wanda Sykes. She knows how to land a line. I think Wanda knew about the show, but that in that situation, Alex Borstein and Wanda shared an agent. He o ff ered to talk to her. ALEX BORSTEIN : Because of the comedy angle, Susie was like her own little entity for a while. I had a scene with Marin in a tearoom, and I was like, “We have never worked together before!” What Amy does so well is create a huge world and keep that world interesting. CINDY TOLAN : When it comes to casting, I like to say that you must have “The Palladino Pace.” The writing is so quick and requires you to be funny and dramatic. So, I tapped into a lot of New York theater because those actors can have a mastery of the language. Gideon Glick, who played Alfie in Season 4, started with Spring Awakening . Max Casella, who plays an attorney, comes from theater. And look at [Joel’s love interest] Stephanie Hsu! She was nominated for an Oscar [for Everything Everywhere All at Once ]. I would say humbly that she got her big break on Maisel. She had been in SpongeBob the Musical and Be More Chill.
MICHAEL ZEGEN : It’s amazing what happened with Stephanie! It couldn’t have happened to a better person. CINDY TOLAN : What I loved most about the job was working with Amy and Dan and that core ensemble. They’re all amazing human beings. I hope in the future they continue the path and appear on Amy and Dan’s next show. ALEX BORSTEIN : Amy and I are still very close. After we wrapped, we went shoe shopping and had a nice meal. That was our bon voyage to each other. AMY SHERMAN ! PALLADINO : We feel so lucky with this cast and how they treated each other and how gracious and generous they were to each other. They’d show up on days o ff just to do o ff -camera dialogue to give each other the best possible opportunity to perform. It felt like a traveling group of players in a summer stock company with, like, better snacks. JANE LYNCH WAS THE LINCHPIN WHEN IT CAME TO LINING UP GUEST STARS. BEFORE THE FIRST SEASON WAS EVEN WRITTEN, THERE WAS THIS CHARACTER, A FEMALE COMEDIAN NAMED SOPHIE LENNON. WE WANTED JANE, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO SHOW HER. AMY AND DAN SET UP A MEETING WITH HER, AND SHE SAID YES WITHOUT SEEING THE MATERIAL! “
clockwise from top: ALEX BORSTEIN AND JANE LYNCH, STERLING K. BROWN, WANDA SYKES, MILO VENTIMIGLIA, STEPHANIE HSU
WE FEEL SO LUCKY WITH THIS CAST AND HOW THEY TREATED EACH OTHER AND HOW GRACIOUS AND GENEROUS THEY WERE TO EACH OTHER. “ ” AMY SHERMAN ! PALLADINO creator, writer, director, executive producer
” CINDY TOLAN casting director
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