DMF Episode 341 — Tiffany Little Canfield (Full Interview): Casting Wicked, Ariana Grande & Oscar Recognition for Casting Directors

<p>Welcome to The DMF — Discovering Meaning in Film and Acting. I&#39;m Justin Younts, and this is the complete interview with casting director Tiffany Little Canfield of Telsey Company — known for her work on Wicked, Mean Girls, and more. All three parts together.</p><p>Tiffany grew up in Sacramento, got serious about acting early, moved into directing, and eventually found her way to casting — where her background on both sides of the table changed how she reads actors and approaches every project. This conversation covers all of it.</p><p>We start with her path into the industry, the casting process, what actors consistently misunderstand about auditions, the impact of self-tapes, and why training never stops mattering. From there we get into the specific casting stories — A Most Violent Year, Miss Sloane, Margin Call, and Wicked. Tiffany gets into how Ariana Grande was cast as Glinda, the casting of The Wizard, Madame Morrible, and Bowen Yang, and what the process looked like on a production of that scale.</p><p>We also get into casting controversies, diversity in casting, and what Tiffany actually thinks about how those conversations play out in the industry. She talks about the Academy finally establishing a casting branch and what that recognition means for the profession. We close with upcoming projects, Inside the Actors Studio questions, what she&#39;s reading and watching, and her thoughts on The Lost Daughter.</p><p>In this episode we discuss:</p><ul><li>Tiffany&#39;s path from acting to directing to casting</li><li>The casting process and what actors get wrong</li><li>Self-tapes and the reality of modern auditions</li><li>Casting Wicked — Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum &amp; Bowen Yang</li><li>Casting A Most Violent Year, Miss Sloane &amp; Margin Call</li><li>Casting controversies and diversity in the industry</li><li>The Academy finally recognizing casting directors</li><li>Upcoming projects including Only Murders in the Building and Paradise</li></ul><p>00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:14 - Guest Introduction &amp; Early Life 00:00:38 - Influence of Early Life on Career 00:02:23 - Transition from Acting to Directing 00:03:14 - Professional Training and Realization 00:04:26 - Decision to Shift from Acting 00:06:09 - Transition to Casting 00:06:21 - Casting Experience and Realization 00:09:04 - Getting into the Industry 00:09:29 - Similarities between Casting Directors and Actors 00:13:26 - Role of Directing Degree in