Casting Society of America (“CSA”) is a global membership organization of casting professionals dedicated to upholding the highest standards of casting within the entertainment industry. CSA celebrates the diverse craft of casting by educating and advocating on behalf of the industry, celebrating the achievements of the casting community, and empowering casting professionals to tell the stories that shape and define the human experience.
The Law Firm for Non-Profits (“LFNP”) recently sat down with Destiny Lilly, President of CSA.
LFNP: Although LA-based, CSA has a global membership. Can you speak to both the benefits and challenges of such a diverse membership?
CSA: The challenge is that the way the industry is practiced across the globe is not uniform – there are language barriers and different legal requirements. I think the benefits are that we have so many people all over the world that we are able to build connections in the industry pretty much everywhere. We have events in almost every continent; and we probably have at least one member in every corner of the world. We’re working on increasing membership across the globe and really professionalizing the art and practice of casting so that casting professionals are seen as part of the artistic fabric of creating entertainment wherever they may be working.
LFNP: Given the varied mediums in which casting professionals work, they are uniquely positioned to ensure storytelling is not just commercially impactful but also that it engenders the empathy of audiences. How does CSA prepare members for this dual role?
CSA: Our goal is to make sure people are seen authentically and are represented in a way that shows the fullness of a community – that we don’t just default to stereotypes. I think that is a really big responsibility for us because we help to shape how people see the world through entertainment and a lot of the time someone’s idea of what people in another country, another city, or from a different culture are like comes from how they are portrayed in the media. As it’s our responsibility to do that ethically, responsibly, authentically, and inclusively, CSA provides members different types of training. For example, we offer a training course on tackling bias in the casting process that invites the membership to examine their own personal biases.
LFNP: What can CSA be doing better?
CSA: Something that I feel we can do better is to build and maintain community across the globe now that so much outreach and connection has become virtual. It’s definitely possible to bridge this gap; we have a robust community of people either engaging on our website or through our materials via video conferencing. But it can be a struggle to have the same kind of depth of relationships virtually that you develop in person. So much of casting is building relationships – not just with other casting professionals, but with our clients and actors. As the world is turning more virtual, we’ve lost some of those in-person connections. So I think that even as we continue to build our global community, we need to also focus on the value of in-person connections.
LFNP: CSA partners with a public charity, Casting Society Cares, to support the casting community. Tell us a bit about these initiatives.
CSA: It’s a fantastic partnership. We work together to support the community through Casting Society Cares’ “Relief Fund” that assists casting professionals in financial need, and Casting Society Cares is also the vehicle through which a lot of CSA members volunteer. We’ve stepped up recently to offer more opportunities for our members to volunteer with a lot of different organizations. Not only is that good for the community but I think it has a really positive impact on our members as well as they volunteer alongside their colleagues. And it’s fun! We’ve done a good job of offering volunteer opportunities in New York and Los Angeles, and we’re trying to expand and offer virtual opportunities to volunteer and help our greater community. For example, working with Casting Society Cares, our members have participated in the Broadway Flea Market for years to raise funding for Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids
LFNP: 2026 will be the first year the craft of casting is recognized at the Oscars by the “Achievement in Casting” award. Can you share how it feels to be President of CSA at this inflection point?
CSA: It’s an incredible feeling and I want to acknowledge all the people who came before me who made this happen. There are so many board members, past presidents, and casting directors who have been governors, and on the board of the Academy, who made this a reality. They worked tirelessly to do that. As someone who grew up watching the Oscars and thinking about what it might be like to get up there and give a speech, now that it’s possible for casting directors to have that opportunity – it’s really a dream come true.