Meet Katie Taylor: Casting Director, Mom & backyard farmer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
The most important and valuable lesson I have learned is that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and the only person who’s opinion matters, is your own. People will always find something negative to say about everything you say or do. What maters most is how you feel about the work you do and that you are happy with your own decisions at the end if the day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I run a commercial and print casting company that specializes in sports, comedy, beauty, “real people”, babies, kids and families with a strong focus on diversity & inclusion. I firmly believe there is a place in this industry for people of all abilities, ethnicities, body shapes and identifications, which is sometimes met with criticism. Because of that, I feel it is vital to continue to stand up for these voices and faces to be seen and heard and continue to change the way our media and advertising reflects our society. We do this by offering a more diverse and inclusive variety of talent options on roles that may not specifically ask for it. For example, we may audition an actor in a wheelchair for a leading role, when that isn’t something they specifically asked for. Or when asked for families with a mom, dad and two kids, we also show them a few families with same-sex parents. We have found that our clients often like and appreciate these ideas and end up booking outside their original plan. Which creates more inclusive and diverse advertising. And by challenging what our culture’s perception of “beauty” and acceptance is and pushing for more inclusive and authentic reflections in advertising today, we create a more accepting, tolerant, empathetic and harmonious society.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In a dream land, where money were no object? I would take them on a road trip up the coast through Big Sur, first staying in a brightly colored yurt in the organic gardens of the Tree Bones Resort . We’d grab lunch at Nepenthe, explore the rivers and forests, and finish it off with a drink on the clift at sunset at the Post Ranch Inn. We’d stop through Carmel & Monterey and eat at the Lafayette Bakery and explore the wildflowers in the forests past the cliffs of Point Lobos, then up to SF, beautiful Half Moon Bay and Fisherman’s Warf. We’d explore the San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art and eat Ghirardelli ice cream Sundays on the beach before we head back down the coast to explore the wine country in Paso Robles. Daou Vineyards & Winery, BarrelHouse Brewing Co and the farro and roasted vegetable dish with burrata at The Hatch would ALL be on the itinerary. We’d HAVE to spend a night in one of the jungle rooms with a rock waterfall shower at the Madonna Inn and eat a slice of their AMAZING honeycomb toffee cake. Then lastly, while heading back down through Santa Barbara, we’d have to finish off the trip with tacos at La Super-Rica before heading back down through Malibu home to Lala Land.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Because I am so passionate about industry education, empowerment and protecting our next generation of performers, I’d love to give a shoutout to Biz Parents Foundation. They are a non-profit, founded in 2004 by showbiz parents Anne Henry and Paula Dorn, that seeks to educate and support child performers and their parents as they navigate the entertainment industry together. When parents are educated and informed about the business, educational, legal and other aspects of the entertainment industry, they become empowered, effective advocates for their children. The organization is run by volunteers and funded by donations. Their website is like a showbiz encyclopedia, is searchable by topic and is completely FREE. www.bizparentz.org

Website: www.katietaylorcasting.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorcasting

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-taylor-8605ab5/

Twitter: @CastingKatie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylorcasting2