Sharon Klein: Last News

Joe Otterson TV Reporter ABC Entertainment has hired Felicia Joseph to serve as senior vice president of casting, Variety has learned. Joseph joins ABC from MRC, where she most recently served as the independent studio’s senior vice president of casting. In her new role, she will report to Sharon Klein, the executive vice president of casting for Walt Disney Television. She will oversee casting for all ABC pilots and series as well as unscripted casting for Hulu and other WDTV brands. The role marks a homecoming for Joseph, who began her career in the casting department at ABC. “I’ve had the good fortune of collaborating with Felicia in the past and know how well she cultivates relationships with talent who are at the top of their craft,” Klein said. “Her passion, instinct and deep understanding of our business make her ideal for this role and, quite frankly, the only person I wanted for the job. We’re overjoyed to be welcoming her back to ABC, where she started her career.”

Earlier this month, Deadline kicked off its Hollywood Contraction series by checking in with the acting community to see whether opportunities have picked up since the end of the strikes.

Disney is set to wrap up its second round of layoffs today. Because of the sheer volume of the cuts, impacting thousands of staffers in the past couple of days, information on departures from the last couple of days is still trickling out. We will update with more news as we get it.

EXCLUSIVE: ABC Entertainment Talent and Casting is highlighting emerging talent across the country with its 21st annual Disney Television Discovers: Talent Showcase, which will once again be a virtual, two-day event.

ABC has a new casting exec.

Stephanie Levinson, who has served as 20th Television’s head of casting since 2019, has been promoted to EVP of casting for the studio. Reporting to Sharon Klein, EVP of Casting, Walt Disney Television, Levinson will lead casting efforts on all series and pilots produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, manage a team of casting executives and set casting strategy for the studio.

Sofia Behzadi Stephanie Levinson has been promoted to executive vice president of casting for Disney’s 20th Television.Levinson joined the studio fresh out of college in 2006.“Stephanie is extremely talented with impeccable taste, strategic thinking and creative insight in the ever evolving world of casting,” said Sharon Klein, executive vice president of casting for Walt Disney Television, to whom Levinson will report. “Her relationships in both the acting and agent communities are unrivaled, and she is beloved by our showrunners and executives who rely on her enormously, as do I.

EXCLUSIVE: Sharon Klein, EVP, Casting at Walt Disney Television has made a number of hires, promotions and new assignments across her department’s VP level.

Freeform has a new head of casting. As part of Disney's continued realignment to focus on content groups, Lindsey Kasabian has been named senior vp casting for the younger-skewing basic cable network.

Veteran casting director and executive Sharon Klein has been named EVP of Casting, Walt Disney Television. In the new, expanded role, she will lead the casting teams of ABC Entertainment, 20th Television, ABC Signature, 20th Television Animation, Walt Disney Television Alternative, Hulu Originals and Freeform. Klein will be responsible for the casting of all series and pilots and identifying talent for holding deals across all entities under her purview.