WonderCon 2025 was in full swing at the Anaheim Convention Center from March 28 to 30. WonderCon is home to all things pop culture, from comic books to movies, video games to television. This convention also hosts a variety of incredible panels. Impact24 PR’s “3rd Annual Scene Breakdown: Behind the Camera of Film and TV Shows” panel gave fans an inside look at their favorite media. Industry experts shared their knowledge of their respective crafts. Jazzy Collins is an Emmy-winning Casting Director known for her work on “The Traitors” and “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.” She speaks with us about the process of casting and the authenticity she looks for in actors.

Jazzy Collins Interview at WonderCon 2025

As a casting director, Jazzy Collins wants to be involved with the production process as early as possible.

For the most part, it’s usually, roughly a month to two months before we start filming for most of the shows that I work on. There are some shows that I’ve worked on where it was a six-month casting job. So, it’s all just pending on what you need to do.

When it comes to casting, Jazzy explains that there is less weight on an actor’s previous work and more on what they bring to their audition. She says:

I like to come in with a fresh perspective every single time. Just because they did a fantastic job on one show doesn’t mean it might translate to this specific role. So, I like to always look at it a completely different, fresh take, and I love watching people’s auditions.

Moreover, her decisions reflect the authenticity of the storytelling.

I think it’s really important, too, that when you’re casting, that you always include as much people as possible that you normally wouldn’t include. So, just because a role calls for, maybe, a white, blond woman, it doesn’t mean that we can’t audition someone else that’s a completely different race, gender identity, where or not they have some form of disability. I like to see it all.

Auditioning and casting diverse actors gives these shows and movies depth. The only way to have stories authentically told is to cast authentic people.

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