Nancy Bishop, C.S.A., is an Emmy-nominated casting director, author, acting coach, and head of the Film Acting Department at the Prague Film School. Her most recent credits include Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, and Paula Patton, and written by J.J. Abrams and directed by Brad Bird. With more than 60 major feature film and television projects among her credits, Nancy has cast and instructed literally hundreds of actors throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Nancy has been retained as casting director by dozens of major feature film and television producers and directors, including George Lucas, 'Red Tails', Joel Schumacher 'Bad Company' and Roman Polanski's 'Oliver Twist'. She also was nominated for an Emmy Award for her casting work on 'Anne Frank: The Whole Story', ABC/Disney Studios.
Nancy specializes in casting in Prague, the film capital of Eastern Europe. Prague has been home to hundreds of international productions, including feature films such as 'The Bourne Identity', 'Van Helsing', 'The Illusionist', 'Hellboy', 'Wanted', and 'Prince Caspian'. Bishop is author of 'Secrets From The Casting Couch', the first book written from a casting director’s perspective that teaches the craft of film auditioning and offers specific techniques for working in front of the camera. A part how-to and part workbook, 'Secrets' contains valuable exercises that actors can practice to achieve results in the casting studio.
“Any actor who is serious about his or her career should read this book,” said Matthew Stillman, Co- Producer: 'Casino Royale', 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' and numerous others.
Bishop is a native of New England and trained as an actor and director at the University of Michigan and the National Theatre Institute. She earned a Master of Arts degree in theatre at Northwestern University, beginning her career as an actor, director and drama teacher in Chicago. In the 1990′s, she helped to found two cutting-edge theatre companies that are still going strong today: Strawdog Theatre and Theater Oobleck.
In the early 90’s, just after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Black Box Theater lured Nancy to Prague, where she produced and directed a number of plays, and launched touring productions throughout Europe. This time period is satirically portrayed in 'Rex-Patriotes', her mockumentary film she produced and directed.
Now in addition to a busy casting schedule, Nancy continues to guest lecture internationally, offering on-camera master classes and seminars to develop an actor’s on-camera skills and career marketing. In 2009 she founded the Acting For Film Program at the Prague Film School, which offers an intensive, conservatory style training (half year or full year) program for actors in English. She is also very active on the International Film Festival Circuit, where she regularly produces seminars and partakes in panel discussions and symposiums on the casting process. She is a member of the Casting Society of America and the International Network of Casting Directors. Although based in Prague, Czech Republic, she works throughout Europe and the U.S.
For a printable version (PDF) of all of Nancy's credits, please click here.