LOS ANGELES — Since 2001, the Disney Television Discovers: Talent Showcase has been a vital force in the entertainment industry. More than 600 performers have had their careers launched by the program, including Gina Rodriguez, Randall Park, the late Academy Award nominee Chadwick Boseman and Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o. But the showcase is more than a numbers game, it’s a commitment to inclusivity and innovation in the storytelling world.
Originally a live, two-person scene presented in front of a theater audience, the innovative new showcase format was executed as a longer, non-televised and filmed presentation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the showcase pivoted to virtually filmed pieces as theaters shut down alongside the rest of the world. Inspired by this shift and the demands of the entertainment landscape, Felicia Joseph, senior vice president of casting Entertainment Group, knew it was time to think bigger.
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“In this new format,” Joseph said. “We really set out to create an opportunity for these actors to not only showcase their talent on camera, but also do so in a 20-to-30-minute kind long-form piece.”
This year, the program received a staggering 22,000 self-tapes, which were narrowed down to 10 exceptional actors. The program also sifted through 300 writing submissions, searching for the perfect candidate to create the story for the new showcase format. They found their match in actor and writer Eric Myrick ,mentored by co-executive producer of “Abbott Elementary,” Brittany Nichols.
“He had a really fun idea that was called ‘D Day,'” Joseph said. “And we developed it into what you know the current piece is.”
“A lot of the DNA behind ‘D-Day’ was built off the sentiment of ‘Abbott,” said Myrick. “To be able to work with Brittany Nichols, the co-executive producer of ‘Abbott Elementary,’ has been truly the development process of my dreams.”
The showcase also tapped actor-director Karan Soni, who also has ties to the hit comedy series.
“I’ve had a very Disney year,” said Soni. “I got to direct on ‘Abbott Elementary,’ and then also got to act on ‘Abbott Elementary’ in season three. And then got to be in ‘Deadpool and Wolverine,’ which was very exciting.”
Sharon Klein, head of casting at Disney Entertainment Television, has ambitious plans for the showcase’s future: making it a twice-annual affair.
“This gives us the opportunity to discover twice as many actors, twice as many writers, twice as many directors,” she said.
President of scripted programming at Hulu Originals and Entertainment Simran Sethi added, “We are a company that is intended to entertain and reach the hearts and minds of the broadest audience possible, both in this country and through our global platforms. And that means looking for everyone’s voice, constantly being intentional about asking whose voice is at this table, whose perspective is missing. That is how we tell the best stories.”
Watch the full On The Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight interview in the video player above.
Andres Rovira and Jason Honeycutt contributed to this report.
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