CBS fires the casting director behind Criminal Minds after “illegal” casting director acting workshops report.
Update: Saturday, April 16
Following the controversy and allegedly getting fired from CBS' Criminal Minds, casting director Scott David took the type to fire back at his critics and address the rumors.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, David wrote a letter addressing his colleagues. “My time with Criminal Minds ended for a myriad reasons.” He argues that it is his belief that the acting workshops he teaches, The Actors Link, are not illegal and fall “within the parameters” of California's Krekorian Talent Scam Prevention Act, passed in 2009.
He continues, “My business partner and I are very clear in our messaging that the workshops we offer at The Actors Link are not auditions nor employment opportunities but rather educational platforms where actors can come to better prepare themselves for future opportunities.”
However as THR pointed out, his acting classes have changed following the investigation from private one-on-one coaching to group acting classes. This will create MORE of a learning experience and class type setting,” the note reads. “You will experience MORE FEEDBACK, MORE NOTES and MORE ADJUSTMENTS!”
Most recently, an actor Doug Morency told reporters that he credits his first acting job to David's paid workshops. “If I hadn't taken these workshops, that gig never would've happened,” he said.
Click here to read Scott David's open letter.
April 4, 2016: Many people have long assumed that casting director acting workshops walked the grey line between helpful and illegal and now CBS is taking steps to make sure casting directors are doing the right thing.
Related:Are Casting Director Acting Workshops Illegal?
Following a Hollywood Reporter report that more than “one-half of all actors on television paid for an interview” and the possibility that casting director acting workshops were “illegal”, CBS has just fired the casting director behind Criminal Minds. From THR:
Criminal Minds‘ longtime casting director Scott David was relieved of his duties Thursday, the day after The Hollywood Reporter published an investigation into the television industry's proliferation of casting “workshops” that encourage actors to pay for access to potential auditions. The story quoted David and also featured his portrait.
Prominent in the TV casting community, David has been a contentious figure for years for simultaneously working on the CBS procedural while owning a business, The Actors Link, which charged those seeking roles on his show and others for audition classes taught by those concurrently in a hiring position on network, cable and streaming shows.
Apparently, the casting director director Scott David was fired on Thursday a day after The Hollywood Reporter published an investigation into “Workshops” that encourage actors to pay for access to potential speaking roles.
The Actors Link, which charged those seeking roles on his show and others for audition classes taught by those concurrently in a hiring position on network, cable and streaming shows.
According to Scott David's IMDB page, Scott David is known for his work on Criminal Minds (2005), 2012 (2009) and Leverage (2008).
After a brief search on YouTube here's some acting advice from Scott David himself on auditions:
Scott David started his own acting classes called The Actors Link “which charged those seeking roles on his show and others for audition classes taught by those concurrently in a hiring position on network, cable and streaming shows.”
Related: Acting Coaches vs Acting Classes vs Acting Workshops – What do YOU Need?
Things in Hollywood are quickly changing…
