How Does a Soap Opera Executive Producer Choose Actors?
Susan Dansby: When you have a principal role to cast, what do you – as the executive producer – look for in that actor? Christopher Goutman: Well, I just look for someone original, and someone with an original spirit. I think casting all comes from the gut. You respond to a person – you respond to a person’s uniqueness and originality. I can go down the list of the people whom we have cast that are just unique. I know that soap opera has a reputation for only casting beautiful people, but I think – quite a contrary. We have very unique people and very often not traditionally handsome or beautiful. The men, more so, traditionally handsome than the women, I think, because it is a women’s medium, really. We want people who are relatable, and have that relatability. Basically, you just go on instinct. And I think that every time that I have not gone on instinct, and when I’ve had to think and rethink, is when I’ve gotten into a little bit of trouble. Susan Dansby: What do you think is the
