Bernard Telsey

Bernard Telsey graduated from New York University in 1981 with a degree in Theater Administration and Acting. Soon after, he co-founded MCC Theater with Robert LuPone. Simultaneously, Telsey began working at Meg Simon and Fran Kumin’s office as an assistant for six years, and then as a casting director at Risa Bramon & Billy Hopkins Casting.

He opened his own casting office in 1988. Since then, he, along with his staff of 22 casting directors, associates, and assistants, have cast such Broadway shows as Rent, Wicked, Hairspray, In the Heights, Kinky Boots, Hamilton, and many more, including countless national tours, Off-Broadway productions, and regional theatre productions across the country.

Film credits include Ricki and the Flash, The Intern, Focus, Into the Woods, A Most Violent Year, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Friends With Kids, Margin Call, Sex and the City 1 & 2, Rachel Getting Married, Across the Universe, and Rent.

Telsey is currently casting upcoming series for Netflix, ABC, and NBC. Previous television credits include “The Family” (ABC), “Grease! Live” (Fox), “The Wiz Live!” (NBC), “Flesh and Bone” (Starz), “Masters of Sex” (Showtime), “Smash” (NBC), and “The Big C” (Showtime).

Telsey won an Emmy Award for casting the pilot of “Ugly Betty” and was nominated for another for “The Big C.” He won an Independent Spirit Award for his work on Margin Call and was the 2016 recipient of the Casting Society of America’s Hoyt Bowers Award for his contributions to the profession. As an office, Telsey + Company has won 14 Artios Awards.

Telsey serves as the New York Vice President of the Casting Society of America and on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He remains one of the Artistic Directors of MCC Theater with Robert LuPone and William Cantler.