Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Gordo.
Hi Joy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a Casting Director and Senior Casting Producer based in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in East LA, I knew I wanted to work in the industry or “show business”, but didn’t know exactly where yet. During my senior year of college, I was hired as an Extras Casting Intern in North Hollywood and have stayed in the casting business since 2013.
After my internship, I began freelancing for different production companies as a Production Assistant and Office PA. I was painfully unaware of the inconsistency of freelancing.
In between jobs, I applied to be on a game show. I auditioned, went through the entire casting process and was miraculously cast for the show! After losing my chance at $10,000, I boldly asked the Casting Director, “How can I do what you do?” Being a Casting Director seemed so fun. He made the whole process enjoyable and I thought to myself, “I want to be a Casting Director one day.” I kindly asked the Casting Director if he was hiring. To my surprise, he said yes, and I began my career in casting.
The gig was short-lived, only six weeks to be exact, but at least I had something real on my resume, aside from my college credit internship. I kept networking and became a Casting Recruiter for several different game shows. With positive feedback from production companies and Casting Producers, I was offered my first Casting Associate position for America’s Got Talent season 10.
With student debt looming over me, freelancing was too inconsistent and I wanted a steady job. I met a camera operator during an audition and asked if their company was hiring. To my surprise, they were looking to hire immediately. I was at the right place at the right time and was hired as a Casting Assistant at a company that primarily focused on casting print and commercial advertisements. I was officially out of freelancing for reality TV and had my first full-time job.
Within a year, I was promoted to a Casting Coordinator. Another year passed and I was promoted, yet again, to a Casting Manager. However, after three years of dedicating myself to the job, I was unexpectedly let go due to the position no longer available. I was absolutely heartbroken.
With the severance package I received, I traveled around Southeast Asia, trying to figure out if a career in casting was for me. I even toyed with the idea of switching careers to the medical field. After months of traveling, I was certain that casting was the industry I wanted to be in.
I became an independent Casting Director and cast commercials for F45 Training, Disney, Muscle Milk, and GEICO.
I went through emails of colleagues and past employers and came across the name of a Casting Director who gave me my first unscripted Casting Assistant job after losing my chance at $10k on a game show. He was hiring for a prime-time game show on ABC, and I graciously accepted another job from him.
After working a couple of game shows, I was officially back in unscripted casting, also known as reality TV. A colleague from America’s Got Talent season 10 reached out to see if I was available to cast a new dating show. The production company hired me for multiple shows, including The Circle seasons two and three on Netflix, 12 Dates of Christmas on HBO Max, and several development shows for Netflix. Within two years, I was promoted from Casting Associate to Casting Producer. I also began growing my social media presence after one of my TikTok videos went viral.
I am now working as the Senior Casting Producer at the production company that gave me my first casting job!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As of recently, I’ve been fortunate to have a smooth road, but it wasn’t always that way. After I was let go from a management position, I was unemployed for seven months. When I got back from Asia, I applied to multiple jobs in the industry every day. It seemed as though I was either underqualified or overqualified for the positions I was applying for. I understand how challenging it is to break into the industry. I often hear the saying, “it’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you.” Fortunately, I knew a small network of people working in unscripted television and was able to shift my career from scripted to unscripted.
The biggest challenge I’m facing now is work-life balance. I’m currently working on set, filming multiple game show episodes on weekdays, with the hours ranging between 12-14 hours a day, five days a week. With six hours of sleep each night and a nearly two-hour commute to and from the studio, it rarely gives me time for myself, friends, or family. I’m definitely not complaining because I absolutely love my job and what I do. The great thing about freelance work is the opportunity to work on something new and exciting every several months. The schedule I have is temporary, and knowing that keeps me excited for what the future holds. Working in casting is unpredictable and I’ve learned to embrace the beauty of it.
Another struggle is the lack of diversity on television. One of the reasons why I started working in casting was to advocate for more diversity. As a person of color, I’ve made it my mission to push for a more inclusive cast by including BIPOC, differently abled, LGBTQ+, gender non-conforming, and other members of marginalized communities not well represented on television.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a Senior Casting Producer and Casting Director specializing in casting reality TV with experience in casting commercials, print advertisements and editorials.
I have an unrivaled track record of casting popular reality series, including my most notable credits, The Circle, America’s Got Talent, 12 Dates of Christmas, Card Sharks, Flirty Dancing, 25 Words Or Less, and many more.
I am most proud of indirectly changing people’s lives. After being cast on a reality TV show, there’s potential for a cast member’s life to change forever. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, I can’t help but pride myself in knowing I had a small impact. For example, two of the castmates from 12 Dates of Christmas are now engaged. Additionally, I’ve seen multiple people win over $100,000 on the game show Card Sharks.
I think I’m most known for my viral TikTok and Instagram Reels videos. I create content around what I’m currently casting and tips on how to get cast. What sets me apart is my ability to relate to the thousands of people I talk to during the casting interview process. I love listening to people’s stories and learning about what makes them unique.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Your network is your net worth. I encourage people to genuinely build relationships. If you’re interested in learning and growing as a professional, it would behoove you to connect with people on an authentic level. I suggest surrounding yourself with people you admire and want to learn from. People are often excited to share their wealth of knowledge.
Contact Info:
- Email: castingwithjoy@gmail.
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com/@joyfulgordo - Other: https://www.instagram.
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