JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, September 10, 2005 7:00 pm
When the telephone rang at 6:59 a.m., Eric Dawson had a feeling it was good news.
So did his wife, Roxann, who admitted later to letting out a scream when she saw the name on the caller ID.
It read: Michael Robin. He’s one of the executive producers for FX’s “Nip/Tuck,” the watercooler drama about two Miami plastic surgeons.
“I had just gotten up,” Dawson recalled in a phone interview from his Los Angeles office. “I knew the (Emmy) nominations were coming out that morning, but I hadn’t gotten on the computer to check yet.”
So he knew why Robin was calling so early.
“It had to be good news,” he said. “Who wants to be the friend to call and give you bad news?”
Sure enough, the news was good. Better than good. It was great.
Dawson, a Lincoln Pius X and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, had received his first Emmy nod for his work casting “Nip/Tuck.” The nomination was one of four the edgy FX drama earned for its second season.
Dawson, 43, is up against casting agents from “Deadwood” (HBO), “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC), “House” (Fox), “Lost” (ABC) and “24” (Fox).
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will award the creative Emmys — makeup, costumes, music, casting, etc. — tonight at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. A delayed telecast will air at 6 p.m. Saturday on E! (Time Warner Cable channel 60).
The major categories, including awards for best drama and comedy, will be awarded at 7 p.m. next Sunday in a live broadcast on CBS.
If anything, Dawson’s nomination affirms his and his company’s (Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting), stellar work on “Nip/Tuck.”
The drama showcased their uncanny ability to find extraordinary characters such as the siamese twins joined at the head or the Michael Jackson look-alike.
The nomination also recognized Dawson’s casting skill in landing such big-name guest stars as Vanessa Redgrave and Alec Baldwin.
“We felt we a had a good shot at the Emmy nomination, but we didn’t know because there are so many wonderful shows out there,” Dawson said.
Interviewing actors, taking calls from producers, driving across a studio lot with three Elvis impersonators, skydiving with Oscar winner Hilary Swank …
Dawson never imagined doing any of these things 20 years ago when he was working on his psychology degree at UNL.
But his life changed dramatically after he volunteered to help a local casting agent who was assisting with the ABC miniseries “Amerika” which was being filmed in Nebraska.
“I loved television and the movies,” Dawson said, explaining why he volunteered.
Then he met Los Angeles casting director Reuben Cannon, who hired him as an assistant. After “Amerika” wrapped up, Cannon offered him a job in California.
Dawson was in his final semester at school and thought, “Why not?”
His parents, Bob and Mary Dawson of Lincoln, supported his decision.
“It seemed like a good opportunity,” his dad said.
Said his mom: “If it didn’t work, then he would try something else.”
But it worked. Very well.
“I was 100 percent focused on the business,” he said. “I didn’t look up until the first year was over — and when I did, I discovered I loved it.”
He admitted he was a bit star struck at first.
“I would sit here all day long and meet actors,” he said. “It was not a horrible job. It was fun to sit across from actors I idolized as a kid.”
Dawson was in charge of casting “Matlock.” An associate, Robert Ulrich, handled “Father Dowling Mysteries.” After a year and a half, Dawson and Ulrich went to Cannon and told him they were ready to strike out on their own.
In 1989, they formed Ulrich/Dawson & Associates. They added Carol Kritzer as a partner in 1995.
“(Cannon) gave us his blessing,” Dawson said. “We ended up keeping our shows and getting the Perry Mason movies and ‘Jake and the Fat Man.’”
Looking back, Dawson said he and Ulrich were lucky. They were 10 years younger than any other casting director in town.
“Most people spend 10 years in casting before becoming a director,” Dawson said. “We definitely were in the right place at the right time.”
Today, Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer’s client list reads like a “Who’s Who” of television. In addition to “Nip/Tuck,” the company handles “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (CBS), “Everwood” (The WB), “Wildfire” (ABC Family) and “Battlestar Galactia (SciFi).”
New shows on the slate include “Inconceivable” (NBC), “Supernatural” (The WB), “Just Legal” (The WB) and “Killer Instinct” (Fox).
Dawson’s company took over casting for “CSI” about three episodes into the first season. The principals already were in place.
He remembers being “petrified” when CBS moved the drama from Friday to Thursday nights opposite NBC’s powerful “must see TV” lineup.
“We thought it would get lost,” he said. “Instead, it spawned two more series. I guess you could say it caught on.”
So what’s a casting director do?
Basically, he or she finds actors for studios and executive producers.
And not just any actors, but the perfect actors.
“Nip/Tuck” is a great example. Created and written by Ryan Murphy, the show required two charismatic leads to play the conflicted plastic surgeons.
Dawson said Dylan Walsh, who portrays the good-intentioned, but flawed Sean McNamara, was a slam dunk. He came to “Nip/Tuck” after guest starring on “Everwood.”
Getting Julian McMahon to play the egotistical Christian Troi proved to be a bit more challenging, Dawson said. McMahon was still committed to “Charmed” (The WB). Plus the show’s producers were looking for a Latin actor for the role, Dawson said.
When McMahon finished “Charmed” and finally tested for “Nip/Tuck,” the producers knew they had their Christian.
“He was the guy,” Dawson said. “There’s no question about it.”
Landing Joely Richardson as Sean McNamara’s wife, Julia, also proved a tad difficult. FX wasn’t as hot as it is now, Dawson said, and actors, particularly women, were leery of the cable network.
Richardson, who was between acting gigs, told her agent she was looking for something dark for her next project.
“I told Joely’s agent, ‘I have the perfect thing for you,’” Dawson recalled.
Dawson’s brother, Shawn, who joined the casting company in 1994, said his brother deserves some of the credit for the show’s accomplishments.
“You pour everything you have into a project and then hope it is successful on some level,” Shawn said. “When it’s a critical success and viewer success, you have a rarity. Then to get a nod from the industry, it’s icing on the cake.”
Roxann Dawson may be more excited than her husband about the Emmy nomination.
A veteran of the business, she realizes how difficult one is to come by.
“(Eric) is deserving,” she said in a phone interview from the couple’s home in L.A. “But he has some pretty stiff competition.”
The two met in 1989 while she was working on the Suzanne Pleshette drama “Nightingales” (NBC). After the show was canceled, Dawson’s company cast her in guest roles on “Matlock” and “Jake and the Fat Man.”
They married in May 1994 and have two girls, Emma, 7, and Mia, 5, who they adopted from China.
Roxann is best known for her role on “Star Trek: Voyager.” She portrayed chief engineer B'Elanna Torres (1995-2001). She also has performed on Broadway — she was part of “Chorus Line” when it closed after its long run — and is a published author.
Today, she is in demand as a director. Her credits include “Crossing Jordan,” “Enterprise” and “Charmed.”
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Roxann has returned to Lincoln with Eric several times over the years. Like most outsiders, she commented on the state’s humidity and sea of red on football Saturdays.
She noted her husband’s work ethic, fostered as a youngster growing up in Lincoln, as well as a commitment to family.
“We both love what we do,” she said, pointing out their schedules sometimes keep them apart. “But we love our family, too. We do what we have to do.”
Dawson expects to spend another 10 or 15 years in the business.
The toughest times are the pilot seasons, when casting directors look at hundreds of actors for projects, many of which never see the light of day.
He estimated about 200 pilots are filmed a year, with 30-some getting picked up by the broadcast and cable networks. Of those, 10 are lucky to see a second year.
“It’s the nature of the beast,” Dawson said. “Chances of a show going it is so slim.”
Dawson has learned not to make predictions.
His company cast “Jack & Bobby” last year for The WB. The drama, starring Christine Lahti, was a critical success but failed to gain an audience.
“It was sad, but we saw the writing on the wall,” he said. “It was a nice show with some nice things to say.”
Then there are the unexpected surprises. Nobody knew what to make of “Battlestar Galactia.” Would the remake be a copy of the cheesy original from the late 1970s?
Dawson said casting it was difficult. They needed actors for the miniseries and series, but had trouble finding those who were willing to do both. Plus, SciFi was a cable network with narrow viewership.
“Science fiction doesn’t interest all actors,” he said. “It was important for us to have a couple of name players on board.”
They found them in Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell.
“We’ve been quite pleased with how it turned out,” he said.
This past pilot season was especially tough, Dawson said, because casting directors nearly went on strike.
Studios and producers that Dawson had worked with for years threatened to sue him and his company for breaches of contracts.
It was messy and scary, he said.
The issue was resolved before a walkout occurred and the casting directors formed a union.
“What we do takes a lot of hours and a lot of stress,” Dawson said. “These episodes cost more than a million dollars apiece. There’s a lot riding on them.”
Dawson is looking forward to tonight’s Emmy ceremony.
His brother Shawn said the words “proud” and “well-deserved” come to mind about the nomination.
“I’ve always been very proud of the work he’s done, but especially on ‘Nip/Tuck,’” Shawn said. “He helped put together an amazing cast that are all very talented and special.”
Of course, Eric said, casting for season three has been far easier than the first two.
“Everybody wants to do the show,” he said. “It’s a great place to be.”
“Nip/Tuck” premieres Sept. 20. The episode will feature a 600-pound woman.
Was it hard finding an actor to fill the role, so to speak?
“When you’re looking for something special, people tend to find you,” Dawson said.
Finding the right one is the challenge. And when you do, it pays off.
Like with an Emmy nomination.
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.