York grad Mercedez De Castro (BA ’84) has an eye for talent. A casting director for close to 10 years, she has discovered talent for many well-known reality television productions such as “The Amazing Race,” “Howie Do it” and “Freak Encounters”. For her most recent assignment, she’s been given the task of rounding up talented people from across the country for “Canada’s Got Talent,” a new reality show which premieres March 4. We recently caught up with De Castro to talk about auditions and her search for Canada’s most talented people.

You’ve made a career of casting for reality television but you were originally trained as an actor. How did you make that transition?

Sometimes you really don’t see your career path develop until much later in life. I graduated from York in 1984 and went on to start a family with my husband, who is also a York grad. I did some part-time work developing fitness programs and drama workshops for schools but mostly I was a mom.

When my children got older, I finally decided to try acting again. I auditioned for about five to six years, doing mostly television and film. The more I auditioned, the more I found that what I really loved was the experience of connecting with a really good casting director, sometimes even more than acting itself.

From there, I spent about two years in both worlds until I decided to pursue the casting side of the business fulltime.

De Castro with a prank victim on the set of Howie Do it

As an actor, you’ve appeared in everything from musical theatre to commercials to television shows and film. How does your experience auditioning for roles influence your approach to casting?

One thing I didn’t know as an actor, but now realize, is the casting director is really your biggest cheerleader. They always want you to be the one, they want you to get the job. For me, if you come to the audition, you’re ready to go, and I feel like I can send you straight to the set then my job is done.

I always said that if I ever got to be on the other side, I would try to connect with the actor as much as possible. If I know they haven’t got it, I’ll stop the tape and chat with them for a bit to make sure they know what we need. It helps put them in a different zone and helps them give me an entirely different performance.

What are some of the qualities you look for during an audition?

Depending on the show, we usually look for really big personalities. The great thing about reality television is that actors will usually answer your questions truthfully. We might ask them about their dreams, what makes them happy or annoyed and they’ll give us a straight answer. If they’re the type of person who’s likely to punch someone who pisses them off, they’ll say so.

You don’t always want people who are fighters but you want people who aren’t afraid to express their opinion. So if we ask them a question about politics or religion for example, and they have no strong feelings, that tells us a lot about them.

Left to right, De Castro with her daughter, Kik, and husband, Frank, both of whom are also York grads.

Tell us about your  most memorable audition.

I have so many beautiful moments that I will forever cherish as a casting director. I have laughed and cried with superbly talented strangers. The truth is in the tape. The footage never lies. The eyes of an actor speak a language that scares the sh– out of me. Meeting an actor that knows how to speak that ‘secret’ language is frighteningly powerful, and oh so beautiful. When an actor opens themselves up and lets me in to that very vulnerable, intimate place, I never take that for granted. I know what it takes to get there.

One of my most memorable moments was watching an actor give birth in five minutes. All her clothes were on, and she delivered! I am a mother of two and this actor had me believe. I love when they forget about everything else and just, well, deliver!

I also remember the actor who did a handstand in his audition, just because it felt right. Instincts are everything.

You’ve spent the last few months heading up a nationwide search for Canada’s most talented people. What was that like?

This was just a dream show to cast. We’ve received some of the most incredible submissions I have ever encountered.

Canada is such a large country with so many different people. While we’re known for being polite, we’re definitely not afraid to share our talents.