·NBCU Launch has named Whitney Baugh and Miah Giavonni Harris as its casting assistants for its 2022-23 Talent & Casting Assistant Program. The annual program creates a pipeline for diverse casting professionals in scripted and unscripted programing — a part in the Hollywood ecosystem which plays a major role in bolster inclusivity in what we see on the screen.
During the 10-month paid program, Baugh and Harris will spend the first half of the program supporting NBCU’s internal Talent and Casting departments for both scripted and unscripted programming.
Baugh will work with the Entertainment Network Group’s team where Grace Wu, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Casting, and Tomii Crump, Senior Vice President, Talent and Casting, will serve as mentors and supervisors.
Harris will support Universal Studio Group where Steven O’Neill, Executive Vice President, Casting, UCP and Christine Cowan, Vice President, Talent and Casting, Universal Television Alternative Studio, will shepherd her experience in the program.
They will then transition to an independent casting office that either focuses on scripted or unscripted casting in Los Angeles or New York. At the end of the program, Baugh and Harris will be considered for available roles internally or at an independent casting agency working on NBCU content.
Baugh and Harris were selected through NBCU LAUNCH’s partnership with Casting Society Cares, the educational arm of the Casting Society of America that offers training for the next generation of casting professionals. Baugh and Harris are alumna of the CSC’s Casting Assistant Training and Education Program.
The Talent & Casting Assistant Program is part of the refreshed slate of NBCU LAUNCH offerings, including the NBC TV Writers Program, TV Directors Program and Female Forward, and Below the Line Traineeship.
