Exclusive: Judy Blye Wilson Shares Hilarious Kneepad Casting Tactic on Soapy
This week on CBS’s podcast, Soapy, hosts Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart are joined by the legendary casting director, Judy Blye Wilson, known for her work with The Young and the Restless and All My Children.
Soapy hosts The Young and the Restless Casting Director
Judy Blye Wilson on Soapy podcast | Photo: CBSEmmy Award-winning casting director Judy Blye Wilson will be joining hosts Rebecca Budig (Taylor Hayes, The Bold and the Beautiful) and Greg Rikaart (Leo Stark, Days of our Lives) on tomorrow’s episode of Soapy, the CBS podcast.
Wilson was the casting director in the ‘80s for Ryan’s Hope, later moving to One Life to Live. She was also the casting director for All My Children for 20 years before joining The Young and the Restless.
In tomorrow’s Soapy episode, Wilson shares a well-known story about how much she wanted Mark Consuelos to be hired on All My Children, with some extra information that was a surprise to Rikaart and Budig.
Of course, fans know that Consuelos was eventually hired to play Mateo Santos — a role that made him famous — but at the time, the show wasn’t interested in hiring him. Wilson could see his potential stardom and what it would mean to the show, but was facing much resistance.
Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart on Soapy podcast | Photo: CBSAt the time, Consuelos was living on then-costar Winsor Harmon’s (Thorne, The Bold and the Beautiful) couch. Needing someone to play the role for their filming schedule, the show let him tape episodes as Mateo, even though he wasn’t hired.
But not only was Consuelos testing for the role while actively playing it, he knew they might replace him if they didn’t like what they saw. While Consuelos filmed scenes that he knew may never make it to air, Wilson decided to use a creative tactic to be heard.
Wilson wrote “Please cast Mark” on the kneepads. She walked into the producer’s office and lifted her skirt so she could read the message.
Consuelos did get to keep the role, and became one half of a superduo with costar Kelly Ripa — who secretly became his wife the next year.
Wilson laughed at her tactic and said that she did tell Consuelos the story — in fact, she gave him one of the kneepads to keep.
Watch Wilson tell her story below, and catch the full episode tomorrow on Soapy!