-You're from LA, right? -Yeah.
-Okay, how old are you? -I'm 11.
So, the scene you have starts with Destiny's line,
"Hey, you must be our new woodchuck. I'm Destiny."
-Yeah. -Okay, great. So, let's do that.
I love what I do.
And I love actors, and I love all the kids on the shows.
So when they are as excited to see me as I'm excited to see them,
it just makes it all worthwhile.
My name is Leah Buono, and my job here at Disney Channel
is to oversee all of the casting for all of our pilots and series
and Disney Channel Original Movies which we call DCOMs here.
I was always completely in love with movies and TV.
Growing up I was an indoor kid,
so I feel like I ended up putting my television addiction to good use.
[laughs]
My parents had this little library of books,
and there was an encyclopedia collection and right underneath it--
I just pulled it out one day,
and it said it was The Art of Walt Disney, and it was this gorgeous hardcover book.
And I remember cracking it open and I was mesmerized.
I was turning three.
I had asked to perform Cinderella.
[chuckling] And so my three aunts played
the wicked stepmother and two wicked stepsisters,
and I cast myself as Cinderella.
I got the lead. [laughs]
My three-year-old self already knew I was a casting director.
I think, really, it was all toward me just wanting a pair of glass slippers.
I went to bed every night praying I'd wake up the next morning,
and I'd open my closet and I would see the pair of glass slippers sitting there.
As a casting executive here at Disney Channel,
it's my job to oversee
all of our casting directors who support each project
and really attend casting sessions and look at casting links
and work with development, current series,
producers, executive producers and directors,
all to come together to put together the perfect cast.
Knock, knock.
[man] Hey, who is it?
Oh, I'm so sorry. Were you sleeping?
Yeah, I was sl-- No, I'm just playing.
[laughing] Hi!
-How're you doing? -Good. How are you?
Right now we are on the set of a new series on Disney Channel
called Just Roll With It, and today is the run-through day.
[chattering, laughing]
I like to show up to run-throughs as much as I can.
I get to see a little snapshot of the full episode,
and I get to check-in on performance.
I get to meet any new guest cast who happens to be in this episode.
As a casting executive and a casting director,
we're always looking for new talent.
-How many episodes have you done so far? -This is number nine.
[gasps] You've been keeping count.
-I love it. -Yes, I have.
Where are we starting first? Where's the first scene taking place?
Well, we come out of that door, and we come over here.
-And then we have a scene in there. -It's a cool character, right?
-Yeah. He definitely is. -[laughs]
All right! Let's welcome the cast of Just Roll With It!
[cheering]
[Buono] Working at Disney is an absolute dream job.
To be a part of the history of Disney
and casting and finding stars
is something that is so important to me
and quite humbling to be a part of.
I'd rather watch my birth video.
-Perfect. Okay. -[laughing]
Like the original Disney Channel stars as we know them:
Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez.
And then we had the next phase of Zendaya and Dove Cameron and Laura Marano
and Sofia Carson.
And we're always looking for who's the next star. We'll see.
That show is terrible. It's gonna rot your brain.
And how do you not know about student court?
Say hello to your new lawyer.
-[girl 2] Thank you! -[girl 1] Sure.
[Buono] I think when I meet any actor, especially a kid,
I'm looking for them to bring their own personality
and who they are into whatever role they're reading.
What made you wanna start acting?
[girl 3] Well, I've watched Disney Channel my entire life.
I grew up watching it and all of those actresses really inspired me.
I think when you have an actor walk in the room
and you sense their passion for what they're about to do for you,
that really makes someone pop in the room.
And you can always say it's so magical,
but I think what's so magical...
is the intangible.
I can't quite explain the feeling this gives me.