Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, CSA - Leading The Way

Instead of reflecting our real world that is full of people of all colors, shapes, and abilities, the media we engage often filters out uniqueness and variety in favor of flatness and familiarity. The impact of this lack of representation is felt hardest by the communities rendered invisible, and doubly so for people with disabilities. Creating a mediascape that more accurately reflects humanity in all of our various textures is what led Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick to champion performers with disabilities in her casting career. As a child actor, Demchick spent time on sets where people with disabilities were not reflected. That background influenced her casting career where she now focuses on removing barriers of entry for performers with disabilities and other underrepresented communities. Learn more about Demchick’s path to casting, leadership, and advocacy in the interview below.

How long have you been a CSA member?  

I believe I joined in 2012. 

Why did you join the Board?

What past, current, or future project would you like people to know about?

The Flash Before the Bang is a Deaf led feature film I had the honor of casting. It was one of the rare instances where an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter was needed in our casting sessions not for the director or producer to communicate with the Deaf actors, but for me and any hearing actors to be able to communicate with the actors, lead producer, and director. Similarly, on set, ASL interpreters were solely needed for hearing actors and team members, as all direction was given to our actors (it was a majority Deaf cast) in their first language, ASL. It will be released next year (2027) and I feel so privileged to have not only worked on this project but also to have had the opportunity to employ a disabled casting team (and we all know, getting support staff paid for in indie film is a rarity these days!)  

Advocating for performers with disabilities (PWD) has become a hallmark of your work. What drew you to this cause, and why did the time feel right to lead the SAG-AFTRA x CSA PWD Speed Dating? 

Reflecting the real world in media is what drew me to casting. As a child actor, I lived a siloed existence, where in my every day life (at school, with family/friends, at synagogue etc) disability was a regular part of my life, but at auditions or on set, I never saw anyone with a disability. As I rose through the ranks in casting, I was fortunate enough to work under casting directors who asked me, "What do you see missing in this scene?" when casting and building the world of a project.

Although there was often a lot missing in terms of underrepresented communities, including intersectionality and real body types (just two very top of mind examples), the one thing that was always missing was disability representation. With disability being the most underrepresented and the most misrepresented community, and with "cripping up" (playing disabled, when you are not) still happening in mainstream (and often award winning media), there is still a ton of work to be done. My focus on inclusion of all marginalized communities really propels me to stay in casting (because, let's face it, we are in a weird time in our industry and there are moments where I think, "What else could I do with my life?!")

The nuances of disability representation, the fear and stigma that often is associated with disability—despite (or perhaps because of) it being the one minority group anyone could join at any time—as well as the scope of lived experiences the disability community encompasses are vast. I continue to learn every day how to be a better advocate and I will continue to create awareness for the incredible talent that exists in the disability community. 

Since this month, October, is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), it felt like the right time to hold our SAG-AFTRA x CSA PWD Speed Dating event. People with disabilities face significantly higher rates of both unemployment and underemployment compared to people that do not identify as disabled. As casting professionals, we can be pivotal allies to disabled actors. We can be a part of a pipeline to increase employment numbers, reduce systemic barriers, and elevate talent of abilities for all roles. 

What do you value about being a CSA member?

Being a part of a community of so many likeminded individuals is really special, especially in a career as often isolating as casting (which has only grown more isolated in the world of self tapes/post COVID).  

About Danielle:

Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick is an advocate manifesting change in how the real world is reflected in today’s media. The co-VP of Advocacy for the Casting Society, where she serves as a board member, she has been an active member of the New York casting community since 2004. Nickelodeon was her casting home for over 14 years.

Since opening her own casting office in 2022, she continues to cast Viacom Kids & Family content, and is thrilled to have recently worked with Netflix, PBS, Disney Junior, Sony Pictures Television. She is actively casting theatre, commercials, podcasts, and film, including the upcoming Deaf led feature film, The Flash Before the Bang.

Some of her favorite credits include Patrice (Hulu), Together We Can (Sesame Workshop), Well Versed (Nickelodeon), Wonder Pets: Into the City (Apple), Pulse (Netflix), American Girl: Corinne Tan (Marvista Entertainment, airing on Netflix), Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? (Showtime) and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah for Happy Madison Productions, airing on Netflix.

Prior to Nickelodeon, she worked in independent film casting and spent a year at Innovative Artists learning the agency side of the business.

In addition to leading the Equity in Entertainment committee for the Casting Society, she is the co-chair of the Jewish Casting Community affinity group for CSA.  

She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Disabilities Studies at the City University of New York and is a trained childhood bereavement group facilitator. She prides herself on being an ally to artists and aspiring talent of all abilities. 

Leading the Way is a new CSA series featuring the members whose volunteer leadership helps bring CSA's programs, initiatives, and member benefits to life. Each feature offers a glimpse into their career, industry perspective, and commitment to supporting our community.