Listen: Mary Clay Boland Discusses Her Career Evolution and More on LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

Little Known Facts is a weekly podcast hosted by stage and film actress Ilana Levine. With over 250 interviews to date with today's most successful artists, Levine engages her celebrity guests in intimate conversations that are hilarious, vulnerable, revealing and inspiring. Ilana's unique brand of celebrity interview has been called "Podcast Vérité," because her conversations are unfiltered, raw, honest and uniquely funny.

Today's episode features Mary Clay Boland!

Boland talked about her career and how her passions evolved within the industry.

"Actually, I was never an actress, but I was a ballerina," she said. "I always say that the first part of my life I was a ballerina and the second part a casting director, or a mother."

She then discussed how she made the pivot in her career from ballet to theatre.

"I physically was hurting a lot with the ballet, I've actually had a hip replacement since then. I also realized that unless it is something you just have to do, ballet is a very difficult life to lead."

Check out the full episode below!

Mary Clay Boland is a two time Emmy award winning casting Director.

Boland started her career at Circle Repertory Theater where she had the honor to work with many brilliant playwrights and actors. Circle Rep was the perfect atmosphere to hone Mary Clay's casting instincts and enable her to witness the best acting has to offer. Transitioning to television Boland became the Casting Associate at Walken/Jaffe Casting where she was the Casting Associate on the first two seasons of the Emmy award winning show The Sopranos as well as the feature films But I'm a Cheerleader, The Legend of Wiry Spindell, First Look and many other films over a three year period.

Boland then moved on to the casting department of Warner Brothers Studios television where she worked on casting over 40 pilots including Everwood, Smallville, Gilmore Girls, George Lopez, and Without a Trace. While at Warner Brothers, Boland also cast the first two seasons of Third Watch, NBC and Witch Blade. In addition to that Boland was also responsible for the New York casting of their existing LA based shows ER, THE WEST WING, and FRIENDS. Throughout her career, Boland has also served as the Casting Director for many independent films that have played heavily on the festival circuit. Such films as MARCONI BROS. starring Dan Fogler, BEST THIEF IN THE WORLD starring Mary Louise Parker, CONFESS starring Melissa Leo, and many more.

Mary Clay worked as the Casting Director for CBS' AS THE WORLD TURNS for 8 years and won two Day Time Emmys for Outstanding achievement in casting a drama series.

Boland went on to open her own company where she cast the first season of the Adult Swim series YOUR PRETTY FACE IS GOING TO HELL. She also cast a Warner Bros. Web series FINDING CODY starring Cody Simpson. She cast the film FOUR which won best ensemble cast at the LA Film Festival.

For the last eight years Mary Clay has focused on motherhood while also keeping her foot immersed in the Louisville Film community. She has resided on the board of the Louisville Film Society. She was appointed by the mayor to be on the Louisville Film Commission. On the commission she acted as a liaison between New York and Los Angeles film productions that wished to shoot in KY and take advantage of their state tax film incentives. She taught media and film studies as a guest lecturer for the Governor's School of the Arts and has also led multiple workshops on auditioning technique.

Boland is a member of the Casting Society of America and served on their New York Board for four years. She is also a member of the Academy for film and Television and IFP and Women in Film and Television.

Photo Credit: Morgane Rondot