Sharon Klein Named Executive Vice President of Casting, Walt Disney Television

In a significant expansion of her duties, Sharon Klein has been named executive vice president of Casting, Walt Disney Television, where she will lead the casting teams of ABC Entertainment, 20th Television, ABC Signature, 20th Television Animation, Walt Disney Television Alternative, Hulu Originals and Freeform, it was announced today. In this new assignment, she will be responsible for the casting of all series and pilots, identifying talent for holding deals, and spearheading casting and talent strategy for the numerous entities now under her purview. The new assignment is effective immediately.

"Sharon is a spectacular casting executive with taste, strategic thinking and insight to spare; and in many ways she is a not-so-secret weapon to our executives, our producers, and to Dana and me personally," commented Craig Hunegs, president of Entertainment, Walt Disney Television. "Her track record is no accident -- when you have Sharon at the helm of your talent search, you are guaranteed to assemble a best-in-class ensemble of actors. Her expanded portfolio is a win for all involved."

Said Klein, "I've been a longtime viewer and fan of the programming at ABC, Hulu Originals and Freeform so the chance to work with Craig Erwich, Tara Duncan, and Rob Mills and their talented teams directly was incredibly appealing. And I'm excited to continue the successful collaboration with Jonnie Davis, Karey Burke and Marci Proietto on their projects. I cannot thank Craig Hunegs and Dana Walden enough for their support and votes of confidence. I will be the first to tell you that casting is a team effort, and I owe a tremendous debt to my casting partners and, of course, the producers who deliver such brilliant material."

Klein most recently served as EVP, Casting, Disney Television Studios and FX Entertainment, and oversaw casting on such recent successes as "Genius: Aretha," "Big Sky," "Rebel," "Little Fires Everywhere" and "Mrs. America"; as well as the eagerly anticipated "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Dropout" for Hulu; "The Old Man" and "Impeachment: AMERICAN CRIME Story" for FX; and "The Mysterious Benedict Society," "Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" and "Big Shot" for Disney+.

An Emmy® Award-winning casting director, Klein led the former 20th Century Fox Television's casting team for two decades, assembling the ensembles of projects like "Fosse/Verdon," "9-1-1" and "9-1-1: Lone Star," "Empire," "This Is Us," "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: AMERICAN CRIME Story," "Pose," "Fresh Off the Boat," "The People v. OJ Simpson: AMERICAN CRIME Story," "Modern Family," "Glee," "How I Met Your Mother," "New Girl" and "Homeland," among dozens of other series. She worked with such creative talents as Ryan Murphy, Lee Daniels, Dan Fogelman, Thomas Kail, Steve Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa, Seth MacFarlane, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and countless others as the studio's chief casting executive since 2001.

Prior to joining the studio, Klein served as an independent casting director and won an Emmy for casting the HBO miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon."

Klein is a graduate of Brandeis University and a native of New York.

Photo Credit: Corey Nickols

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