Biography

Dan Shaner is an associate professor of theatre practice in acting at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. He has been a Casting Director in film, television, and new media for more than 25 years, working for every major studio and network.

Feature film credits include Latter Days, winner of the Outfest Audience Award; Buddy Boy, directed by Roman Polanski protégé Mark Hanlon; Valerie Breiman’s Love and Sex and Everything Put Together, directed by BAFTA, Golden Globe, Independent Spirit Award and DGA nominee Marc Forster, which were both in competition at the Sundance Film Festival in the same year. Additional films have featured Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, Academy Award nominees Amy Adams, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Barbara Hershey, Susan Tyrell, Tess Harper and Julie Delpy, among many others.

Television pilots include starring roles for Amy Adams, Austin Butler, Sarah Michelle Gellar,  Minnie Driver, Michael Chiklis, Rob Lowe, Wes Studi and Maggie Q, among others.

Series television credits include Cold Case, Roswell, Moonlight, The Whole Truth, Chase, Ringer, Make It or Break It and Hollywood Heights. As head of casting for six years at Wilshire Court Productions, he cast 75 movies for television, garnering Artios and Cable Ace Award nominations. Prior to casting, Dan was a theatrical agent, representing actors, writers and directors.

He teaches Professional Development, Casting and Audition Technique in the MFA, BFA and BA acting programs. In 2016, he created SDA’s Professional Development Center, the first of its kind in the nation.

Shaner graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in English and is a major fundraiser and volunteer with Project Angel Food and APLA.