I had the pleasure of working with Finley Davidson, an incredible casting director out of New York, who assembled a remarkable ensemble for me.
I was very specific that I wanted a nonbinary or trans child to play Cassie—to bring authenticity to the role. When we found Devyn McDowell, I was blown away not only by their tremendous talent, but by how natural and unselfconscious they were as an actor. They could draw from their own experience as a nonbinary young person—including being bullied in their community—and channel that into every fiber of Cassie's character.
My direction to Devin was simple: "You are Cassie. There's no break between you and this character. I want you to come from an authentic place in every moment." We focused on being organic, being present, really listening rather than anticipating. I trusted Devin's instincts completely—they're a brave, natural actor who knows who they are. All those water sequences you see? Devin did them all, no stunt double. They understood this was integral to Cassie's journey, and I gave them the freedom to bring that journey to light while providing guidance when needed.
For Pepper, I was originally looking for a 58-year-old African American gay or queer actor. Then Arturo Luiz Soria came through casting, and I just fell in love with him. He's younger, Latino, and he brought this unabashed playfulness, this quality I hadn't even imagined—a completely different interpretation that transformed the role.
I encouraged Arturo to make Pepper 100% his own, which he did beautifully. All the improvisation, the language, the specific choices—that's Arturo filling out this character. What I particularly loved was how he manifested this maternal side, this beautiful struggle of not wanting to get attached to Cassie, fearing the repercussions, and then ultimately becoming the mother figure Cassie needs to fly—to become that beautiful mermaid.
Arturo is a very instinctual actor who responds well to specific notes. Once he understands what I'm looking for, he fills every moment with his emotional landscape. We made sure Pepper was crafted through Arturo—from the wigs and makeup to the clothing, even the music. I asked him, "What would Pepper listen to?" Everything had to be authentic to who Pepper is and who Arturo is as this character.
We were also incredibly fortunate to have Academy Award-winning writer and actor Nat Faxon play Bill, Cassie's dad. Nat brought such depth and complexity to this role. I think what really attracted him to this role—and what made his performance so authentic—is that he grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He understood who Bill is to the core. He had a real sense of this person and could fill him with all of his beautiful emotion. He was very grounded in his performance, very present, and that deep understanding gave a beautiful framework to how he approached the role, which really elevated his performance and informed why Bill makes the decisions he makes.
We were also incredibly fortunate to have Academy Award-winning writer and actor Nat Faxon play Bill, Cassie's dad. Nat brought such depth and complexity to this role. I think what really attracted him to this role—and what made his performance so authentic—is that he grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He understood who Bill is to the core. He had a real sense of this person and could fill him with all of his beautiful emotion. He was very grounded in his performance, very present, and that deep understanding gave a beautiful framework to how he approached the role, which really elevated his performance and informed why Bill makes the decisions he makes.
What I loved about working with Nat—and what we really discussed—was that Bill is not a stereotype. I didn't want to create a one-dimensional blue-collar guy who doesn't want to help his kid. Nat instinctually understood that Bill was in over his head, drowning in grief and denial, not equipped to understand or care for a trans child who's exploring their identity. Bill's not a villain—he's afraid, he's grieving the loss of his wife, and he simply doesn't have the bandwidth to be the present father Cassie needs. But he's trying to do what he thinks is right. He wants a connection with his child.
Nat brought this beautiful, nuanced, multilayered performance to Bill's journey—from that place of fear and inadequacy to this incredible moment of transformation where he understands, accepts, and reaches out to Pepper and the community for help. He realizes he needs to find a new way forward for his child.
As a director and writer, I'm very specific about what I want, but I also deeply respect actors. When you have great actors, you set the stage and let them play. You create a safe, beautiful environment where they can bring out who they are in these moments, then you get out of their way. That's where the brilliance happens.
We were on a very tight schedule—sometimes only 1 to 3 takes per scene—so we did our prep work, but honestly? When you cast the right actors who love the material and you build that relationship, magic happens.