Unlike other competitive cooking shows, the requirements for being a "Top Chef" contestant are intense and specific. There is only a small pool of James Beard Award finalists, chefs opening their first restaurants and emerging culinary stars on the internet who can handle the broad range of timed challenges on the legendary Bravo series.
Ron Mare and the casting team at Magical Elves continue to find them. Mare, who joined "Top Chef" in 2017, has cast seasons 15 to 23 (and counting), told IndieWire that there are clear benefits to being part of such a long-running programme. For so many people who decide to audition just for the sake of it, there is also a clear understanding within the culinary world of what "Top Chef" is, who is qualified to do it, and how, even without winning, the series can change your life.
"Everyone who is qualified wants to do it," Mare said. "When someone says no, it's usually because they're opening a restaurant and can't step away from it, or can't give it the time yet. Usually it's a time issue."
The casting team doesn't have time problems because, even off-season, they constantly send each other chefs via Instagram or culinary articles about new chefs as potential contestants. Mare indicated that they also ask programme alumni to recommend candidates. "We might not be casting for another six months, but we say, 'Let's target this person'," he noted.
Mare and his team have multiple spreadsheets tracking potential chefs, often for years before they are invited to audition. But building the cast of contestants for each season is far more complex than a quick challenge. "Sometimes you can only say they need another year or two before going on the programme," Mare said. "We don't want to put someone on the show before they're ready."
Mare noted there is a misconception about casting in reality competition shows. "Top Chef", more than any other series he has worked on, wants to support and nurture potential contestants. Beyond camera tests and exhaustive research into a chef's menus, background and experience, the casting team stays in close contact with chefs to answer questions and guide them at every step of the process.
"We're never going to put someone on television just for the sake of it. We're never going to say, 'They're twins, we have to do it'," Mare said. "They send us sample menus. We study them. They send their résumés. We have chefs review them if we question something. There are references. There are multiple things we do to ensure the person is a good fit."
The team takes a long-term view. "Sometimes talented chefs don't get in, and we always reach out to them the next season. I'm sure you'll hear some of the longest-running Top Chefs talk about how they auditioned three, four, five times," Mare said. "I always tell people, if you don't get in, it's not because you're not a good chef or people don't like you. You simply may not have fit that puzzle this season."
Each chef must fit into the larger cast they need to build for each season, one that must present stories that are compelling, distinct but also complementary. This balancing act is more complex than a quick challenge; for season 23, it was even more challenging when the casting team embraced some duos, which reduced the number of available spots for other chefs.
"It's such a high-level show. There's so much attention on it, and every year you want to try to do better than last time," Mare said. "We came across twins Jonathan and Brandon Dearden and it seemed like gold. We moved forward with them in the process, and then we've known Jennifer Jackson and Justin Tootla for a long time. We spoke with them multiple seasons, but they came back to us out of nowhere, ready to do it. So we simply embraced the duos. That's four of 15 spaces, so all the other people who got in were super solid."
Supporting strong contestants through the arduous "Top Chef" process is an important part of the reward for Mare and his team. Each season, by selecting contestants at the right moment for them and for the programme, Mare and the casting team have changed lives. "I love seeing so many chefs we've chosen doing such incredible things. Look at Kristen Kish, becoming a host. Look at Mei Lin, Joe Sasto, Jeremy Ford, Buddha Lo, Brooke Williamson. Brooke has a deal with Food Network. The Voltaggios as well. It's on their own merit; it's because they're such talented people. It has nothing to do with me. But it's rewarding to be able to see them and watch them grow," Mare said.
