Casting director Heather Basten discusses her award-winning career and shares expert advice for actors navigating the stage and screen.
We’re thrilled to put the spotlight on one of the industry’s most dynamic and celebrated figures, casting director Heather Basten, CDG, CSA.
Known for her exceptional eye for talent, Heather’s career spans film, TV, commercial and theatre, including projects like Dreaming Whilst Black, Hoard and the musical The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Heather joins us fresh from her well-deserved recognition at the Black British Theatre Awards, where she won the Best Casting Director award!
In this interview, we delve into the creative process of a top casting director – from how she discovers actors to the final decisions that shape a cast. We’ll discuss her inspiring career, her advice for both self-represented and established performers, and the critical role casting directors play in the future of the British creative industries.
In this interview, you’ll find out:
- Heather Basten’s journey from drama school to running her own casting company.
- Actionable advice for actors on optimising Spotlight profiles and approaching auditions and self-tapes with preparation and truth.
- Heather’s process for discovering and championing diverse talent emphasises giving people a chance and nurturing their skills.
- The subtle differences in casting for stage versus screen ultimately seek the same core ‘truth’.
Hi Heather! Congratulations on your Best Casting Director win at the Black British Theatre Awards. How does it feel to be recognised for your work?
I think there’s something very special about being celebrated by your peers, people within the black community and allies. It was a wonderful evening. You get to meet up with people that perhaps you haven’t seen in a long time. You get to champion everyone else who is doing wonderful work and paving the way for others who are going to come after us, so I was really grateful to win the BBTA award. And really thrilled to be recognised because I think often casting directors are not recognised.
It puts things into perspective, really, because it’s such a creative job. Assembling the cast and going through that creative process is extremely intense. I think we’re at a crucial point, with the award at next year’s Oscars, that we’re looking for that equity with other heads of department. I do think things are changing for the better. These awards are giving the casting directors a bit more of a platform and making the job more visible. I certainly didn’t know that this was a job when I was growing up. I don’t know how I thought actors got on the screen.
How did you get into casting?
I studied an academic course, left drama school and went to work at the BFI [British Film Institute]. It was at the BFI where I met casting director Jeremy Zimmerman, who then took me under his wing and taught me everything I know.
I worked my way up from an assistant to an associate, to then taking on my own projects, to then starting my own company and having my own team.
Where I’m at now is a sort of full-circle moment. I’ve got my own team. I’m training them up. And we’re working across film, TV, theatre, commercials, anything really. I love working on projects with nice people and nice teams, nice creatives. I really enjoy floating between the stage and the screen stuff and exciting moments when those worlds collide in really beautiful ways.
Any favourite projects?
The Harder They Come at Stratford East, which has just finished, is definitely a career highlight. I think Matthew Xia is a phenomenal director and all the cast are so talented. Every night, I was reading the show reports and seeing standing ovation after standing ovation. I think the reviews speak for themselves on that show – five stars almost across the board and I felt that buzz from the very moment I had read the script. I’d foreseen that this was going to be a really special show and it was really going to touch audiences and I feel like we did that. I’m very proud of all the actors involved.
Image credit: Danny Kaan / Production still from ‘The Harder They Come’
You’re celebrated for your dedication to discovering and championing talent – what’s your process for this?
My process for discovering talent is just to look beyond our means and to really keep my mind open consciously. Giving people a chance is so important. I’ve cast many people who’ve now gone on to do brilliant things by giving them a chance at an audition.
Also, making sure that I nurture talent as well, because I think it’s one thing to provide people the opportunity to audition, but I also make sure I give people the tools to do a great audition. I make sure I give them direction that will push them and explore their range as an actor and give them a better chance at delivering perhaps what the director was looking for.
What is the most important aspect of your job?
Trying not to be so tunnel vision about what you have in front of you, and keeping an open mind because sometimes projects drive forward at such a fast pace. People can sometimes forget the core ethics behind what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and who else is in your audience that you perhaps didn’t consider being your audience. So, I try to look inside and I’m also looking outside the project.
Having a full overview of everything is one of the most important parts of the job. And that’s how we’re able to discover talent. That’s how we’re able to do clever casting. That’s how we’re able to think about people who the director may not have necessarily thought about, who’s looking to do that genre at the moment.
There are so many aspects to it. And I think having that open mind and really consciously looking inwards and outwards is the key.
Does your approach to casting differ for stage versus screen?
I think the skeleton of the process is the same. We do meetings, then we’ll do recalls, perhaps chemistry reads. The tools in which we do these auditions are slightly different. We’re looking for slightly different things. Perhaps for stage, we’re looking at their body on the stage, how they take hold of their voice, projection, all these sorts of things. And then for screen, we’re looking for someone to break through the lens and to connect with the audience in that way. Ultimately, to its core, I think it’s the same. We’re looking for the truth. It’s just how we get there is slightly different.
How do you use Spotlight in your casting process?
Spotlight is a big part of my process. We put breakdowns out on Spotlight. We also use the search function, as well, so I always make sure actors know when they ask me to add as much detail as they can to their Spotlight profile because sometimes it’s not just a case of your agent putting you forward. Sometimes it’s us on the ground doing that searching and all those parts of the Spotlight profile help.
I quite enjoy the new heritage feature on Spotlight. I think it’s just a nice choice to have, but it’s always down to actors to decide if they want to add that feature or not. I’m doing a project at the moment about immigration and we’re looking for actors who speak certain native languages and that’s sometimes tied to heritage. So it’s really been interesting using all of these features to try and find what we need on Spotlight. It’s great for searching for kids as well. There’s such a wide range of kids on there, all different ages and different skill sets.
Lately, where possible, I’ve been putting the jobs out on the Jobs Feed. It’s actually opened up a lot more interesting actors who perhaps don’t have that representation. I’m consciously trying to do that a lot more. I try to listen to actors and what they want and a big part of the conversation lately is access. So, I’ve tried to make a conscious shift about that and how I can get my breakdowns out to everyone on Spotlight.
How can a self-represented performer stand out?
I think self-represented performers can make sure to fill in as much as they can on their Spotlight profile; the skills they have, the languages that they speak – even if it’s basic languages.
Keeping everything truthful is really important. Be truthful to your playing age.
Be mindful of your profile and how you want it to represent you because you’re representing yourself. Being your own representative can be tough, but it also can be quite empowering. I think you get that control over what you’re putting out, so just be mindful of what’s in your spotlight.
What advice would you like to give to actors coming in to meet with you?
Be as prepared as you can be. That’s a subjective opinion, but I also keep it quite broad because people have to work second, third and fourth jobs sometimes. So very mindful of the audition not feeling like a memory test. But there’s a certain level of being prepared, as you’ve read the script, you’ve perhaps come with questions, things that will help with your performance. Understanding the work, that sort of being prepared.
I never want my auditions to feel like a memory test. I think it helps if you’ve learned [the sides] off by heart because you’re completely connecting with us as an audience in terms of your eye line. But I would never say it’s the be-all and end-all of a very good audition. It’s an amalgamation of things.
When it comes to self-tapes, what qualities catch your attention and make you want to see more from a performer?
I come from the time before self-tapes were the first point of call in casting. So it’s been really interesting to see a landscape shift in that sense. I’m not a stranger to understanding that things change and so it’s just about how we adapt.
My first thing is to have empathy and to have an understanding of what the actor is trying to do logistically to even send me that tape. When you have an empathetic mind, you can then watch the tape with a slightly open heart and an open mind. You’re looking at the tape with the view of, “This is a raw tape. This is the early stages. This is without a director. This is sometimes without a script.”
And they’re at home. One could say actors have to be able to act anywhere, but ultimately, it’s always better to give an actor the best environment to thrive, like everyone else.
I’m only looking for the essence of that character in the tape. I’m really not looking for a polished performance. Something that excites me is watching a tape that leaves me with that feeling that I want to watch it again or watch more.
What role do you think casting directors have in shaping the future of the British creative industry?
I think casting directors are essential in hanging on to our humanity, which sometimes feels like it’s slowly being chipped away. Casting directors are that connection between the human actors and project, we create that tie for everyone. That connection is only going to grow in the next few years. I feel very hopeful about it. I feel like we as a society are going to need more human connection over the next few years.
What exciting projects do you have coming up?
I’ve been casting a play at the Old Vic. It’s my first time casting for the Old Vic, so I’m very excited. I have a musical opening at the RSC next year, which then goes into the West End, called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. I’ve been on that project for three years – that’s how long it can take and so to see it go up is a joy. Then I’ve got a horror film coming out with Blumhouse and Universal called Other Mommy. We’re excited about lots of happenings in that.
Finally, where do you keep your award?
I need to actually get it from my husband’s office! I’ve got a shelf in my casting studio where I’ve got a few awards and it will live with its family of other awards. They will sit together and have a great time.
Heather Basten’s Actionable Insights
- Optimise your Spotlight profile: Treat your Spotlight profile as your personal representative. Be meticulously truthful about your playing age and fill in all details — including specialised skills and languages (even basic ones) — as casting teams actively use the search function to find specific talent.
- Focus on the truth (not perfection) in self-tape auditions: Prioritise finding the ‘truth’ of the character. For self-tapes, Basten is looking for the essence and a spark that makes her want to see more, not a polished, final performance.
- Prioritise preparedness over memorisation for meets: While learning sides helps with connection, being prepared means thoroughly reading the script, understanding the work, and perhaps coming with questions to help deepen your performance.
- Utilise Spotlight’s Jobs Feed: Be aware that Heather actively uses the Spotlight jobs feed to post breakdowns to find self-represented actors.
Thank you, Heather, for sharing your casting experience and acting advice with us!
Take a look at our website for more interviews and advice from casting directors.
