The role of casting directors and why their craft is finally being recognised at the Oscars this year.
For decades, they have been the invisible department. You see the actor’s face, you hear the writer’s words and you marvel at the director’s vision, but the person who initially fused those elements together often remains in the shadows.
This year, that changed. For the first time in history, the Academy Awards has introduced a category for Best Casting. It follows the lead of the BAFTAs, which introduced the honour in 2020 – and is a long-overdue acknowledgement of a role that is equal parts artistic intuition and high-stakes recruitment.
To understand what really happens behind those closed audition doors, we sat down with Daniel Edwards, the casting director behind hits like Show Trial, Netflix phenomenon Heartstopper and newly released British comedy-drama Sunny Dancer. With 20 years in the business, Daniel says his job is best described as the “creative bridge between a production company, the actors and their agents.”
Casting director Daniel Edwards / Image credit: YellowBelly Photo
More Than Just a List
To the uninitiated, casting might look like simply picking famous names from a hat. Daniel is quick to dispel that myth. While he admits that dealing with the “top 1% [of] offer-only” stars can sometimes feel like an “admin job,” the real magic happens elsewhere.
“It’s like bridging those two worlds together,” he explains. “Sourcing, finding, nurturing, supporting talent, building up our own pool of information… We’re headhunters. Creative headhunters.”
The job starts long before the camera rolls. Often brought on board during the earliest stages of development to discuss potential leads, the casting director is there from the first page. ” “I get given the first couple of drafts… Then I present glossy lists of ideas of actors that are available, who are right for the part,” he says. But it isn’t just about who looks the part. The casting director carries the “HR” burden of the industry too: “Can we afford them? Are they available? Are they good to work with? Does it enhance the story?”
A Casting Director’s Superpower: Instinct and Taste
When asked what a casting director’s “superpower” is, Daniel doesn’t hesitate: “Instinct and taste.” Casting is a subjective science. A casting director is hired because their specific aesthetic matches the style and tone of a production.
But beyond that, they must be part-psychologists. Daniel describes the process as a human jigsaw puzzle, one where you have to account for the personalities behind the craft.
“There are actors who are extremely difficult to work with but are exceptional actors,” Daniel says candidly. “It’s my job to go, ‘This person will make this character fly, but do you want six months abroad with them?'”
Conversely, he acts as a protector, “There are actors who are wonderful, but the director’s not very nice. Knowing that actor, I wouldn’t put them with that director because I know that actor would struggle.”
The Hunt for New Talent
For actors, the most heartening part of Daniel’s philosophy is his dedication to discovery. He’s well-known for his extensive searches – sometimes vetting 5,000 teenagers to find a single lead.
He championed actors like Fionn Whitehead (Him, Dunkirk), Holli Dempsey (Harlots, The Marlow Murder Club), Calvin Demba (Supacell, The Rig), Billy Barratt (Responsible Child, Bring Her Back), and Harris Dickinson (Where the Crawdads Sing, Beach Rats) at the start of their careers. “I pushed and stuck and fought [for them to be seen]. It’s incredibly rewarding and incredibly exciting knowing in your heart of hearts that this person is somebody really special.”
Daniel’s method for discovering talent depends on the scope of the project. “There’s the traditional route, meaning I send a breakdown on Spotlight, or a platform which is used by agents with actors who are professional and working,” he explains.
For “a big and wide search”, Daniel remarks that platforms like Spotlight sit side-by-side with social media. Daniel found Heartstopper stars Will Gao and Yasmin Finney on TikTok but comments that, “It would be madness to cast someone solely because they have a huge social media following, but it’s also madness not to acknowledge that the next generation of exciting talent use social media as a platform to present their skills and work.”
Why the Recognition Matters
But if casting directors are so integral, why has it taken until 2026 for the Oscars to catch up? Daniel believes it’s because the work is so seamless that it becomes invisible.
“The famous saying about casting [is], if casting directors have got their job right, you won’t see the casting, you’ll just believe in the world that you’re watching,” he says. Because the role doesn’t leave behind a physical artefact – like a costume, a set, or a script – it’s often dismissed as “transient” or “woolly.”
However, as audiences become more attuned to the chemistry that makes a production like The Bear or A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Heartstopper work, the industry is finally admitting that those ensembles don’t happen by accident.
“We’re a Head of Department,” Daniel asserts. “And all other heads of department [get awards]. It’s as if to say that our work had nothing to do with the final outcome of the project.”
With the new Oscar category, that argument is finally settled and the ‘invisible’ art of casting is invisible no longer. The award is a win for casting directors and the Academy, but it’s also a win for the actors whose champions are finally being seen.
Key Takeaways
- View social media as a performance platform – Use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to showcase your acting, not just your lifestyle. Daniel found actors for Heartstopper on TikTok because they were proactively presenting their skills.
- Balance the new with the traditional – While social media is a vital modern tool, platforms like Spotlight remain the industry standard. Ensure your professional profiles are the best they can be so you don’t slip through the net during searches.
- Play the long game with casting directors – Every audition is an entry into a Casting Director’s wealth of knowledge. Daniel tracks actors for years, even if they’ve “auditioned 10 times and didn’t get anything.” When the right role finally appears, that history matters and a “no” today can often be an investment in a “yes” years down the line.
- Authenticity matters – In the current climate of Zoom and self-tapes, your personality is your biggest asset. As casting directors are hired for their instinct and taste, showing who you are as a person helps them decide if you’re the right fit for the world they’re building.
The Academy Awards 2026 will air on Sunday 15 March from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. In the UK, the Oscars will be broadcast live on ITV and STV, and available to stream on ITVX and STV Player.
