The Secrets Of Casting – Contenders London

As the Oscars approach their 98th iteration, it seems strange that after nearly 100 years the Academy is only now bringing in an award to honor the work of casting directors. At Deadline’s Contenders London , casting veteran Des Hamilton made the audience laugh when he revealed that, while visiting an American colleague with a shelf’s worth of awards, he seriously thought the guy must have gone out and bought them himself. “It’s wonderful that this year the Academy thinks the job is worthy of recognition alongside all the other heads of department.”

At Deadline’s first-ever casting panel, Hamilton appeared alongside Jo Harris, his colleague on Nia DCosta’s Hedda , After the Hun t’s Jessica Ronane, and F1 ’s Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann. First up was Bevan, who talked about