In the glittering world of Hollywood, where directors and stars often claim the spotlight, a new category at the Academy Awards is finally recognising one of the industry's most pivotal behind-the-scenes roles: the casting director. Leading the charge for this historic honour is Nina Gold, the visionary behind the critically acclaimed pairing of Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in the Golden Globe-winning drama Hamnet.
The Perfect Pairing: Instinct Over Ego
Gold, whose formidable career includes casting for titans like Game of Thrones, The Crown, and multiple Star Wars films, knew instantly that Buckley was the only choice for the role of Agnes in Hamnet. "I just really felt like it had to be Jessie Buckley from the very moment I started thinking about the character seriously," Gold revealed. She praised Buckley's "connectedness to the physical world" and a nature "devoid of bullshit," mirroring the character's essence.
For the role of Shakespeare, Mescal, though already "celebrated and fancy," impressed Gold with his modesty. "He wasn't egotistical," she noted, explaining that he willingly participated in a chemistry read to ensure the partnership was right. This instinctual decision proved spectacularly correct. At the recent Golden Globes, Hamnet won Best Motion Picture Drama, while Buckley secured Best Female Actor in a Drama Film, catapulting both into Oscar favouritism.
A Landmark Oscar Category Decades in the Making
Gold's work on Hamnet has earned her a place on the shortlist for the inaugural Best Casting Oscar, a category established after years of campaigning for the profession's formal recognition. "I'm really thrilled, and slightly terrified," Gold admitted. "It's wonderful that casting directors are finally being recognised on the same playing field as our other creative colleagues."
She elaborated on the unique challenge of her craft, where "tools are other human beings," making the creative process harder to define. For Gold, success blends analysis of shared qualities between actor and character with pure, unerring instinct. "If you can get the actor and the character to intersect at exactly the right point, then it really is magic," she said.
From AC/DC to A-List: Building a Casting Dynasty
Gold's journey began far from the Oscar race. The Cardiff-born Cambridge graduate first recruited extras for an AC/DC music video. Her big break came casting a 1992 McDonald's advert directed by Mike Leigh, sparking a friendship and professional partnership that led to her first major film, Topsy-Turvy. Leigh later commended her "uncanny ability" to differentiate between actors at the most subtle level.
Her eye for talent has launched and defined countless careers. She discovered John Boyega in a small play at the Tricycle Theatre for Attack the Block, and cast Bella Ramsey and Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones from local theatre groups. She first cast Jessie Buckley in Taboo fresh from drama school, later reuniting on Chernobyl. "I feel very maternal," Gold expressed, watching talents she believed in flourish.
Addressing industry diversity, Gold acknowledges persistent barriers, particularly around class in Britain. "Drama schools aren't as diverse as they used to be because of cost," she stated, but affirmed that brilliant working-class actors remain. She recently championed this by casting the predominantly working-class BBC show Waiting for the Out.
Reflecting on an increasingly risk-averse industry reliant on 'names' for financing, Gold noted the demoralising reality of making "something brilliant that no one sees." As for creative disagreements, she laughed off the question of fighting with directors, simply stating that film-making is, ideally, a collaborative endeavour where everyone "speaks the same language." With an Oscar now on the horizon, the language of casting is finally being heard loud and clear.
