How hidden powers shape everything you see in TV and film

by

Awards season, and this weekend’s Oscars in particular, usually sparks discussions about who’s likely to win, which films might be overlooked, and the talented people – directors and actors – who made those movies possible.

I always notice at the Oscars that people giving speeches talk about what their movie is about, how hard it was to make, and all the incredible people who helped. But honestly, it’s tough to thank everyone who deserves it when you only have 45 seconds! It feels impossible to give all the vital crew members the recognition they deserve in such a short time.

It’s common to focus on a movie or show’s main actors, well-known supporting cast, and director—and sometimes, even the writer. However, a lot of hard work goes into making any production, and many of the people involved don’t get the recognition they deserve.

The Oscars are evolving! This year, for the first time, they’ll be recognizing casting directors with a new award category at the 98th ceremony. This is the first new category added since the Best Animated Feature Film award was created in 2001. The announcement was made in 2024.

Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners, and The Secret Agent have all received Academy Award nominations for their casting – a first-time recognition in this category.

As a huge film fan, I’ve noticed the Oscars are a little late to the party when it comes to recognizing casting directors. Other major awards shows have been celebrating this crucial role for years – the BAFTAs started an award in 2020, the British Independent Film Awards even earlier in 2017, and believe it or not, the Primetime Emmys were pioneers, acknowledging casting way back in 1991!

I’m always so captivated by actors who seem to effortlessly connect on screen – those pairings that just work, or newcomers who instantly feel like stars. It’s easy to focus on their talent, but I’ve realized there’s a real art to casting – it’s the often-unseen force that makes those amazing on-screen dynamics possible.

Shaheen Baig, a top UK casting director, believes the Oscars are finally giving casting the recognition it deserves. She explains that casting departments are usually the first to get involved in a project, starting as soon as the script is approved. In fact, the casting director is often the very first person hired and works on the film from the beginning.

Casting directors often play a key role similar to producers, as finding the right actor can secure the funding needed to make a film. We collaborate closely with the director, and casting is truly a skill and an art form – just like any other creative department. It’s fantastic that the Oscars are finally recognizing this, because strong acting is fundamental to any successful project. Casting directors consistently deliver outstanding work and deserve this recognition.

Baig emphasizes that while recognizing individuals with awards is positive, it’s crucial to continue highlighting casting as a skilled craft. She explains that for a long time, casting has often been associated only with reality television, and people haven’t fully understood the work involved. With both the BAFTAs and now the Oscars acknowledging casting, she believes this is a beneficial development for the industry’s future.

She says it brings things out into the open, making them less hidden and less like something done in private, which is a good thing for everyone.

Casting director Aisha Baig describes the industry as somewhat secretive, and there are good reasons for that. She explains it’s due to the sensitive nature of the work – involving scripts that are often confidential, non-disclosure agreements, and complex negotiations. Plus, Baig notes that auditioning is a naturally vulnerable experience for performers.

This information is all highly confidential, which has naturally led to a lot of secrecy around the process. Unlike roles like editing, cinematography, or even hair and makeup, which are very visible and have established educational paths – you can study them in school or at university – casting is more of an intuitive skill. Because of this instinctive nature, it’s been difficult to define or teach.

Despite a long and successful career casting over 200 films and TV shows, casting director Aisha Baig recently gained wider recognition after discovering Owen Cooper for his role in Netflix’s Adolescence. This led to her winning her first Primetime Emmy Award. Baig’s recent work includes successful projects like Urchin, The Death of Bunny Munro, Just Act Normal, and My Father’s Shadow, and she has several upcoming shows in the works, including Bait and The Cage. She’s passionate about opening up the industry and encouraging others to learn more about the casting process.

Even with a busy schedule casting numerous films and TV shows, Shaheen Baig helped create a casting course at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in 2019, alongside fellow casting director Jina Jay. They continue to teach the course and offer valuable insights into the casting process, a side of filmmaking that isn’t often seen. They’ve both recently been honored with the NFTS Fellowship for their contributions.

Baig explained that after talking with Jay years ago, they both agreed it was important to offer more training opportunities like this course. She felt a stronger, more diverse representation was needed, and she was particularly keen to broaden the industry’s focus beyond London, which she felt had dominated for too long.

The process began with developing a course and presenting it to the school director, who was immediately on board. They then collaborated with casting director Jane Arnell and moved forward from there. Baig explains, “Currently, this is the only course available to help people launch a career in casting, and I believe it’s crucial to make the industry more transparent – just like any other profession.”

The casting process used to be very exclusive, and the key to making the industry more diverse and inclusive is to make everyone feel welcome and show them how it works. We need to open up opportunities and be transparent about how casting is done.

We’re often most impressed by actors who deliver truly stunning performances – the kind that really take our breath away. Think of Cooper in Adolescence, Jessie Buckley in Hamnet, or Michael B. Jordan in Sinners. But have you ever wondered how casting directors actually find the perfect actors for these roles?

According to Baig, the most important starting point for any project is the written material – whether it’s a full script, a story outline, or even a book that hasn’t been adapted into a script yet. He emphasizes that this is all you really have to begin with. He explains that he reads the material carefully, fully understands it, and then starts to develop his vision, always visualizing the scenes as he reads because he’s a very visual thinker.

When working on a TV show, Baig first checks if a director is already involved. If so, she meets with the director, producers, and writers to discuss the overall feel of the project. A key question she asks is, “What are you hoping to accomplish with this story?” This helps her understand their vision.

Once the director approves the project, we begin extensive discussions about potential actors – what kind of performers would be a good fit and the acting approach we envision. Then, I take the lead in analyzing the characters and developing casting suggestions, which I present to the director, producer, writer, and whoever is funding the project. We explore various options for each role together.

As a critic, I’ve often wondered how casting decisions really happen, and Baig shed some light on it. She explained that choosing a lead – or even a couple of leads – frequently drives the funding side of a film. It’s not always about the perfect fit for the role; sometimes, there’s pressure to cast someone with a certain level of star power, because that’s what will actually get the movie financed and made. It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, but ultimately, the financial realities can heavily influence who ends up on screen.

I was so impressed to learn that Mark Rylance, an actor I deeply admire, actually took a pay cut to ensure ‘Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light’ could be made! Apparently, the director, Peter Kosminsky, explained that streaming services weren’t willing to help fund it alongside the BBC. It really highlights just how important – and often difficult – funding is when creating any show or film.

Creating a film is similar to painting, Baig explains with a smile. You build it up, adding characters who together create a complete world. Every character, whether they have a small part or a leading role, is equally important. My role is to ensure all the actors work together seamlessly, feel authentic, and that the story makes sense as a whole.

As a film and TV lover, I always find it fascinating to learn how things work behind the scenes. Baig explained that her job on a project doesn’t always end at the same time. Sometimes she’s done before cameras even roll, but often – especially with TV series or projects where the script is still evolving – she’s involved all the way through filming and beyond. It really depends on the specific needs of the production.

Casting director Shaheen Baig is known for discovering actors like Tom Holland, Florence Pugh, and Barry Keoghan – all now very famous. But how does she find the right people for roles? It takes a huge collection of faces, and Baig says that collection is often simply what she remembers.

“As a casting director, I’ve trained myself to have a great memory for faces,” she explained. Finding the perfect actor involves both recalling people she’s worked with before and conducting auditions and searches across the country to find the best match for the role.

Growing up as a mixed-race girl in Birmingham with little knowledge of the entertainment industry, Baig is passionate about making it more accessible to everyone. Whether it’s helping people behind the scenes in casting, or supporting actors through her work with Open Door, she believes in lowering the barriers to entry. This commitment to diverse representation drives her casting process – she often uses social media and builds strong relationships within communities to find fresh talent and ensure a wide range of voices are heard.

Ultimately, it’s about staying fresh and adapting to evolving acting styles, constantly learning and growing with the times.

I consume a lot of media – theater, television, and films – and that’s how I learn. It’s important to stay informed about actors, both established and emerging. There’s always new talent appearing, often from international cinema – you might discover someone amazing at a film festival like the one in São Paulo, for example.

Finding the right actors and understanding new scripts is a continuous process – there’s always someone new to consider and something new to learn.

Throughout her career, Baig worked on the first seasons of Black Mirror on Channel 4, which launched the careers of many British actors. She recalls that during those early days of casting the Charlie Brooker series, the focus was always on the story, and the team was a group of creative, unconventional filmmakers making a truly unique show. While the Netflix version is still enjoyable, she feels it has evolved into something different with its own distinct identity.

Baig is still thrilled to discuss her work on Peaky Blinders. She’s been the casting director for the original series, the recent film, and is now working on the upcoming sequel. Despite her extensive experience with the show, she describes working on the new series as both daunting and incredibly exciting.

When Anya Taylor-Joy first joined ‘Peaky Blinders,’ she envisioned the casting process like a film production, which is why she was so determined to get Cillian Murphy cast – he hadn’t done television before. She remembered this approach while working on the new series and plans to use it again. She’s enthusiastic about the project, but also anxious that fans will enjoy it as much as previous seasons.

Now that the Oscars have started acknowledging the work of casting directors, and after Aarti Baig won a Primetime Emmy for it last year, it’s becoming clearer just how much skill and effort goes into finding the perfect actors for our favorite shows and movies.

Baig describes the success of ‘Adolescence’ as completely unexpected. While the team believed they were creating a strong drama, the show’s impact and the public’s reaction have been surprising. She expresses pride in the series and is especially pleased that it’s sparked a conversation about the art of casting.

Want to see this content?

This page uses a security feature called Google reCAPTCHA. Before it loads, we need your permission because it might use cookies. If you want to see the content, please select ‘Accept and continue’ to enable reCAPTCHA.

The 98th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday 15 March.

Shaheen Baig and Jina Jay have jointly received this year’s National Film & Television School Fellowship. They created and have been leading the Casting course at the school—the UK’s top film and television training institution—since 2019.

You can find details about upcoming Casting courses at https://nfts.co.uk/casting. The deadline to apply for the course this year is May 7, 2026.

Authors

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack writes about TV and streaming drama for TopMob. Before that, she was an Entertainment Writer at Stylist. She also has experience in content marketing and freelancing, and holds a degree in English Literature.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-03-15 13:12