Nina Gold and Martin Ware are no strangers to the “Star Wars” universe, having previously worked on films like “The Rise of Skywalker” and the series “The Acolyte.” And the pair clearly know their U.K. talent — last year they shared the Emmy Award for casting the limited series “Baby Reindeer,” which made sensations out of actors like Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning.
They were brought on to cast the Disney Plus series “Andor,” a prequel of the film “Rogue One,” in its first season — which Gold admits was a challenging experience as the pandemic hit right in the midst of casting. But the second season, which just wrapped an acclaimed run, was “a bit more normal.” It helped that the first season was so well-received and that creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy’s writing was impeccable. “The scripts are so brilliant, actors just love doing it,” reveals Ware. “You get really brilliant actors wanting to come in and play even smaller parts. Every role is integral to the story, there’s no loose fat anywhere in the writing and actors love that.”
Still, Season 2 had its challenges, such as populating the planet Ghorman in a storyline that began to feel too timely. Ghorman is being overrun and oppressed by the Imperial Empire, which prompts ongoing protests by its citizens and threatening the Empire’s rule. But the Empire launches a propaganda campaign that these protests are dangerous and violent, and sends in troops, culminating in Episode 8’s bloodshed, known as the Ghorman Massacre.
Laying the Groundwork
Several great actors reprised their “Andor” Season 1 roles from their roles “Rogue One” — most notably the lead, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Still, the casting directors populated the “Andor” ensemble with some real discoveries including Elizabeth Dulau as Kleya Marki, who starts as the assistant to Stellan Skarsgård’s prominent Rebel operative Luthen Rael. “We went on a bit of a journey before finding Elizabeth and it was basically her first on-screen role,” says Ware.
While more established for his work on stage — including an Olivier Award-winning turn in “The Inheritance” — Kyle Soller was cast as deputy inspector Syril Karn, based on what Gold calls “the most mind-blowing audition you’ve ever seen.” Adds Ware, “He just kind of came in and spent a half-hour in the room with Tony and Tony said, ‘That’s the guy.’ So we didn’t actually read that many people.”
Another actor who was new to them was Muhannad Bhaier, who plays Wilmon Paak, a young man who joins the rebellion after his father is killed by the Empire. “He’s got a tiny part in the first season and became a really big part of the second season,” says Ware, noting that the CDs didn’t know that would happen. “They just loved him, they were raving about him so much. And when Tony came to talk to us about the second season he said that they’d made a great part for him. He just impressed them so much, even with only a few lines in the first season.”
The Return
For Season 2 of “Andor,” Gold says they were introduced to a lot of French actors by Mathilde Snodgrass, a colleague in Paris, in order to populate the planet of Ghorman. The people of the planet dress in clothes that resemble everyday Parisian looks of the 1930s and the planet is known for its superior cloth and fashions. Gilroy was inspired by that country’s series “Un Village Français” (“A French Village”) — in fact, that series featured actor Thierry Godard, who was cast in “Andor” as Lezine, who criticizes the occupation of the planet.
Gold says that casting French actors was also “a good way to differentiate them as people from whatever planets we might be talking about.” Another challenge was that the Ghormans would be speaking a fictious language. Notes Ware, “We did talk to them about whether or not they could get their head around the idea that they’re going to be performing quite in-depth, emotional pieces in a completely made-up language. And they all threw themselves into it and were brilliant.”
One of the biggest tasks of Season 2 was casting a young version of Kleya. “That was a big, intimidating challenge,” admits Ware. “She’s got such a specific vibe that we wanted to find that in a kid.” They eventually located April V. Woods, who Ware says “knocked us out.” While they hadn’t met her before, Woods had been part of a youth drama group and had done a TV series called “Malory Towers.” Says Ware, “She was so good at being so serious in scenes and seeming grown-up but also being just a kid.” He adds that they were able to pair her with Skarsgård early on and they instantly worked perfectly together. “She wasn’t at all intimated, she could just speak to him like she does in the show — as a peer.”
Locating Talent
Gold says they are always on the lookout for new faces and spend a lot of time at drama schools “where you see new people and find people you never knew.” Ware adds that he sees a lot of comedy shows, live and on screen. “I try to watch everything, even the really low-budget British stuff, little comedy things on the BBC where people do their first work.” He adds that the yearly Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland is a great showcase for rising talent.
Asked about the eternal question actors have of what casting directors are looking for, Gold and Ware are straightforward and encouraging. “There’s a huge amount of goodwill in the room,” says Ware. “There’s a reason that they’re there. We want that person to succeed, we want them to walk in and just blow us away and get the part and then we can all go home early.” Adds Gold, “If they look good, we look good.”
Of course, they recommend being prepared, but also staying flexible. “Be open to trying new things and pushing it around,” says Gold. And don’t think of an audition as just going out for one role — the casting directors will remember you down the line. “Whenever we’re approaching a new part, we’re always thinking about actors that we’ve seen recently or had audition,” says Ware. “We’re always referring back to lists and audition tapes. So even if an actor has auditioned several times and not got the part, we’re going to find the right thing for them.”
