‘Wednesday’ and ‘The Witcher’ Casting Director Sophie Holland on Seeking Diversity and the Power of Casting to Change People’s Perceptions
Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards and Features Editor This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley’s Acting Up newsletter – to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page. Sophie Holland originally wanted to be an actor, but says it didn’t work out for many reasons. “Not least of all, I was probably terrible,” she says with a laugh. “But I love the industry so much and somebody said to me, ‘If you want money, you should be an agent. And if you want power, you should be a casting director.’” Though Holland now says she might have been “misled” about the power – she feels like “any other self-employed creator begging for work” – she fell in love with the process of casting. And as someone who understands acting (and is married to an actor), she brings a deep respect for the craft to her job and a special empathy into the process. “As a casting director, I think you need to give safe environments so that people can be their most creative selves,” she notes. “If you put the pressure on or they’ve had a shit time or you’re unkind to them, it’s not going to help anybody. So it’s your job really to create an atmosphere, an environment where they can do their best work.”