The Art Of Casting
With Liz mullane
Interviewed by Chichi Nyangoni
June 1, 2024
Sitting Down with Legends: An Afternoon with Liz Mullane and Rachel Bullock
During my recent trip to Wellington, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with two of the most influential casting professionals in the film industry—Liz Mullane and Rachel Bullock. Over coffee, we discussed their journeys, their unique perspectives on casting, and their thoughts on the evolving nature of the industry. What struck me most was Liz Mullane's warmth and passion for her craft, traits that have undoubtedly contributed to her success over the years.
Providing insights into her role as a casting director; Liz graciously answered all my questions about her extensive experience in shaping some of the most iconic performances in cinema. Her impressive career spans decades and includes collaborations with visionary directors such as Peter Jackson, notably on projects like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Heavenly Creatures, and King Kong. Beyond her technical expertise, Liz’s work ethic and her approach to building a cohesive, collaborative environment on set have left a lasting mark on both the New Zealand film industry and global cinema.
In this interview, she shares the challenges and joys of her profession, offering advice for both aspiring casting directors and actors alike.
It's truly inspirational to see how women like Liz Mullane are not only shaping the film industry but also breaking barriers, paving the way for future generations of female leaders in cinema.
"It takes a real cohesive community of skilled people and good work ethic to make a film enjoyable to work on."
Pictured: Wellington City
Pictured: Liz Mullane
What led you to casting direction?
Casting was something I fell into at a time when this was a new thing—I believe there were only a couple of casting directors in NZ at the time I started. I was working for a TV commercial production house, and they did all their casting 'in-house.'
I was the obvious person to run this because I came from an acting background—I graduated from the NZ Drama School (now named Toi Whakaari) in 1985 and started working as a casting director in 1988 in Wellington, mainly because I knew all the actors here.
Who was your biggest influence or mentor when you first started in the casting industry, and how did they shape your approach?
Probably the people who influenced me most were Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh—they were contemporaries of mine and cast me in their feature film Brain Dead. This was one of the most exciting acting jobs I have ever been involved with. It was groundbreaking stuff with Kiwi ingenuity (basically Richard Taylor and Peter) at the heart of all the physical effects.
After that film, they asked me to cast Heavenly Creatures, and this was the beginning of my casting liaison with them. The key was the trust we had, a very similar taste in humor, and an ethic that casting nice actors was as important as casting good actors.
Pictured: Dame Fran Walsh and Sir Peter Jackson. Photographer: Robert Patterson. Credit: Getty Images
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self just starting out in casting?
Don’t do it if you want job security!
What is your favorite film or performance that you've cast, and what made it particularly special to you?
I have lots of favorite casting projects, but possibly my three favorites are Heavenly Creatures, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Pete's Dragon. The similarity between them is the sense of camaraderie and collaboration.
There was a real commitment from the producers and directors to make them memorable experiences for everyone who worked on them, from the person who made the coffee to the lead actor. It takes a real cohesive community of skilled people and good work ethic to make a film enjoyable to work on.
Pictured from left to right: 'Heavenly Creatures' (1994), 'The Lord of The Rings' (2001) and 'Pete's Dragon' (2016)
Could you tell us about one of the most memorable auditions you've witnessed and what made it stand out?
One of the most memorable auditions I can remember was Andy Serkis doing Gollum. He was extraordinary and had the role from the moment he opened his mouth—he ‘claimed’ the character like no one else had.
Actor Andy Serkis during his performance of Gollum during the shoot of The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson 2002).
"I became good at determining genuine talent and enthusiasm from obsessive desperados and crazy fans. It was a lesson in the best and worst of human behavior at times.
What has been the most challenging project you've worked on, and how did you overcome the difficulties?
The biggest challenge would have to be The Lord of the Rings trilogy, due to the sheer size of the project and the fact that we were filming three films at once and not in order. The public interest and obsession with the project was a whole other thing to manage—I became good at determining genuine talent and enthusiasm from obsessive desperados and crazy fans. It was a lesson in the best and worst of human behavior at times. I overcame the challenges with humor mainly—you had to see the funny side, or you would go mad. It also helped that I was single and driven and didn’t have to worry about getting home in time to put dinner on the table—it was a 24/7 commitment.
How have you seen the casting industry change over the years, and what impact has this had on your work?
The casting industry has changed mainly due to technology. In The Lord of the Rings days, we had huge heavy cameras and VHS tapes that sometimes failed or got lost. We had big clunky computers and no smartphones. We had to cold-call every extra and actor the night before with their call times, and if things changed, we had to call them all back. When we did King Kong, we were sometimes calling 600 people a day for the big scenes in the Civic Theatre. New technology has made it far more efficient to share information quickly, but it’s also more dangerous in terms of confidentiality. It’s a challenging balance and a reason I don’t do social media—it’s just another thing to worry about.
Pictured: a behind-the-scenes moment from The Lord of the Rings film set. Director Peter Jackson stands at the center, holding a staff or weapon, surrounded by actors in full costume, including Orlando Bloom as Legolas. Photographer unknown.
"Coaching is a natural part of being a casting director. If you see potential in someone, you often have to coach them to help them understand the vision of the director. "
Casting can be a demanding job. How do you find balance, and what do you enjoy doing in your downtime?
My balance is my family and being grounded in reality. I also love gardening.
What inspired you to pursue acting coaching?
Coaching is a natural part of being a casting director. If you see potential in someone, you often have to coach them (which is the same as directing them) to help them understand the vision of the director. It also helps to weed out people who might be problematic, desperate, or simply untalented.
In your experience, how important is formal training versus natural talent in an actor's success?
Formal training is useful if it’s good training. Many drama schools concentrate on stage performance over screen performance, and this is detrimental for an actor hoping to do both. The goal should be to equip a student with the tools to earn a living doing both forms of acting because they are completely different skills.
It’s much easier to teach and guide a performer who does not have a rigid style or method of acting than one who does. Overtraining can stifle natural instincts and cause actors to engage their brains to remember all the theory they’ve been taught rather than trust their emotions. Audiences engage more with a truthful emotional performance than one that merely uses words to convey feelings.
Pictured: King Kong film set in Wellington By Ross Setford/Getty Images
"...We don’t want to see the acting—we want to see a person having an experience. If you feel something truthful, the audience will feel it."
What advice would you give to actors trying to break into the industry today?
Be realistic and have a backup plan. You want to have a life as well as follow your acting dream. If you put all your eggs in one basket, you limit yourself. I’ve always said I’d love it if drama schools taught acting alongside a basic trade so actors have a way to earn a living during quiet spells.
If you have other important things in your life, you won’t come across as ‘desperate’ in your acting. Desperate actors don’t make it because that’s all we see. At the end of the day, you are what you are, and you’re only right for a role when the right time, age, look, and demographic align with the role.
The key to screen acting is that we don’t want to see the acting—we want to see a person having an experience. If you feel something truthful, the audience will feel it. On stage, you can pretend to cry, and the audience will believe it. On screen, you actually have to cry—that’s why screen acting is so hard.
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Pictured: Casting Director Liz Mullane and her body of work.