Casting director Suzanne Smith has a outstanding expertise for locating contemporary faces and constructing unforgettable ensembles. Her work on hit sequence like Outlander and Silo has launched audiences to new expertise whereas retaining every world feeling genuine and lived-in. Now, she’s again with Outlander: Blood of My Blood, the extremely anticipated Starz prequel to Outlander, which traces the roots of the Fraser household and the sweeping love tales that started all of it.
On this interview, Smith talked about her method to casting new faces, the challenges of discovering actors who not solely resemble their Outlander counterparts but in addition carry the identical essence, and the way the trade’s shift to self-tapes has reshaped the audition course of. She additionally shared tales from the casting room, from recognizing quick chemistry between results in discovering future stars in surprising self-tapes (even one involving an actor consuming a pork chop). This interview has been edited for size and readability. Watch the total dialog within the video above or on our YouTube channel.
One of many issues that I actually favored about this present and the unique Outlander, is that I didn’t know a lot of the actors in it. They have been largely all new faces to me, so it was a lot simpler for me to get into the world of the present. What was making not casting any huge time, recognizable faces for this and the unique?
Suzanne Smith: Effectively, Starz at all times form of stated, we’ll make you a star, which is nice. And likewise, you’ve bought to have the truth of, we do have Scottish actors. We do have some actors who will not be Scottish enjoying Scottish, however even the Scottish actors generally go, “I didn’t know they weren’t Scottish,” particularly on Blood of My Blood. It’s fairly humorous.
I really feel like UK actors, they will nearly do any form of accent instantly.
Suzanne Smith: Typically, generally not. If you happen to’ve been to drama faculty, you in all probability have accomplished all of the accents since you’ve bought three years of coaching and also you do various voice teaching there.
Who was the primary individual that was solid on this?
Suzanne Smith: It was Jamie Roy.
Once you learn the primary script, did his title come to thoughts?
Suzanne Smith: We knew him, and we had put his title apart. We additionally had to keep in mind, we have been casting individuals who ought to seem like their dad and mom, or they have been in Outlander and we’re casting the youthful variations.
So, we bought footage of all of the characters in Outlander and put them on an enormous board. And having labored on the present, I knew what their traits or their essence was.
For each position, we noticed plenty of actors. Jamie Roy bought the position, however we noticed plenty of actors for Brian Fraser, and a few of these actors that we noticed for Brian Fraser, we stated, “oh, you maybe could possibly be [someone else] alongside the best way.” It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, isn’t it?
I at all times consider casting like these crime reveals the place they’ve like footage of individuals with the crimson traces going in all places.
Suzanne Smith: You begin with one and then you definately work out, however we knew the characters anyway. Sam Redford is Dougal, and when he got here in, I used to be with Jamie Payne, the director, and we checked out one another and we went, solid him. It was simply that feeling that he took over and he simply had that Dougal essence that was proper.
And Sadhbh [Malin], who performs Jocasta, I imply, she appears to be like a lot like our older Jocasta and so they’re each Irish. It was great to have that, since you look straight to her eyes and also you simply go, ‘oh my God.’
Talking of Sam, I noticed an interview the place he stated that he was fascinated with quitting performing earlier than you requested him to audition for Brian. He within the self-tape and then you definately known as him again a few months later for Dougal.
Suzanne Smith: Plenty of the boys have been, we known as them for Brian. The identical with Murtagh, Rory [Alexander]. As quickly as we noticed them, you go, ‘properly, you’re not a Brian, however we such as you, you slot in.’ And so we earmark them for different roles.
Do you keep in mind what it was about his self-tape that you simply favored? He stated he was consuming a pork chop in it.
Suzanne Smith: He simply had that form of Graham McTavish robust vitality the place you are feeling that he may do something and is fierce, however he’s really very light. However that’s actors for you, isn’t it? The individuals who play the baddies and generally the gentlest folks.
Who was the toughest to solid?
Suzanne Smith: The ladies, Ellen (Harriet Slater).
Why is that?
Suzanne Smith: Harriet, I’ve recognized for a very long time, and I beloved her, but in addition, you’ve bought to have the chemistry with the blokes. Jamie Roy has stated that he display screen examined with various beautiful actresses and we knew that in my workplace, he and Harriet had quick chemistry. That’s one thing you may’t faux.
However we needed to do it remotely as a result of Harriet was not in London the place I’m based mostly and Jamie was in Scotland, and he or she occurred to be in Scotland. So we did it and we have been all trying on a display screen and it was quick.
After watching tons of self-tapes and auditions and also you’re lastly whittling down actors for one position to a few or 4 folks, do you could have one one that you suppose is finest for that individual position?
Suzanne Smith: Typically you do, generally you don’t. I used to be very fortunate we had our director, Jamie Payne with us. He got here into our studio and we labored with the actors and we noticed them earlier than we display screen examined them, so that you get to know them.
And generally you simply knew, like once we noticed Sam Retford do his Dougal audition. He got here down from Manchester, he was on his bike and he got here in and we, as I stated, we simply checked out one another and went, ‘solid him.’ He simply had this manly vitality that form of took over our studio.
Typically it’s tougher to coax folks with their roles as a result of they do get nervous.
And it’s modified a lot now since COVID as a result of we used to tape on a regular basis and it’s now largely self-tapes as a result of we did look in all places for our leads. We appeared in Australia, we did look in Canada. We did have a large internet, since you at all times need to discover the most effective actor for the position.
For instance, Tony Curran, he’s form of probably the most recognizable face that we’ve. He was chosen as a result of he has the fitting attributes for Lord Lovett. Ned Gowan (Conor MacNeill), we needed to have someone who was in need of stature, shall I say? So you’re then taking a look at a unique discipline, you need to have someone who’s very smart for that position and likewise has that form of kindness and persistence and voice which Connor has. And he’s accomplished plenty of various work as properly.
Watching this, the unique Outlander and plenty of the stuff you do, casting smart, every little thing is so spot on. It’s bought to really feel so satisfying while you get the right solid and shut the e-book on the season.
Suzanne Smith: Very satisfying. As a result of ultimately, as a casting director, you do have a say, however in the end you’re not the one who makes the ultimate determination. Since you’ve bought producers, showrunners, you’ve bought studio and community, so everyone does have a say on what. You actually do need to consider in who’s working the present and who is correct for the position. And if needed, argue your nook.
And it’s so good, all of them care about one another, which is implausible. They’re all associates. Once I was up lately, , they have been all going, “oh, are you popping out tonight for dinner?” They’re all very, very shut, which is beautiful. And that makes it extra satisfying to know that not solely have you ever bought nice actors, they’re additionally beautiful folks.
Now that self-tapes are the best way issues are going, what are your prime self-tape suggestions? What makes an important self-tape?
Suzanne Smith: I imply, you are able to do it these days in your cellphone. You don’t want fancy issues. You don’t want fancy lighting, and also you don’t even need to be taught every little thing off by coronary heart, so long as we will see your eyes.
I suppose one in every of my finest suggestions is to have a look at the scene and suppose, ‘why have I been given the scene? What do they need to see from me as an actor?’
And it’s not that you are able to do something and every little thing. It’s that you simply’re being given a scene and there have to be a cause why you’ve been on condition that scene.
Attempt to do as a lot analysis as attainable as a result of generally it’s a style factor. What’s the tempo of it?
Totally different nationalities do various things, I’ve observed, which is fascinating. Say Germans, if it’s an outdoor scene, they’ll shoot exterior. If there’s meals, they’ll eat. Props will not be needed except you are feeling that it helps you, like with a gun or a sword.
Simply profile and ensure that we do see your face, that’s all.
It doesn’t matter to me, what the background is. And these days, you need to use apps when you can’t discover someone to learn with you. If you happen to haven’t bought a reader, we’ll Zoom with you, we’ll learn with you as a result of it’s not at all times that handy.
Right here within the UK, within the previous days, it was, you’d get 15 pages to be taught as an actor, which was ridiculous actually. It was terrifying that you simply’ve bought to be taught that. Now it’s much less, which is implausible. We try to give actors as a lot time as attainable, and we do watch each single tape.
As an actor, it’s at all times laborious to suppose, “I’ve actually accomplished an important audition, however I didn’t get the position.” I believe you simply need to put the door on it and simply go, “properly, it’s a craft. If I’m requested again, they like me. They need me to do properly.”
And in Blood of My Blood, that’s what we’ve accomplished with various the characters. Ellen’s sisters have come from actresses that auditioned for Ellen. Now we have utilized plenty of actors that we noticed for different roles who ultimately bought a job.