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Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know In the Room With
Gary Davy
A one-of-a-kind television event like “Small Axe” required a special approach to casting By Elyse Roth
held in Steve’s office on his days off or [on] his lunch breaks! Steve is always happy to meet actors and is always impressed with the U.K. talent. We didn’t have time to put loads of people in front of Steve, so having worked with him before was invaluable, as we had a shorthand. I prescreened most of the actors who met for the show, so time in the room wasn’t wasted and actors had already run through scenes, meaning they were also prepped and got Steve’s full attention. It was a fun and exciting time.
ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; HENRY: EMILIO HENRY
RAQUEL APARICIO
AMAZON’S STEVE MCQUEEN ANTHOLOGY SERIES “SMALL AXE” was unlike anything that had been on television before, both in style and substance. The intimate look into London’s West Indian community from the late 1960s through the early 1980s was a compilation of five related but unique feature films, each with its own cast— Golden Globe winner John Boyega and Letitia Wright among them. McQueen repeat collaborator Gary Davy was tapped to find the cast for the collection of films, and he dug into the U.K. talent pool to populate the creator’s powerful stories. He shares how the ensembles came together, how his shorthand with McQueen impacted the process, and where he searches when he wants to discover new talent. What was the casting process like for “Small Axe”? Steve loves actors, so everyone had a meeting. There were story outlines for the films, and we had a few lead characters to search for. Setting a couple of “name” actors can help steady a ship for networks. Ultimately, Steve wanted the right person for each role. John Boyega and Steve had been looking for something to work on together
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for a while, so this was an easy fit. They were instantly connected on the Leroy Logan character in “Red, White and Blue,” and John wanted to research and prep straight away. Letitia Wright instantly related to her [“Mangrove”] character—and to Steve. It seemed like these roles were perfect fits for both, and it was a privilege to be in the rooms when these discussions were
had. Letitia actually signed on before “Black Panther” was shot and released. We also met with a couple of other name actors for other roles, but their busy schedules didn’t work out. Setting John and Letitia was the first thing we did. What did the rest of the search look like? The talent pool in the U.K. is so strong that the casting ideas snowballed as soon as scripts appeared. Alex Howes and Jessica [Straker] in my office joined, getting shortlists together and getting ready to set up meets. We had more prep time for “Mangrove,” which shot first and had the largest cast, but we had to work around Steve’s shooting schedules on all the other stories. Auditions were regularly
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Where do you do those searches for talent outside of agent submissions? Drama schools, youth groups, and National Youth Theatre are usually my first ports of call for newer, younger actors; but there are so many amazing places to investigate, Open Door being my favorite at the moment. We keep our eyes and ears open at all times, and are constantly on the lookout for new talent. I just wish there was more time in the day. What can an actor do in an audition that will make them memorable to you? Make that first instinctual read as honest and truthful to your vision of the character as possible. Try not to be too nervous. Don’t over-rehearse scenes; make sure you leave room for directors’ notes. Please remember the casting director always wants you to do well.
Want more?
Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine
06.03.21 BACKSTAGE
