The casting Oscar is here. So we asked 6 top casting directors their secret to success

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Why on earth it took until now is a long story.The important thing is that, in 2026, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will finally join the BAFTAs, the Canadian Screen Awards, Australia’s AACTAs, Ireland’s IFTAs and Italy’s David di Donatellos in bestowing a statuette upon casting directors.The award “marks the long-overdue recognition of the impact casting professionals have made and will continue to make in our industry,” says Casting Society President Destiny Lilly in an emailed statement.

“The Oscar not only honors the excellence of the individual and their team, but also affirms the art of casting as a vital cinematic craft.”The Envelope spoke to six ace casting directors — whose talents benefited at least 13 films this awards season — about the nature of their work.“Ballad of a Small Player,” “Hamnet,” “Jay Kelly”Working in tandem with the director, a casting director “provides the flesh and blood, human elements of the film,” Gold writes in an email about the nature of the gig — identifying “one sole person to play each role, out of boundless possibilities.” She leans into the culinary metaphor when asked about her secret sauce.“It is all about picking great, high-quality ingredients, and figuring out how to blend the right flavors together into a whole, without curdling.

It requires a lot of stirring and never taking one’s eye off the pot.” Her greatest challenge on “Hamnet,” for instance, was searching for the boy himself, his twin sister and his older one.“To find children — Jacobi [Jupe], Olivia [Lynes] and Bodhi [Rae Breathnach] — with such access to their inner lives, and connection to their emotions, in such simple, truthful ways, was total joy.”“One Battle After Another”Kulukundis says anonymity is her X-factor.

Few people know who the reserved veteran is, so no one sees her coming — ...