Casting without borders: Inside top casting directors' global search for talent

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Carla Hool’s quest for the Virgin Mary led her around the Earth.But this was no religious pilgrimage.

The veteran casting director was working with auteur Alejandro Monteverde on his upcoming biblical epic, “Zero A.D.”“He wanted someone very, very special,” Hool says over Zoom from her Los Angeles home office.“We saw close to 3,000 girls.” The pair ultimately found their leading lady — relative newcomer Deva Cassel, daughter of Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci — in Italy.

The film, which also stars Sam Worthington and Ben Mendelsohn, premieres later this year.Specificity, not to mention authenticity and representation, have always been crucial to Hool.She came to the U.S.

19 years ago from her native Mexico City, where she’d done local casting on “Nacho Libre,” “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” “Quantum of Solace” and more.In the interim, she’s edified creatives and executives on projects from “Narcos” to “Emilia Pérez” that Latinos aren’t interchangeable, that Mexicans and Dominicans look and sound different than Colombians and Chileans, and that those roles should be filled accordingly.

“I would always get, ‘Who cares? We can’t hear it.’ I would reply, ‘No, but all the Latinos can!’” Awards With the Oscar for casting making its debut at the 2026 ceremony, we asked 6 leading casting directors to explain what it is they do, and how it shaped some of the year’s best films.Hool used to orchestrate in-person open calls in far-flung locales to match the perfect performer to each part.Now, as do most of her peers, she launches global searches using electronic casting resources like Spotlight in the U.K., Showcast in Australia and the Workbook in Latin America while also accessing social media, agents and managers.

Self-tape auditions are solicited, with callbacks held via Zoom.Hool occasionally uses local casting pros for te...