Sarah Leung is a Manchester-based independent casting director originally from Salford. She’s a full member of the BAFTA jury and the only casting director in the UK of Chinese Heritage. Sarah’s committed to casting a diverse range of talent in film, TV and theatre – and we felt so lucky to sit down with her for a casting Q&A at Forward Together.
What led you to pursue a career in casting & what do you enjoy most?
Sarah worked for one of the top casting directors in film and theatre and has worked consistently since then She enjoys what she does so much that sometimes she feels like a fraud.
Sarah has perceived so far that people often see a barrier between actors and casting directors, but actually casting directors want to help actors and rely on great talent to do their job well.
How to increase chances of getting in the room and how to increase chances once within the room?
To get in the room, actors need to have something to offer: a self tape, inviting people to see shows. Emails need to be short, simple and to the point so they’re easy to digest.
And if a casting director doesn’t get back to you, don’t take it personally – Sarah gets around 700 emails on an average week. Even if she doesn’t respond, she’s likely seen your email and might consider you in the future. It might feel like shouting into the void, but getting onto a casting director’s radar is possible!
If you miss an opportunity, don’t think of it as rejection. You’re just not the right piece for that jigsaw puzzle, and there might always be a better fit for you in the future.
If you don’t have certain credits yet, get some scripts, practice with actor friends and record/review your progress so you can develop.
Remember – casting directors aren’t looking for a word perfect read. They want to see an offer and essence of a character.
What are common things that people make mistakes with/can do to improve CV’s and Headshots?
- Invest in good quality photo – a thumbnail isn’t going to show enough detail.
- Don’t overthink a reel with a million characters – Sarah just wants to see an essence of you as an actor.
- Sarah recommends actors send one read that showcases them as a strong, confident actor who can do this and another that showcases you as warm, friendly and good to work with.
- Don’t send a million photos to make up for lack of credits. Less is more.
- Organise your CV into different tabs of film, theatre, TV and musicals.
- Showreels should demonstrate a journey with good quality performance and image.
- Don’t oversell yourself with things you can’t do (especially accents!). Be very confident in anything you list.
- You don’t need to spend a fortune on your headshots and showreels. A to camera monologue works just as well. Also, local photographers do headshot deals throughout the year.
- Your social media follower account doesn’t make a difference to Sarah – just keep it PG and show that you can behave with press.
Any tips for how to maintain resilience and motivation in a tough industry?
Acting isn’t just a 9-5 – it’s a whole lifestyle, so it’s important to care for yourself physically and mentally.
On a basic level, make sure you’re drinking enough water, getting your steps in and surrounded by a good circle of friends who support you and want the best for you.
Be aware of people and things that drain you and take you away from your craft.
How has Sarah’s life been shaped by her heritage?
When Sarah was an actor earlier in her career, she was typecast into roles of Chinese heritage even though the only accents she can do are RP and Northern.
It’s never worth taking on jobs that make you feel uncomfortable and Sarah now challenges roles in her casting, believing anyone can be any role.
From the top down of a story – why does a character have to be a particular gender or race? What’s actually written in the story and what’s the best way of communicating it?
About Sarah
Sarah Leung is a full member of BAFTA and was chosen to be on the BAFTA Jury for Casting 2024, for the BAFTA Film Awards. Sarah is also a full member of the CDG. Born in Manchester, coming from a mixed British/Chinese background, making her one of the only casting directors in the UK with Chinese heritage. She started her career in film, working with the producers on “Batman Begins”. For Warner bros. From here, Sarah went straight into casting, Sarah is well known for casting a diverse range of talent in Film, TV, Theatre. Sarah cast 3 shows last year which were all nominated for Theatre and What’s On Stage awards. So far this year, Sarah has completed casting on 2 UK musicals, and now casting 3 feature films, working with directors Joe Johnston (Captain America), Sara Sugarman (Save The Cinema), Simeon Halligan (Grimfest Films).
Forward Together
An afternoon of access, inclusion and action, led by Art with Heart, The Lowry and leading access experts and creatives.