Robert Sterne is one of the United Kingdom’s top casting directors, known for his work with casting partner Nina Gold on the acclaimed series The Crown. Sterne’s many awards include five Emmys — three for casting Game of Thrones (2015, 2016, 2019) and two for The Crown (2018, 2021).
Sterne has launched the careers of many actors, including those he cast in Game of Thrones. “When we started on that [series], it wasn’t full of famous people. We were able to have that fun of exploring and finding new people to do roles that we knew would have a massive impact on the show,” he told Awards Daily.
What does this casting director look for in the audition room? Here are some insights he shared.
Insights From Robert Sterne
- Make audition choices that genuinely interest and engage you, rather than trying to guess what casting directors want.
- Personalize your performance by using your unique perspective and instincts, allowing your individuality to shine in the room.
- When portraying real people, focus on detailed, nuanced work and thorough research to create a believable, complex character.
Find an Approach That You Find Interesting
Sterne does not want actors to make creative choices tailored to please the casting executives in the audition room. Sterne, who began his career as an actor, advises performers to make choices that genuinely interest them.
“When you go in for an audition… always make choices that you find are interesting. Because if you find them interesting and they switch you on, it’s likely that they will for the people watching you,” he said.
Sterne cautions against simply trying to guess what casting directors want, instead encouraging actors to bring their own unique reaction to the material. He clarifies that this doesn’t mean “eccentric, quirky choices,” but rather choices that keep the actor “switched on by and engaged in,” allowing for genuine commitment and revealing their true instincts.
How to Be Memorable During Auditions: “Fly With it!”
Sterne advises actors to use their unique personalities, experiences, temperaments and interests to add a personalized touch to their choices. He’s delighted to see how numerous actors can receive the same material and yet each has their take on it.
“I mean, with really genius responses to things that you haven’t thought of!” he marvels. “Emma [Corrin] comes in, and the ways that she’s thought about the character, her innate response to the [script] is what’s the most fascinating thing. So you don’t want to bring a whole kind of set of dos and don’ts that’s going to squash that [energy] or restrict that in any way. It’s about trying to let people fly with it!”
Specificity is Key When Portraying Real People
Sterne certainly had his work cut out for him when it came to casting The Crown. Each season required new actors to portray the royal family at different life stages, with casts replaced every two seasons. “We knew from the start that everybody would do two years, and then they’re going to go. You set up this whole world and this ensemble of people and their relationships and watch what happens with it. And then you’ve got to do it all over again,” he told Awards Daily.
Sterne sought actors who could “disappear into their characters and do the detailed work,” emphasizing that he wasn’t looking for “big, broad sweeps [or] impersonations.” He stressed the need for “sophisticated actors who can do a 360-degree version of it,” capable of bringing complexity and depth to real-life figures. “There’s a wealth of research there,” he noted, “and you want somebody who you believe is going to run with all that and make the most of it,” he told Gold Derby.
Auditions are About Being Supportive of Each Actor
Sterne emphasizes that auditions are an actor’s time and opportunity to do what most speaks to them. When it comes to the casting executives gathered in the room, he believes they should support the actor to do their best work. He tells actors, “Give the performance you want to give, and exhibit confidence [to speak up] if you need anything from casting.”
Sterne believes casting directors must provide an environment where actors can freely share their talent. He says, “What you’re dealing with is people coming in and bringing their talent and their creativity, and you need to provide them with an environment in which they can do that… We’ve got to be open to whatever’s unique and remarkable about what people are bringing into the room and just facilitate that”
What Sterne Wishes More Aspiring Actors Knew About Casting Directors
As a child, Sterne acted a lot and went on to attend drama school. He acted for several years before becoming a casting director. He told the SAG-AFTRA Foundation that his background provides ‘a very clear understanding of what it’s like on the other side… that does inform what I do now.'”
Sterne vividly remembers the pressures associated with being an actor as well as the nerves. Now that he’s a casting director, he wishes actors understood just how much he wants them to do well.
“I think it’s that thing that you’re so praying for somebody to come in and be brilliant and land a part. And you want them to do good.” Looking back at his acting days, he says, “I wish I’d known the extent to which [casting directors] really want something great to happen for that person in the room and for something exciting to happen and for some connections to be made and for stuff to happen. I mean, the [actor] wouldn’t be in the room with you unless [the casting director] believed that that was the case.”
Final Takeaways
Robert Sterne, one of the UK’s top casting directors and a key figure behind “Game of Thrones” and “The Crown,” has helped launch the careers of numerous actors. His approach to casting is rooted in his background as an actor and his belief in supporting performers to bring their most authentic work into the audition room. Here are a few key takeaways from his insights on casting:
- Actors should make creative choices that genuinely excite them, rather than trying to predict what casting directors want.
- Bringing your unique personality and instincts to a role makes for memorable auditions.
- Specificity and detailed research are crucial when portraying real-life people, especially in shows like “The Crown.”
- Audition rooms should be supportive environments where actors feel empowered to give their best performance.
- Casting directors are truly rooting for actors to succeed and want to see them shine.
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