Inside the Oscars’ Newest Category: What Makes a Cast Award-Worthy?

For years, casting directors lobbied for their own category at the Oscars, and now that it’s a reality, there’s a new challenge for the voters who will decide the winner: how do you know who to vote for?

Key Insights

Oscar voters are still defining what “great casting” actually means.

Emotional authenticity and “belonging” outweigh star power in voters’ minds.

Casting is judged as an invisible puzzle where every role matters, not just the leads.

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Other categories are straightforward. Costume design? It’s all about how the clothes look. Production design? It’s all about how the sets look. Cinematography? It’s all about how pretty the film looks. But casting is more nuanced. Every nominee has put together a cast filled with talented actors, not just the top stars, but all the way to the bit players. Judging who did it best is a complex endeavor.

So how will voters do it? We talked to several voters to get their take on the race, what they are thinking as they contemplate how to vote, and what will be the ultimate decider for them. Each of them requested anonymity so as to talk openly about their voting, which is understandable, and agreed to be identified by the branch of the Academy to which they belong.

A veteran producer said, “For me it’s about how the cast made me feel. Looking at the list, I haven’t seen The Secret Agent yet, but will. I think that based on the four I have seen, my choice is Marty Supreme, just because of the faces they gave me. I mean, Abel Ferrara as the old gangster, and discovering Luke Manley, those were both incredible.”

Another voter, an actor who is a new Academy member, has seen all five films and raved about The Secret Agent. “Honestly, every face felt like they belonged in 1970s Brazil,” the actor says. “I don’t know how they pulled it off, but it really knocked me out. That has my vote, because of how much it impressed me.”

A third voter is a writer who has been nominated for an Oscar and understands the nuance of the category. “The thing that most people don’t know about casting,” the writer says, “is how complicated it is. It’s not just, ‘Hey, hire this star to front your movie,’ okay? It’s a giant puzzle they have to put together, and each piece is important. Yeah, it’s nice that Sentimental Value got four acting nods, and as much as I liked the movie, I didn’t think the depth was as impressive as the ones that got nominated. The puzzles of these movies? They’re all larger.”

“Another thing that’s important is how you can’t hide casting,” the writer continues. “You can get away with bad costumes, bad sets, even bad editing or bad cinematography, but if there’s bad acting? You’re sunk. And yet, casting directors don’t get nearly the respect they should. I have to admit, I’ve seen all five movies, and I loved the casting of all of them. I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I’m leaning toward Sinners, because any great casting should discover someone, and they found Miles Caton. That kind of thing goes a long way.”

And then there’s the casting director. “First of all, can I tell you how thrilled I am that we’re finally being recognized? I’ve said it before, I’m sure we all have, but it’s just so overdue. When they announced the short list, even though I wasn’t on it, I was so happy for everyone who was. Even more so for the final group nominated.”

The casting director’s criteria for their vote is pretty simple: “Do I buy person number 75 on the call sheet as much as number one? How about person number 103? Do I feel like each person on screen belongs there?”

At the same time, the casting director thinks that the way others will make their voting choices depends entirely on how much they liked the movie.

“Personally, I loved what Gabriel Domingues did in The Secret Agent, and that has my vote, but I don’t think it’s going to win. I think most people will vote for Sinners, because they like the movie, it’s a period piece, and finding Miles Caton is a real triumph for Francine Maisler. I’m not voting for it, but I won’t be upset, either. Francine is a legend, and a legend should win the first one of these, don’t you think?”

Key Takeaways

You can’t hide bad casting — it’s the one craft that breaks a film instantly.

Discovering new talent is emerging as a major differentiator for voters.

The film voters love most may win, even if the casting isn’t the most complex.