Annie Murtagh-Monks’ Advice for Handling Industry Uncertainty

Annie Murtagh-Monks is an acclaimed Boorloo-based (Perth, Australia) casting director known for her work on films such as Rabbit-Proof Fence and Last Train to Freo, as well as TV series including The Heights and Ship to Shore.

Murtagh-Monks was recently honored with the WA Screen Culture Awards’ Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award, and nominated for both the 2025 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) and 2024 Casting Guild of Australia (CGA)’s Best Casting Award for the feature film Runt (alongside colleague Kirsty McGregor).

Here, we talk to Murtagh-Monks about everything showreels, self tapes and more.

Insights: Lessons From Annie-Murtagh-Monks:

Perfect your self tape skills and use a fellow actor as your reader to showcase your talent.

Create a showreel that highlights your acting range, not just quick clips; longer scenes are valuable.

Stay adaptable and open to feedback, embracing the evolving casting process and industry practices.

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It’s so great to chat with you again, Annie! We last spoke in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. How has your casting process changed or evolved in the four years since?

The most significant change since then is that WA [Western Australia] is open again and welcoming larger productions filming here. Our state government has spent AUD 228 million (USD 143.56 million) to build an amazing new multi-function Perth film studio. Our industry is super excited about the productions this will attract, and WA now offers the largest rebates for productions of any state in Australia.

Regarding the casting process, self taping is the norm in the first round of casting now, and many actors love being able to record when, where and with whom they prefer. It has opened up opportunities for more actors to be considered for roles, but [has also] increased the workload for casting directors in viewing and shortlisting from all the tapes submitted. Many hours are spent watching and re-watching submissions and in discussions with directors. Now, callbacks happen either in person or via Zoom.

Has your process ever changed or evolved in light of creative choices actors have made in the room or on tape?

I think change has happened primarily because we see each actor’s instinctive choices made in their self tape, which is particularly interesting when they send two contrasting interpretations of a scene. Due to the increased number of self tapes we receive, I’ve noticed directors are often happy to let the casting director shortlist and then view all of the shortlisted tapes, which we discuss at length.

You were first an actor, so you can empathize with the actor’s experience. Is there any advice commonly given to actors you actually disagree with?

“Keep your showreel super short!” I disagree. It’s not about length, but about including a couple of great examples of your acting. CDs know how to fast forward if needed. Avoid including those lightning-fast, annoying “snippet” collages with music that don’t show us your acting skill, only your haircuts. You won’t be cast in a role from a showreel, but you may be asked to audition or self-tape because of what a CD sees in it.

Are there any aspects of the audition process you’ve noticed today’s actors tend to nail? And conversely, are there any aspects of the audition process you’ve noticed today’s actors tend to neglect?

Most actors now are confident in self-taping and realize the importance of using an actor buddy as their reader. They know that you can record great self tapes with just a smartphone. It’s only some of the older actors who are a bit tech-phobic, or resent being asked to tape, not realizing how valuable it is for the casting “committee” — director, casting director, producer, network, streamer — to see their particular take on a character. The Equity Foundation provides a wonderful resource for Australian actors with their Self Test Studios in most capital cities.

It could be easy to look at your long list of credits and awards and assume you hit home runs every at-bat. Can you share with us a challenge and how you overcame it?

When casting a TV series with a very diverse collection of characters of different nationalities, there was one nationality I was finding particularly challenging to cast. Not only due to the limited number of skilled actors of that nationality in Australia, but also because I felt the LGBTQIA+ storyline for one of the main characters’ story arc could pose problems in this nationality’s Perth community for cultural and religious reasons. I spoke with the showrunner and producers about this, and they decided to change the nationality of that family to one that I think still worked brilliantly for the series.

Have any industry-related decisions gifted you valuable life lessons beyond the industry itself?

My husband of 38 years — an engineer — says he is constantly amazed at the number of messages of gratitude and positive stories I receive from those I’ve either given advice to, or cast.

I was incredibly humbled by the love shown to me recently when I received the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award at the WA Screen Culture Awards. I believe acting, directing and writing are sacred crafts, and I feel very blessed and honored to work with incredibly creative people — and glad I’m not an engineer.

Finally, you’ve given a fair amount of interviews in your career to date. What’s a question you haven’t yet been asked, but would love to address or answer?

Question: What advice would you give those who feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty in our industry?

Answer: Hang in there! And listen to your heart. It’s not easy, and we know that it often takes years of hard work and training to become an “overnight success.” However, you’ve been given a gift that most people haven’t, and nothing else will satisfy that deep yearning to express yourself and make a difference. You don’t want to get to 80 and wonder, “What if I could have?” Back yourself.

Special thanks to Annie Murtagh-Monks for her time. You can read more about Annie Murtagh-Monks Casting on her website.