In the office of her Queen's Park house, Nina Gold is introducing me to her dog, Dingo. Her BAFTA Award stares at us from a shelf to the right. Notes from industry insiders adorn her desk. The walls are lined with photos from the many Mike Leigh films she's cast. This is a rare glimpse into a side of show business that's often unseen.
As one of the UK's leading casting directors, Gold gave Maisie Williams and Emilia Clarke their big breaks, but her craft is seldom spotlighted. Her role remains a secretive one despite the fact she found this generation's Princess Leia. She picked the perfect Margaret Thatcher and King George VI for Oscar-winning films The Iron Lady and The King's Speech, and yet casting directors are still the only single-line credit not to have their own Academy Award category.
So as Game Of Thrones season 7 draws to a dramatic close, what better time than now to spotlight the casting director who unearthed its now-famous faces. I took a closer look at the inner workings of Gold's world…