Casting agencies are calling for people with ‘character faces’ to fill out the cast of Amazon Prime’s The Lord of the Rings TV show.
The creators of the show are following in the footsteps of the hit movies by filming in New Zealand, and while the setting will be good for landscape shots it’s proving problematic when it comes to casting.
With a population of fewer than five million inhabitants, it turns out the Pacific island nation isn’t the best place to find extras, so talent agencies are clutching at straws.
Take a look at one casting call here:
BGT Actors Models and Talent, an Auckland-based casting agency, turned to Facebook in a desperate attempt to find New Zealanders to fill out the cast, but its choices are somewhat limited by the fact it has quite specific requirements.
The company begin its ad with some fairly tame requests by calling for people less than 5ft tall or more than 6ft 5in, but its requests become a bit more specific after that.
The agency goes on to ask for people with ‘wrinkles and lots of them’, ‘tall, long lithe dancers’ and ‘circus performers who can juggle [and] stilt walk’, as well as Eurasian people and Hispanic people.
BGT is also desperately looking for those whose hair is a strong feature as it requests ‘HAIR HAIR HAIR – if you [sic] natural red hair, white hair, or lots and lots of freckles’, ‘hairy hairy people of all ages and ethnicities’ and ‘red heads all ages, shapes and sizes’.
Another local agency helping with the search said it was looking for people with, among other things, missing teeth and ‘wonderful noses’.
The demands are far from simple but experts point out that employing people with distinguished features will save on make up costs as the series creators work to bring to life J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantastical world.
The call for extras was launched a few months ago, and one ad caught the attention of 41-year-old Justin Smith, who lost his teeth as a result of surfing accident a few years ago.
Smith considered himself perfect for the job, telling the Wall Street Journal:
I’ve got more than missing teeth, I’ve got none. Basically I’m short, I’ve got red hair and I’ve got missing teeth.
Smith applied for the role and is waiting to hear back about an audition for the series.
Extras in New Zealand can earn about $200 (£150) a day and meals are covered – plus you get to live out one of the best-loved fantasy stories out there, so there’s really no downside!
Applicants must have a New Zealand work visa to apply; you can find out more about casting opportunities on BGT’s Facebook page.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.