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So are there enough diverse actors to create change on screen?

"We naturally assume all characters are straight & white unless otherwise stated in the script," says producer.

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“The pool of available Asian actors is quite small in Australia, although this is increasing every year,” – female producer (50 – 59).

Screen Australia’s Seeing Ourselves: Report on Diversity this week was an extensive look at issues surrounding ethnicity, disability and sexuality in TV Dramas.

As well as providing a current snapshot of representation on screen, it also delved behind the scenes to hear from producers, writers and actors.

These are select excerpts from the report in regards to casting from diverse performers.

Many network drama heads expressed the desire to cast more diverse actors in roles but claimed that the talent pool of experienced actors in Australia was relatively shallow.

“If an actor has the screen presence and the craft skills, their background doesn’t matter. It’s about skills, and the pool is limited. there needs to be a balanced ‘palette’ and chemistry within the palette for each show,” -Jo Rooney, co-Head of Drama, Nine Network.

“Casting actors from certain multicultural backgrounds that have the skills as an actor to carry off roles [is a challenge]. this is after having battled through the writing to keep that detail in the script,” -Male producer / writer (40- 49).

Screen Australia looked at 13,000 actors in Showcast. Just under 20 per cent did not select any ethnicities in their entry. Around a quarter of the actors who did select ethnicities nominated more than one. 58 per cent of the actors who nominated ethnicities selected only ‘Caucasian.’ The vast majority of actors who nominated ethnicities were in the 19-40 age range and generally, women outnumbered men.

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Source: Screen Australia analysis of data provided by Showcast.
Notes: Performers who nominated multiple ethnicities are counted in each nominated cultural group. Performers whose age range spanned multiple groups were placed into the age group containing the majority of their age range. 25 performers did not indicate a gender, and 15 of these did not select an age range or ethnicity. They are excluded from this analysis.

NIDA is now encouraged to look for diversity in its intake, and is consciously using ‘positive discrimination’ in selection – for example by providing more time and support to someone of an under- represented background who displays less confidence in auditions.

“We ought to be reflecting the people turning on the TV out there. We need to normalise difference… We are supporting young actors from diverse backgrounds with skills and a sense of their own political identity – and encourage them to look for roles beyond the stereotypes – to play doctors, judges etc.” – Di Drew (NIDA, Screen).

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One producer / director commented that, “In my experience we naturally assume all characters are straight and white unless otherwise stated in the script. It’s important that we change this initial assumption about characters and provide greater diversity for the audiences that we purport to represent.”

One female agent noted: “Children’s drama is very diverse but network tV will only rarely colour-blind cast. The character usually has to be written as diverse before they will see anyone not white.”

Most agents had also actively proposed actors from diverse backgrounds for general roles when the brief allowed. However, almost half the agents reported negative responses from producers or directors at the suggestion: “ignored or ‘no thanks’”, “thanks but not right for the role”, or they did not get any response at all – “just get ignored and the role gets cast elsewhere”.

An agent representing a client with a disability commented that on the rare occasion an appropriate disabled role comes up the client is overlooked, even when pitched. auditioning actors were left unsure whether the subsequent rejection was based on their disability or performance.

There was also some feeling that actors identifying as LGBTQI were being overlooked for roles or considered not a right fit: “I find there is a stigma still attached to out gay actors; comments are often ‘too gay’. And when a gay role comes along I find most of the time the actors who are auditioned and who win the role are in fact straight.”

One casting director noted that “For general roles I’m often encouraged by directors and producers to actively seek cultural diversity and there would be an expectation that I would screen-test actors from a wide range of backgrounds”.

Another felt that while producers and directors “might look…they often won’t pick”, when up against a ‘non- minority’ actor.

Further reading at Screen Australia.

4 Responses

  1. Thanks for the read. It highlights how Producers and Directors need to be more open to diversity when casting so that their shows are more reflective of the wider community!

  2. Most people outside the TV industry have zero idea of how difficult it is to cast certain racial or cultural minorities, even where the will exists to do so. It’s not just about numbers, it’s about skills and many different cultural factors. For example, in many middle-eastern and some eastern European and Asian cultures being an actress is seen as virtually indistinguishable from being a prostitute. So girls (and a lot of guys) from those backgrounds are much less likely to even consider acting.

  3. Well I’ve just written a TV show where every single character is from a diverse background. And it’s intended to be a mainstream show, not something to be buried on a digital channel at 3 o’clock in the morning. Hopefully my state funding body will give me some money to make the thing. Fingers crossed…

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