Independent Casting Director with audition studios in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. Member of the Casting Directors Association (USA) and the Independent Casting directors Association, a global association headquartered in Europe.
Born in Nairobi, Kenya. My father was an adventurous Swiss with a passion for Africa and my mother was born in South West Africa, now Namibia, so we used to travel extensively across East and Southern Africa.
Early schooling was in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Mombasa in Kenya and high school was completed in Windhoek, Namibia. I went to University in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Drama. I extended my studies with an LTCL diploma via Trinity College (Cum Laude).
In KZN, I taught Drama and Creative Movement at primary and high school level, lectured students at Technikons, Teacher Training Colleges and supervised Post Graduate Students at the University of Durban-Westville before running two drama and dance studios of my own in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
I also freelanced with a variety of Theatre in Education (TIE) companies as actress, director and choreographer.
I moved to Johannesburg and entered the film industry in the late 1980’s, gaining experience in the production office as well as on set as an A.D. after which I ventured into casting and am now well established as a freelance Casting Director for Feature Films and Television Dramas. Whilst most of my work is on international co-productions, I enjoy working on independent local dramas, especially when given the opportunity to engage with fresh producing and directing talent.
I now own two well-equipped audition studios : one in Johannesburg and the other in Cape Town.
Recent Feature film work includes “The Mauritanian” – Nina Gold and I received a nomination for the Artios Award for Outstanding Casting, “The Woman King” (Viola Davis), “An Act of Defiance” which won the Golden Calf Award for Best Picture in the Netherlands. Television series include the mini series “African Queen : Njinga” for which Olissa Rogers and I won a Day Time Emmy for Casting (2024); “1923”, “Invasion S2”, “Noughts & Crosses Seasons I and II”, Good Omens, Raised by Wolves, Kizazi Moto (Animation). Local projects have included “Justice Served”, “Devil’s Peak” and the popular mini series, Happiness is a Four Letter Word and Happiness Is . . .
Career highlights would have to include working on “Generation Kill” the TV series based on the book which deals with the American invasion of Iraq. This project garnered the Casting Directors (US, UK and SA) a Prime Time Emmy nomination for Outstanding Casting.
Local awards include a SAFTA “Golden Horn” for Best Ensemble Casting on television series “The Mating Game” and a nomination in the same category for Leon Shuster’s “Mama Jack” and I also treasure a Crystal Award for “Unsung Hero” awarded by Women in Film.
I have a soft spot for “Yesterday’ with Leleti Khumalo in the ttile role. This film was South Africa’s first entry into the Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category and is also South Africa’s first full length feature film using the Zulu language throughout. (Subtitled in English).
Extraordinary directors that I have had the privilege of working with include Clint Eastwood,
Roland Emmerich, Tom Hooper, Richard E Grant, Mira Nair, Caroll Ballard, Hugh Hudson, Sean Penn, Jean van de Velde. There are good reasons that so many of these gifted people are prestigious Award winners! It’s always a joy to work with creative power houses – they inspire us to keep striving to always give of one’s best.
