Nina Gold shortlisted in inaugural Oscars casting category for Hamnet

Nina Gold, the casting director who assembled Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in Hamnet, has been shortlisted in the inaugural Academy Awards category for best casting. The category marks the first time casting directors will be honoured by the Academy. Gold said she “just really felt like it had to be Jessie Buckley” and praised Buckley’s “connectedness to the physical world” and lack of artifice.

She described Mescal as “celebrated and fancy” but modest enough to do a chemistry read: “He wasn’t egotistical. He came to see if it was right – and it really was.” Hamnet won the Golden Globe for best motion picture drama and Buckley took best female actor in a drama film; both are now described as favourites for the Oscars.

Gold has cast for major films and series including Conclave, Game of Thrones, The Crown, Slow Horses, The Day of the Jackal and several Star Wars films. She cast more than 10 projects in 2025, and her awards include multiple Emmys and a Bafta special award. She has helped launch the careers of Claire Foy, Eddie Redmayne, John Boyega, Bella Ramsey and Maisie Williams, and said watching talented actors “grow and grow” makes her feel “very maternal.” The new casting category follows decades of lobbying; Gold said she was “really thrilled, and slightly terrified.” She has been shortlisted alongside films including Sinners, Frankenstein, Marty Supreme and One Battle After Another.

Key Topics

Culture, Nina Gold, Hamnet, Academy Awards, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal