Acclaimed casting director Kate Rhodes James discusses the art of casting in international film and television productions, from discovering new talent to helping create some of the most iconic characters in contemporary television. A conversation designed not only for audiences, but also for actors eager to understand what it takes to be selected for international productions.
Moderator Hakim Zejjari
Biography – Kate Rhodes James
Kate studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama alongside Rhys Ifans and Daniel Craig.
Her introduction to Casting started as an Assistant on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles for Lucasfilm. It was a terrific baptism of fire. She was sent to many European countries to organise local casting sessions. Kate subsequently worked for Debbie McWilliams on many projects including GOLDENEYE, Baz Luhrman’s ROMEO and JULIET TALES FROM THE CRYPT and many other projects. Kate also worked with Janey Fothergill (who has since retired) and worked on many film and television projects most notable Pride and Prejudice, Taking over the Asylum, Carrington, The Secret Agent.
After 5 years as an Assistant Kate set up on her own and created KRJ Casting Ltd. Kate has worked in casting for the past 25 years. Below are some of her prominent projects:
Bleak House – BBC
Sense and Sensibility – BBC
Tess of the D’Urbervilles – BBC
The Line of Beauty – BBC
Line of Duty – all series. BBC
Appropriate Adult – ITV
Sherlock – BBC
The Tunnel – SKY
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell – BBC
Ripper Street – BBC
The Missing – BBC
Bodyguard – ITV
The Terror – AMC
Raised by Wolves HBO Max
Dracula – BBC
House of the Dragon Series 1, 2 and 3
Interview with the Vampire Series 1, 2 and 3.
Prime Target – Apple TV
My Lady Jane – Amazon
Alien Earth – Noah Hawley, FX
12 12 12 – Skydance/Apple
Kate has worked with Sir Ridley Scott exclusively for the past 8 years on the following projects:
Raised by Wolves
The Last Duel
The House of Gucci
Napoleon
Gladiator 2
Dogstars
Kate has just completed casting the Kennedy’s series alongside Jeanie Bacharach for Netflix starring Michael Fassbender as Joseph Kennedy.
Kate has been nominated for an Emmy 4 times. She won Best Casting for Bodyguard at the CDG Awards and recently received the Capelier-Shaw Award for Excellence in Casting from the Casting Society of America.
Kate is presently casting second series of Alien Earth and is working on another project with Noah Hawley FAR CRY starring Rob Mac. Her next project with Ridley Scott is imminent.
Biography – Francesco Vedovati
Francesco Vedovati is an Emmy Award-winning casting director based in Rome, with more than three decades of experience across international film and television.
Over the course of his career, he has collaborated with acclaimed filmmakers including Edward Berger, Danny Boyle, George Clooney, Antoine Fuqua, Felix Van Groeningen, Luca Guadagnino, James Mangold, Fernando Meirelles, Noah Baumbach, Oliver Hermanus, Mike White and Steven Zaillian. In Italy, he has worked extensively with many of the country’s leading directors, among them Saverio Costanzo, Matteo Garrone, Valeria Golino, Gabriele Mainetti, Gabriele Muccino, Michele Placido, Gabriele Salvatores, Sergio Castellitto and the Taviani brothers.
His recent credits include Conclave, Ripley, The White Lotus, Io Capitano, The Eight Mountains, Napoli – New York, L’Arte della Gioia and Buen Camino.
In 2023, Vedovati won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series for The White Lotus (Season 2). He subsequently received an Emmy nomination for Ripley and won the 2025 Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Studio or Independent Feature Drama for Conclave. In 2026, he received the Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Comedy for Jay Kelly, as well as an additional Artios nomination for Nuremberg. In 2024, he was honoured with the prestigious Capelier-Shaw Artios Award for Excellence in Casting, one of the profession’s highest international distinctions.
Among his other accolades are three Nastro d’Argento Awards for Best Casting, two ICDA Semiramis Awards for Excellence in Casting, and a BAFTA nomination for The Two Popes.
Vedovati is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the Television Academy, the European Film Academy (EFA), the Academy of Italian Cinema, the Casting Society (CSA) and the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA). He is a founding member of the Italian Union of Casting Directors (UICD), where he played a leading role in the successful campaign that established the David di Donatello Award for Best Casting.
