Mary Selway
- This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.
| Mary Selway | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1936 Norwich, England |
| Died | April 21, 2004 London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Casting director |
Mary Selway (14 March 1936, Norwich, England – 21 April 2004, London, England) was a British casting director.
Contents |
[edit] Life
Selway was born in Norwich in 1936 and attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London. She worked as a model and as a PA at ITV before starting to work in casting, first under Miriam Brickman and then under Lindsay Anderson at the Royal Court Theatre in London.[1] By the age of 34 she had started casting films, which she continued for the rest of her life. She had two daughters: the agent Kate Buckley and the actress Emma Buckley. Selway died of cancer in 2004.
[edit] Career
Selway worked with a number of renowned directors over three decades, including Steven Spielberg, Roman Polanski, Clint Eastwood, John Boorman, Sydney Pollack, Robert Altman, Michael Apted, Nicolas Roeg, Fred Schepisi, Fred Zinnemann and Ridley Scott.[1] Not only was she responsible for the casting of 104 films, such as the Oscar nominated Gosford Park (Best Picture, 2001), but she was also fascinated and delighted by the talent of the actors she cast. She gained a reputation for fairness, determination, charm, wisdom and irreverence. Selway was also a tireless champion of new acting talent, whom she discovered and nurtured. Unusually, she would stay in touch with the cast throughout the shooting process.[2]
A biographical documentary entitled A Cast of Thousands: The Life of Mary Selway is being produced in celebration of her life. It is directed by Isabelle Gregson, who explained that it aims "in its own small way to give those who didn't have the pleasure of knowing her, a taste for her enormous contribution to Cinema through the eyes and words of those who knew and loved her."[2]
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Orange Rising Star Award for the best young actor is dedicated to the memory of Mary Selway.[3] Selway's death in 2004 is acknowledged by a memorium at the end credits of the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film).
[edit] Films (selection)
She directed the casting of many well-known films, including:
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- The Libertine (2004)
- Vanity Fair (2004)
- Enduring Love (2004)
- Thunderbirds (2004)
- The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
- Love Actually (2003)
- The Sleeping Dictionary (2003)
- K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
- Gosford Park (2001)
- Enigma (2001)
- Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001)
- Notting Hill (1999)
- Lost in Space (1998)
- The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
- First Knight (1995)
- King Ralph (1991)
- The Russia House (1990)
- Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (1988)
- Aliens (1986)
- Withnail and I (1986)
- Top Secret! (1984)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- Outland (1981)
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b Roger Michell (2004-05-01). "Mary Selway". The Independent – Obituaries. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/mary-selway-549852.html. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
- ^ a b "Muse – Gregson on Mary Selway". Glass Magazine. 2009-08-18. http://www.glassmagazine.co.uk/forum/feature.asp?tid=284. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
- ^ "Background to the Orange Rising Star Award". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 2009-01-05. http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/background-to-the-orange-rising-star-award,137,BA.html. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
