The phrase that involves thoughts while you’re speaking to Dan Hubbard is “refreshing.” How else to explain somebody who grew up within the casting enterprise, however as an alternative of being jaded, nonetheless geeks out about films and TV exhibits he loves, and is as a lot a fanboy as the remainder of us?
The son of casting administrators Ros and John Hubbard, and youthful brother of casting director Amy Hubbard, Dan Hubbard has constructed himself a thriving profession on his phrases, working repeatedly with administrators like Paul Greengrass, Simon West, Neil Jordan and Man Ritchie, for whom Hubbard has solid the director’s final a number of tasks.
Hubbard solid Ritchie’s film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, in addition to his hit Netflix present The Gents. Hes additionally solid Magpie, starring Daisy Ridley, and A Mistake, starring Elizabeth Banks. He took a while out to speak to us from his house in London.
Insights From Dan Hubbard
- Put together completely however keep calm and assured, realizing you had been chosen due to your expertise.
- Deliver a way of function and belonging into the audition to create a pure and flowing efficiency.
- Take good dangers along with your selections to shock and interact the casting director, including recent life to the position.
How did you get into casting? It looks as if possibly it is a household enterprise for you.
Nicely, yeah, it’s. I at all times really feel somewhat bit self-conscious after I reply this as a result of, on this world of nepotism, it at all times makes me really feel somewhat bit responsible; however yeah, I grew up round it.
My mom began the unique Hubbard Casting, within the early 80s. I used to be born in 1975, and my sister was born in 1972. Amy Hubbard. She’s a casting director as properly. She did Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
We grew up round it. My mom was a hardcore, very bold Irish girl from Dublin who would ring manufacturing corporations who had individuals like Alan Parker, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, all reducing their tooth, studying how you can shoot, however with huge budgets in promoting. That’s how she realized to solid, working with these guys.
After which she taught you?
My dad left promoting and joined her, round 1984 or ’85, and the workplace was in our home. I’d come house from faculty and there’d be actors ready on the sofa. We moved to Dublin after I was 16 after they did a film referred to as The Commitments, and that manufacturing workplace was in my home. I might come down from my bed room and there can be actors tuning up their devices and Alan Parker was in my sitting room, and I used to be identical to, “Okay, this isn’t regular.”
I believe it’s attention-grabbing you adopted your mother and father as a result of so many children of individuals within the leisure enterprise exit of their approach to do the rest.
I didn’t need to do it, man. I wished to do one thing else within the movie enterprise, so I utilized to movie faculty however didn’t get in. I got here again to Hubbard Casting in London after I was about 19, only for cash.
I didn’t need to do what my mother and father did, however then I sort of obtained to find it irresistible. They had been doing Evita for Alan. All these actors had been sending of their music tapes on cassettes, so I might undergo and hearken to the entire songs. Very time-consuming.
Again then, it was a complete honor to be requested to do one thing like that. I couldn’t consider that I had that accountability, however all I needed to do was work out whether or not they sang properly or not. (Laughs) That’s sort of the place it started. That’s the place I realized how you can negotiate and do contracts and deal memos and realized concerning the artwork and craft and, properly, the psychology of how try to be with actors.
How would you describe that?
My mom at all times instilled our ethos of the corporate as at all times being human. Be variety, heat, and welcoming, but in addition make it possible for the actor has the data they require earlier than going into the room. What are they searching for right this moment? What’s the director like? Which scenes are we studying?
I watched my mom try this for years, and a whole lot of actors have come as much as me to say, “I really like your mother.” She’s so humorous, so heat, she was a mom determine to them, whereas my dad was extra of the quiet, reserved Englishman who had that mild knowledge and a deft hand together with his compliments within the room. I attempted taking one of the best of what they did, and possibly studying from their errors as properly. I used to be very, very fortunate.
How lengthy did you’re employed on your of us, and at what level did you determine to interrupt off by yourself?
I began Dan Hubbard Casting 10 years in the past. After residing of their shadow, I felt like, truly, I’m good at this.
I already had a extremely good relationship with Paul Greengrass. I began with Captain Phillips. Going into Jason Bourne, I’d achieved United 93 whereas I used to be at Hubbard Casting, however that was just about me one-on-one with Paul, so Jason Bourne was the primary film that I used to be doing after I set off alone.
That was a terrific factor for my firm. Again then, I used to be nonetheless doing a whole lot of script-to-screen packaging, which is sort of a irritating approach of casting, as a result of it’s at all times a hen or the egg sort of factor. I’ve to go to those expertise brokers and push them to learn it, regardless that it’s not financed. Then in 2018, I began working with Man Ritchie, and it’s gone off in an entire different course.
I used to be going to ask about that. I’m interested in the way you established that relationship with Man, and the consolation of with the ability to have that shorthand with a director the place you already know you’re employed properly collectively, and so they know you convey one thing to the desk that they respect and don’t query due to the expertise you’ve with one another.
That’s a extremely good query, and it’s a extremely attention-grabbing topic as a result of I do produce other administrators that I’ve obtained relationships with who come again to me, however with Man, it’s a really skilled world, and it’s a really skilled setup, and it’s a really personal setup.
My first movie with Man, Wrath of Man, was a terrifying expertise for me as a result of I simply wished to do properly and get it proper. For years I fanboyed him, and in my head, I used to be barely bitter that I by no means obtained seen for any of his films as a casting director, as a result of I knew that world. Then out of the blue, I knew that he’d supplied it to another person, it may need been my sister, (laughs) however she felt that she wasn’t fairly proper, and I obtained the decision the following day.
That should have been fairly improbable.
I used to be like, “Fuck sure! Lastly! Oh my God.”
I suppose it’s solely actually a few yr or two in the past that I’ve begun to seek out my ft by way of not being terrified earlier than every assembly or presentation I’ve with Man, and never working via worry, however fairly via love and enjoyable and believing my talents as a result of he likes my style and my skilled vibe within the room. I discovered it very onerous as a result of I simply couldn’t consider I used to be working with Man Ritchie for the primary three or 4 years.
I’ve to say, it’s fairly wonderful to me how jazzed you proceed to be concerning the enterprise, after spending your complete life in it. I might suppose it’d be awfully simple to be jaded about it.
At sure factors, I’ve been jaded, being overwhelmed by the business, the politics and the workload, however I really like movie. I really like movie. That’s my primary escape, and a superb day for me can be sitting in a movie show, both alone or with individuals, watching a extremely good film. It’s only a nice honor to be doing these spectacular films with individuals like Man.
After working for actually your complete life in casting, what piece of recommendation or knowledge would you give to an actor coming in to audition for you?
I like individuals to be calm, with a way of belonging and a way of function, as a result of I’ve referred to as you in, and I’ve deemed you proficient and as much as the job.
What I’m fascinated with is the move of the efficiency as soon as the digital camera turns. I think about you since you’re right here, so do me proud, but in addition, generally it’s realizing when to take that danger and make us all sit again and say, “Oh my God, I didn’t see it like that.”
That breathes life into the piece as a result of the actor has the facility to shock us with their clever selections. That’s the enjoyment of my job, the alternatives the actor makes to suit the puzzle.
Remaining Takeaways
Dan Hubbard’s journey via casting is something however typical—rooted in household legacy but outlined by his personal ardour and persistence. From rising up surrounded by actors in his childhood house to carving out his personal house with prime administrators, Hubbard stays genuinely excited concerning the craft. His method blends heat, professionalism, and a deep love for movie that retains him energized even after a long time within the enterprise. Right here’s a fast recap of the dialog:
- Dan Hubbard was born right into a casting household however initially resisted following their path.
- He realized the enterprise hands-on, absorbing classes in kindness, preparation, and actor psychology from his mother and father.
- After years working together with his household’s firm, he launched his personal casting enterprise about 10 years in the past.
- Constructing robust relationships with administrators like Paul Greengrass and Man Ritchie has been key to his success.
- Hubbard stays captivated with movie and values actors who convey calm confidence and artistic risk-taking to auditions.
This interview has been edited for readability and initially appeared on Casting Networks.
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Written by Neil Turitz
