At September’s Emmy Awards, Adolescence dominated the night with wins for best limited series, writing, directing, and cinematography.
Three actors took home trophies. But one award stood out for recognizing a craft that rarely gets its moment in the spotlight: best casting.
Shaheen Baig, the casting director behind Adolescence, earned that Emmy—though she’d rather not talk about it. When the award appeared in frame during a Zoom interview, she immediately repositioned her camera, mortified anyone might think she was showing off.
Yet her work speaks louder than any trophy ever could, particularly in discovering 14-year-old Owen Cooper for his first-ever acting role.
Finding Lightning in a Bottle
Cooper became the emotional core of Adolescence, delivering a performance that oscillated between heartbreaking vulnerability and explosive intensity.
That such raw talent emerged in someone so young—in their debut role, no less—seemed almost impossible. Baig reflects on what made him special.
He did exceptionally. He had this wonderful quality on screen. There was a real innocence to him visually, and a clarity which I thought was just wonderful.
Finding Cooper wasn’t luck. It was the result of a meticulous six-month search across northern England, where the series was filmed.
The Search Strategy That Changed Everything
Baig’s approach combined traditional casting methods with grassroots community engagement.
I chose five cities. We then thoroughly researched those cities. We created databases. We looked at schools, youth groups, art groups, music groups. We talked to people that ran the clubs.
After mapping the landscape, her team created flyers and distributed them through social media and local organizations. Then came the street casting—personal, direct conversations with potential candidates across five cities.
Six hundred audition tapes poured in.
The Audition Process That Separated Good From Great
Baig’s team developed a graduated audition system designed to reveal depth over time.
In the first rounds, we got people to do little improvs, and then every subsequent stage became a little bit more sophisticated. We would see people in the room, do a bit of improvisation with them. Then we’d recall, get them to work from script, until we got down to five.
All five finalists were “brilliant,” according to Baig. Each landed roles in the show. But Cooper demonstrated something beyond talent.
Owen had this ability to really listen and connect with Stephen. But also he wasn’t scared of repetition. We went over scenes time after time, trying different things. We wanted to push him to see where he could go, and he had this extraordinary focus for somebody so young. I mean, that’s a rare find.
Why Casting Directors Deserve More Recognition
Baig’s 2025 proved exceptional even by her prolific standards. Beyond Adolescence, she cast A Thousand Blows, Toxic Town, Man Like Mobeen, The Death of Bunny Munro, and BBC Three’s Just Act Normal.
Her previous work includes Black Mirror, Giri/Haji, Peaky Blinders, and Sherwood. Spot her name in credits, and quality almost always follows.
I’m always working. I’ve always been a bit of a workaholic, but I think Adolescence has made me more visible. I’d normally run a mile from doing anything like this interview. I’m quite shy, and I find these things quite difficult. But actually it’s really good to talk about casting, because it makes the profession more visible.
Film and television production often appears dominated by directors and showrunners, with other crafts relegated to supporting status. Baig sees this changing, particularly around casting.
The Collaborative Art of Building a Cast
It’s a collaboration, but like every other department—like a cinematographer, an editor, a costume designer—a huge amount of work and skill goes into creating a cast. I think it’s really great that it’s suddenly being recognised.
Awards bodies are catching up. BAFTA recently added casting to awards night. The Oscars will feature it as a category starting next year.
It’s great that the craft is being finally recognised as an essential element of film-making. Because it really is. If you don’t have the actors, you can’t make the thing.
Success requires understanding each director’s unique vision and working style.
It’s my job to find the tone of a project. Some directors are more visual than others. Some are very focused on the script. Directors have all got different strengths. I like to work really closely with the director. Sometimes you don’t always agree with one another, but I have to find a way to make it work, because I’m not the director of the film.
Breaking Down Barriers for Working-Class Actors
Baig started as a production assistant in the 1990s, gradually gravitating toward actors before becoming assistant to Debbie McWilliams, James Bond’s casting director. She established her own practice at the century’s turn.
One thing became immediately clear during those early years.
There weren’t really many other people like me. Working-class, from Birmingham, mixed race. Even now, it’s not really a very representative industry, and that has to change.
She began working with Open Door, an organization helping young actors who lack resources for drama school.
Making Drama School Accessible
Being able to go to drama school is a privilege, and it can feel quite a long way away for many, many people. Applying for drama school is expensive. Travel to your auditions is expensive. Open Door has worked really hard to break down some of those barriers.
Open Door provides training in movement, voice, and audition technique. Students receive mentor pairings with established industry professionals, creating networks that might otherwise remain inaccessible.
After nearly ten years, results are visible.
I’ve really noticed a difference. Open Door has been going for nearly 10 years, and I’ve seen a real change in intake at drama schools. So many of our students have been successful and are working and have got really good careers.
What’s Next for Baig
Her 2026 slate already looks packed. Daisy Haggard’s Scottish thriller Maya is in development, with scripts Baig describes as “stunning” and “beautiful.”
Riz Ahmed’s Bait—about a struggling actor landing a breakthrough role—is upcoming. So is the Peaky Blinders film.
When asked about celebrating Adolescence‘s success, Baig deflects immediately.
I’m so happy that Warp Films are getting their flowers. They have been doing brilliant work for a really long time. They’re great people. They care about people. They’ve got a proper moral code. They’re great role models. Stephen Graham’s a great role model, too. It has all just been a really positive experience.
More than anything, she radiates pride for Cooper and his emerging career. Fancy photoshoots are already happening, she notes with maternal affection.
Then comes the grounding reminder.
He’s still got to do his GCSEs, though. That’ll bring him down to earth.