Actors both aspiring and experienced always want to hear from Lucy Bevan. The acclaimed Casting Director works across film, television, and theatre, and has created countless stars over her years in the industry. Harry Potter, Barbie, Cruella, Beauty and the Beast — she has helped bring them all to life. When she can get away from the throes of auditions, she will join us for a Long Lunch at Arlington — although please resist the temptation to drop by her table with your headshot and a Shakespearean monologue. (If we can keep our cool, so can you.) She recently joined us for a Long Lunch with her friend and fellow Casting Director Kate Rhodes James.
Is the Long Lunch a habit or aberration for you?
An anomaly but a treat!
What makes a Long Lunch enjoyable, versus a chore?
A decent window of opportunity, Jeremy gliding by in an impeccable suit, entertaining friends, delicious food and a glass of Champagne.
What are the qualities endemic to a lunch companion?
An inclination for optimism and an appetite for a laugh.
What inspired you to invite Kate to join you?
This is a moment for us casting directors to celebrate; we were raising a glass to Kate’s recent Artios Career Achievement Award and our friend Nina Gold’s Oscar nomination.
What did you eat and drink today, and why?
Champagne! I also had a delicious tomato and basil tart and seared tuna.
Tell us about your favourite Long Lunch of all time.
It involved smoked salmon sandwiches on the top of Pen-Y-Fan with lemon wedges cut with a pen knife. It lasted long enough til the cold set in.
If you could Long-Lunch with absolutely anyone on the planet—no offence to Kate—who would it be?
I would bring back Mary Selway, who I trained with and miss; she was great company and wouldn’t entirely disapprove of Champagne at lunchtime.
On the days that you are Long-Lunching, do you dress any differently?
I put a Me&Em dress on to amuse Kate. She says Me&Em is all I ever wear; she’s not entirely wrong.
LUCY’S DOSSIER
Birthplace: London.
Neighbourhood: Acton.
Short lunch strategy: I confess most often it’s a sandwich, made by Rollo, at my desk.
Cocktail: Aviation.
Workout: Running, yoga and calisthenics.
Bookstore: Book Soup, in West Hollywood.
Current projects: ‘Harry Potter’ keeps me busy and I’m loving working with Michael Gracey on ’Tangled’.
Cultural recommendations: ‘All My Sons’ with Bryan Cranston, Paapa Essiedu and Marianne Jean-Baptiste was terrific, but it has just finished, so you can watch Paapa in ‘Babies’ on BBC instead. Incredibly moving!
