Welcome to the Oscar club, casting directors. Now, what is it you do?

The film academy announced last week that casting directors, the people responsible for bringing in just the right actor for a role, will have their own awards category at the Oscars beginning in 2026. And as the group’s inclusion was a long time coming, the news was happily greeted.

“There has never been a doubt that the contribution of casting directors’ tireless and seemingly effortless work is as important as the costumes the actors wear, the sets they inhabit and the makeup on their faces,” says London-based Lucy Bevan, who cast “Barbie” alongside Los Angeles-based Allison Jones. “I know I can speak on behalf of my professional colleagues when I say we are overjoyed at the academy’s decision to create a new category that will finally reward our impact.”

But rather than wait for the 2026 Oscar season, The Envelope spoke — via email, phone and Zoom — with the casting directors of 2024’s 10 best picture nominees to learn more about their work.

What was the biggest challenge in assembling your ensemble?

Cynthia Arra (“Anatomy of a Fall”): Finding an actress who could be both lovable and unlovable, innocent or guilty. Sandra Hüller was absolutely stunning. Also, the need for almost the entire cast to master French and English.

Lucy Bevan and Allison Jones (“Barbie”): Interpreting the personification of cultural icons who happen to be dolls, and finding in each actor the perfect level of pathos, humor, reality and representation.

Dixie Chassay (“Poor Things”): Putting together the ensemble was a detailed, precise process — working to cast in fresh ways, plus casting all the non-speaking roles outside the UK.

Ellen Chenoweth and Susanne Scheel (“Past Lives”): Telling writer-director Celine Song’s life story made the process incredibly specific, and we felt the pressure more than ever to get it right.

Jennifer Euston (“American Fiction”): The inherent challenge that comes with casting a lower-budget film with a first-time director. Fortunately, Cord Jefferson has been a respected writer for years and brought a fantastic script with well-defined characters to the table, which ultimately made this a desirable project for the actors.

Alexandra Montag (“The Zone of Interest,” with Jacqueline Rietz and the late Simone Bär): Often when German actors wear a Nazi uniform or play a role in a film from the Nazi era, they tend to evaluate their character negatively, which is expressed in the fact that they often change their posture and intonation. I like to call this “the bark.” For the overall effect of the film, it was very important that everyone keep a natural tone and not judge or prejudge their character.

John Papsidera (“Oppenheimer”): We had such high-profile actors — who were not necessarily used to being so far down on a call sheet — willing to be in the film. Negotiating those deals was quite tricky.

Susan Shopmaker (“The Holdovers”): We needed actors to feel like they were of the time (circa 1970), and Alexander [Payne] never wanted their presence to take us out of that time. We didn’t want anyone to be too recognizable.

What was the biggest joy?

Arra: The moment when young Milo Machado Graner — who plays Sandra Hüller’s visually impaired son — was finally found after months and months of wild casting both in specialized blindness facilities and at agencies.

Chassay: It’s hugely rewarding seeing the detail of a cast come together, role by role. How each piece informs another and affects the overall. Investing in a scene, a small character, a few lines, landing and creating a tapestry of human beings. It feels personal, the actors/characters become your children, and when you see the final film, in your mind, it’s a big family.

Chenoweth and Scheel: For the roles of Nora and Hae Sung, we auditioned hundreds of Korean actors, musicians, artists, writers and poets. Casting Nora was a unique challenge. Because she immigrated to Canada at 10 years old, as an adult, she spoke English and Korean well with a very specific accent. Few actors presented the appropriate accent, and none as well as Greta Lee.

Euston: Being in sync with Cord throughout the casting process — and delivering actors we both love to tell his story — was a wonderful experience.

Ellen Lewis (“Killers of the Flower Moon”): The biggest joy, always, is casting a film for Marty [Scorsese]. And given the challenge of casting this important story, it was a gift that we had an open call pre-pandemic — in Pawhuska, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla., — that 2,500 Indigenous people attended and from which we met so many from the Osage Nation, who appear in the film.

Shayna Markowitz (“Maestro”): In most instances, Bradley [Cooper] and I were very in sync in terms of the performances we both responded to, and then those actors jumped to be part of the film. When you have that trifecta, there is nothing better.

Shopmaker: Finding that uncut gem — Dominic Sessa.

What’s one secret about casting your film you’ve never revealed?

Bevan and Jones: The most fun was finding pictures of the original dolls — from Allan to the Kens (including Earring Magic Kens) and Barbies, Midges and Skippers — and Barbie Dream Houses, etc. Excellent research we used as reference when putting together the ensemble cast.

Lewis: It was a thrill to cast Jason Isbell (Bill Smith), one of seven professional musicians in the film. It wasn’t until my final conversation with him on Zoom that I confessed, “I haven’t said this to you because I’ve wanted to keep things very professional, but I have to tell you, I’m a huge fan!”

Markowitz: For our Zoom table read, we had almost 100% cast attendance. We got to hear the entire script read aloud by the actors who were going to play the roles. The movie came to life over the course of those two hours. It was an amazing, unforgettable experience.

Montag: All casting secrets should always remain hidden in the casting rooms. This is the only way the actors can be confident that they will not be exposed and can show their acting skills freely in the auditions.

Papsidera: We had conversations with big-name actors who didn’t think their role was big or important enough for them. I won’t name names, but I’m always shocked by it. You always hope it’s about the work, about working with a director and being part of the ensemble.