“This is a rare find!” The casting genius who chose the year’s biggest TV star from 600 auditions | television

AAt the Emmys in September, adolescence nearly swept the panel. It won Best Limited Series. It won awards for writing, directing and cinematography. Three of its actors – Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, and Owen Cooper – received awards. But Adolescent also picked up another Emmy for a craft that’s often overlooked: Outstanding Cast.

Shaheen Baig was the casting woman for Adolescent, and her Emmy award appeared in the top right corner of the screen as we talked about her year over Zoom. She was frightened as soon as she realized this, and immediately readjusted the angle of her webcam to keep it out of sight, so that no one would mistake it for bragging.

However, there is no doubt that the award was well deserved. As the woman who filled her adolescence with actors, Paige is ultimately the woman who discovered Owen Cooper. Despite his provocative subject matter and artistic wizardry, Cooper was the beating heart of the series. His performance was so inspired – which in turn was so heartbreakingly vulnerable and so evil – that it was hard to believe he was only 14 at the time of filming, let alone that this was his first ever role.

Paige nods. “His performance was exceptional. He had this wonderful quality on screen. There was a real innocence to him visually, a clarity that I thought was wonderful.”

Cooper’s discovery came as a result of a highly targeted six-month search for someone to fill the role. Paige knew the series would be filmed in the north of England, so that was where she and her team were set to work.

“I chose five cities,” she says. “Then we did extensive research in those cities. We created databases. We looked at schools, youth groups, arts groups, music groups. We talked to the people who ran the clubs.”

Once she was satisfied that she had a good understanding of the cities, she prepared a flyer. “We sent it out on social media, to all the places we talked to, and then we picked it up on the streets,” she says. “We go out, we talk to people, we hand out flyers, we interact with people. It’s a lot of work, it takes time, but that’s how you get the best results.”

After this point, Page and her team received 600 test strips to sift through, and gradually began whittling them down. “In the first rounds, we had people do a little improvisation, and then each subsequent stage got a little more complicated. We’d see people in the room, and we’d do a little improvisation with them. Then we’d remember, and ask them to work from the script, until we got to five.”

Page is keen to stress that each of the five finalists was “brilliant”, and they all ended up with roles on the show. However, Cooper stood out. “Owen had this ability to really listen and connect with Stephen,” she says. “But he also wasn’t afraid of repetition. We went through scenes over and over again, trying different things. We wanted to push him to see where he could go, and he had this extraordinary focus for someone so young. I mean, that’s a rare find.”

This year has been a great year for Baig. In the past, she has starred in everything from Black Mirror to Giri/Haji to Peaky Blinders to Sherwood. But in 2025, in addition to Adolescence, she was responsible for A Thousand Blows, Toxic City, A Man Like Maupin, Death of Bunny Monroe, and the lovely, underappreciated Just Act Normal on BBC Three. As soon as you notice their name in the credits of a movie or TV show, you can immediately be sure of its quality.

“I’m always working,” she says with a smile. “I’ve always been a bit of a workaholic, but I think adolescence has made me more articulate. I’d usually run a mile from doing anything like this interview. I’m very shy, and I find these things very difficult. But actually, it’s really good to talk about casting, because it makes the profession more visible.”

One problem with the filmed entertainment industry, whether it’s film or television, is that people often assume that the director or showrunner controls everything from top to bottom. Is there a sense that this is changing, at least when it comes to casting?

“It’s a collaboration, but like any other department — like the cinematographer, the editor, the costume designer — a huge amount of work and skill goes into creating the cast,” she says. “I think it’s really cool that he’s suddenly being recognized.” This is certainly true when it comes to awards. BAFTA recently began recognizing actors on awards night, and the Oscars will feature it as a category from next year.

“It’s great that this craft is finally being recognized as an essential component of filmmaking,” she continues. “Because it really is. If you don’t have actors, you can’t make the thing.”

Part of the job, she says, is being able to realize the vision of the person in charge. “It’s my job to find the tone of the project,” she explains. “Some directors are more visual than others. Some are very script-focused. Directors all have different strengths. I like to work closely with the director. Sometimes, you don’t always agree with each other, but I have to find a way to make it work, because I’m not the director of the film. I want the directors to have the best experience possible with the actors that we put in front of them. So I’ll always find a way to make it work, because I think I want to do what’s best for the film.”

After starting her career as a production assistant in the 1990s, Paige found herself gravitating more and more towards actors. She eventually became an assistant to Debbie McWilliams, the casting director for James Bond, before setting up her own shop at the turn of the century.

However, during this time I noticed a flaw in the industry. “There weren’t a lot of people like me, really,” she says. “Working class, from Birmingham, mixed race. Even now, it’s not a very representative industry, and that has to change.” And so she began working with Open Door, an organization that seeks to help young actors who lack the resources and financial means to attend drama school.

“Being able to go to drama school is a privilege, and for many people it can feel like a long way away,” she says. “Applying to drama school is expensive. Traveling to your auditions is expensive. Open Door has worked hard to break down some of those barriers. We work with people in action, in voice, in auditions. We pair people with friends, so they have someone to connect with who has a career. It’s all about making sure there are people in our industry who they can identify with.”

Fortunately, it paid off. “I’ve really noticed a difference,” she says. “Open Door started almost 10 years ago, and I’ve seen a real change in admissions to drama schools. Many of our students are succeeding and are working and getting really good jobs.”

It looks like 2026 for Baig will be just as busy as this year. Already on the list is Daisy Haggard’s Scottish thriller Maya. “The scripts are amazing,” she says. “Beautiful. She’s a talented writer.” Then there’s Riz Ahmed’s Bait, about a struggling actor who lands a big role, and the upcoming Peaky Blinders. But, still, there’s definitely still time to enjoy a little teenage success.

“I’m so happy Warp Films is getting their flowers,” she says, deflecting. “They’ve been doing a great job for a really long time. They’re great people. They care about people. They have a proper code of ethics. They’re a great role model. Stephen Graham is a great role model as well. It’s been a really positive experience.”

But more than anything else you get the sense that Shaheen Baig is thrilled about Owen Cooper and all the things he is bound to achieve in his career.

“It looks great,” she says, like a proud mother. “There are a lot of great photographs with him at the moment.” She pauses for a second, then adds. “But he still has to complete his high school exams. This will bring him back down to earth.”