A leading casting director and theatrical agent, Jennifer Jaffreyhas worked alongside some ofthe world’s greatest film direc-tors and producers including

Bernardo Bertolucci and Ismail Merchant.Married to the acclaimed Indian actor

Saeed Jaffrey for more than 20 years, shewas the first English woman to set up a cast-ing service in India to supply Asian actorsfor international film productions. Later sheset up her own agency in the UK wheremany of her clients are Asian actors workingin both theatre and television.

An amiable and knowledgeable figure,she talks about her work in her office at thefamous Pinewood Film Studios in Hert-fordshire. “I didn’t really start out to be acasting director,” she says with a smile. “Ihad worked for 18 years at the BBC, mainlyin production and research. I wasn’t ambi-tious but I had an eye for talent and newideas – not all of them appreciated. I onceput forward a proposal for Madhur Jaffrey– Saeed’s first wife – to do a cookery series.A man at the BBC said, ‘Oh, Jennifer,nobody is interested in Indian cookery, letalone want to watch a programme about it’.I pestered him for years – and finally theymade it. It was sold worldwide and madeMadhur a household name.

“I suppose my break came when Saeedstarted to go to India to make films like The Far Pavilions and Gandhi and I wentwith him. In 1985 we set up home inBombay and a Los Angeles producer toldme that what was needed in India was acasting service for international films. Theydidn’t have casting directors in India then.They didn’t even have Spotlight. I took thejob on and regarded it first as a research job.I knew what was required, I knew what thestandards of acting should be. I got to knowall the actors and I went to see plays in allthe different Indian languages.”

She began casting for Merchant-Ivory

films such as The Deceivers, starring PierceBrosnan and Shashi Kapoor, and laterFrench, Swiss and American films, rapidlyearning herself a reputation for her shrewdeye for talent. “Jennifer brings the kind offorthright, western approach to her workthat is essential for a casting agent,” saysMerchant. “She applies standards of selec-tion which western directors working inIndia appreciate and rely on.”

“Casting is an intuitive thing,” saysJaffrey. “One of the most important things isthat the director must have complete trust inyou. They want to know that you will besensible with your suggestions.”

In 1989 she set up Culture Club,Bombay, a project where she selected andarranged for British performers such as BenKingsley and Susannah York to perform inBombay, now Mumbai. The same year shereturned to the UK where she continuedcasting as well as setting up her own agency.

“Saeed wanted to change agents and hesuggested that I represent him,” she says.

“I started to take on other actors as well andabout a third of them were Asian. I knewAsian actors and, more importantly, I under-stood the culture.”

Does she feel Asian actors get a betterdeal in film and TV shows nowdays?

“When Saeed first started in the seventies,Asian actors in the UK were usually cast injokey roles or they had English actors blackup in shows like It Ain’t Half Hot Mum.I think there are definately more opport-unities for Asian and black actors today.Television companies will always considerAsian or black actors for roles written asEnglish. There might be a role, say, inCasualty for a John Smith that’s written asEnglish but could easily be played by anAsian. And nowadays Asian actors work intheatre doing Shakespeare and the classics,so it has improved a lot. I think Saeed madepeople realise that Asian actors are as goodas English actors.”

Jaffrey discovered Asian actors such asAyesha Darker (Life Isn’t All Ha Ha HeeHee), Nitin Ganatra, Archie Panjabi (East isEast) and Indira Joshi but she was alsoresponsible for the early careers of severalEnglish actors including Hannah Waterman(EastEnders).

Although fiercely loyal to her own dis-coveries she is critical of some young actorstoday. “Nowadays young actors want tomake money and be famous quickly. Theywant their holidays abroad, they want theircar and so on and because money is soimportant many of them take other jobs

outside the profession. That’s fine if it’s a jobyou can get away from but you often findactors who turn things down because of thatother job that makes them more money.The way I see it, you’re either an actor ornot. It’s a commitment, a way of life.”

So what advice would she give to would-be stars ?

“Most actors want to go into soaps whenthey leave drama school. In soaps youngactors have to learn very quickly and be onthe ball. I think they grow a lot as actorsbeing in a soap but in the long run it’s notgoing to enhance their career. It certainlydoesn’t hurt it but there is much more toacting than being in a soap. Young actorsneed a balanced CV, they need to work inthe theatre as well. I’ve always given theatreactors a chance and I always did when I wascasting in India. If they are good theatreactors then they will make the transition totelevision and films.”

Although something of a fixture at Pine-wood, the legendary film studios whereeverything from the Carry On films to clas-sic British war movies were made, Jaffreykeeps her eye firmly on up and coming newtalent.

“Showbusiness works both ways. “If anactor works hard then so must a castingdirector. I think it is terribly important tocasting directors and agents to go and seesee actors in the theatre and fringe and findnew talent. That’s what it’s all about.Supporting and nurturing new talent – andlooking after it.”

A Los Angeles producer told me that

what was needed inIndia was a casting

service for internationalfilms. They didn’t have

casting directors inIndia then. They didn’t

even have Spotlight. I took the job on

PROFILE 9March 23, 2006

Jennifer Jaffrey set up a casting agency inIndia for foreign film-makers, discoveredmany Asian actors and is now based atPinewood. Patrick Newley finds out more

1946: Born in London. After leaving school sheworks in a travel agency.

1963: Works as a production assistant on BBCSchools Radio and later as researcher on BBCTelevision documentary features.

1975: Creates programme Madhur Jaffrey’s IndianCookery (BBC). Works as PA to Saeed Jaffrey onfilms including Gandhi, Jewel in the Crown, A Passage to India, The Far Pavilions.

1980: Marries Saeed Jaffrey.

1985: Sets up casting agency in India for foreignfilm-makers. Casts for Merchant-Ivory films including The Perfect Murder and The Deceiversand international films Manika, Manika, Bye ByeBlues, Masala.

1989: Works as casting director in the UK. Sets upCulture Club, Bombay arranging for British celebri-ties to perform in Mumbai.

1991: Casts international films and TV series including Mowgli – The Jungle Boy, Fire Within, Les Prix d’une femme, Fire in Paradise, The Storm, On Dangerous Ground and Guru inSeven.

1993: Sets up Magnolia Management to representBritish and Asian actors in UK and India.

2001: Casts Bernardo Bertolucci’s Ten MinuteOrder

2006: Works as a casting director and establishesJaffrey Kent Management Ltd based at PinewoodStudios, UK.

Jennifer Jaffrey – A Summary

Casting offstereotypes

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