Casting Directors

Here is how this works in practice. We connect shoots with casting directors who know Iceland's compact but capable performer pool intimately — a community feeding off the National Theatre, the University of the country and the Icelandic Film School (Kvikmyndaskóli Íslands). Our casting directors handle principal and supporting casting, run self-tapes and in-person sessions in Reykjavík, and source extras and pro background — riders, glacier guides, Norse-looking faces — for crowd days in the Highlands. They brief in fluent English and liaise easily with overseas casting teams and directors.

Here is the short of it. Because the country's population is only around 390,000, the local pool is finite. For large ensemble shoots we set up supplementary casting from the UK and mainland Europe, with EEA membership letting performers from across the EU work in the country without visas. We also advise on how on-screen Icelandic performers feed into the 25% production cost reimbursement, rising to 35% for qualifying larger shoots, so cast budget work is planned against recoverable Icelandic spend.

Here is the breakdown. Iceland's casting strength is rooted in a deep performance culture: Reykjavík is a UNESCO City of Literature, the medieval Sagas of Icelanders stay widely read, and a small nation sustains a remarkably active theatre and film scene. Directors such as Baltasar Kormákur, Hlynur Pálmason ('Godland') and Grímur Hákonarson ('Rams') have built a worldwide recognised acting custom, and the A24 feature 'Lamb' showcased Icelandic leads to a global audience. Global shoots including 'Game of Thrones' have cast Icelandic performers alongside imported talent.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. The near-universal ease in English makes Icelandic actors versatile for English-language work, while their command of a language preserved close to Old Norse suits real Viking-era and saga projects. A casting director who knows this heritage matches the right faces and voices to a production's vision.