It may be a show about a gaggle of professional stragglers, but Apple TV’s British spy drama Slow Horses is going strong. It’s a thoroughbred thriller, loved by critics and audiences alike, featuring an A-list cast led by Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, and Kristin Scott Thomas. Forget the jet-setting glamour of James Bond and welcome a far grittier, realer take on the world of the secret service, accompanied by the occasional fart joke. With a seventh season commissioned (and season five landing in autumn 2025), the powerhouse drama is going to need more talent. Giddy up – it’s time to find out how to get cast on Slow Horses.
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Based on the book series by British writer Mick Herron, Slow Horses follows a group of struggling spies who have been relegated by MI5 to Slough House, where they’re supposed to fill their days with menial tasks. Led by old-school cynic Jackson Lamb, played by Oldman, the slow horses, as they’re known, rebel and discover plenty of crimes to investigate. This lot may have started off as cock-ups, but they often end up saving the day.
Legendary casting director Nina Gold has led the casting on Slow Horses since its debut in 2022. Working alongside Melissa Gethin Clarke, Gold is a CD you want to know. In addition to Slow Horses, she has cast The Crown, Game of Thrones, and numerous feature films. In short, she’s a big player.
Gold told Backstage she looks for new talent in the theatre and at drama schools, “as well as weird small-scale fringe theatre.” She also shared a top tip for auditionees: “I think it’s really good when people listen. When actors actively remember to listen in the audition room, that is definitely a good thing.”
Gold told Casting Networks that she always has empathy for auditioning actors. “Auditioning is hard. I feel for all the actors who have to walk into the room and make it work at the click of a finger. It’s difficult,” she said. “I hope they remember that, as casting directors, we’re on their side and want them to get the part… And when they don’t get [the] part, it’s [got] nothing to do with the fact that they weren’t good. It’s because another person was more right.”
The cast of Slow Horses was built around the initial casting of Oldman. Once he said yes, other actors became keen. Clearly it’s been a while since he had to audition, but he shared with Backstage some advice he was once given as a young actor. “I think it’s the natural thing of the performer, or someone who is creative: egomaniac with low self-esteem,” he said. “You’ve got to have something that pushes you forward to just get up there in front of people, and yet there’s a vulnerability and insecurity that comes with it. I think that’s what keeps driving you to get better and better and better. And take your time. Breathe and take your time. If they’re horrid to you, then maybe they weren’t worth working for anyway. That’s why I always think it doesn’t cost very much to be polite and to be nice.”
While waiting for an opportunity to audition for Slow Horses to arise, remember that there are plenty more British dramas seeking talent, so keep your eyes peeled for casting opportunities.
Familiarise yourself with the below guides, too, to ensure that your materials are as strong as can be: