# Who is Catherine Willis, the casting director?

> Catherine Willis is an RTS Award-winning UK casting director and the founder of CW Casting in London. Since founding the company in 2006 she has cast more than 100 television, film and theatre productions, including Detectorists, Alma's Not Normal, Changing Ends, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Somewhere Boy and The Ballad of Wallis Island. She is represented by Independent Talent Group.

## What is her background?

She started in theatre, as assistant to the artistic director Mark Clements at Derby Playhouse, where she ran auditions and scouted showcases. She then spent six years as an in-house casting director at the BBC, on Casualty, Waking the Dead and The Afternoon Plays, before founding CW Casting in 2006.

## What is she known for?

- **Comedy.** Detectorists, Cuckoo, Plebs, Upstart Crow, Alma's Not Normal, Here We Go and Changing Ends.
- **Finding new actors.** Around 40% of the actors in her casts are people she had never met before.
- **Young casts.** 12 productions built around child and teenage performers.
- **Work for streamers.** The Witness and The Duchess for Netflix, Renegade Nell and The Full Monty for Disney+.
- **Film.** Brian and Charles and The Ballad of Wallis Island, both nominated for Outstanding British Film at the BAFTAs.

## Key facts

| | |
|---|---|
| Company | CW Casting (C W Casting Limited), founded 2006 |
| Based | London and Edinburgh |
| Credits on this site | 110: 93 television, 13 film, 4 theatre |
| Award | RTS Craft and Design Award for Casting, 2023, for Somewhere Boy |
| Nominations | Four Casting Directors' Guild Awards |
| Member of | Casting Directors' Guild and Casting Society of America |
| Agent | Independent Talent Group |
| Also known as | Cat Willis |

## Is she the only Catherine Willis?

No. Several people share the name, including an American actress. This page is about the UK casting director who founded CW Casting in London in 2006. Her IMDb page is [nm1348530](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1348530/).

## Sources

- [Independent Talent Group: Catherine Willis](https://www.independenttalent.com/casting-directors/catherine-willis/)
- [IMDb: Catherine Willis](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1348530/)
- [Royal Television Society: Craft and Design Awards 2023 winners](https://rts.org.uk/article/winners-announced-rts-craft-design-awards-2023)
- [Spotlight: Meet the Casting Director, Catherine Willis, 2024](https://www.spotlight.com/news-and-advice/the-industry/casting-director-catherine-willis-good-girls-guide-to-murder-bbc/)
- [Act On This: A Guide To Landing More Auditions, with Catherine Willis, June 2026](https://www.actonthis.tv/blog/preview-a-guide-to-landing-more-auditions-with-top-tv-comedy-drama-casting-director-catherine-willis)

Last checked: 9 October 2026. Page: https://www.cwcasting.co.uk/questions/who-is-catherine-willis