Another is the growing trend of Aussies to submit audition tapes online without the need to go to Los Angeles to try out in person. Kirsty McGregor, hired this year by 20th Century Fox TV to work on all its drama pilots, was instrumental in casting Donald in Fox’s CBS comedy pilot Friends With Better Lives. producers are tapping Australian-based casting agents to source talent. One factor driving the upsurge is that U.S. Others are established names like Miranda Otto, Jacki Weaver, Toni Collette, Melissa George, Rachael Taylor and Anthony LaPaglia.
Some are unfamiliar commodoties Stateside like Luke Mitchell, Bob Morley, Chris Egan, Lincoln Lewis, Rick Donald and Luke Bracey, who were all regulars on the Seven network’s long-running TV soap Home And Away. So what’s all the hubbub about?Īt least 23 Aussies have been cast in pilots this season, an unprecedented number. His “agent” tells him at one point in the video, “You’re doing great work, you’re just not Australian.” As Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva pointed out, this has been a sore topic for Hollywood talent agents and their American-born clients this season as the nets bet heavily on actors from Down Under. Yesterday, Deadline posted a Funny Or Die video made by American actor Brian Guest in response to the proliferation of Australian actors being cast in broadcast pilots this season. Grant was also featured in the 1998 documentary film “Slam Nation: The Sport of Spoken Word.Don Groves is a Deadline contributor based in Sydney He competed at the National Poetry Slam competition in 1996, starred in a one-man show called “A Sucker Emcee” at the LAByrinth Theater Company and appeared on early seasons of HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam” show. Prior to breaking into Hollywood, he had a prolific career as a spoken-word artist and poet. Grant was born and raised in New York City.
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Grant’s film credits include “Dark Water,” “Ball Don’t Lie” and “Breaking Point.”Īlso Read: Richard Gilliland, 'Designing Women' Character Actor, Dies at 71ĭeadline first reported news of Grant’s death and noted that the actor had recently finished filming the movie “No Sudden Move” with director Steven Soderbergh and co-stars John Hamm, Benicio Del Toro and Don Cheadle.
In addition to his work on “Oz,” Grant guest starred on shows including “The Sopranos,” “Chapelle’s Show,” “Law & Order,” “Boston Legal,” “Blue Bloods,” “Nurse Jackie,” Marvel and Netflix’s “Luke Cage,” HBO’s “High Maintenance” and Jordan Peele’s TBS comedy “The Last O.G.” Grant also starred in “She’s Gotta Have It,” Netflix’s dramatic comedy that ran from 2017-19, as Cash Jackson. On “Oz,” Jackson was a heroin addict and aspiring artist who left Emerald City prison but returned after he killed a drug dealer. He played Arnold “Poet” Jackson during the entire run of “Oz,” from 1997 until the show’s final season in 2003. Grant performed on “Oz” as muMs da Schemer, the moniker he also used when performing slam poetry. We all just lost a phenomenal man.”Īlso Read: Jessica Walter, 'Arrested Development' and 'Archer' Star, Dies at 80 “Craig was more than our client, he was our dear friend. “We are heartbroken over the loss of one of the most genuine, caring, loving souls we have ever had the pleasure of representing,” Ellipsis Entertainment said in a statement on Thursday. Grant was filming a recurring role on Starz’s “Hightown” series and was also working on Tyler Perry’s “All the Queen’s Men” series for BET’s streaming service, BET+. Grant’s representatives at Ellipsis Entertainment Group announced his passing Thursday morning. Craig “Mums” Grant, the poet and actor who starred in six seasons of the HBO drama “Oz,” died on March 25.