Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 44 Interview with Casting Director Jan Russ

Talking Prisoner

Talking Prisoner Cell Block H EP 44 Interview with Casting Director Jan Russ
Welcome to episode 44 of Talking Prisoner. Hosts Ken Mulholland and Matt Batten sat down with Legendary casting director Jan Russ. Jan is a highly respected Australian Casting Director known for her work on Prisoner and Neighbours. She is responsible for kick-starting the careers of some of Australia's best-known faces, such as Guy Pearce, Craig McLachlan, Stefan Dennis, Peter O'Brien, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Jesse Spencer, Kym Valentine, Daniel McPherson, Holly Valance and Delta Goodrem to name but a few, as well as being a casting director she also played Maxine Daniels Mother in Prisoner and was the casting director on Prisoner for the last 18 months of the show. Jan also had an incredible 24-year career on Neighbours. We spoke to Jan about her life growing up and what her childhood and school life was like as well as learning how a free lunch with Ian Smith landed Jan the job as casting Director on Prisoner. Jan spoke about some of the cast that she auditioned for Prisoner and what it was like for her to work on the show for the last 18 months. Jan was able to share her memories of being offered the job on Neighbours by the show creator Reg Watson and told us what it was like to work with Reg and then when channel 7 axed Neighbours and moved to channel 10 for the next 37 years. Jan spoke about when she first met Kylie Minogue and why she let Hugh Jackman out of his contract for Neighbours. Jan spoke in depth about Neighbours and her process of how she would cast characters for the show and the dynamics of putting a family together on the show. We spoke to Jan about her thoughts on the ending of Neighbours. Jan shared with us her time on Prisoner and the differences working on Prisoner compared to Neighbours. We spoke to Jan about the current climate of Australian TV and what she thinks about it. In 2009 Fremantle Media decided to bring in an external casting agency and Jan was no longer required, Jan spoke to us how she felt about her exit from Neighbours and how she was treated during that time. Jan spoke with us in depth about her own personal emotional pain when she was forced to give up her child for adoption in the 1960s and how she only recently discussed this on Australian Story and why she only just recently publicly spoke about what she went through. Jan was able to answer all fan questions. Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel and share these interviews where you can.
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