ABOUT US
Tom McSweeney and David Newman bring more than 35 years of combined experience to the entertainment industry. Recognising a shared philosophy and artistic approach to casting, the two joined forces in 2012 to create McSweeney Newman Casting—an organization grounded in integrity, curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to talent discovery.
Driven by a passion for uncovering exceptional Australian actors, artists, and performers, the MNC team is deeply invested not only in identifying talent but also in supporting and nurturing its development. Their hands-on, collaborative approach has made them trusted partners to creative teams across film, television, theatre, and advertising.
MNC operates state-of-the-art casting facilities in both Sydney and the Gold Coast, with additional studio access available in Melbourne. This multi-city footprint allows the team to service productions of all sizes while maintaining the personalised, boutique experience they are known for.
With a focus on realising the unique artistic vision of each production, McSweeney Newman Casting strives to deliver the strongest possible cast—balanced by inspired, unexpected choices that elevate the material and enrich the storytelling. Their ability to think beyond the obvious has helped shape projects that are authentic, original, and deep.
The team believes that this same spirit of freedom, boldness, and commitment to craft is what continues to make Australian performers stand out on the world stage. McSweeney Newman Casting is proud to contribute to that legacy, championing artists whose work resonates both at home and internationally.
TOM MCSWEENEY CSA/ CGA
For more than fifty years, Tom McSweeney has set a benchmark for excellence in the art and craft of casting. His work has been acknowledged internationally, earning four Artios Award nominations from the Casting Society of America for Outstanding Achievement in Casting in the United States, as well as five nominations and three wins from the Casting Guild of Australia for his exceptional contributions to film and television. In 2007, Tom received an Emmy Award nomination from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series for his work on The Starter Wife.
Tom’s career began on stage in 1972 as a young actor training at the Kenneth C. Beck Center for the Performing Arts. He would go on to spend nine formative seasons with the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, immersed in acting, directing, front-of-house operations, backstage crew, publicity, and every element of theatrical production. Under the mentorship of Artistic Director Vincent Dowling, he developed a comprehensive understanding of performance and storytelling. His final production with the company was as Assistant Director on the first American staging of the monumental 8½-hour theatrical event The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.
In 1982, Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Bowling Green State University, majoring in Theatre and Journalism. Shortly after, he returned to the Beck Center as Head of its training division, then relocated to Los Angeles in 1984 to pursue a career that would soon reshape opportunities for countless emerging actors.
Tom entered the casting profession in 1989 and has since cast more than 100 feature films, miniseries, and television productions worldwide, as well as more than 500 hours of episodic television. A proud member of the Casting Society of America for over 32 years, he was elected to the CSA Board of Directors in 1994, serving four years, including two as Secretary, before relocating to Australia in 1998. He later became a founding member of the Casting Guild of Australia, where he continues to serve on both the Executive Committee and the Film and Television Committee.
Throughout his career, Tom has played an integral role in discovering and championing actors who would achieve international prominence. While in Los Angeles, he was responsible for providing early breakthrough roles to performers such as Ben Affleck, Renée Zellweger, Mila Kunis, Denise Richards, Jason Scott Lee, Seth Green, and Teri Hatcher, among many others. His advocacy for Australian talent has introduced global audiences to actors including Anna Torv (Fringe), Emily Browning (Lemony Snicket), Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road), Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings), Phoebe Tonkin (The Vampire Diaries), Jesse Spencer (House), Emilie de Ravin (Lost), Tammin Sursok (Aquamarine), Rachael Taylor (Transformers), Dominic Purcell (Prison Break), Claire Holt (Pretty Little Liars), Karl Urban (Star Trek films, The Boys), and Shuang Hu (Five Blind Dates). His track record reflects a keen instinct for talent and a reputation for opening doors for actors across continents.
For more than 35 years, Tom has also been an influential educator, internationally recognized for his Master Classes in Audition Technique and Acting for the Camera. He has taught in major cities across the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, Seattle, New Orleans, Phoenix, Cleveland, as well as throughout Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. Before transitioning fully into casting, Tom served as Head of the youth acting program at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in Los Angeles, where his students included Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie, and film and television actress Alanna Ubach (The Brady Bunch Movie, Legally Blonde).
In 2012, Tom founded The Warehouse Workshop Screen Acting Studio, a premier screen-acting training facility staffed exclusively by working industry professionals. Offering fifteen weekly classes, specialized short courses, Master Classes, and an intensive 30-week program culminating in professionally produced showreels, the studio has trained more than 1,500 actors and continues to maintain strong enrollment year after year.
Today, Tom McSweeney is one of the most respected casting directors and acting educators working internationally, an artist and mentor whose influence spans generations of performers and whose dedication to discovering new voices remains at the heart of his extraordinary career.
DAVID NEWMAN cga
Dave Newman is an acclaimed Australian casting director with over 30 years of experience across multiple facets of the entertainment industry, including more than two decades dedicated exclusively to casting. He has been a partner of Tom McSweeney at McSweeney/Newman Casting for over 13 years, helping form one of Australia’s most respected and consistently active casting organisations.
Dave began his casting career working on hundreds of commercial projects, developing a sharp eye for authentic, camera-ready performances and an instinct for matching talent to tone, brand, and story. That strong commercial foundation led to his progression into some of the largest and most successful feature films and long-form television dramas ever produced in Australia, where his work expanded to large-scale, ensemble-driven storytelling.
A defining chapter of Dave’s career was his 15-month tenure as Australian Casting Associate on The Pacific (HBO), produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. During this landmark project, Dave traveled extensively across Australia, personally conducting more than 3,000 auditions to identify emerging and established talent. The Pacific went on to win the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special—an experience Dave often refers to as his “degree in casting,” reflecting the rigor, scale, and creative depth of the process.
In addition to his casting achievements, Dave has been a respected leader in the industry. From 2020 to 2022, he served as President of the Casting Guild of Australia, representing his peers and advocating for the recognition, integrity, and evolving role of casting directors within the global production landscape.
Known for his collaborative spirit, meticulous approach, and deep respect for actors, Dave Newman remains a trusted creative partner to producers, directors, and performers, contributing meaningfully to projects that resonate locally and internationally.