Trouble On A Plane - Auditions and casting

Auditions are always a little nerve wrecking. Not only for the actors coming in but also for me. First, I need to make them feel at ease. After all, they are not only reading for a character, they are also applying for a job! To me, the performance is not the only thing I look for in an actor at an audition. I need to feel a click. Will they be easy to direct? Would I want them on the set even if they weren't actors? Could they become long life friends?
I had about 10 actors coming in to read for the parts of the two stewardesses, the part of Eve, the part of Roger and the part of Bruno Bertrani. While most of them were pretty good, three of them blew me away. In fact, they were so good, that I made them read for parts other than the ones they came in for to read.
One I cast right there and then. I had met Christina in my 'Directing Actors for the Screen' class and was already familiar with her talent. Her reading at the auditions was more of a quick recap, a test to see if she could really pull it off. And she did! I was now 100% convinced that I had found my Madeleine, the inexperience flight attendant.
Then came Hollie Dee Larkey, who had come in to read for the part of Rebecca, but because the character didn't have that many lines in the script (although she's really the main character), I had her read Eve instead. Her performance was spot on. I didn't have to look for the perfect Eve anymore. I had just found her.
James Henry Anderson came in to read for Bruno Bertrani but he was so good that I made him read the part of Roger Devlin. He nailed both characters and I knew immediately he would be able to do anything.
I had now found three actors and needed three more. One for Rebecca, one for Dr. Edwards and one for Roger Devlin. Mark suggested Malina, the actress we had been using for Helen Unurth, the baddie in 'For Your ICE Only'. I thought it was a great idea. Not only did she had the look for the part she also had the acting talent to back it up.
I had a second casting session to find Dr. Edwards. I had talked on the phone with an actor called David Waite. I immediately liked his energy and when he read for the part, I offered him the part right away.
While looking at photos of 'And Vice Versa' I realized Douglas Myers would be ideal for the part of Roger Devlin. He's handsome and a super talented actor. I called him immediately but unfortunately he wasn't available the days we were shooting. But he told me to send him the script anyway, that he would have a look at it. A few hours later he emailed me back saying he liked the project so much that he would take care of his work situation, because he wanted to be in it.
With my cast lined-up, I was now able to concentrate on my storyboards ...