Want to be a member of the Ace Gang? A TV reboot of the teen classic Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging is on the way. The antics of heroine Georgia Nicolson and her friends have a cult following among millennials, so it’s no surprise that an unnamed “major streaming platform” has seen the potential to bring the stories to a new generation and commissioned a pilot.
Louise Rennison’s original book and its nine sequels offer humour, romance, and a frank look at contemporary girlhood. Crucially for young creatives, the new production will be in desperate need of a hot young cast to bring the story to life. So if accidental eyebrow shaving and, yes, snogging are in your skill set, maybe it’s time to think about getting cast on this exciting new show.
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Released in book form in 1999, Rennison’s Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging tells the story of 14-year-old Georgia. She’s dramatic and self-conscious, and she has an awful lot on her plate. Not only is she navigating relationships with her tragically uncool parents and her boy-mad friends, but she also has a birthday party to organise – all while she tries to snog dreamy “sex god” Robbie.
This first book was adapted into a successful British film starring Georgia Groome (Georgia), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Robbie), and Eleanor Tomlinson (Jas) in 2008. The term “full-frontal snogging” was perhaps judged a little too risque for young audiences (and their parents), so the film was renamed Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
Both the book and the film were adored by a generation, and it’s hoped the new TV series can win over a whole new set of fans. With 10 novels in the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, there’s plenty of material for further page-to-screen adaptations if the pilot is a hit.
Casting for the TV show is being run by Rachel Sheridan. She’s a top British casting director who has worked on other popular shows, such as the One Day remake, Big Boys, and Amandaland.
She first posted the callout for the reboot on Instagram and, following an overwhelming response, the search has officially been paused. There have been no casting announcements at the time of writing, however, so the search for the Ace gang may well be continuing.
What is the casting team looking for? Firstly, you’ve got to look or be able to play a 15- or 16-year-old. Because of the potential working hours involved, however, you’ve got to be 18 or over. Applicants of all ethnicities and genders are encouraged to apply and “no previous professional acting experience is required,” but you must be based in the UK. Above all, the production is looking for candidates who have “a love for acting and great comedy ability.”
In an earlier interview, Sheridan revealed what she expects of auditioning actors when it comes to preparation. “If you’ve been sent the script, read it and be as prepared as possible,” she says. “I’m very sympathetic; I know that actors have lots going on, and I try to give plenty of time. It’s not always possible for them to be completely off-book, and I’ve never worried about that. I’d rather you spend the time thinking about the character and understanding the role rather than just learning the lines.” The goal, she says, is “to leave knowing that you’ve done your best.”
She also advises actors to always “read any instructions given” and research as much as you can. For a comedy – which Angus is – she has one final tip: “If you’re a comedic performer but don’t have any or many credits just yet, then film your own short pieces and put them online.” It works, because that’s how she found and cast actor Jonny Weldon, who starred in One Day.
Recalling her audition for the 2008 film, a then–15-year-old Groome told Indie London about how she got the role. “[After auditioning], I thought: ‘For every one you get, there’s 30 that you don’t.’ So you have to move on quickly and get on with it. But then it came back and we were like, ‘What? Surely they’ve made the film and everything by now?’ But Gurinder [Chadha, the director] had given birth to twins in the meantime and it had all slowed right down, so I…went in again and it just happened really quickly after that.” The lesson? For any jobbing actor, resilience is crucial.
Groome’s co-star Johnson (Robbie) started acting at age 9. One director, Matthew Thompson, who worked with him as a teenager, told the Guardian he stood out from the start.
“There was a seriousness in the way he approached the role right from the audition. Especially for someone so young – he was 17 at the time,” Thompson says. “The way he wound himself, getting into character, was very impressive. Before a take, he would go off into a corner and you could see his face change as he got darker and deeper. He was having a lot of auditions around the time we were filming, but he didn’t come across as overambitious or arrogant. There was a real modesty and sweetness about him.”
Both of them seem to have had a professional attitude going into auditions from an early age. So keep on going, check out any casting calls, and have a pillow at the ready to practise your snogging!
Check out the following guides to make sure you’re audition-ready if and when the call comes.
