Naman Ramachandran Hilary Linstead, casting director, agent, and film and stage producer died on August 6, 2022, after contracting a form of leukemia.
Hilary was born in London in 1938. She was educated at Cheltenham Ladies College. She went to Australia as a professional actress, and as a member of an English touring company. After realizing that acting was not for her, she found her métier as a casting director and worked in an advertising company and at International Casting Services representing actresses. In 1962 she married Leon Stemler.
In 1981, Hilary helped director Gillian Armstrong produce her seminal documentary about teenage girls, “14’s Good, 18’s Better.” A year later she packaged and produced her first feature film, “Heatwave,” directed by Phillip Noyce, followed by “Molly.”
In 1985, the M&L Casting Consultants partnership terminated and Hilary and Viccy Harper partnered to form “Hilary Linstead and Associates.”
Between 1985 – 1995 Hilary produced several stage productions including the cabaret group “Pardon Me Boys”; the stage production “Buzz”; and served as associate producer on the film “The Castanet Club.” She also produced Dein Perry’s “Tap Dogs,” which has performed in over 500 cities, including off-Broadway New York and return seasons in the West End. Her final film “Bootmen,” inspired by “Tap Dogs,” was produced in 1999 and directed by Perry. It collected five AFI Awards including the best film.
Hilary died peacefully at home. She was survived by her son Duncan, her daughter-in-law, Juliette, and their three children, Scarlett, Paris, and Django.
