Yorkshire unknowns wanted for new film of Wuthering Heights

THEY are two of literature's great romantic roles, brought to the screen down the years by pairings from Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon to Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.

But the leading parts of Cathy and Heathcliff in the latest film version of Wuthering Heights will be taken by two young unknowns from Yorkshire, as producers look to add a new sense of authenticity to the timeless tale of love and loss set high in the Yorkshire moors.

Open auditions will be held across the region this week for budding actors aged 14 to 21, with the production team keen to find a "genuine Romany gipsy" to play the part of Heathcliff. No previous acting experience is necessary.

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The film's casting director Gail Stevens previously allocated roles for the 2009 hit Slumdog Millionaire, which famously featured youngsters from the slums of Mumbai, where the film is set.

For the part of Heathcliff the casting team want someone of "genuine Romany gipsy/south Mediterranean/Indian/mixed-race appearance". In Emily Bront's novel, the dark-haired Heathcliff is regularly described as a gipsy by other characters. Producers say Cathy should be "pale-skinned, fair-haired and feisty".

The decision to use local actors represents a major U-turn for the film – Hollywood star Natalie Portman was originally cast as Cathy, but dropped out in 2008. The change of direction has been instigated by new director Andrea Arnold, who produced last year's Bafta-nominated Fish Tank, also featuring an unknown actress in the starring role.

Regional screen agency Screen Yorkshire has been working closely with the production team and says Wuthering Heights will be shot in Yorkshire "in its entirety". Shooting is due to start at the end of April.

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Open auditions will be held today at the Jury's Inn Hotel, Sheffield, tomorrow at the Jury's Inn Hotel, Leeds, and on Wednesday at the Royal York Hotel, York. Fourteen to 16-year-olds should arrive at 10.30am, and 17 to 21-year-olds at 2.30pm.

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