Joyce Nettles (née Joyce Middleton) has built a long-running career as a casting director working on both sides of the Atlantic. After her marriage to actor John Nettles ended, she moved into casting and soon became known within the industry for her work.
Her résumé includes high-profile films such as Dancer in the Dark (2000), The Hunting Party (2007), and The Salvation (2014). That body of work led to a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Casting.
Renowned for spotting the right performers and for a thoughtful approach to assembling casts, Joyce continues to influence numerous film projects and maintains a strong reputation among filmmakers. Read on for more about her life and career.
From Raising a Daughter to Welcoming Grandchildren: Joyce’s New Chapter
Joyce Middleton, who married actor John Nettles in 1967 and later divorced in 1979, has entered a new stage of life as a grandmother. After the split she built a career as a casting director while raising their daughter, Emma Nettles. Born in 1970, Emma has added two children to the family—Nathan John and Sophie—giving Joyce fresh reasons to celebrate and reflect on a life that blends professional achievement with family dedication.
With grandchildren now part of the picture, Joyce’s family legacy continues to expand, bringing new responsibilities and joys.
Note: John married for the second time to Cathryn Sealey post their split.
Why They Stayed Friendly After Splitting Up
Following their divorce, Joyce and John managed to keep a cordial relationship for two main reasons. First, co-parenting their daughter Emma kept communication open and practical. Second, their professional lives overlapped: Joyce worked as the casting director on ITV’s Midsomer Murders, the series in which John starred, and she was responsible for casting 23 episodes. These family and work ties helped sustain a respectful, cooperative bond between them — a point noted in coverage that describes how they continued to maintain a positive relationship after the separation.
Casting Career Overview
Joyce Nettles has forged a distinguished career as a casting director, contributing to productions across a wide range of formats and genres—from short films to major motion pictures and long-running television series. Her casting work has earned recognition for its consistency and impact; among her notable credits are the critically acclaimed TV series “Foyle’s War,” on which she served as casting director from 2002 to 2015, and the feature film “The Salvation.” See her profile on The Movie Database for a complete list of credits.
| Year | Title | Type | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Maude | Short | |
| 2019 | West of Liberty | TV Series | 6.1 |
| 2017 | The Little Vampire 3D | 5.4 | |
| 2017 | King Charles III | TV Movie | 6.3 |
| 2016 | Richard III | 8.3 | |
| 2002-2015 | Foyle’s War | TV Series | 8.6 |
| 2014 | Our World War | TV Mini Series | 8.1 |
| 2014 | The Salvation | 6.7 | |
| 2013 | Fergus | Short | |
| 2012 | The Station Master | Short | 8.6 |
| 2010 | Anton Chekhov’s The Duel | 6.8 | |
| 2010 | Painted with Words | TV Movie | 7.9 |
| 2009 | On Road | Short | |
| 2007 | The Hunting Party | 6.8 | |
| 2006 | The Living and the Dead | 5.8 | |
| 2005 | The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle | TV Movie | 6.3 |
| 2005 | To the Ends of the Earth | TV Mini Series | 7.1 |
| 2005 | .357 | Short | 7.1 |
| 2005 | Dear Wendy | 6.5 | |
| 2004 | Dead Man Falls | Short | |
| 2004 | Blinded | 5.0 | |
| 2004 | The Brief | TV Series | 7.4 |
| 2004 | May 33rd | TV Movie | 7.6 |
| 2003 | This Little Life | TV Movie | 7.1 |
| 2003 | It’s All About Love | 5.3 | |
| 2002 | The Intended | 5.8 | |
| 2002 | Whistle | Short | 6.2 |
| 2001 | Midsomer Murders | TV Series | 7.9 |
| 2001 | Morlang | 6.3 | |
| 2001 | My Brother Tom | 6.8 | |
| 2000 | The Little Vampire | 5.7 | |
| 2000 | Anna Karenina | TV Mini Series | 7.2 |
| 2000 | The King Is Alive | 6.3 | |
| 2000 | På fremmed mark | 5.5 | |
| 2000 | Summer in the Suburbs | TV Movie | 6.2 |
| 1999 | RKO 281 | TV Movie | 7.0 |
| 1999 | The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns | TV Mini Series | 7.0 |
| 1999 | Milk | 5.7 | |
| 1999 | Out of the Cold | 5.2 | |
| 1999 | Masterpiece | TV Series | 8.6 |
| 1999 | Tom’s Midnight Garden | 6.5 | |
| 1999 | The Cyberstalking | TV Movie | 4.8 |
| 1998 | Lost Souls | TV Movie | 5.4 |
| 1998 | Goodnight Mr Tom | TV Movie | 7.8 |
| 1998 | Shot Through the Heart | TV Movie | 7.1 |
| 1997 | Cold Enough for Snow | TV Movie | 7.3 |
| 1997 | Into the Blue | TV Movie | 6.1 |
| 1997 | For My Baby | 4.9 | |
| 1997 | The Winter Guest | 6.8 | |
| 1996 | Breaking the Waves | 7.8 | |
| 1996 | Interview Day | TV Movie | 7.5 |
| 1996 | Rasputin | TV Movie | 6.9 |
| 1995 | Haunted | 6.2 | |
| 1995 | Gentlemen Don’t Eat Poets | 5.5 | |
| 1995 | The Vacillations of Poppy Carew | TV Movie | 6.6 |
| 1995 | Citizen X | TV Movie | 7.5 |
| 1994-1995 | The Tomorrow People | TV Series | 7.3 |
| 1993 | Harnessing Peacocks | TV Movie | 6.4 |
| 1993 | Genghis Cohn | 6.8 | |
| 1993 | The Advocate | 6.6 | |
| 1992 | Stalin | TV Movie | 7.0 |
| 1992 | Blue Ice | 5.2 | |
| 1992 | Friday on My Mind | TV Series | 6.0 |
| 1991 | Time Riders | TV Series | 5.3 |
| 1991 | The Gravy Train Goes East | TV Mini Series | 7.4 |
| 1991 | Van der Valk | TV Series | 7.1 |
| 1990 | Hamlet | 6.7 | |
| 1989 | Ball-Trap on the Cote Sauvage | TV Movie | 7.1 |
| 1989 | She’s Been Away | 7.4 | |
| 1989 | Somewhere to Run | TV Movie | 7.7 |
| 1989 | Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story | TV Movie | 7.6 |
| 1989 | Inspector Morse | TV Series | 8.2 |
| 1987 | The Bill | TV Series | 6.7 |
| 1986 | Lady Jane | 7.1 | |
| 1979 | Macbeth | TV Movie | 7.6 |
