Mary's cousin Elizabeth has been cast

Shohreh Aghdashloo, an Iranian actress, has been cast to play Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, and the mother of John the Baptist. Read the latest news about her here.

Actress to play Mary is chosen

Keisha Castle-Hughes, the Maori-Australian girl who was the youngest Oscar nominee for Best Actress for her lead as "Pai" in the film "Whale Rider," has been chosen to play Mary in "Nativity."

In this interview, Keisha talks about her new role:

"When I got the part, it didn't hit me at first," says Castle-Hughes..."But on the plane over here, I was writing in my diary, and then it hit me: Ohhh! I'm playing Mary! The biggest thing, you never think that she was just 14 and carrying a child. She was just a girl, and then the next day, she's a woman and married, and the next she becomes like the mother of the world."

Castle-Hughes, who says she adheres to "no particular religion," says she has received some good tips from her mother about what it's like to carry a child within. "My mum's 8½ months pregnant right now," she says, "so she's going through exactly what my character is going through. She's giving me great advice." Castle-Hughes, who'd endured 90-plus-degree heat for that day's filming, laughs and adds, "All I know is that after this, I'm never having a child!"