Wanted: Actors under 4ft 6in ... applicants can be happy, grumpy, even a little dopey

Sharing the screen with Charlize Theron is a tall order for most actors, but for once it is the short man who will have the edge in auditions.

A London casting company has launched a global hunt for men who are under 4ft 6in to appear alongside the 5ft 9½in actress in a new film.

Universal, the studio making Snow White And The Huntsman, is looking for up to 10 "vertically challenged" actors to take the part of the dwarfs in the remake of the traditional fairytale.

The brief is so specialised they are searching the globe to find the right candidates with applications from as far away as New Zealand and Australia. Producers are not looking simply for professional actors but it will help if applicants can ride a horse.

Sarah Dickinson, director of the Casting Collective, said: "Anyone of the right height will be considered as long as they are fit and able. This is an unusual opportunity for people to come forward. We will be looking for handsome 6ft men as extras as well so no one is left out."

Filming will mainly take place in London and the South-East from next month until December.

The successful actors will be on set with Theron, who will play the Evil Queen, and Twilight star Kristen Stewart as Snow White.

Briton Warwick Davis, who is 3ft 6in and runs an agency for actors under five feet, has played Professor Flitwick in all the Harry Potter films and Griphook in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Mr Davis, 41, said: "This is a great opportunity for shorter actors. It is something that can make a career and change someone's life."