Casting Calls Near Me,
Actors & Extras Casting Directory

A casting call is an open invitation from a film, TV, commercial, or other production to find the right people for their project. Productions post castings when they need actors for speaking roles, extras and background artists to fill out scenes, or supporting performers of all kinds. Whether it's a big-budget TV series or a student short film, a casting call is simply their way of saying "we're looking for people, could that be you?"

There are several different types of on-screen roles, and understanding the distinctions can help you work out where you fit, and where you might want to get to.

Principal Actors are the lead and supporting characters in a production, the ones with scripted speaking roles, named parts, and scenes built around their performance. These roles typically require a combination of training, experience, and a strong professional profile.

Day Players are actors hired for specific scenes or days of filming rather than the full production. They have speaking roles but are not part of the main cast, a great stepping stone for actors building their on-screen credits.

Supporting Artists (SAs) is the preferred industry term for what most people know as extras. Supporting artists appear on screen in a non-speaking capacity, populating the world of the production, the pub crowd, the office workers, the passengers on a train. While the role doesn't involve scripted lines, it requires professionalism, the ability to take direction, and a good understanding of how a set operates. Supporting artist work is a legitimate and valued part of the industry.

Background Artists is largely interchangeable with Supporting Artists and is widely used across film and TV production. Some productions use the terms differently, for example, using "background" to refer to more incidental crowd fill and "supporting artist" for those in closer proximity to the principal action, but in practice the two terms overlap considerably.

Featured Extras are supporting artists or background performers who are given a more prominent placement in a scene, perhaps closer to camera, given a specific action, or seen clearly in a key shot. This is often a stepping stone between background work and more formal speaking roles.

All of these types of opportunity appear on Actors and Extras, and many people start out in background and supporting artist roles before progressing to more prominent parts over time. Getting on set, whatever the role, is one of the best ways to understand how productions work, build industry relationships, and develop your confidence in front of a camera.

Not necessarily, and that's one of the things that makes Actors and Extras a little different. While some castings are specifically for trained actors, a huge number of opportunities, particularly for extras and background artists, are open to people with little or no formal experience. Productions regularly need everyday people of all ages, looks, and backgrounds. If you've ever thought about giving it a go, there's likely a casting on here that's right for you.

Not to get started, and we wouldn't want that to put you off. When you register as a Talent Member, you'll be prompted to build a basic profile, which can include photos and any experience you have. Good, clear photos help your profile stand out, but they don't need to be professionally shot at first. A showreel is great if you have one, but plenty of successful extras and background artists don't. Each casting will specify exactly what they're looking for, so you can judge for yourself whether you're a good fit before applying.

That said, if you are serious about pursuing acting as a career, we strongly recommend investing in professional headshots as early as you can. Casting professionals make very quick judgements, often in seconds, and a professional headshot signals that you take your craft seriously. The difference between a professional headshot and a casual snap can be the difference between being considered for a principal role or being passed over for a background part. It's one of the best investments you can make in your career.

Most castings on our platform are for paid roles, and rates will be detailed in the full listing. Some opportunities, particularly student films and festival submissions, may be offered on a voluntary or expenses-only basis, and this will always be made clear in the listing. Far from being a drawback, these can actually be brilliant opportunities, especially if you're just starting out. Student and festival productions are typically run by passionate, talented people in a collaborative, low-pressure environment, giving you the chance to get in front of a camera, work alongside professional crew, and build real experience without the intensity of a high-budget commercial set. Many successful actors and extras got their first break exactly this way. One rule of thumb worth keeping in mind: if a casting ever asks you to pay to apply or to attend an audition, treat that as a serious red flag. While we are vigilant in reviewing listings and work hard to keep scams off our platform, we always recommend trusting your instincts, and never parting with money as part of a casting process.

We take the safety of our members seriously and have a number of measures in place, including our verification badge system, which flags castings that have been individually reviewed by our team. That said, we always encourage everyone to apply common sense when responding to any casting online. The golden rules: a legitimate casting will never ask you to pay money to apply or to attend; be cautious about sharing personal financial information; and if something feels off, trust your instincts. Our team reviews listings regularly, and you can report anything that raises a concern directly to us.

Our badges are there to give you a quick at-a-glance sense of how much scrutiny a listing has had before you click through. A Verified badge means our team has individually reviewed and confirmed the casting as a legitimate production opportunity. A Screened badge means it has been reviewed at a basic level and looks credible, though we always encourage you to do a little of your own research before responding. A Sourced badge means our team found and posted the casting directly from publicly available notices. Listings with no badge have been submitted by Industry members and are awaiting review, so please apply your own due diligence with those ones.

A note on safety: even a Verified badge isn't an absolute guarantee of legitimacy. It means we've put the listing through our verification process, which is a strong signal that it's genuine, but on rare occasions a sophisticated scam can slip through even thorough checks. We always recommend trusting your instincts, and remember: a legitimate casting will never ask you to pay to attend an audition or casting session.

You can sign up for free casting email notifications without becoming a member at all, simply register here for free alerts and choose either paid and unpaid castings or paid castings only. Alternatively, both Talent Member and Talent PRO include casting notifications as standard, with Talent PRO also unlocking full role details and the ability to apply directly.

As a Talent Member, you'll be notified of castings in your area and can access a basic production summary for each listing, just enough to get a feel for the project and decide if it's worth pursuing. To unlock the full picture and apply, you have a couple of options. A Talent PRO subscription gives you ongoing full access, while a short-term access pass, available as a 7-day or 30-day pass, is perfect if you'd prefer to dip in without committing to a subscription. Either way, you'll have everything you need to go for the roles that excite you.

Simply enter your town, city, or postcode in the search box above and we'll sort the current listings by distance from you, so the castings closest to home always appear first. New opportunities are added all the time, so it's well worth checking back regularly!

You may notice that castings on the Actors and Extras directory work in slightly different ways. Some castings are posted directly on our platform, either by the Actors and Extras team or by production companies, casting agents and filmmakers who are members of our network. For these, you can register your interest directly through the listing and the casting organiser will review your profile and be in touch if you are suitable.

Other castings are linked listings, these are opportunities that already exist elsewhere online, which our team has sourced and shared here for your convenience. For linked castings, you will be directed to the external website or platform where the casting is hosted to submit your application directly. In both cases, full details and access are available to all Talent PRO members, whether on a subscription or a short-term access pass.

As a Talent PRO member, the process is straightforward, though it does vary slightly depending on the type of casting. For castings hosted directly on our platform, simply open the listing and hit the Register Interest button. Your profile goes straight to the casting organiser with no lengthy forms or fuss, and they'll be in touch if you're a match for the role. For linked castings, opportunities sourced from elsewhere online, you'll be directed to the external site where the casting is hosted to apply there directly. Either way, Talent PRO gives you full access to the details you need to make your application count. Not yet on Talent PRO? Head to the pricing page to get started.

Once you have registered interest in a role as a Talent PRO member, what happens next depends on how the casting has been set up. In some cases, you will automatically receive further details and application instructions directly. In others, the casting host will review your profile and make direct contact if they feel you are suitable for the role.

Registering your interest ensures your details are delivered directly to the casting poster, however, as with all castings, only those being considered for a role are typically contacted further. If you don't hear back, it simply means the casting has moved in a different direction, so don't be discouraged and keep applying!

Once the casting organiser receives your registered interest, the ball is in their court, they'll review profiles and reach out to those they'd like to take further. If you're shortlisted, you'll hear from them via the messaging tab in your dashboard. And if you don't hear back on a particular casting, don't let it dampen your enthusiasm, the right role is out there, so keep putting yourself forward!