In this article
- What a casting director does at each stage
- Breaking down the script
- The search
- The audition
- The callback
- The final choice
- Casting director vs talent agent, manager and production company
- How to work well with a casting director
- How to become a casting director
- Learn both acting and the camera
- Start as a casting assistant
- Build your own list of actors
- Develop your eye
- Frequently asked questions
Quick answer: A casting director is the person a production hires to find the actors for every role in a project. They define each character with the director, release the breakdowns, audition actors, run callbacks and present a short list of options. The director and producers make the final decision, and the casting director is paid by the production, never by actors.
If you audition, a casting director is usually the first industry professional who sees your work. They cast films, TV series, commercials, theater and streaming projects, and many run their own offices with casting associates and assistants.
The easiest way to understand the job is to ask who they work for. Studios, networks, production companies and independent producers hire casting directors to present actors for a specific project, so their client is the production. That’s why the Casting Society, the best-known professional organization in the field, says “casting agent” is the wrong term: casting directors don’t do business on an actor’s behalf.
What a casting director does at each stage
Breaking down the script
It all starts with the script. The casting director sits down with the director and producers to define each character: age range, look, energy and special skills. Those notes become the breakdown, the role descriptions that agents and actors read. Many projects release their breakdowns through Breakdown Services, the company that created the system in 1971. It sends them to agents and managers, and many also appear on Actors Access, where you can submit yourself.
The search
Once the breakdown is out, submissions pour in from agents, managers and actors. The casting director also draws on the actors they already know, asks agents for suggestions, holds open casting calls when a project needs new faces and keeps an eye on theater, showcases and student films. Our guide to casting websites for actors covers the platforms where many of those roles are posted.
The audition
Next come the auditions. The first round is often a self-tape you record at home, or a pre-read with the casting director before you meet the producers. Beyond your acting, they look at how you come across on camera, whether you listen, whether you can take an adjustment and whether you fit the character physically.
The callback
If your audition lands, you get a callback. This is usually where the director and producers come in, where actors are paired up to check their chemistry and where the character gets fine-tuned. There may be more than one round. For series regular roles in a TV pilot, the last step is a test for the studio and the network.
The final choice
With all that material, the casting director puts together a short list for each role and presents it to the director and producers; in commercials, the ad agency and the brand weigh in too. The casting director advocates for their picks, but the final call belongs to the creative team. On film and TV projects, once an offer goes out, the casting office often negotiates the deal with the actor’s agent.
Casting director vs talent agent, manager and production company
These roles cross paths all the time. The simplest way to tell them apart is to ask who each one works for.
- Casting director: works for the production and finds actors for a specific project.
- Casting office: the casting director’s team as a business, with associates, assistants and a space for sessions. We explain how it works in what is a casting agency.
- Talent agent: works for you. Submits you for roles, pitches you to casting directors and negotiates your deals, usually for a commission. More in what is a talent agent.
- Manager: also works for you, with a focus on long-term career strategy.
- Production company: makes the project. It hires the casting director, manages the budget and signs the contracts with the cast. See what is a production company.
An easy way to remember it: the casting director searches on behalf of the project, while your agent and manager play on your team.
How to work well with a casting director
A casting director who trusts you will bring you back in, even if you didn’t book the role the first time. That trust is built on details.
- Keep your materials current. Your headshot, acting resume and reel should sit behind a link that opens without asking for access. If you’re unsure what to send, read how to prepare your audition materials.
- Reply fast and show up on time. If something comes up, let them know early: someone else can use that slot.
- Follow the instructions to the letter. Wardrobe, sides, self-tape length: if they asked for it that way, there’s a reason. In the room, listen to the adjustments and go for them.
- Be honest about your skills. If your resume says you drive, swim or speak Spanish, make sure it’s true, because you’ll be asked to do it on set.
- Stay in touch without overdoing it. Sharing new work now and then helps; emailing every day to ask whether you booked it hurts.
- Let the result go. Booking depends on things you can’t control, like age, look or chemistry with the rest of the cast. If you did good work, the casting director will remember it.
How to become a casting director
If you’re drawn to the other side of the table, these four steps will get you closer.
Learn both acting and the camera
You need to understand actors and understand the camera. Acting classes help you know what someone walking into an audition is going through; knowing film basics (framing, light, sound and editing) helps you record auditions that look good. And watch everything: films, series, plays and commercials, paying close attention to who was cast and why.
Start as a casting assistant
According to the Casting Society, the most common way in is a job as a casting assistant, an entry-level role that involves answering phones and emails, sorting headshot and resume submissions and setting up sessions. Internships in casting offices are another classic first step, and many casting directors describe that time as their real school. From there, the usual path leads to associate casting director and then casting director. The Casting Society also runs a Casting Assistant Pathway program through its nonprofit affiliate, Casting Society Cares.
Build your own list of actors
A casting director is only as good as the actors they know. Go to plays and showcases, watch short films, follow actors’ work and keep notes on who you’d love to bring in someday. Organize that list by type, age range, skills and contact info. And protect it: it’s personal data, and with minors you always need the consent of their parents or guardians.
Develop your eye
This part takes the longest: seeing in a two-minute audition whether someone can carry a character, whether they listen and whether they bring ideas; understanding the tone of a project; and putting together couples or families the audience will believe. It also means treating every actor well. Many walk in nervous, and a good casting director knows how to ease that tension.
Along the way, you’ll run into the Casting Society (CSA), which has more than 1,200 members on six continents; the letters CSA after a casting director’s name mean they’re a member. Some casting directors and associates working in film and TV are also organized under Teamsters Local 399 in Los Angeles and Local 817 in New York.
Ready to get in front of casting directors? Browse the open casting calls and apply to the ones that fit your profile. If you live in the US, our guide on how to get auditions in the United States is a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Is a casting director the same as a casting agent?
“Casting agent” mixes up two different jobs. A casting director works for the production and finds actors for a project; a talent agent works for actors and gets them auditions and deals. The Casting Society is clear on this: there is no such thing as a casting agent.
Can a casting director charge an actor?
Casting directors are paid by the production that hires them, and the Casting Society states that casting professionals don’t receive fees from the actors they present. If someone asks you for money to audition you, add you to their files or promise you a role, walk away.
How do I get a casting director to call me in?
Keep your headshot, resume and reel up to date, build a complete profile on casting sites like Actors Access, Backstage or Casting Networks, and submit to the roles that truly fit you. An agent can also submit you to projects you can’t reach on your own. When you get an audition, reply quickly and come prepared.
Do you need a degree to become a casting director?
A degree helps, but the job is learned mostly in practice, usually as an intern or assistant to an experienced casting director. Training in acting, film or theater gives you the tools to read actors and handle the camera.
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