Auditions in Texas: How to Find Casting Calls in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio

Where are Texas casting calls posted?

Casting directors in Texas use the same national platforms as everywhere else. Our Los Angeles guide explains how breakdowns and submissions work, and Actors Access vs. Backstage vs. Casting Networks compares the platforms. Add these Texas channels:

• Texas Film Commission: the Fort Worth Film Commission points actors to the state’s Job Hotline for statewide opportunities.
• Fort Worth Film Commission: it posts job opportunities and casting calls on its Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
• Houston Film Commission: its Cast & Crew Calls page lists calls from outside productions and offers a weekly email update. It says it does not endorse the listings, so vet each production yourself.
• Film San Antonio: the city’s Cast & Crew Calls page posts calls for projects shooting in the San Antonio area at no cost to productions, and it requires that applications and auditions be free and open to the public.
• Casting offices: Brock/Allen Casting says it has cast film, television and commercials in Texas since 1990 and lists The Chosen among its credits. Its site asks talent not to send unsolicited emails and to check its Instagram and Facebook for calls. Burton Casting is based in Austin and casts TV, commercials, film and print across Texas. Buffalo Casting, in Dallas, lists 25 years of commercial and print casting.

A subscription pays for a platform’s service, never for an audition. If a call asks you for money, read how to spot a fake casting call.

How do Texas theaters audition actors?

Theater is a practical way to be seen by people who live where you do. Three examples from the theaters’ own pages:

• Dallas Theater Center: its auditions page lists annual Equity Principal Auditions in Los Angeles and in Dallas, held in July for the 2026-27 season. Only Equity members can make appointments, but the theater says it welcomes non-union actors and sees them when no Equity member is waiting. Show-specific auditions are by invitation, and actors who cannot attend can email a picture and resume to the casting address on the page.
• Alley Theatre (Houston): it holds open auditions for Houston actors. In its 2025 round, actors had to be 18 or older, live within 50 miles of downtown Houston and request an appointment by email (Houston Arts Journal), and the theater announced another round for its 2026-27 season in March 2026 on its open auditions page.
• ZACH Theater (Austin): it says it hires more than 100 Equity and non-Equity actors each season, that 98% of them live in Austin and Central Texas and that it prioritizes hiring locally first. Local auditions run throughout the year, and video auditions and agent submissions are accepted year-round by email.

Tip: Read each theater’s audition page before you go, because policies differ, and never pay to be seen.

Can you get commercial auditions in Texas?

Yes. MovieMaker says Dallas does brisk business with commercials for major brands, Fort Worth draws a healthy mix of reality TV and commercial shoots and San Antonio draws lots of commercials. The state program also covers commercials, with a lower minimum Texas spend than film and TV, according to the Fort Worth Film Commission’s incentives page. Brock/Allen, Buffalo and Burton all list commercial credits on their sites. Commercials follow their own rules, which we explain in how to get commercial auditions.

Can you work as a background actor in Texas?

Yes, and it is a practical way to learn how a set runs. The Fort Worth Film Commission says many large productions in Dallas-Fort Worth work with Legacy Casting to source extras, and it asks people to create a profile at MyCastingFile to see open calls. MyCastingFile lists a free Basic profile that lets you apply for roles. 4 Star Casting, a company that began in Chicago, has a Texas page that covers Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin and lets you register for free as an extra.

Never pay to join a background list. Our guide on how to become a background actor covers sign-up, vouchers and what to expect on set.

Do you need to join SAG-AFTRA to work in Texas?

You can start without joining. SAGindie, a free resource that guides filmmakers through the SAG-AFTRA signatory process, lists three Locals for Texas: Dallas-Fort Worth for the north, Houston-Austin for the south and the New Mexico Local for El Paso. Our guide to auditions in New Mexico covers that region.

Texas is a right-to-work state: its Labor Code says a person may not be denied employment based on membership or nonmembership in a labor union (Section 101.052). That limits what an employer can demand. It does not turn off the union’s own rules for its members: under Global Rule One, members generally may not work for employers that have not signed a SAG-AFTRA agreement.

How do you find a legitimate agent in Texas?

Texas does not license talent agents. The Legislature repealed the state’s talent agency registration law, Chapter 2105 of the Occupations Code, effective September 1, 2011 (HB 3167), and the Association of Talent Agents’ state-by-state guide (May 2024) says no specific professional license is required for agents and managers in Texas. So do your own checks:

• Franchise: SAG-AFTRA members can work only with franchised agencies, and the union’s Franchised Agents List can be searched by Local.
• Track record: the Federal Trade Commission advises you to ask for a list of the actors an agency has placed, contact references, search the company’s name with words like “scam” or “complaint” and get every promise in writing (FTC).
• Fees: the FTC says legitimate agencies are paid when you are paid, so never pay an agency up front.

Our guide on how to get a talent agent has the full plan.

Where can you train in Texas?

Training is optional, but classes are where you meet scene partners and directors. Three places whose sites we checked:

• ZACH Theater, in Austin, lists adult acting classes. Level 1 needs no experience or audition, and a camera class covers marks, sides, slates, self-tapes and close-up performance.
• Fort Worth Actors Studio teaches on-camera classes for teens and adults and suggests that newcomers start with its Cold Read Bootcamp. It says you can audit a class for free by emailing the studio.
• Next Level Acting Studios says it teaches on-screen acting for adults in Houston and The Woodlands.

Tip: Audit or take a single workshop before you commit to a longer course, and walk away from any class that promises you an agent or a role.

What does a realistic first 90 days look like?

Budget a few hours every week: time to read calls and submit, time to record self-tapes when invitations arrive and one class or workshop session. Pick one hub, either Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston or San Antonio, and start there.

Keep going after day 90: auditioning is a habit you build.

Frequently asked questions

Which Texas city is best for actors?

It depends on the work you want. Dallas-Fort Worth has Landman and commercial work. Austin has an independent film scene and festivals. Houston has crews for features and many films under $1 million. San Antonio draws commercials. MovieMaker ranked Austin highest of the four in 2026, but the best hub is the one where you can show up often, so start where you live.

Do I need to live in Texas to get auditions there?

You can begin from anywhere, because many auditions start as self-tapes. Still, productions that want the state rebate need Texas residents in 35% of paid cast and crew. ZACH says 98% of its performers live in Austin and Central Texas, and the Alley’s open auditions have been limited to actors within 50 miles of Houston. You also need legal authorization to work in the United States. Move when you have materials, momentum and a plan.

Do I need an agent to get auditions in Texas?

You can start without one. The film commissions’ cast and crew pages, MyCastingFile and theater open calls let you submit yourself, and ZACH accepts video auditions directly. A franchised agent can open more doors later, and because Texas does not license agents, the checks above matter even more.

Do I have to pay to audition in Texas?

Going to an audition does not cost anything. Film San Antonio requires calls on its page to be free and open to the public, and the FTC says that paying to get a job is always a sign of a scam. Platforms charge subscriptions for their own services, which are optional.

Does the Texas incentive guarantee more auditions?

Nothing guarantees auditions, but the incentive gives productions a reason to shoot in the state and to hire residents. Rules and funding can change, so check the Texas Film Commission’s page for the current terms and keep building credits in theater, commercials and independent film.

Reviewed in October 2026.