How to Audition for Nickelodeon: Casting, Open Calls and Scams

Who casts Nickelodeon’s live-action shows?

After Skydance completed its acquisition of Paramount Global in August 2025, Nickelodeon’s live-action series moved into Paramount Television Studios. Deadline described that studio as combining Skydance Television, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, Awesomeness and Nickelodeon’s live-action shows. In a later report on the studio’s leadership, Deadline wrote that Tricia Wood, executive vice president of casting for Paramount Pictures, would also oversee casting for the television studio.

Below that level, each show credits its own casting director or casting company, and the names change from season to season. Two public sources show how this looks. The 2023 Artios Awards nominees credited Nickelodeon’s Warped! to casting directors Nickole Doro and Shayna Sherwood and Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan to Kim Coleman (The Hollywood Reporter’s list). And Bullock & Snow Casting, a Los Angeles company that specializes in children’s comedy, was among the 2020 Artios nominees for Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger, according to a SAG-AFTRA Foundation program page.

Treat those as past credits, not as a contact list. The end credits of the show you want to join and the Artios lists are the best way to find current names. Also remember that the company is in motion: Variety reported on October 6, 2026 that Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery had completed their merger and that layoffs were coming, so teams may keep changing.

Does Nickelodeon hold open auditions?

Sometimes, for a specific project. In 2018, Nickelodeon Casting announced an in-person open call in Burbank, California for the new host of Blue’s Clues, open to performers 18 and older (ComicBook.com). In 2021, its live-action casting team ran an online open call on Backstage where young performers could self-tape from home, with an emphasis on performers with disabilities and a search that covered the United States, Canada and Mexico (NickALive!). Both calls were tied to a specific project and had firm dates.

We did not find a current open call for Nickelodeon’s scripted shows, so be careful with any ad that promises one. In a 2018 investigation by FOX 46 Charlotte, a Nickelodeon spokesperson said that official Nickelodeon events are promoted on its television channels, websites, verified social media pages or through event partners, and that the company does not hold auditions that require any form of payment.

How do kids and teens actually get seen?

The casting director decides where each breakdown, the document that describes the roles, is sent. Breakdown Services explains in its FAQ that it releases breakdowns to agents and managers, to actors on Actors Access or to both, and that the casting director chooses. The company also says it posts more than 97 percent of the scripted projects that need actors in North America. In practice, young actors have four doors:

• An agent or manager. Some breakdowns go only to representatives, so a legitimate agent widens what your child can be submitted for. Our guide to getting a talent agent shows how to check one.
• Casting platforms. A parent or guardian creates and manages a minor’s profile, and Casting Networks says it redirects minors who try to create their own. Compare the options in Actors Access vs. Backstage vs. Casting Networks.
• Self-tapes. Breakdown Services says actors audition by self-tape, in person or in live remote sessions, and Nickelodeon’s 2021 open call was entirely self-taped. Practice with our self-tape guide.
• Credits close to home. School plays, community theater and student films build the resume that agents and casting directors read. Start with auditions for kids and teens.

What does Nickelodeon look for? In that 2021 call, the team asked for funny kids with confidence, personality and energy, and welcomed singing, dancing, rapping or playing an instrument. Comedy classes, improv and on-camera scene study are a sensible investment, because the shows above are all comedies.

What should be ready before you submit?

Keep it simple and current: a recent headshot that looks like your child today, a one-page resume with training and special skills such as music, dance or sports, a short intro video and a spot in your home where you can record a clean self-tape. Our guide to preparing your audition materials covers each piece, and having them ready lets you reply the same day a breakdown appears.

Do child actors need a work permit?

The rules depend on where the production films, and a parent or guardian is responsible for knowing them. Our parent’s guide to child acting in the US explains the basics, including how California and New York handle permits and trust accounts. Two official examples show how much the rules vary. In California, the Labor Commissioner says all minors working in the entertainment industry must register, and a parent or guardian creates the online application account in their own name (state page). In British Columbia, where two of the projects above were filmed, the province says employers need written consent from a parent or guardian to hire a young person as an actor (provincial guidance). Casting Networks also reminds parents in its help center that child labor laws vary by state.

How do you spot a scam that uses the Nickelodeon name?

Scammers love kid-friendly brands. The FOX 46 investigation looked at radio and online ads that promised free auditions for Disney Channel and Nickelodeon but were really a way to sell parents acting classes and photo packages, and the networks said they had no affiliation with the company. The pattern has not gone away: in December 2025 the FTC warned about unexpected texts from a supposed talent scout who invites you to a virtual open call and then pushes bogus photo shoots or acting classes. Casting Networks lists the warning signs clearly:

• A fee to audition, to register or for a “required” headshot package. Legitimate casting calls do not charge to be considered.
• Vague details: no production company, director, dates or pay.
• Pressure to move to private messages, WhatsApp or text, or to send private audition videos.
• Requests for nudity, lingerie shots or anything that makes you or your child uncomfortable.
• An unexpected message about a famous production that you never applied to.

If something feels wrong, stop replying and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For a longer checklist, read how to spot a fake casting call. If you want to see real open searches for young performers, browse the kids castings and TV and series castings at Casting and Acting, and compare the process with our guide to auditioning for Disney.

Frequently asked questions

How can a kid get on Nickelodeon?

Build a base of acting and comedy training, keep a current profile and materials, work with a legitimate agent or manager who can submit your child for breakdowns, and watch Nickelodeon’s own channels for any open call. A parent or guardian should manage the accounts, go to every audition and handle the work permit.

Where can I find real Nickelodeon casting calls?

Roles are released as breakdowns through agents and managers and, when the casting director chooses, to actors on platforms such as Actors Access. Nickelodeon’s verified social accounts and websites are the place to confirm an open call. Always check that the notice names a production company and a casting director.

Do I need an agent to audition for Nickelodeon?

Not always, but it helps. Breakdown Services says the casting director decides whether a breakdown goes to representatives, to actors or to both, so an agent can reach roles you would never see on your own. Never pay an agent to be considered; our guide to getting a talent agent explains the safe way.

Do Nickelodeon shows cast adults?

Yes. Rosa Blasi and Chris Tallman play the parents in Clash of the Thundermans, according to Paramount+, and Hollywood Arts stars Daniella Monet as a substitute teacher, with Yvette Nicole Brown as the principal, according to Variety’s review. Adult roles reach actors through the same breakdowns.

Do I have to pay to audition for Nickelodeon?

Never. A Nickelodeon spokesperson told FOX 46 that the company does not hold auditions that require payment. If someone asks for money for a registration, a headshot package or a class in Nickelodeon’s name, stop and report it.

How are the voices of Nickelodeon cartoons cast?

Voice work follows its own path. Breakdown Services says it also posts voice and animation projects, and our guide to becoming a voice actor explains training, demos and where that work is cast.

Reviewed in October 2026.