How to Get Cast in TV Shows and Telenovelas

How telenovela castings work

A telenovela puts together a big cast in a short time, so many roles are settled in closed castings: the casting team calls in actors who are already in its database or who are suggested by talent agencies.

In Peru, for example, TV host Ethel Pozo explained in August 2026 that the castings for Del Barrio Producciones are handled by a specialized outside service, with its own bank of actors and actresses. Being in that kind of database is what gets you called.

The process usually has three steps: a preselection from your headshots, resume and reel; a test with a scene from the script, in person or recorded at home; and, if you advance, a second round on camera with other actors from the cast.

Roles range from leads and antagonists to supporting cast, small speaking parts (bolos: characters in one or a few scenes) and background work. If you are just starting out, small speaking parts and background work are the most realistic way to step onto the set of a daily drama and learn how it works. To start with background work, see the steps and what to expect on set in how to become a background actor.

The networks’ acting schools: CEA and CEFAT

In Mexico, TelevisaUnivision and TV Azteca have their own schools. The CEA is free and opens calls for young people; the CEFAT is TV Azteca’s training center.

CEA (TelevisaUnivision)

The CEA was founded in 1978 and Eugenio Cobo has directed it since 1987. According to N+, the program lasts three years, with classes Monday through Friday. Studying there is free, but materials, housing and living expenses in Mexico City are on you, because the school has no dorms.

The CEA Juvenil 2026 call, published on the official Las Estrellas site, was aimed at young people from 17 to 23 years old, from all over Mexico and abroad, with two paths to choose from:

• By video: send your personal details, two color photos without filters (face and full body) and the link to a YouTube video, ideally unlisted, to [email protected] by October 16, 2026.
• In person: Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Televisa San Ángel, with two printed photos and a valid ID.
• Second stage: those who pass the first screening get an email, by November 13, 2026 at the latest, with the invitation to an in-person audition.

Even if you are not the right age or live far away, the video they asked for is a great self-tape template: a close-up introduction with your name and age, a text of your choice (up to 30 seconds) in a medium shot and exactly one minute talking about whatever you like in a full-body shot, all in a video of no more than 1 minute and 40 seconds.

CEFAT (TV Azteca)

TV Azteca created its Centro de Formación Actoral, the CEFAT, in 1997. When we checked its site in October 2026, the published calendar was from 2023, so before you sign up, confirm dates, requirements and costs through the network’s official channels.

What profiles they look for

Telenovelas need every age and body type. What repeats in every profile is the ability to keep up the pace: quick memory, naturalness on camera and emotional commitment for melodrama.

• Young people in training: this is the range for the network schools. The CEA Juvenil 2026 asked for ages 17 to 23, and in 2024 N+ reported that the CEA also trains kids ages 6 to 11.
• Seasoned actors: parent roles, villains and character parts usually go to actors with a track record in theater and television.
• Small speaking parts and background work: they ask for punctuality, availability and the ability to follow directions right away.
• Accents and regions: if the story takes place in a region, they may look for actors from that area. If your accent is an asset, put it on your resume.

How to get ready for the pace of a telenovela

Shooting a telenovela means many scenes per day, scripts that can change on the fly and little rehearsal time. Training your memory and your self-tape before the casting gives you a concrete advantage.

Memory

Practice with long scenes and little time to learn them. First understand what your character wants in each moment, then memorize: the lines stick faster when you know why you say them. Try studying and recording a different scene each day for a month.

The pace of daily shooting

You will repeat takes, jump from one scene to another and shoot out of story order. Arrive with your lines learned, listen to the director’s notes and look after your energy: sleeping well, staying hydrated and eating on schedule are also part of the job.

Self-tape and materials

Many castings ask for a first audition recorded at home, like the CEA’s. If you have never made one, read our guide on what a self-tape is. The basics: front light, a neutral background, good sound, someone to read the other lines off camera and respecting the length and framing they ask for. Also keep your resume, headshots and reel in a folder with a shareable link: if they call you today for a small part tomorrow, you need to send everything within minutes.

How to spot fake calls that use a network’s name

If a listing uses the name of a well-known channel and asks you for money to audition, to “reserve your spot” or to take photos of you, it is almost certainly a scam. Real calls are confirmed on each network’s official sites and social media.

Several of these signs appear in the official guide on modeling scams from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which also warns about fake talent scouts who offer acting jobs:

• They ask for payment up front: registration, a test, photos or “materials”.
• They charge a “pre-registration” for a free school, like the CEA.
• They guarantee you the role or a high salary, or rush you to sign on the same day.
• They require you to use a particular photographer or school.
• They ask you to pay with gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.
• They set up a meeting at a house, a hotel or a bar, or ask for intimate photos.
• Whoever claims to speak for the network writes from a free email account or a personal profile. The CEA’s official call, for example, used a televisaunivision.com address.

The Del Barrio case shows why it pays to verify who is calling you: Ethel Pozo’s clarification came after a complaint against a former assistant director at that production company who presented himself on social media as a director. Pozo warned that a real casting never takes place “in a house, with a cell phone, without a script”.

Look up the name of the production company and the casting director, check the call on the official channels and, if you go to an in-person audition, bring someone with you. You will find more signs in our guide on how to spot a fake casting call.

Your action plan

• Materials: resume, headshots and reel in a folder with a link.
• Training: on-camera classes and, if you are the right age, the network schools’ calls.
• Official channels: follow the networks and production companies in your country.
• Casting databases: talent agents and casting directors in your country in the Latin America Casting Directory.
• Mexico: add our guide to how to get auditions in Mexico.
• United States: for Spanish-language TV made there, read our guide to how to get auditions in the United States.
• Practice: one scene a week recorded at home.
• Golden rule: never pay to audition.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get into a Televisa casting?

There are two paths: the CEA, its acting school, which opens calls for young people (in 2026, ages 17 to 23), and the castings for each production, which you generally reach through talent agencies and casting directors. Follow the official channels of TelevisaUnivision and Las Estrellas.

How much does it cost to study at the CEA?

It is free. According to N+, students pay for materials, books and work equipment, and take care of their own housing and living expenses in Mexico City. If someone charges you a fee to get in, be suspicious.

Does Telemundo hold open castings for telenovelas?

On its website, the open casting section we found in October 2026 was for Exatlón Estados Unidos, a reality show. For its telenovelas, which it shoots in Miami, Mexico and Colombia, the usual way in is through agencies and casting directors.

Are Telemundo’s telenovela actors in a union?

Spanish-language scripted performers at Telemundo Television Studios are covered by a SAG-AFTRA contract. They first unionized in 2017, and in February 2025 the union’s National Board approved a new four-year contract, retroactive to October 1, 2024. For details on a specific production, check with SAG-AFTRA.

Can I work on a telenovela with no experience?

Yes, especially in small speaking parts and background work, which are a good school for learning the daily pace. For bigger roles they usually ask for training and previous experience, even if it is in theater or short films.

How do I know if a casting that uses a network’s name is fake?

Be suspicious if they ask for money up front, guarantee you the role, rush you, meet you at a house or a hotel or write to you from a free email account in the channel’s name. Always confirm the call on the network’s official site or social media.

Are telenovelas still made in Argentina?

Yes, with new formats. Pol-ka paused fiction in 2024, but in 2026 Telefe Studios began shooting Triángulo amoroso, its first vertical fiction, and El Trece premiered Hija del fuego, a series made for Disney+. Netflix also produces series in the country, as we explain in how to audition for Netflix.