Telemundo and Univision Auditions: How Casting Works and How to Get Seen

How does casting at Telemundo work in practice?

Telemundo has its own casting division. Ronald Day, then president of entertainment and content, said so when the network announced its January 2024 open call. It worked like this: online pre-registration, a recorded audition starting in February and in-person callbacks in Miami, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Bogotá. According to PRODU, Telemundo expected 8,000 to 10,000 applications and received more than 22,000. About 4,000 applicants remained once a self-tape was required: a scene from a Telemundo project of their choice in which each person said who they were, where they were from, why they wanted to audition and which character and project they had picked. The team sorted the material with a traffic-light system: red was discarded, green was pursued and yellow was kept for potential.

The most recent signal is from September 2026. On September 7 and September 9 Telemundo Studios posted videos (in Spanish) about a Miami casting for its next Súper Serie. They ask you to scan a QR code and send a video, look for authentic profiles with strong presence and say that some roles do not require previous experience. The videos show no deadline, so confirm through Telemundo’s official channels whether the call is still open.

Between calls, casting works with people it already knows. Ximena Cantuarias, then senior vice president of scripted production at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, said in 2024 that the network needs local actors every day, both leads and guest actors. It often brings actors back, she said, because they live in Miami. That is why being visible in town counts. Explaining the 2024 call, she added that every project has leads, supporting actors and guest actors per episode. Telemundo hoped to find one lead, she said, but surely many guest actors. Today, moreover, the castings page on Telemundo’s website is devoted to a call for content creators in music, not actors. Outside the network, Miami casting offices such as Casting By, whose founder spent 10 years in casting at Telemundo Studios, are covered in our guide to auditions in Miami.

How does casting at Univision and TelevisaUnivision work?

TelevisaUnivision brings together Univision, UniMás, Galavisión, TUDN, ViX and Las Estrellas, among other brands (TelevisaUnivision). When Televisa and Univision merged, the company said most of the production would take place in Mexico. In May 2026 it presented 10 new telenovela titles, and one of them, Corazón de Marruecos, began shooting in Mexico in May (in Spanish), with locations in Morocco and Mexico City. Some ViX originals carry the name of a production company: El Mochaorejas, for example, is a production by The Mall. For that path, see our guides to auditions in Mexico and how to get cast in TV shows.

In the United States, the network’s open search is Soy Univision, announced on September 23, 2026. It looks for bilingual voices and personalities with a natural camera presence for television, video, podcasts, digital content and commercials. It is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents aged 18 and older who are fluent in Spanish and English. You sign up at Univision.com/Castings with a video, and the invitation-only in-person auditions were scheduled in six cities between September 26 and October 31, 2026, the last one in Miami. It is not a scripted-acting call, but it fits if your profile is hosting or creating content.

What does SAG-AFTRA’s contract with Telemundo say?

Telemundo performers voted in March 2017 to unionize with SAG-AFTRA. The first contract, three years long, was announced in 2018 and, according to TheWrap, covered actors, stunt performers, singers and dancers on Telemundo’s scripted dramatic productions in the United States. It included contributions to the health and pension plans, residuals and the first guaranteed minimum rates. In February 2025 the union’s National Board approved a new four-year contract with Telemundo Television Studios, retroactive to October 1, 2024 and running through September 30, 2028.

What it means for you: on a covered production, the contract’s minimums, residuals and benefits apply. If you are offered a role, ask whether the production is covered. The SAG-AFTRA Miami Local can point you in the right direction, and the union has a page on Spanish-language television. If you are weighing membership, read how to join SAG-AFTRA and union vs. non-union acting.

What is “neutral Spanish” and do you need it?

“Neutral Spanish” is an industry term without an official definition. In a 2024 presentation, Andrew Lynch and Marisleydi Ramos Borrego of the University of Miami recall that James McNamara, Telemundo’s president in the early 2000s, said the network wanted a neutral television that speaks a neutral Spanish, and they report interviewing producers, reporters and actors at both networks to see what the term means (abstract). In the notices we read, the 2024 call and the 2026 Miami casting, no specific accent is listed. In 2017, Miami actors interviewed by Diario Las Américas (in Spanish) disagreed: for some it is a market question, and for others it tends to sound Mexican.

Our advice: work on clear diction, record yourself reading texts and practice a more neutral version of your accent so you have both options. If a production needs a specific accent, the call will say so. Bilingual actors have an extra edge, since Soy Univision asks for both languages: see our guide for bilingual actors.

How do you prepare an audition for Telemundo or Univision?

Start with the self-tape. If you are asked for a scene of your choice, as in 2024, pick one that fits your age range and register, record it with front light, a plain background and clean audio and say in a few words who you are, where you are from and why you want the job. The steps are in how to record a self-tape and what is a self-tape. If you still lack credits, read how to get acting experience.

What can you do while no call is open?

• Follow the official announcements from Telemundo and Univision and check the news from Miami casting offices.
• Keep a base self-tape ready, with one scene in neutral Spanish and another in your natural accent, so you can reply fast.
• Keep your headshots, resume and intro video up to date.
• Add experience through theater, short films or classes, which is what goes on your resume later.
• If you live outside the United States, find out which route to work authorization applies to you before you move.

How do you avoid scams that use Telemundo’s or Univision’s names?

Scammers often invoke well-known productions and names. In December 2025 the Federal Trade Commission warned about unexpected text messages that offer auditions for famous movies and shows and end in a sales pitch for photo shoots or classes: paying to get a job is always a sign of a scam. Look for each call at its official source, such as telemundo.com and Univision.com/Castings, and be wary of anyone who writes to you first, rushes you or asks for money. More red flags are in how to spot a fake casting call.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get into Telemundo with no experience?

Some calls allow it: the September 2026 notice says some roles do not require previous experience. Even so, arrive with a polished self-tape and updated materials, and keep adding practice in theater, short films or classes.

Do I have to pay to audition at Telemundo or Univision?

The official notices we read ask you to register and send a video and mention no payments. Going to an audition does not cost anything, so be wary of anyone who charges you for an audition or for getting into a network.

Do I need to live in Miami to work with Telemundo?

The 2024 call had stops in four cities, but the September 2026 call was for people in Miami. The network also said it needs local actors every day. You also need legal authorization to work in the United States: see our guide to auditions in the United States.

Does Univision have auditions for actors?

Its current search, Soy Univision, is for bilingual personalities. For telenovelas, TelevisaUnivision produces mostly in Mexico, where the path runs through each production’s casting and through schools such as the CEA, which opens free calls: the 2026 youth call, for people aged 17 to 23, accepted videos until October 16.

Do I need a neutral accent?

The official notices we read do not list it as a requirement, although the industry talks about that standard. Practice clear diction and a more neutral version of your accent, and bring whichever one each call asks for.

Reviewed in October 2026.