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Casting directors may work directly for a single production company, or they may freelance and work for several production companies on a temporary basis. Casting directors do the following:

 Audition actors

 Choose several potential actors for each role

Casting directors use breakdown services that describe the roles that will be cast for their project. On occasion, they may have an open casting call, but for all intents and purposes, they’ll make their suggestions for talent that may fit the role. That’s where you can use websites like L.A. Casting to present your resume, photos, and clips to place yourself in front of the casting directors with the help of your agent representation or without an agent. Chapter 7 addresses this in greater detail.

They set aside time to audition actors for all the different roles. Auditioning roles for a commercial may take a day or more, while auditioning roles for a major TV show, film, or play can take several days to several weeks.

After viewing an endless parade of actors either personally or through video for each particular role, casting directors call back a handful of actors for a second look. They have the power to choose the actors they want to callback, but they don’t necessarily have the power to pick any one particular actor. Other people, such as the producer or director, make the final decisions about which actor is chosen for the role. In the case of TV commercials, a representative from the advertising agency may make the decision.

After one actor has been chosen for a particular role, the remaining roles are often filled based on how similar an actor looks compared to the actor already chosen. For example, if a TV commercial has already cast a tall redhead for the role of the mother, the actor chosen to play her son will likely look like he could actually be her son and isn’t likely to have a completely different hair color and ethnic background.

Because many casting directors freelance, you’re likely to run into the same casting director over and over again, so be cordial. In the world of show business, people tend to have long memories. So if you treat someone with disrespect, don’t be surprised if, sometime in the future, they treat you with disrespect in return.