Casting Call Access
Backstage Compiles Comprehensive List of Movie and TV Casting Opportunities Across the U.S. and Globally
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Actors across the U.S. have a new wave of opportunities to chase. Backstage has compiled a fresh list of projects actively seeking talent nationwide, covering a feature film, a documentary series, a reality TV show, and more. The roles span multiple locations, from the Southeast to the Pacific Northwest.
The timing is no accident. As of June 2026, active non-union casting listings on platforms like Backstage are up 22% compared to the same period last year. Total U.S. production spending is projected to hit $145 billion by year's end, up from $130 billion in 2024, according to industry data.
Post-Strike Production Boom Fuels Nationwide Casting Push
The surge in casting calls traces back to November 2023, when SAG-AFTRA ended its 118-day strike against major studios. That deal created a massive backlog of stalled projects. By early 2025, studios began greenlighting content aggressively to meet 2027 streaming quotas, according to Backstage.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher framed the boom as more than just jobs. "Our members are returning to a workplace where AI protections and streaming residuals are finally codified," she said, "making these nationwide calls sustainable careers." Still, competition is fierce. Fewer than 0.5% of actors who submit for these calls will actually get cast, per Screen Actors Guild data.
States Battle for Productions With Tax Credits and Cheap Costs
The nationwide spread of these roles is driven by state tax incentive wars. Georgia offers up to 30% in transferable tax credits and now accounts for over $4.1 billion in direct film and TV spending per year. More than 30,000 Georgia residents work in the industry, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Other states like New Mexico, Louisiana, and Illinois have pushed similar deals to lure productions away from Los Angeles and New York. Backstage noted that the geographic spread of current roles signals "a permanent shift away from the Hollywood-centric model." Cities like Albuquerque and Atlanta are now major production hubs.
Reality TV and Documentary Roles Dominate the Open Calls
Much of the current casting boom is in unscripted content. After the 2023 strikes, studios raised reality TV budgets by an estimated 15% to reduce reliance on scripted shows. The current Backstage list reflects that shift, with reality and documentary roles making up a large share of open calls.
Casting director Sarah Finn described the trend plainly. "We aren't just looking for actors; we are looking for lived experiences that translate to the screen." Increasingly, productions also target people with existing social media followings, blurring the line between traditional acting and content creation, according to industry observers.
Self-Tape Culture Widens the Pool but Raises the Stakes
The shift to self-tape auditions, which started during COVID-19, is now permanent. It means a casting director in Atlanta can consider an actor in rural Montana. That sounds like good news, but it also means far more competition. "You aren't just competing with the ten people in the waiting room anymore," acting coach Amy Lyndon said. "You're competing with 5,000 people across the country."
Film historian Jonathan Kuntz put the boom in perspective. "There is a massive amount of low-pay reality and background work," he said, "while the number of high-paying scripted series regular roles remains lower than the 2019 peak TV era." For aspiring actors, the opportunity is real — but so is the long shot.
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