NYC Casting Calls Directory (2026 Guide)

New York City is the second-largest casting market in the United States, anchored by network TV, premium cable, streamer episodic, theatrical, commercial, and theater work. The volume is real: thousands of casting calls per year span everything from SAG-AFTRA day rates on a Brooklyn limited series to non-union submissions for a music video in Bushwick.

This guide is the practical map: where NYC casting calls actually live in 2026, the major casting directors and agencies, the self-tape platforms, and how to actually get into the audition rooms (most of which are now self-tape rooms).

What's Casting in NYC Right Now

The NYC casting market in 2026 spans:

• Network episodic TV — CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX shoot multiple series in NYC each season
• Premium cable and streamer — HBO, Netflix, Apple, Disney+, Hulu all anchor shows in the metro
• Indie features — anchored by Tribeca, IFP, and a deep indie producer community
• National commercials — NYC has the strongest commercial market in the country, anchored by global agency presence
• Music videos — strong Brooklyn-based music video scene
• Background work — tens of thousands of background casting calls across the metro per year
• Theater (Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off) — distinct from screen casting but shares many actors
• Voice over and audiobook — NYC is the country's audiobook capital
• Reality and unscripted — heavy in the Bravo / VH1 ecosystem

Total casting volume often rivals LA, particularly on episodic TV. The talent pool is deep across most categories.

The Major Casting Channels in NYC

Five primary ways NYC casting calls reach actors in 2026:

1. Casting Director Submissions (via Agent)

Major casting directors send breakdowns to talent agencies, who submit talent based on the role. This is the highest-quality but most selective route — requires agency representation.

For some projects, casting directors also accept direct self-submissions when explicitly noted.

2. Casting Platform Direct Submissions

Casting platforms allow direct submissions without an agent. The major ones in NYC in 2026:

• NeedaCrew Casting Studio — direct submissions to NYC casting calls for adult talent
• Breakdown Express / Actors Access — heavy with represented talent and major casting offices
• Casting Networks — large platform, strong commercial coverage
• Casting Frontier — strong on commercial casting
• Backstage — broad market, includes student / indie / theater work
• Project Casting — episodic and indie, growing in NYC

For aspiring talent, signing up free on a few platforms and submitting consistently is the entry point.

3. Background Casting Agencies

Background acting (non-speaking, often called "extras") is its own ecosystem. Major NYC background casting agencies:

• Central Casting NY
• Grant Wilfley Casting (background division)
• Bizarre Casting
• MV Casting
• Sylvia Fay Casting
• Pinnacle Casting

Background work pays $150-200/day non-union, $200-300/day SAG-AFTRA scale. Days are long (12+ hours typical), with significant hold time. But you're on professional sets, watching real production, occasionally getting bumped to featured or one-line roles that make you SAG-eligible.

4. Talent Agencies

NYC has the largest concentration of talent agencies in the country. Working actors typically have:

• A theatrical agent (for TV, film, theater)
• A commercial agent (often the same agency, sometimes different)
• A modeling/print agent if you do print
• A voice over agent if you do VO

Major NYC agencies (representative, not exhaustive):

• CAA, UTA, WME, Paradigm — major agencies, primarily for established talent
• APA, Innovative Artists, Buchwald, Abrams — strong mid-tier agencies
• DDO, Stewart Talent, Hartig-Hilepo, Take 3 — strong commercial and theatrical
• Atlas Talent, Gersh, Don Buchwald — established theatrical
• Ford Models, Wilhelmina, IMG Models, Major Model — modeling
• DPN Talent, CESD Talent, Atlas Talent — voice over

Agency representation is competitive. Most actors get repped after either: (a) significant credits, (b) referrals from working actors, (c) strong showcase performances.

5. Direct Outreach and Networking

Some casting comes through direct relationships: a casting director you've worked with calls you for the next project, a director invites you to read for their next short, an agent pitches you for a one-off.

This channel compounds over years. Working NYC actors typically have 30-50 industry contacts who occasionally bring them in.

Major NYC Casting Directors

NYC casting directors run their own offices and choose what platforms they post to. Major NYC CDs (representative, not exhaustive):

Tier 1 — major studio, streamer, network episodic:

• Avy Kaufman Casting
• Ellen Lewis Casting
• Lois Drabkin Casting
• Cindy Tolan Casting
• Jeanne McCarthy Casting
• Bernie Telsey Casting (Telsey + Company)
• Henry Russell Bergstein Casting

Tier 2 — episodic, theatrical, commercial:

• Stephanie Holbrook Casting
• Liz Lewis Casting Partners
• DDA Casting
• Stephanie Klapper Casting
• Lewis & Garfunkel Casting

Strong commercial:

• Liz Lewis Casting Partners
• Stuart Howard Associates
• Heidi Levitt Casting
• Beth Melsky Casting

Theatrical specialty:

• Tara Rubin Casting (Broadway)
• Telsey + Company (Broadway and screen)
• Calleri Jensen Davis (Off-Broadway)

These names aren't exhaustive and change. Stay current via following CDs on social media, reading industry trade publications, and asking working actors who's currently casting.

Background Acting: The NYC Entry Point

If you're new to NYC and want to be on professional sets quickly, background acting is the fastest path. Sign up with multiple agencies:

• Central Casting NY (national, covers NYC)
• Grant Wilfley Casting — covers many major NYC productions
• Bizarre Casting — strong specialty types
• MV Casting — episodic and feature
• Sylvia Fay Casting — long-established, network and feature work

Application typically requires: current photo, basic measurements, contact info, special skills, sometimes wardrobe sizes.

The path from background to principal in NYC is real but slow. Background actors who book featured or one-line roles via "bump up" become SAG-AFTRA eligible after enough qualifying days. From there, principal casting becomes available.

For more on the broader NYC career path, see How to Become a Film PA in NYC (2026).

Specialty Casting in NYC

Theater (Broadway, Off-Broadway)

Theater casting is its own ecosystem in NYC, distinct from screen. Major theater casting offices:

• Telsey + Company
• Tara Rubin Casting (Broadway musicals)
• Calleri Jensen Davis Casting (Off-Broadway)
• Stewart/Whitley Casting

Equity (Actors' Equity Association) representation is the standard for professional theater work.

Voice Over

NYC is the country's largest voice over market for commercials and audiobooks. Major VO casting and agencies:

• DPN Talent (VO division)
• CESD Talent
• Abrams Artists Agency (VO)
• Atlas Talent (VO)

Modeling and Print

Modeling agencies handle their own casting (often called "go-sees" rather than auditions). Major NYC agencies:

• Ford Models, Wilhelmina, IMG Models, DNA Model Management, Major Model, Q Models

Music Video Casting

Often handled directly by music video casting agencies or production companies. NYC's hip-hop and indie music scenes drive significant music video volume.

Reality TV / Docuseries

Reality TV casts "real people" frequently in NYC, particularly for Bravo and VH1 franchises. Often through direct outreach via Instagram or reality-specific casting companies.

How to Land Your First NYC Casting

The five-step path:

1. Get on every list

Sign up free on NeedaCrew Casting Studio, Casting Networks, Casting Frontier, Backstage, Breakdown Express. Submit consistently.

2. Get on background lists

Apply to Central Casting NY, Grant Wilfley, MV Casting, Sylvia Fay, Bizarre Casting. Background work gets you on professional sets.

3. Take any indie or student film audition

NYC has hundreds of indie features, shorts, student films, and music videos casting at any given time. Submit to all that fit your type. Build credits.

4. Get headshots updated

If your headshot is more than 18 months old or doesn't match how you currently look, get new ones. Spend the $200-500.

5. Find an acting class with industry adjacency

Many NYC acting classes are taught by working casting directors or coaches who feed talent to specific CDs. Class isn't just craft work; it's networking.

For the technical setup that gets self-tapes booked, see How to Make a Self-Tape Audition That Books Work.

Borough-Specific Casting Notes

NYC casting is concentrated in specific neighborhoods:

Manhattan: Most casting director offices, most theater casting, most agency offices. Heavy commercial and episodic TV casting sessions here.

Brooklyn: Indie features, music videos, and increasingly some episodic productions. Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Greenpoint are common shoot locations.

Queens: Major studios (Silvercup, Steiner, Kaufman Astoria) host significant amounts of episodic TV and feature work. Many casting sessions happen at the studios directly.

Bronx: Less casting volume but real, particularly for ethnically-specific casting and some indie work.

Staten Island: Limited casting volume, but real for productions seeking specific looks.

If you live outside Manhattan, the audition commute is part of the job. For more on the practical reality of working in NYC, see How to Become a Film PA in NYC (2026).

NYC's Tax Credit and What It Means for Casting

The New York State tax credit (25-30% refundable) drives meaningful production volume to NYC. This translates directly to casting:

• More episodic TV cast in NYC = more roles available
• More features cast in NYC = more bigger-name casting director offices
• More commercials cast in NYC = more commercial-specific casting

For producer-side tax credit details, see Film Tax Credits by State (2026 Guide).

Common NYC Casting Mistakes

• Only submitting to one platform. Different CDs use different platforms. Diversify.
• Outdated headshots. If you've gained or lost weight, changed hair color, or aged 3+ years, update.
• Bad self-tapes. The single most preventable rejection. See How to Make a Self-Tape Audition That Books Work.
• Skipping background work. Background pays, gets you on real sets, and bumps you to principal. Don't snub it.
• Not training. NYC's casting bench is deep. Untrained actors lose to trained actors. Take classes.
• Pigeonholing yourself. NYC casts a wider range of types and ages than LA. Don't self-restrict.
• Skipping theater. Theater casting is its own world but feeds screen casting. Many NYC actors do both.

How NeedaCrew Casting Studio Helps NYC Talent

NeedaCrew is the US/Canada marketplace for film crew and casting. NYC is one of our largest casting markets.

For NYC talent (18+):

• Free profile with headshots, reel, and self-tape uploads
• Direct submissions to NYC casting calls
• Notifications when roles match your type
• Casting director feedback when CDs choose to provide it

For NYC casting directors and producers: free posting with city, role, and compensation filters that NYC talent see first.

Sign up free as talent on NeedaCrew → (Note: NeedaCrew is 18+ only.)

TL;DR

• NYC is the second-largest casting market in the US, with massive volume across episodic, feature, commercial, music video, theater, and background
• Five channels: CD direct submissions (via agent), casting platforms, background agencies, talent agencies, direct outreach
• Major background casting: Central Casting NY, Grant Wilfley, MV Casting, Sylvia Fay, Bizarre
• Major casting platforms: NeedaCrew, Casting Networks, Casting Frontier, Backstage, Breakdown Express
• Theater casting is its own ecosystem; major theater CDs include Telsey + Company, Tara Rubin Casting
• Self-tape quality matters more than borough; NYC runs on self-tape now
• Background work is a real entry point and often the fastest way to SAG-AFTRA eligibility

Get on NeedaCrew Casting Studio →