Mandisa A. Johnson, MS, MFAThe Starting Point for Aspiring Actors
Updated: Jan 13
A question I regularly see is, “I am an aspiring actor who wants to get a Talent Agent, but the only experience I have is working as a background actor. How can I get speaking roles if I don’t have that experience?”
Well, I’m glad you asked!
There are several ways in which you can get booked for speaking roles.
Search for acting groups and request to become a member. Most of these groups are where people post needs for indie projects.
Groups to Consider
ONLY Speaking Role Casting Calls (Southeast US)
Conducting an Online Search
There are many places online where you can find projects where you can audition for speaking roles, such as Love2act, Eventbrite or The Southern Casting Call.
Free work?
Do not allow the fact that most of the projects you find either from Facebook groups or the ones you've searched online are unpaid, discourage you. Typically, for your time, you will receive an IMDB credit, a copy of your work (for your demo reel), and a meal. I also had a lot of experience working as a background actor and only one speaking role. I searched a few of the groups mentioned above and found free work. But guess what? I used those roles to create a demo reel to showcase my talent to submit to talent agencies.
Do you know of any other groups or websites where you can find castings for Indie projects? Be sure to share them in the comment section below!