Casting calls in New York: New York is the most active market in the country for streaming background work right now, and the only one with publicly posted 2026 non-union rates — around $187 a day. Union scale from 1 July 2026 is $231 per 8 hours for background and $1,283 a day for a speaking role.
New York is, right now, the most active market in the United States for streaming background work — and the only one where 2026 non-union rates are being posted publicly, at around $187 a day. For anyone trying to work out where the realistic opportunities are this year, that is the single most useful fact on this page.
The state carries an unusual mix: prestige television shooting in Brooklyn and Manhattan, period productions casting hundreds of extras upstate, a permanent Netflix facility, and a commercial and fashion industry that runs independently of all of it.
This guide covers which New York markets hire, what casting calls in New York pay in 2026, the trust-account rules for young performers, and how to recognise a fake casting call.
Where the casting work is in New York
New York City
The centre of everything. Netflix has run a Brooklyn production facility since 2021, HBO's The Chair Company shoots in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and The Gilded Age shoots across the city. Beyond scripted television, New York carries the country's densest concentration of commercial, fashion, editorial and theatre casting.
Start with casting calls in New York City, or go straight to extras casting in NYC, acting roles, commercials or modeling.
Long Island City and the outer boroughs
Stage space and production facilities have spread well beyond Manhattan, and productions based here hire locally. See casting calls in Long Island City.
Albany, Troy and the Capital Region
Worth paying real attention to. The Gilded Age has cast non-union period background in the Albany and Troy area at around $187 a day, including children, teenagers and adults. Upstate productions need volume and the local pool is small, which makes this one of the better odds-per-applicant markets in the state. See casting calls in Albany.
Buffalo and western New York
Regional commercial, industrial and independent film work, with far less competition than downstate. See casting calls in Buffalo and Buffalo extras work.
What do casting calls in New York pay?
Union scale, effective 1 July 2026
- Background actor — $231 per 8 hours. Special ability $241; stand-ins and photo doubles $270.
- Day performer — $1,283 per day.
- Three-day performer (television) — $3,252.
- Weekly performer — $4,456 per week.
Non-union rates actually posted in New York
New York is unusual in that real figures are public. Recent streaming productions have posted non-union background at around $187 a day, and The Gilded Age posted the same figure for upstate period work. Payment typically arrives two to four weeks after the shoot day, from a payroll company rather than the production.
Union days also carry time-and-a-half for hours nine and ten, double time beyond, meal penalties, and adjustments for wardrobe, period costume, extensive hair and makeup and bringing your own vehicle. On a period show like The Gilded Age those adjustments are not marginal. Our guide to extras pay lists every one.
New York is not a right-to-work state. Unlike Georgia, Texas or North Carolina, the union line carries real weight here — which makes working toward SAG-AFTRA eligibility more valuable in New York than in most of the country. Three days of background work under a SAG-AFTRA agreement qualifies you, evidenced by pay stubs rather than by the vouchers themselves.
What kinds of roles get cast in New York?
Background and extras
The largest category and the most accessible. Period productions in particular need background in volume — crowd scenes, street scenes, ballrooms. No agent, no audition, no experience. See open extras casting calls.
Commercials and print
New York shoots more commercial and editorial work than anywhere outside Los Angeles, and it pays well relative to the day. See commercial casting calls.
Modeling and fashion
The fashion capital of the country, with editorial, runway, showroom and e-commerce work running year-round. See modeling casting calls.
Theatre, dance and music video
A live performance industry that exists nowhere else in the US at this scale, plus a constant stream of music video and content work. See dancing, singing and music video casting calls.
Popular casting categories in New York
New York rules that affect whether you can work
Child performers need a blocked trust account
New York is one of five states — with California, Illinois, Louisiana and New Mexico — that require a minor's earnings to be protected in a blocked trust. New York uses a UTMA/UGMA-compliant account, and the employer deposits a portion of gross earnings into it.
- Open the account before your child books, not after. Families lose confirmed jobs waiting on paperwork.
- Submissions for anyone under 18 are made by a parent or legal guardian.
- Period productions cast children regularly — The Gilded Age's upstate calls have included boys aged 6 to 8 and teenagers aged 16 to 17.
For how a major studio handles young performers, see our guide to Disney casting calls for teens.
What's filming in New York in 2026
HBO's The Gilded Age shoots across New York City and upstate, including Newport and the Albany/Troy area, and The Chair Company shoots in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Netflix runs its Brooklyn facility and is building a much larger campus at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey — roughly 500,000 square feet and twelve soundstages, with the first phase targeted for 2027, so it is not yet a source of work but will be.
For how those networks actually cast, see our guides to HBO casting calls, Netflix casting calls and Netflix extras casting.
How to spot a fake New York casting call
Registering with a legitimate background casting company is always free, and you never pay to audition. Grant Wilfley, Roman Candle and Central Casting are paid by productions, not by talent.
The Federal Trade Commission published a consumer alert on virtual casting call scams in December 2025, describing unexpected texts from supposed talent scouts offering fast-turnaround auditions for real, recognizable titles that become sales pitches for photo shoots or classes.
- Any fee — registration, "processing", mandatory headshot packages, or workshops that promise a callback.
- Unexpected texts or DMs naming a real production. Legitimate casting does not cold-text strangers.
- Impersonation of real casting directors through lookalike domains and new social accounts.
- Requests for bank details or a Social Security number before a signed booking. Real I-9 and tax paperwork happens at registration or set check-in, through the casting company's own system — never over text.
- Guaranteed bookings. Nobody can promise one.
Report suspected scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, forward scam texts to 7726, and contact SAG-AFTRA if the union's name is invoked.
10/15/20269/20/20269/16/20269/14/20269/4/2026Casting calls in nearby states and provinces: Connecticut · Illinois · California · North Carolina · Ontario · Virginia · Pennsylvania · Massachusetts · New Jersey
Find casting calls in New York on allcasting
allcasting is a casting marketplace: verified casting professionals post roles and talent applies directly. Applying is free, and nobody on the platform can promise you a part.
- Browse live New York City, Albany, Buffalo and Long Island City casting calls
- Start with New York extras casting — no experience, no agent, no audition
- Move into speaking roles, commercials or modeling as you build credits
- Keep current photos, accurate stats and real skills in one profile casting directors can search
For the broader career picture, see how to become a background actor.
How To
Register With the Background Casting Companies First
New York background work runs through a small number of established casting companies rather than through the productions themselves, and they are the gatekeepers for almost everything shooting in the state. Grant Wilfley Casting covers New York City, New York State and New Jersey and handles the period crowd work on shows like The Gilded Age. Roman Candle Casting covers the city, Long Island and the Hudson Valley. Central Casting has a New York office. Registration with any legitimate background casting company is free, always — they are paid by productions, never by performers. Register with all of them rather than one.
- 1Build a Profile Built for Period and Crowd CastingNew York casts more period and large-crowd background than anywhere else in the country, and those productions filter on things most profiles leave blank: accurate height and full measurements for costume fitting, real hair length and colour, facial hair, visible tattoos, and whether you are willing to change your hair for a role. Fill all of it in honestly. A period show cannot use someone whose measurements are wrong when the costume arrives.Pro Tip: Note any era-appropriate skills you genuinely have — riding, carriage driving, period dance, instruments. Specialty background pays $241 instead of $231 and competes against a much smaller field.
- 2Work Upstate as Well as the CityEveryone applies in Manhattan. Far fewer apply in Albany, Troy and Buffalo, where productions still need background in volume and the local pool is small. The Gilded Age has cast non-union period background around Albany and Troy at roughly $187 a day, including children and teenagers. If you can reach upstate on a weekday morning, your odds per application there are far better than downstate.Pro Tip: Call times are frequently before dawn and you usually park at a basecamp and shuttle to holding. Factor the travel in honestly before you accept — cancelling late is how people stop getting called.
- 3Get Union-Eligible, Because New York Is Not Right-to-WorkUnlike Georgia, Texas or North Carolina, New York is not a right-to-work state, so the union line carries real weight here. Three days of background work under a SAG-AFTRA agreement makes you eligible, evidenced by pay stubs rather than by the vouchers themselves. That moves you from roughly $187 a day to $231 per 8 hours plus overtime, meal penalties and adjustments.Pro Tip: Think the trade-off through first. Once you join, Global Rule One means you cannot work non-union productions anywhere — and a lot of New York work is posted non-union.
Q&A
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Which casting companies book background work in New York?
Is New York a right-to-work state?
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What does my child need to work on a New York production?
What is filming in New York in 2026?
How do I avoid casting scams in New York?
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