Casting calls in North Carolina: North Carolina has five cities with active casting: Wilmington, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Wilmington is the production hub. Prime Video shot The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Movie in and around Wilmington through 2026, casting local background through a regional company.
North Carolina has been a working production state for decades, and Wilmington in particular has the kind of deep local crew and casting infrastructure that most mid-sized markets never build. In 2026 that infrastructure is still being used: Prime Video shot The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Movie in and around Wilmington, hiring local background through a regional casting company rather than flying people in.
That last detail is the whole argument for this market. Productions in North Carolina hire locally, and the pool of people competing for each role is a fraction of what it is in Los Angeles or Atlanta.
This guide covers which North Carolina cities hire, what casting calls in North Carolina pay in 2026, how the state's right-to-work status affects your pay, and how to tell a real casting call from a fake one.
Where the casting work is in North Carolina
Wilmington
The production centre of the state and the reason North Carolina has a film industry at all. Decades of film and television work have left behind stages, crew and casting companies that still operate. Prime Video's The Summer I Turned Pretty shot here through 2026, casting background locally. If you live within driving distance of Wilmington, this is the single best market in the state for you. See casting calls in Wilmington and Wilmington extras casting.
Charlotte
The largest city in the state and the strongest commercial and corporate market. Banking, sports and brand work rather than scripted drama. See casting calls in Charlotte, plus commercial casting and extras work there.
Raleigh and the Triangle
Tech, university and corporate video work, plus regional commercials and a steady independent film scene. See casting calls in Raleigh and acting roles in Raleigh.
Greensboro and Winston-Salem
The Triad fills regional commercial, industrial and background needs, and has one of the smallest applicant-to-role ratios in the state. See Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
What do casting calls in North Carolina pay?
Two answers, depending on which side of the union line the role sits.
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.
Union days also carry time-and-a-half for hours nine and ten, double time beyond, meal penalties, and adjustments for wardrobe, extensive hair and makeup and bringing your own vehicle. Our guide to extras pay lists every adjustment in full.
Non-union work
Much of the background work posted in North Carolina is non-union, because the state is right-to-work. Rates vary by production and market, and payment typically arrives by check two to four weeks after the shoot day, from a payroll company rather than the production.
North Carolina is a right-to-work state. You can work on a union production here without being required to join SAG-AFTRA. That is why so much background work is posted non-union, and why non-union performers routinely end up on union sets once the covered background slots are filled. The flip side: three days of background work under a SAG-AFTRA agreement makes you union-eligible, evidenced by pay stubs. Track which of your days are union-covered.
What kinds of roles get cast in North Carolina?
Background and extras
The most accessible work in the state and the category productions need in volume. No agent, no audition, no experience — you are cast from photos, measurements and availability. See open extras casting calls.
Co-stars and small speaking roles
Productions shooting outside Los Angeles cast locally for small speaking roles far more often than people expect, precisely because the local professional pool is smaller. These are genuinely reachable with modest credits. See acting casting calls.
Commercials and corporate
Charlotte and Raleigh run steady commercial, banking, healthcare and corporate video work. It pays well for the time involved and rarely requires an agent. See commercial casting calls.
Modeling, music video and content creation
Regional brand campaigns and creator work run across all five cities. See modeling, music video and content creator casting calls.
Popular casting categories in North Carolina
Working with children on North Carolina productions
North Carolina does not impose a California-style Coogan blocked trust requirement. That is worth knowing, because it means the protection California parents get automatically is something you arrange yourself here.
- Set up your own account for a child's earnings rather than assuming the state requires one.
- Submissions for anyone under 18 are made by a parent or legal guardian, never by the child.
- Check the production's own compliance — legitimate productions working with minors have a process and will explain it without you having to push.
For how a major studio handles young performers, see our guide to Disney casting calls for teens.
How to spot a fake North Carolina casting call
Registering with a legitimate background casting company is always free, and you never pay to audition. Casting companies are paid by productions, not by performers.
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 turn into sales pitches for photo shoots or classes.
- Any fee — registration, "processing", mandatory headshot packages, or a specific photographer you must use.
- Unexpected texts or DMs naming a real production. Legitimate casting does not cold-text strangers.
- Relisted old notices. Aggregator sites republish casting calls from previous years with no date. Check the shoot dates written inside the notice.
- Requests for bank details or a Social Security number before a signed booking with a named production and payroll company.
- 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: Georgia · Tennessee · New York · Florida · Virginia · South Carolina
Find casting calls in North Carolina 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 Wilmington, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem casting calls
- Start with extras and background work — no experience, no agent, no audition
- Move into speaking roles and commercials as you build credits
- Keep current photos, accurate stats and real skills in one profile casting directors can search
For how the streamers shooting here actually cast, see our guides to Amazon Prime casting calls and Netflix casting calls, or read how to become a background actor.
How To
Register Where the Productions Actually Hire
North Carolina casting runs through a small number of regional background casting companies rather than through the studios, and which one books a given production depends on where it shoots. Wilmington has its own established casting infrastructure built up over decades of film and television work; Charlotte, Raleigh and the Triad operate separately. Register free with the companies covering the market you can physically reach on a weekday morning, keep current photos with each of them, and watch casting platforms for new notices. Registering with one company puts you in front of a fraction of the work available.
- 1Build One Honest, Current ProfileBackground casting is mechanical — you are selected on how you look, your measurements and whether you are free on the day. Use a clear head-and-shoulders photo and a full-body photo in natural light against a plain background, no filters, hair as it looks today. Add accurate height, weight and sizes, your playable age range, your real availability, and every skill you could demonstrate tomorrow.Pro Tip: Put your actual city in. A Wilmington production filtering for local hires will skip a profile that just says “North Carolina”.
- 2Apply Across All Five Markets You Can ReachWilmington, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem are separate casting markets with separate companies booking them. Work out which you can physically reach on a weekday morning — call times are frequently before dawn — and apply across all of them rather than just your own city. The smaller Triad markets in particular have some of the best odds per application in the state.Pro Tip: Read the full breakdown including shoot dates before applying. A role you cannot physically be available for is a wasted submission, and casting offices remember who cancels.
- 3Track Which Days Are Union-CoveredNorth Carolina is right-to-work, so you can work union productions without joining SAG-AFTRA — which is exactly why much of the background work here is posted non-union at well below the $231 union rate. The way out of that gap is eligibility: three days of background work under a SAG-AFTRA agreement qualifies you, evidenced by pay stubs rather than by the vouchers themselves.Pro Tip: Ask the casting company whether a production is a signatory before you work it, and keep every pay stub. Nobody will track this for you.
Q&A
Are there casting calls in North Carolina?
Which North Carolina city has the most casting work?
How much do casting calls in North Carolina pay?
Is North Carolina a right-to-work state?
Do I need an agent to get cast in North Carolina?
How do I become an extra in Wilmington?
Does North Carolina require a Coogan account for child actors?
How do I avoid casting scams in North Carolina?
Ready to get discovered?
Join for free and start applying to casting calls today.
