Casting Calls in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia & Pittsburgh

Casting calls in Pennsylvania come from two markets: Philadelphia and the southeast, and Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. Union background pays $231 per 8 hours in 2026, a recent Pittsburgh background call for The Pitt paid $250 for a 12-hour day, and the state’s 25% film tax credit brings series and features in waves.

Pennsylvania has two production markets at opposite ends of the state, and both are busy. Philadelphia hosts television series, independent features and a steady run of commercial shoots. Pittsburgh has spent four decades casting studio features, prestige series and streaming dramas, and it has the local casting offices to show for it.

What ties them together is a 25% state tax credit that keeps productions coming, and a habit of hiring locally for background and small speaking roles. For an actor in Pennsylvania, the work is real, but it comes in waves. Being registered and ready when a production lands is what separates the people who work from the people who hear about it afterwards.

This guide covers where the casting work is in Pennsylvania, what casting calls pay in 2026, who does the casting in each city, the permit and trust rules for child performers, and how to spot a fake Pennsylvania casting call.

Where the casting work is in Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh has been a production town since the early 1980s, and it shows in the depth of its casting infrastructure. Recent work in and around the city includes HBO Max's The Pitt, which shot location days in Pittsburgh for its second season; Paramount+'s Mayor of Kingstown, which has filmed multiple seasons across Western Pennsylvania; and the period biopic Hershey, which turned the South Side, Downtown and surrounding counties into the late 1800s. An Apple TV+ crime series based on the Killer Instinct novels was awarded a $32.4 million state tax credit to shoot in the region.

Pittsburgh's long-established casting offices handle principal and background casting for most of this work. See casting calls in Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia and the southeast

Philadelphia's work is weighted toward television. According to the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, most of the region's 2025 filming was for series, including Netflix's Tires, shot in the West Chester area, and Prime Video's Reacher. HBO's Task has also shot in the Philadelphia area. The film office expected 2026 to be busier still, driven by the city's major sporting events and America's 250th anniversary programming, with many smaller crews shooting around the city. See casting calls in Philadelphia and Philadelphia extras work.

Central Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Lancaster, Hershey and the surrounding counties see period features, commercials and corporate shoots. Productions here usually cast principal roles out of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or New York and hire background locally.

What do casting calls in Pennsylvania pay?

Union scale, effective 1 July 2026

Productions working under a SAG-AFTRA agreement pay the same minimums in Pennsylvania as anywhere else in the country.

1. Background actor: $231 per 8 hours
2. Special ability background: $241 per 8 hours
3. Stand-in: $270 per 8 hours
4. Day performer: $1,283 per day
5. Weekly performer: $4,456 per week

Non-union work

Much of the background work in Pennsylvania is posted non-union, and rates vary widely by production. As a recent example, The Pitt's Pittsburgh background call paid $250 for a 12-hour day, plus $35 for using your own car on camera.

Pennsylvania's minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour, unchanged since 2009. A bill to raise it passed the state House in 2026 but has not become law, so the gap between union and non-union rates is wider here than in most neighbouring states.

Pennsylvania is not a right-to-work state. If you join SAG-AFTRA, check what that means for any non-union work you plan to take before you sign up, because members cannot work non-union productions.

Why productions come to Pennsylvania, and why the work comes in waves

Pennsylvania offers a 25% transferable film production tax credit to productions that spend at least 60% of their total budget in the state, with an extra 5% for shooting at a qualified production facility. The rules have been stable for more than two decades.

The catch is the cap. The state allocates $100 million a year in total, and once it is committed, productions look elsewhere until the next round. Film office leaders have described the pattern bluntly: when the credit runs out, the phone stops ringing. Proposals to raise the cap have been filed in Harrisburg but none has passed. For actors, that means bursts of activity when large productions land, and quieter stretches in between.

What kinds of roles get cast in Pennsylvania?

Background and extras

Background work is the most accessible route onto a Pennsylvania set, and productions here regularly need large crowds for street scenes, hospitals, sports venues and period recreations. No agent, experience or audition is required. Browse extras casting calls.

Co-stars and small speaking roles

Series shooting in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia cast local actors for day-player and co-star roles. These usually go out to agents first, but local casting offices also accept submissions from unrepresented actors.

Commercials and corporate work

Both cities host regional and national commercial shoots, plus a large volume of corporate, healthcare and university video. This is often the most consistent paid work in the state. See commercial casting calls.

Precision drivers and specialty skills

Productions shooting street scenes regularly look for precision drivers, people with their own cars in specific colours, athletes and other specialty background. Specialty work pays above general background and competes against far fewer applicants.

Who casts in Pennsylvania?

Pittsburgh has two long-established casting offices. Donna Belajac Casting opened in 1982 and has handled local casting for productions including Mindhunter, The Fault in Our Stars and Concussion. Nancy Mosser Casting specialises in background and extras for film, television and commercials and runs a free online talent database. The Pittsburgh Film Office also posts cast and crew notices on its public hotline.

In Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office is the best starting point for finding out which productions are in town, and background casting is handled by whichever company each production hires. Registering with legitimate background casting companies is always free.

Working with children on Pennsylvania productions

Pennsylvania's Child Labor Act requires a minor to hold an entertainment permit from the Department of Labor and Industry before working in a performance, including film, television, commercials and modeling, and the employer must hold a permit too. The department checks that adequate provision has been made for the child's education, supervision and welfare.

Pennsylvania also requires a child performer trust account: when a minor's anticipated earnings pass the threshold set in the Act, the employer must transfer at least 15% of the child's compensation into the trust, where it stays until the minor turns 18. Open the account before your child books work, because productions will ask for it.

How to spot a fake Pennsylvania casting call

You never pay to audition. Not for a registration fee, a mandatory photo shoot, a workshop that promises a callback or travel booked before you have a signed contract.

• Unexpected texts or messages offering you a role you never applied for
• Any request for money, bank details or a Social Security number before a signed booking
• Guaranteed roles or guaranteed representation
• Old notices republished with no date: always check the shoot dates inside the call

Check whether the production is real through the Pittsburgh or Greater Philadelphia film office, or on an established casting platform. Report suspected scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Casting calls in nearby states: New York · Ohio · Virginia · Connecticut · Washington DC · New Jersey · Maryland

Official sources: Pittsburgh Film Office · Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (Film Office) · SAG-AFTRA

Find casting calls in Pennsylvania 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 role.

• Browse Philadelphia and Pittsburgh casting calls, updated daily
• Start with extras work in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh to learn how a professional set runs
• Move into acting roles and commercials as you build credits
• See how HBO casts its Philadelphia and Pittsburgh-set shows in our HBO casting guide

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