Casting Calls in Quebec: Montreal Auditions and Pay 2026

Casting calls in Quebec work differently from everywhere else on this site, and the difference matters before you apply for anything. Quebec is in Canada, so SAG-AFTRA rates do not apply. English-language screen work falls under ACTRA; French-language work falls under the Union des artistes. Quebec's general minimum wage rose to $16.60 an hour on 1 May 2026.

The second difference is what gets made here. Quebec's production services credit pays 25% of qualified in-province costs, plus a further 16% on labour for computer-aided special effects and animation — and that uplift has made Montreal one of the larger animation and visual effects centres in the world.

This guide covers Montreal auditions, the two-union structure, what the work pays, the rules for young performers, and how to tell a real Quebec casting call from a fake one.

Two languages, two unions, cast separately

This is the single most important thing to understand about working in Montreal.

• ACTRA covers English-language screen performers. ACTRA Montreal is the branch serving the city.
• The Union des artistes (UDA) covers French-language work.
• They are separate organisations with separate agreements and separate rates.
• SAG-AFTRA minimums are irrelevant here. The $231 background day and $1,283 day performer figures published for US productions do not apply in Quebec.

Before you accept any booking, establish which agreement governs it — ACTRA, UDA, or non-union. That single answer determines your rate, your overtime, your breaks and whether anyone will pursue a payment that does not arrive.

Being accurate about your French

Casting here is specific in a way that catches people out. There is a real difference between speaking French and performing in it, and a further difference between Quebec French and European French. Productions routinely specify which they want.

Say which languages you can carry a scene in, at what level, and with which accent. Claiming French you cannot sustain on camera is exposed within a line or two, and it costs you more than the single booking.

How the Quebec incentive works

• 25% refundable credit on qualified all-spend production costs incurred in Quebec, covering labour and qualified properties.
• A further 16% on qualified labour directly attributable to computer-aided special effects and animation.
• Service contracts for effects and animation combine to 41%, multiplied by a 65% cap, for an effective rate of about 26.65%.
• Minimum budget: CAD $250,000.
• Administered through SODEC, the province's cultural development body.

That 16% animation and effects uplift is not a technicality. It is the reason a mid-sized city became a global centre for the work, and the reason a performer here should think about voice, motion capture and performance capture rather than only live action.

What the work pays

Union rates

Rates are set by the ACTRA or UDA agreement a production has signed, and they are published by those organisations rather than by SAG-AFTRA. Because the agreements differ and are periodically renegotiated, the reliable approach is to check the rate stated in each individual casting notice and confirm which agreement it falls under.

Non-union rates

Non-union work is negotiated per job and must meet Quebec's general minimum wage, which rose to $16.60 an hour on 1 May 2026 from $16.10. Confirm the rate, the call time, the expected wrap and the payment terms in writing before you commit to anything.

Young performers in Quebec

Quebec operates under Canadian federal and provincial rules rather than the US state frameworks, so the Coogan trust-account requirements that apply in California, New York, Louisiana and New Mexico have no bearing here.

What does apply is the agreement the production works under. ACTRA and UDA each carry their own provisions for young performers, so establish which governs a job before your child is booked, and ask in writing about working hours, schooling arrangements, supervision between setups and when payment is made.

How to spot a fake Montreal casting call

Montreal's standing as an animation and effects centre gives fraudsters a convenient story: an approach claiming to represent a well-known studio sounds entirely plausible in this city.

1. You are asked to pay to audition, to be submitted, or to be registered for a named production.
2. A paid role is offered before any audition, from a photograph and a message.
3. Money arrives first and you are told to deposit it and forward part onward. This is fraud without exception.
4. The audition is at a private address or hotel room rather than an office, studio or secure self-tape platform.
5. A named photographer is required before you can be considered.

Official sources: SODEC · Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec · ACTRA Montreal

Casting calls in nearby provinces and states: Ontario · New York · British Columbia · Alberta · Manitoba

Find Montreal casting calls 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 Montreal casting calls, updated daily
• Go straight to acting roles or extras work in Montreal
• Toronto is Canada's other major production centre — see casting calls in Ontario
• For US productions, see what acting work pays under SAG-AFTRA in 2026

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