Casting calls in Virginia are concentrated in Richmond, Hampton Roads (Norfolk and Virginia Beach), Charlottesville and Northern Virginia. Union background pays $231 per 8 hours in 2026, most local background is posted non-union, and a refundable state film tax credit keeps period dramas, commercials and independent features hiring Virginians.
Virginia is not Atlanta or Los Angeles, and nobody working here pretends it is. What it has instead is a steady run of period dramas, limited series, commercials and independent features that come for the history, the coastline and a refundable state tax credit, and then hire locally. Richmond, Charlottesville and Hampton Roads all have working casting offices, and the state film office publicly posts paid casting calls.
That mix makes Virginia a realistic market for actors and background performers who are not ready to move to a major hub. The competition for each role is a fraction of what it is in the big markets, and productions that shoot here genuinely want local faces.
This guide covers where the casting work is in Virginia, what casting calls pay in 2026, who does the casting, the permit rules for child performers, and how to tell a real Virginia casting call from a fake one.
Where the casting work is in Virginia
Richmond
Richmond is the state's main production base. Its government buildings, historic districts and row houses have doubled for nineteenth-century Washington, Civil War towns and small-town America, which is why so much of Virginia's screen work has been period drama. Hulu's Dopesick filmed in Richmond and Clifton Forge, and Richmond-based casting offices regularly cast commercials, independent features and student films from Virginia Commonwealth University's cinema program. See casting calls in Richmond and Richmond extras work.
Hampton Roads: Norfolk and Virginia Beach
The coast is the other centre of activity. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton and Newport News host independent features, faith-based film series and commercial shoots. See casting calls in Norfolk and casting calls in Virginia Beach.
Charlottesville and Central Virginia
Charlottesville is home to one of the state's best-known casting offices and to the annual Virginia Film Festival. Productions shooting in the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Valley often cast principal roles out of Charlottesville and Richmond and hire background locally.
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia sits inside the Washington, D.C. market. Corporate video, government and association work, and commercials cast out of D.C. regularly use Northern Virginia talent. See casting calls in Washington, D.C.
What do casting calls in Virginia pay?
Union scale, effective 1 July 2026
Productions working under a SAG-AFTRA agreement pay the same minimums in Virginia as anywhere else in the country. The union's Washington–Mid Atlantic Local covers Virginia.
- Background actor: $231 per 8 hours
- Special ability background: $241 per 8 hours
- Stand-in: $270 per 8 hours
- Day performer: $1,283 per day
- Weekly performer: $4,456 per week
Non-union work
Most background and commercial work in Virginia is posted non-union. As a reference point, a union production shooting in Hampton Roads in 2025 posted non-union background at $120 for 8 hours alongside its union background rate. Virginia's state minimum wage rose to $12.77 an hour on 1 January 2026, which sets the floor for any non-union day.
Virginia is a right-to-work state. You can work on a union production here without being required to join SAG-AFTRA. A bill to repeal the right-to-work law was filed for the 2026 legislative session and failed in committee, so the rule still applies. It is also why non-union performers regularly end up on union sets once the union background slots are filled.
Why productions keep coming to Virginia
Virginia offers a refundable film production tax credit of 15% of qualifying in-state spending, or 20% if the production films in an economically distressed area, for productions that spend at least $250,000 in the state. There are additional payroll credits for hiring Virginia residents, including an extra 10% for Virginians working for the first time as actors or crew. In April 2026 the General Assembly extended the credit through the 2030 tax year, so the incentive is in place for the next several years.
That first-time-hire credit matters to you directly: it gives productions a financial reason to cast new local talent rather than bringing people in.
Be realistic about the scale, though. A 2026 review by the state's legislative audit commission found Virginia's film industry remains small despite the incentives. Expect steady, mid-sized work rather than a constant stream of major studio features.
What kinds of roles get cast in Virginia?
Background and extras
Period productions in particular need large crowds in costume, which means background work is the most accessible way onto a Virginia set. No agent, experience or audition is required. Browse extras casting calls.
Co-stars and small speaking roles
Productions that shoot here routinely cast local actors for small speaking parts. Dopesick drew many of its more than 200 speaking roles from Virginia and the surrounding region. A current headshot, a short honest résumé and a clean self-tape setup are what get you seen.
Commercials and corporate work
Regional brands, hospital systems, universities and government contractors all shoot commercial and training video in Virginia, and these jobs are often the most consistently paid work in the state. See commercial casting calls.
Faith-based and independent features
Hampton Roads in particular has an active independent and faith-based production community that casts locally for both principal and background roles.
Popular casting categories in Virginia
Working with children on Virginia productions
Virginia requires the management of any production, performance or entertainment using a child under 16 to obtain a theatrical permit from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. The application has to be notarized and filed at least five days before the performance, and the department must be satisfied that the conditions are safe and that the child's education will not suffer.
Minors working under a theatrical permit are exempt from Virginia's normal hours-of-work limits, so the permit conditions are what protect them on set. Separately, 14- and 15-year-olds in ordinary jobs need an employment certificate. As a parent, the practical rule is simple: a legitimate production will handle the theatrical permit and will ask you for the details it needs well before the shoot day.
How to spot a fake Virginia 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.
Virginia has one useful verification route that many states do not: the Virginia Film Office runs a public production hotline and only posts paid positions there, apart from student projects. If a call names a real Virginia production, check whether it appears there or on an established casting platform.
- 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
- Pressure to decide on the spot
Report suspected scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Casting calls in nearby states: North Carolina · Tennessee · New York · Pennsylvania · Connecticut · Washington DC
Official sources: Virginia Film Office · Virginia Department of Labor and Industry · SAG-AFTRA
Find casting calls in Virginia 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 Richmond, Norfolk and Virginia Beach casting calls, updated daily
- Start with extras work in Richmond to learn how a professional set runs
- Move into acting roles and commercials as you build credits
- Check current union and non-union pay in our guide to how background actors get booked
10/15/20269/20/20269/16/20269/14/20269/4/2026How To
Register Where Virginia Productions Actually Hire
Virginia productions hire background and small roles locally, through Richmond, Charlottesville and Hampton Roads casting offices and through casting platforms. Being registered, current and easy to find in your own region matters more here than in the big markets, because the local pool is what productions draw from first.
- 1Get Your Materials Ready Before You ApplyVirginia productions cast from photos and self-tapes first. Have a current headshot, a full-length photo, accurate height and sizes, and a short honest résumé ready, plus a simple self-tape setup: even light on your face, a plain background and a quiet room. Local casting offices move quickly when a production arrives, and the people who are ready on the day get seen.Pro Tip: Take new photos whenever your hair or look changes. Casting books you from the photo, and arriving looking different is the fastest way to stop being called.
- 2Start With Background and Commercial WorkBackground roles need no agent, no experience and no audition, and Virginia’s period productions need large crowds. Commercials and corporate video are often the most consistently paid work in the state. Both build credits and teach you how a professional set runs before a speaking role depends on it.Pro Tip: Union background days count toward SAG-AFTRA eligibility: three days worked under a union agreement, evidenced by pay stubs, make you eligible.
- 3Check Every Call Before You CommitRead the shoot dates and location in every notice, and confirm the production exists. The Virginia Film Office only posts paid positions on its public hotline, apart from student projects, so a real production is often listed there or on an established casting platform. Never pay to audition, and never send bank details or a Social Security number before you have a signed booking.Pro Tip: If you are under 16, a legitimate production will arrange the Virginia theatrical permit. If nobody mentions it, ask before the shoot day.
Q&A
Are there real casting calls in Virginia?
How much do extras get paid in Virginia?
Is Virginia a right-to-work state for actors?
Which Virginia cities have the most casting calls?
Does Virginia have a film tax credit?
Do I need an agent to get cast in Virginia?
Can children work on Virginia productions?
How can I tell if a Virginia casting call is fake?
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