There was the strikes and the recent fires which have been really devastating for people in this community.
And there are still ripples from the pandemic.
I think across the industry weve heard that there are fewer jobs and that affects casting professionals as well.
Getty Images
All I heard last year was stay alive until 2025.
January was a nightmare month for all of us.
Its been horrible, adds board member/veteran CD Felicia Fasano (Better Things, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).
Survival of the Thickestwas the last full show I did which ended in December of 2022.
And then there were the strikes.
Everyones like, what are you doing?
And Im like, nothing.
None of my producers have anything going.
I mean, look at the [international shows that are] on Netflix.
Wheres the stuff that we would cast?
If that is what everyone is watching, theyre going to buy more of them.
Even the casting pros in the unscripted world are feeling the pinch.
Im definitely seeing it, says board member/Emmy winner Jazzy Collins (The Traitors).
I went from working consistently, going from one show to the next.
And then it trickled down.
Im seeing a lot of things that are not getting green lit that normally would get greenlit.
Were not seeing any of those new casts anymore.
Were still getting a lot of celebrity driven shows.
Its not feeling good.
Casting professionals are currently doing the best they can with the resources that they have, she says.
People have moved out of the city, people have had to move to smaller homes.
We used to do so much.
For some actors that will mean taping because they actually prefer it.
But I think its really a process.
Its not just up to casting directors alone.
