Casting for game shows may sound like a mysterious and difficult process, but the real beauty of these programs is that, truly, anyone can play. Casting calls and auditions happen all the time in a variety of locations. If you're serious about wanting to be a game show contestant, here's where you can begin looking for casting notices.
Casting Lists and Websites
Several websites that specialize in either game shows or casting have ongoing lists of current calls and application info. There are many of these sites out there, and some are much more established and trustworthy than others. Here are a few that are reliable:
If you're doing a cold search for casting through your favorite search engine, you'll definitely get lots of results back that probably look promising. One thing to keep in mind is that you should never have to pay for this service. Postings for game show casting are always public, and always free.
Craigslist
Craigslist is either a wonderful service for everything from finding jobs to getting rid of your old furniture, or the Wild West of the internet where anything goes – depending on who you ask. Used carefully, with a good eye for scams and other dicey offerings, it can be a valuable casting resource.
Lots of major networks, including GSN, FOX, and NBC, use Craigslist as a way to get their game show casting calls out to the general public. If you're serious about getting on a game show, this is a treasure trove of casting notices. Here's where you should be looking:
Also check your largest local city for nationwide casting calls. Once you get to the main city page, look under Jobs-TV/Film/Video, and Gigs-Talent for listings.
The important thing to note with Craigslist is that legitimate casting will always include the network name, the production company, or both. If you're unfamiliar with the company name, look it up as well to find more information before applying.
Network Casting Pages
All of the networks, large or small, have a web presence and usually a casting page. With these, the thing to keep in mind is that they aren't always updated as frequently as they should be, and you'll likely find some casting opportunities that are old or outdated. It's still worthwhile, however, to check these pages for new listings. Here are some to get you started:
For GSN casting, there isn't a central page where they offer applications for their original game shows. When casting is open, you'll have to navigate through their site, find the show you want to be on, and visit that section.
Many of the smaller networks and specialty cable channels also have original games, so if you're interested in one of those, simply do a search for the network and look around for the casting page, or the show's official site.
Syndicated and Daytime Casting
The syndicated and daytime game shows all have their own websites (with the exception of The Price is Right, which is under the CBS umbrella), with their own casting information. For more information on casting for these shows, try these links:
- Casting for Jeopardy!
- Casting for Wheel of Fortune
- Casting for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
- Casting for The Price is Right
- Casting for Family Feud
- Casting for daytime Deal or No Deal
Casting: Next Steps
Now that you've found some casting calls that you might be interested in applying for, it's time to work on your applications and send them in! Here are some great tips and tricks you can use to make sure you get noticed.
- General Game Show Casting Advice
- Advice from Neal Konstantini, Deal or No Deal Casting Producer
- Tips from Jennifer Marosy, The Moment of Truth Casting Producer
- Advice from Alex Purnell, 'Serial Game Show Contestant'
- More Game Show Casting Links
If you've decided to throw your hat in the ring and apply to be a game show contestant, we wish you the very best of luck!
