Background Takes Center Stage

The Los Angeles Background Actors Education & Outreach Subcommittee, along with the SAG-AFTRA Background Actors Department, hosted an April 16 panel at SAG-AFTRA Plaza with representatives from Central Casting, one of the most well-known background actor casting companies in Los Angeles.

SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris kicked off the evening by introducing the panel. Central Casting Executive VP Jennifer Bender and Senior VP Franklyn Warren, along with seasoned background actor casting directors, discussed the process of “creating a world” when casting television and theatrical projects. SAG-AFTRA National Director, Background Actors Fatna Sallak-Williams moderated.

Warren, who joined Central Casting in 1980, dove further into the process of casting background actors and shed light on how client requirements have changed throughout the years. In the past, production teams would typically inform casting directors on how many people they would need and for what type of scene, whereas nowadays producers and directors ask for pictures of proposed background actors before casting them. Before concluding, Bender demystified some of the misconceptions about Central Casting and shared some of the latest updates in casting, such as the development of casting via text message.