The 2025 television landscape was defined by breakout performances, proving that fresh talent can redefine the small screen. To understand what it takes to land these career-making roles, we’ve gathered exclusive insights from the casting directors behind this year’s biggest hits—including Rachel Tenner (“Severance”), Meredith Tucker (“The White Lotus”), and Deena Katz (“The Traitors”). From what these top CDs look for when finding fresh talent to their most vital audition advice, consider this your casting playbook for the year ahead.
Brett Greenstein and Collin Daniel (“Nobody Wants This”) on casting rom-coms
“[‘Nobody Wants This’] is pretty much grounded in reality; it’s just real conversations. That’s where a lot of actors go wrong sometimes, is trying to push it a little too far, as opposed to just being natural, grounded, and real,” Daniel says.
Greenstein adds, “There’s nothing you can do to force [chemistry], and it also takes some time to warm up. You might not have it in the first moment, right out of the gate.”
He suggests actors allow themselves space to figure it out. “Let’s get to know each other a little bit. Let’s chat. Let’s run the scene a couple of times and get the nerves out,” Greenstein says. “We know it’s not going to be amazing right from the bat. Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn’t. But we’re very open to just saying, ‘Let’s try it.’ ”
Rachel Tenner (“Severance”) on casting workplace dystopian thrillers
“It’s interesting when you think of these [characters in ‘Severance’] who have severed themselves and have this inner and outer life; there is a multilayer quality to them,” says Tenner. “When I am thinking about actors for this, I definitely think about if there’s a depth that you read from them right away when you see them [auditioning]. Just by meeting them in the first minute, there’s a complexity that makes them interesting right off the bat.”
When auditioning for a dark humor project or a show with a hyper-niche tone like “Severance,” Tenner says it’s best “not to overthink it.”
“The simpler you make it, the funnier it is, and the more justice it does to the material,” says the CD.
Kate Rhodes James (“Alien: Earth”) on casting franchises
“When we were auditioning the actors who are playing the Lost Boys, I just said, ‘Forget you’re a child…. Forget anything to do with “Alien.” ’
“Remember that [series creator Noah Hawley’s] done all the work. It’s all in the dialogue. You don’t need to embellish it,” James says. “It’s harder when the scripts aren’t as good, and then you have to dip into your arsenal of tricks to try and pull it off; but when [a project has] been plotted so beautifully, and [represents] the characters so beautifully, sometimes the best thing to say to an actor is, ‘Stop acting. Trust that we know why we’ve brought you into the room and trust the dialogue.’ ”
She adds, “If I’m bringing you in, I’ve already talked about you. I’ve already said to [the director], ‘I think you’re going to love this actor, because I saw them in this.’ I give [them] lots of knowledge [about you], so that when you, as an actor, walk into the room, you’re halfway there.”
Meredith Tucker (“The White Lotus”) on casting social satires
“[‘The White Lotus’ has] such a specific tone, so understanding the nature of the show” is essential for actors, Tucker says. “I would say this for any person auditioning for anything: If there are episodes available, watch a few, just so you can understand what the tone of the show is. Or see what other shows the writer might have [done], or the showrunner or the director might have done before; try to familiarize yourself with that work.”
She adds, “There’s nothing wrong with asking questions…. If you have contextual questions, which people frequently do just because they’re not getting scripts, make sure that you feel free to ask them. Because that’s the stuff that’s in your control.”
Deena Katz (“The Traitors”) on casting reality TV
“Trying to portray something or someone that you think everybody wants to see [doesn’t work in reality TV], because that’s not what these shows are,” Katz says. “The audience doesn’t buy into it if you’re not being authentic. As hard as it is, take down your walls. You’re going to have a much better journey on these kinds of shows if you’re just you.”
Victoria Thomas (“The Last of Us”) on casting video game adaptations
“I think the goal in casting [‘The Last of Us’] was not to be afraid to either introduce new characters or interpret them, maybe in a way that wasn’t interpreted in the game,” Thomas says.
“We weren’t looking for an imitation thing here. Be prepared, and make a choice coming in. But also be open to being able to shift and move if someone says, ‘Try a little bit of this or a little bit of that,’ ” she advises.