How to Audition for Disney

Some of the most prolific Disney CDs include:

• Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher: Winners of the 2014 Backstage Vanguard Award and casting veterans at the Emeryville, California–based Pixar Animation Studios, these two put together the ensembles of “Lightyear,” “Turning Red,” and “Coco.”
• Jamie Sparer Roberts: Head of casting for Disney Animation Studios and Disney+, she cast “Encanto,” “Moana,” “Frozen,” and “Baymax!” 
• Sarah Halley Finn: The CD responsible for assembling “The Avengers” also cast other MCU hits like “Loki” and “Deadpool & Wolverine,” as well as “The Mandalorian” and “Moon Knight.”
• Laray Mayfield and Julie Schubert: This pair cast the Netflix Marvel series “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage,” “The Punisher,” “Iron Fist,” and “Daredevil.”
• Judy Taylor and Julia Ashton: These two cast the Marvel Hulu show “M.O.D.O.K.” and the Disney+ original “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
• Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn: This duo cast each installment of Disney’s “Zombies” film franchise, as well as some of its most popular network TV series, like “Andi Mack,” “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn,” “Raven’s Home,” and “Vampirina: Teenage Vampire.”
• Jen Rudin: Also the author of “Confessions of a Casting Director,” the CD cast a number of classic Disney animated films like “The Princess and the Frog,” “Chicken Little,” “Meet the Robinsons,” and “Frankenweenie.”

Known for its ironclad NDAs, Disney goes to great lengths to avoid leaks—so, your audition will more than likely use a heavily redacted version of a script, or a script that has nothing to do with the project you are auditioning for but demonstrates that you can hit the right beats. 

“In order to protect the creative process at the studio, we release very little information about the projects and characters to anyone outside of the company,” Roberts said. “Occasionally the director will share rough sketches with the actor at the live audition. In fact, the sides that we use are not usually made up of material that is in the actual film. For example, most of my ‘Frozen II’ audition material for new roles has been made up of scenes pulled from various existing stage plays that echo the emotion of our film.”

For an actor trying to prepare for an audition with little information, Roberts offers a workaround: “Come prepared to use [your] imagination and, in some instances, improvise. Our auditions are not as much about the words on the page as they are about finding the essence of a character in the actor’s interpreted performance, mixed with the sound of their voice.”

To maintain that shroud of secrecy, Rachel Matthews auditioned for the role of Honeymaren in “Frozen II” using a David Mamet monologue—“so absurd for Disney,” she said—and a song she chose herself, “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. With those materials in hand, Matthews auditioned for Roberts, her assistant, and “Frozen” and “Frozen II” director Chris Buck.

“It was the most intimidating audition I had ever been in. But for some reason, I felt so at peace,” she recalled. “Chris told me he wasn’t going to be looking at me while I did my monologue; he would be looking at these pictures. He whipped out six hand-drawn pages of Honeymaren. In that moment, I was able to look at her. It was this crazy moment of: I know how to do this; I know how to play her.” 

Even in the live-action realm, auditioning and waiting for that callback from Disney can take months—or years. “In the Marvel world, there were many actors who auditioned for one part in a Marvel film or another project and got cast years later in something else,” Finn noted. “When you do good work and show up every day, we take note. We remember that, and hopefully it turns into something down the line.”

Teyonah Parris, who starred as Monica Rambeau on 2021’s limited series “WandaVision” and in 2023’s “The Marvels,” was one such person. After submitting many Marvel audition tapes over the span of a decade, her continued work in the industry finally earned her an audition (and an eventual) role within the MCU. “With Teyonah, she is an actress [who] I’ve known for a long, long time and admired all her work, and [who] had been discussed for Marvel projects before, as is often the case as we’re looking to see what the right role might be,” Finn told us.

Tom Hiddleston, on the other hand, originally auditioned for Thor, but was ultimately cast as that character’s antagonist, Loki. While his audition didn’t land him the role he’d intended, CDs wanted to take advantage of the talent he had to offer. “Basically, at the time, they were looking for sort of less well-established actors so that the audience didn’t have an association. They just wanted people to see these new characters, these new actors,” he said on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.” “And it was, if you’re over six foot and you’ve got blond hair, you can come and have a pop at it. So, I never auditioned for Loki. I only ever auditioned for Thor, which is nuts.”

But what does it take to get cast as a voice actor in a Pixar project, some of Disney’s most popular and beloved animated films? As Lyon told us, you just need to be yourself. “We want people’s natural voices,” Lyon said, emphasizing the fact that Pixar’s projects are often based a bit more in reality than your average Saturday morning cartoon or video game. “For the larger voiceover world, I know that it’s about being able to do a bunch of different voices; so it’s interesting, because the standard demos don’t really work for us,” she continued. “We still need people who can do great things with their voice, [but] one thing that I wish for when we [get] demos is that people would speak a little bit with their natural voice.”

Mary Hidalgo, a Disney veteran who cast 2018’s Oscar-winning film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” added that auditioning for voiceover work versus live action isn’t all that different at its core. “I think you have to be a really good actor. If you want to pursue being an actor, you pursue it on all levels; it all has the same importance,” she told us. “When you get in a booth by yourself to record a scene with somebody else who’s not there, it’s way more challenging than if you’re in front of a camera. You have to know what you’re doing, so studying acting and learning how to act is the best thing you can do for any form of entertainment.”

Most Disney acting gigs will likely require you to go through an agency rather than a public casting call when auditioning for any lead, supporting, or recurring role. However, if you don’t have an agent, you’re in luck! Thanks to the massive global reach of the Disney brand, the studio dabbles in both open and traditional casting calls.

“We put a breakdown out that has all of Canada and the U.S., and we even send [it] to England and Australia,” Taylor told us. “We know that there are kids out there who may not have an agent and can’t get to us…. We’ll choose three or four different regions of the country and go there ourselves, or we send casting directors that know how we work and know what we’re looking for. We’ll go to performing arts schools…acting schools, and regular schools if we can, when appropriate, just to branch out.” Taylor noted that Disney also “occasionally [has] a big open call, so that anybody can show up…because you just never know where anyone is hiding or where they might be.”

“We don’t want to miss out,” Taylor added. “We always start with the people we’re already aware of, in addition to the new people we hope to find. And of course, we’re always talking to agents about who they represent. We talk to them on a daily basis; they’re extremely valuable. We really appreciate our relationships with the agents and the managers out there who collaborate with us. It takes a village.”

But do know that you need not be nervous or afraid. In working with the younger set, Taylor and her team offer a welcoming environment that values creative expression and comfort. “They will have a very friendly, accessible room, because I think one of the most important attributes a casting director needs is a genuine, innate love of actors. We are their advocates,” she explained. “There’s nothing more important—whether it’s adults or children, but particularly with young talent—than them leaving that room feeling good, and that when they’re in the room, they feel like they can talk to people. I don’t ever want it to be uncomfortable. If they have questions, we say, ‘What do you need to know?’ We encourage conversation.”

For those coming in for a voiceover audition, specifically, Sarah Jane Sherman—who spent more than a decade as a Disney Channel animation casting executive—told us there’s no typecasting in that area of the business. 

“You walk into a room for a voiceover audition and you’re not going to see everyone that looks like you; there is going to be a good variety of people in that waiting room doing those voices,” she explained to us. “Some people naturally have the voice, and some people are putting on the voice. You could see kids and adults coming in and reading for the same roles. I think that’s really unique. You don’t have to memorize the lines, of course. The plus and minus is you’re not always acting with somebody else when you’re actually doing the final performance. We’re not always doing chemistry reads to see how people read together. You’re usually auditioning by yourself.”

However, Sherman emphasized there’s more to the craft than simply having a funny voice. “Make sure that your acting is on par with those working in the field, because you will be auditioning right next to the best of the best. I will be listening to the person that is on every single show right after your tape. I’m tasked with finding fresh new voices, but I need a great performance as well. I need great comedic chops. Maybe take some improv classes. Don’t forget to add physicality to your performance. It’s not just putting the voice on and doing five or six lines in one level. Find places in the script—they want me to be happy here; how does that change my voice? They want me to be depressed here; how does that change my voice? Find ways to picture what is happening in the scene so you can create a visual experience vocally and the listener can picture what’s happening in the scene based on your performance,” she shared.

Old-school practicality still goes a long way in our social media–saturated world. Be sure to research the casting directors for current Disney projects, and don’t be afraid to reach out. “Send them a short note with your picture and résumé,” advised Disney Channel CD Lisa London (“Hannah Montana”). “Tell them that you would love to audition for them. Just be sure to be prepared if this opportunity arises!” 

Social media and online networking are your best marketing tools. Start a carefully curated social media account and create a personal website that showcases your updated headshots, demo reel, and résumé.

With big franchise production details often kept under wraps, it’s no surprise that having an agent could be your best shot at landing a Disney audition. If you do not have representation yet, our guide on how to get an acting agent can help. We also recommend bookmarking our main casting page for the latest updates on additional opportunities.

For those who are especially interested in portraying one of Disney’s iconic characters, you might also want to audition for roles tied to the company’s parks, resorts, and cruise lines, which are currently casting worldwide. If you have musical talent or dance experience, you might even find yourself eager to audition for Disney on Broadway as it’s currently casting for its stage productions of “The Lion King” and “Aladdin.” (Our guide on how to get cast in Broadway’s “The Lion King” can help you nail that audition.) And with 17 untitled Disney, Marvel, and Pixar projects set to join the company’s already massive roster of releases over the next few years, it can’t hurt to bookmark our Disney and Disney+ casting pages, too.

Our in-depth guides on how to get cast in Disney-related and Disney-adjacent projects are always at the ready:

• How to Get Cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
• How to Get Cast in a ‘Star Wars’ Production
• How to Get Cast in an ‘Alien’ Production
• How to Get Cast in an ‘Avatar’ Movie
• How to Get Cast in a ‘Spider-Man’ Movie
• How to Get Cast in a Pixar Movie
• How to Get Cast at a Disney Theme Park
• How to Get Cast on ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
• How to Get Cast on a Show Like ‘Agatha: All Along’
• How to Get Cast on a Show Like ‘Marvel Zombies’
• How to Get Cast on Marvel’s ‘Wonder Man’
• How to Get Cast on ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’
• How to Get Cast on the ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ Reboot
• How to Get Cast on Disney+’s ‘Oswald the Lucky Rabbit’
• Everything We Know About ‘The Princess Diaries 3’
• Everything We Know About ‘Toy Story 5’
• Everything We Know About ‘Camp Rock 3’
• How to Audition for Hulu
• How to Get Cast on ‘Only Murders in the Building’
• How to Get Cast on ‘The Bear’

Start small. Much of Disney’s content features children, making it an ideal place to launch one’s acting career. But as Taylor told us, you do not need to go big or go home; baby steps are often the best way to lay a sturdy foundation. “I think it’s very easy to watch television and see people and say, ‘Wow, I want to do that!’ And yet, there’s no way for you to be aware of all that entails, for you and your family,” she said. “I encourage kids and parents to start small, just like you would with anything—with sports, with music, all of that. Then, if you do it and you find that you really are competitive and you love it and this is your passion, there are easy ways to self-tape. Families don’t have to move right away. Experiment with that for a while. Maybe you get in a show where an agent sees you. Don’t feel like anything has to happen too fast.” 

Taylor added, “Make sure that it’s something you really love, love enough, knowing that you’ll be going to auditions after you finish school every day or maybe several days in a week, and that it’s fun. If you score something, you want to make sure that when you get there, when your dream comes true, that you’re equipped and that’s where you want to be, that you’re the happiest you can be.”

Experiment beyond the script. “Go back and think about iconic animated characters,” Aaron Drown, executive director of casting for Disney Television Animation, told Backstage. “If you were to try to do an impersonation of what SpongeBob sounds like when he laughs, or what Mickey Mouse sounds like when he laughs, just realize: ‘Oh, an actor came up with that laugh; an actor came up with that noise.’ But don’t expect, in the sides, for the writer to write: ‘Laugh.’ Just be aware of what’s happening around the lines and [what] informs them. The things that aren’t just the written word are important to think about when you’re auditioning.”

As Lyon noted, “For the larger voiceover world, I know that it’s about being able to do a bunch of different voices. So, it’s interesting, because the standard demos don’t really work for us. We still need people who can do great things with their voice, [but] one thing that I wish for when we get demos is that people would speak a little bit with their natural voice.”

Do your homework. “Always do the prep,” said “Cruella” CD Lucy Bevan. “Know the material, and be ready to take notes and make adjustments. It’s hard to do that if you’re not prepared.” 

And as CD Carol Goldwasser (“Austin & Ally,” “Hannah Montana”) shared, that kind of flexibility especially comes in handy for kids and teens in the business: “Have the flexibility to take a note and not be so locked in to your preparation that you can’t move off that mark,” she explained. “With kids and teens, there’s a sensitivity, because when you give a note, sometimes all a young person can hear is: ‘Oh, she didn’t like what I did. She doesn’t like me.’ ”

Rosalind Chao, who played Hua Li, Mulan’s mother, in the live-action adaptation of the animated classic, said, “You need to really find out everything you can about a person that you’re playing if it’s somebody historical…. I still did extensive research to get a sense of what makes somebody do what they do and to find your empathy. I think that’s key, to find your empathy in playing whatever character. That can only be done [by] understanding where they come from and their personal history.”

Be kind to yourself. “Be patient. I think [actors] hear it a lot, but [when] I was three years out, I gave up. I was gonna go to law school,” shared Josh Gad, who voices Olaf in the “Frozen” films. “I called my mother to tell her this news. I thought she would be ecstatic; instead, she was really pissed at me and said, ‘I’m really disappointed in you. You spent 15 years dreaming of becoming an actor and only three years trying. You owe yourself more.’ Then, a couple of months later, I got my first big break on Broadway. The plan was ‘Saturday Night Live.’ The plan did not go as planned. The plan was very: I’m going to be on ‘SNL.’ And it was only after I let go of that dream that my career identified what it wanted to be.”

Similarly, when Diego Luna, star of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and Disney+’s “Andor,” embraced uncertainty, his career began to flourish. “To be honest, I was never intentional, and I think that’s what made [my career] possible,” he said. “I think [plotting out] your career or thinking about the long-term is not something we should be focused on. As actors, that gets us distracted. We end up paying attention to stuff that shouldn’t matter to [us].”

Emily VanCamp, who plays S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter in the MCU, noted, “When I was younger, I had a tendency to be incredibly hard on myself. That can be really limiting. Looking back as a grown-up now, I would say: Stop being so hard on yourself! Let yourself play; let yourself fail. Those are the most important things in any creative environment—or, really, anything you put your mind to. You have to allow yourself to fail…. You have to learn and grow through the process. In a sense, that’s your experience [and] your schooling. For me, it was learning on the job constantly and just trying to grow.”

Come as your best self. “I’m looking for actors who come in and bring a real acting performance to the character and not bring in [just] a voice,” Roberts shared during an interview on “The Ash Taba Show.” “I don’t want a vocal performance, per se; I want the entire performance. I tend to [hire] actors that are actors and not just voice performers.”  

“I think the most important quality is that [actors] honor their authentic voice. An actor should always follow their instincts and follow their impulses,” Finn added. “As long as an actor is drawing [from] their own life experience and connecting with what’s real in them and bringing that to what’s real in the character, it’s going to be unique.”

John Boyega, who plays former stormtrooper Finn in the “Star Wars” universe, explained: “The worst thing actors can do is listen to John Boyega and go: ‘I’m gonna walk in these footsteps.’ ” He added, “You’ve got to be a sponge. In terms of acting, a great foundation is always information. If your foundation is wack and rocky and muddy and you’re trying to build a five-star hotel, forget it. Go back. Dig deeper.”

Find inspiration in what’s around you. Whether you’re between gigs or prepping for your next audition, use what you see and hear to influence your own art. As Angela Bassett (Dorothea, “Soul”) told us, being out in the world can impact your approach to portraying characters in the future. “The answer, or inspiration, comes from where you least expect it,” she said. “From just passing someone on the street, and there’s something about their walk, their talk… It’s being observant of human nature. And then, of course, your own experiences are very helpful, too—sense memory, the things you’ve encountered in your own life,” she noted. “Reading, seeing theater, being inspired by others and their work, so that you’re open and fearless—fearless about choices.”

Vincent D’Onofrio (Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, “Daredevil: Born Again”) echoed the sentiment by encouraging fellow actors to “fill yourself with art.” “It’s so much better to become an artist before you’re an actor than an artist because you’re an actor. You’re gonna be ahead of so many people when it comes to storytelling, blocking scenes, knowing literature, being able to imagine a sculpture or a painting that you loved once,” he told us. “This kind of stuff is vital.”