How to Audition for HBO Max

“The Last of Us” Credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO

“The White Lotus” Courtesy Mario Perez/HBO

Like with most networks and streaming platforms, each project is responsible for its own casting; so the process varies based on the production company and its casting directors. However, those who wish to secure a major speaking role—whether it be lead, supporting, or recurring—should seek out an agent who can help them land auditions that might not typically be open to the public. For those who have not found adequate representation, here’s how to find an acting agent who’s right for you.

However, actors should know that traditional avenues are not the only way to land gigs on HBO Max. In fact, as “Euphoria” casting director Mary Vernieu (“Promising Young Woman,” “Knives Out”) of Betty Mae Casting told us, looking outside the audition room for undiscovered talent has become a way of life for the teen drama and its casting directors. “I think I drive everyone crazy,” Vernieu said. “I’ll see someone on a commercial, and I’ll say, ‘Find that person.’ Or I’ll see someone on the street, and I will go up to them if they’re exactly right, and I’m really needing that role—especially with kids…. I try to see everything I can, whether it’s a play or a TV show or movie. I try to make sure that I’m really current.”

Her fellow “Euphoria” CD Jennifer Venditti (“Honey Boy,” “Uncut Gems”) echoed this sentiment, noting that she takes to social media and the internet to seek fresh talent. “I don’t limit my casting; I don’t think anyone can anymore,” she told us. “We’re not on the street for everything. For ‘Euphoria,’ we found a lot of people online. I feel like street casting isn’t always the appropriate way, because a lot of it is just doing research out of the box. It’s not relying on the same resources that everything else is relying on. I don’t care about social media numbers at all, but we do look at YouTube. We look at interviews and research.”

Even Kate Rhodes James (“House of Gucci,” “Sherlock”), CD for the “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon,” looks for actors in unusual places. “We’re constantly looking for the person that we don’t know about. We don’t want to look at the people we already know about. And I always say to actors, ‘We are your warriors,’ ” she explains. “Actors have no idea how much we fight on their behalf. We really do. I think that’s why so many casting directors get a bit grumpy the longer we do it, because we get overlooked so often. You think, Wow, how hard did I have to work to get that actor in that role who is now a huge success on the basis of this bit of casting, and you’re not recognized further down the line? That’s tough. We really work hard for actors, and I think actors don’t always realize that.”

Similarly, “The Pitt” CDs Erica Berger and Cathy Sandrich Gelfond (“Mayor of Kingstown,” “Love & Death”) were encouraged to seek out unknown actors, giving them the freedom to meet people who had not yet had the opportunity to work on high-profile shows. For instance, Patrick Ball, who plays Dr. Frank Langdon, only had one previous credit: a “Law & Order” episode from 2023.

“He was out of Yale a couple of years and hadn’t done much,” Gelfond told Variety. “That’s the beauty of auditioning; that’s why you do it. Because you can’t know everybody. I never like to say ‘discoveries’ because they’ve been working hard all those years. What’s fun is putting them in parts that let them shine.”

For the latest HBO Max projects that are casting, this roundup of streaming opportunities has all the info you need to know. You might also want to check out this listing of active HBO Max casting calls—and bookmark our main casting page, too.

“The Gilded Age” Credit: Barbara Nitke/HBO

HBO Max boasts some of the most prolific casting directors in the business. Each works for the given production company responsible for developing a particular project, of course, but it never hurts to know who’s out there making these decisions. 

• Kate Rhodes James of KRJ Casting cast the ensemble for HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon.”
• Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann of Lucy Bevan Casting are the CDs behind HBO’s other “Game of Thrones” spinoff, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” They are also tied to HBO’s series reboot of the “Harry Potter” franchise.
• Francine Maisler of Francine Maisler Casting cast the Roy family on “Succession,” earning an Emmy for her work on the hit drama.
• Mary Vernieu of Betty Mae Casting cast the young talent of “Euphoria” alongside Jessica Kelly of Chrystie Street Casting and Jennifer Venditti.
• Meredith Tucker of Meredith Tucker Casting has a long history with HBO, having cast hit series such as “Veep,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and, most recently, “The White Lotus.”
• Bernard Telsey of the Telsey Office and Adam Caldwell served as the main CDs for featured actors on Season 1 of “The Gilded Age,” for which they actively recruited Broadway talent.
• Erica Berger and Cathy Sandrich Gelfond of Cathy Sandrich Casting are responsible for casting the award-winning ensemble of HBO’s “The Pitt.”

If you’re looking to impress this seasoned group of industry veterans, James has some advice. “I always say to actors: Make a decision about the character,” she noted. “It doesn’t matter if it’s wrong…because when you come into the room, you bring that into the room. And then the director will step forward and go, ‘OK, great. I love that. Let’s do it again,’ and then they very politely direct them in a completely different way. Don’t go into a room expecting the director to answer your question, because they haven’t got time,” she continued. “Decide that [the character was] unloved as a child or that they were spoiled as hell as a child—whatever it is. You don’t have to tell us. Just make that decision. It always shows.”

However, you should also demonstrate flexibility, because knowing how to take direction is critical once you’ve secured the role. As Vernieu told us, “If the casting director in the room is saying to you, ‘Could you just do it this way?’ there’s a reason why: The producers are asking for something in particular. Don’t argue. Sometimes, people get a little bit set on the way they’ve prepared it, and they need to be able to be flexible once they’re in the room.”

As Brockmann told us, “The main thing I want actors to know is: We’re on your side. I know that potentially sounds trite, but it’s true. In the most crass way of thinking about it, if an actor does well, we look good, so we’re always willing an actor to do their best. We’re not there to catch you out.”

She added: “The other thing is, you’re not just auditioning or taping for the part that we’ve given you. If, for whatever reason, you’re not right for that part, we will absolutely think of you for something else. So even if an actor doesn’t think they’re right for a project, it’s still worth sending a tape because we’ve always got lots of other parts in our head we’d love to consider you for.”

“House of the Dragon” Courtesy HBO

HBO Max's top CDs and talent advise hopefuls to be themselves in the audition room. Venditti says that confidence can have a major impact. “Be the most dynamic, honest, truthful version of yourself,” she told us. “For me, when someone comes into the room and I can see that they just completely embody who they are—they’re not apologetic and they’re not trying to be who they think I want them to be—that’s the most attractive. There’s nothing worse than someone who’s desperate to be what they think I want them to be. Even if they’re not who I want them to be for that part, if they are 100% authentic in who they are, they might be right for another part. When they’re pretending to be something they aren’t, I can’t put them out for anything.” 

“Sometimes [it] takes a lot of years to understand that everything you need is inside of you already,” “True Detective: Night Country” star Jodie Foster told us. “And if you can find a way to relax and let that truth come through, [then] you don’t need to work quite so hard. And sometimes, if you do work hard, extraneous things get in your way.”

Even “Euphoria” Emmy winner Zendaya told Marie Claire that things are more likely to go wrong in the room if she isn’t being true to herself. “There was a lot of not getting the audition that I wanted—and often, going out for parts that weren’t written for a girl who looks like me—and just saying, ‘Hey, see me anyway,’ until the right thing stuck,” the actor said. “Whenever I’ve been persuaded or trying to do something to please somebody else or because there’s pressure from people in general to make a decision, it always blows up in my face. So I have been in this zone of only doing shit because I want to do it and because it feels right all the way through.”

James added, “I love actors that know who they are. They have an inner voice, and they’re not trying to please me. They bring what they want to bring in the room. Those are the sort of people I can bring in time and time again, and then they start to get the gigs, and it all snowballs from there.”

CD David Rubin (“Big Little Lies,” “Sharp Objects”) told us that actors should “never pander to what you think the filmmakers are looking for” when it comes to any given role. “Never walk into a waiting room and see people there and presume that they’re going to get the role and not you because they look more like the character you envision than you do,” he continued. “The one thing every actor can deliver in an audition that no one else can is their true self. Bring whoever you are to the role. It could be very different from what the filmmakers are looking for, but if it’s authentic and it works, it can actually reframe what people think they’re looking for.”

Sometimes, to maintain that authenticity, actors must showcase their talent in any way they can—even if they aren’t getting hired. “It’s always hard to get your foot in the door, but I think the thing that’s kind of great now is that there are so many means to make your own product if you have a digital camera. If you aren’t getting those jobs, I think writing stuff for yourself or working with friends to make your own product is always a great way A) to keep yourself busy and B) to have something to show people…” Tucker told Backstage.

“It’s a great way just to get to act and write and produce and be a part of something. I think that’s the exciting thing now—that it’s so easy to do stuff like that. People should definitely take advantage of it. But also, sending your self-submissions is always great, keeping your eyes open for nonunion stuff on Backstage. Always keep your eyes open for stuff like that and be willing just to get experience on a set,” she added. “Also, if you have the opportunity to see other aspects of the casting process—we’ve had interns who have ultimately wanted to be actors, but it’s kind of great to see how the whole process works. Take advantage of stuff like that. Some people need readers. It gives the actor a really great insight into the whole casting process.”