How to Get Cast on ‘Bunk’d’

A spin-off of the Disney Channel original “Jessie,” “Bunk’d” initially starred siblings Emma, Ravi, and Zuri of the wealthy Ross family. Although their New York City penthouse served as the setting of the earlier show, “Bunk’d” trades the city for the great outdoors—specifically, Maine’s Camp Kikiwaka. Seasons 1-3 follow Emma, the oldest, who rises from counselor-in-training to manager of the camp; Ravi, middle child and science whiz, who eventually takes his place as camp chef and counselor; and Zuri, who sasses and outsmarts others at every turn as a camper in Cabin Woodchuck.

At the end of Season 3, the three leads seize other opportunities beyond the campgrounds: modeling, academics, and interning, respectively. Season 4 finds Camp Kikiwaka run by Lou, Emma’s upbeat counselor friend. In her new role as camp director and owner, she leads the summer fun for returning campers Destiny, Finn, and Matteo, as well as several eccentric new personalities. The fourth season is full of talent shows, new friendships, betrayals, camp visitors, guest appearances, dairy cows—and plenty of mishaps.

“Bunk’d” was created by Pamela Eells O’Connell (also the creator of “Jessie”) and is currently executive produced by Phil Baker and Erin Dunlap. Dunlap, who took over as EP with Baker in Season 4, is serving as showrunner for Season 5. The series debuted on Disney Channel on July 31, 2015.

The Disney Channel renewed “Bunk’d” for a fifth season on Feb. 24, 2020. Production began in September 2020, and Season 5 premiered on Jan. 15, 2021 (with Peyton List returning briefly to reprise her role as Emma Ross). Season 5 promises to maintain the show’s campy lovability. “‘Bunk’d’ has long been a strong ratings driver for Disney Channel, with funny, relatable characters and storylines that continue to resonate with kids everywhere,” says Kory Lunsford, vice president of Disney Channels Worldwide. “We’re very excited to embark on a fifth season with [showrunner] Erin [Dunlap] and the talented young cast as they head off for another summer at Camp Kikiwaka.”

Season 5 of “Bunk’d” is now airing, and there are currently no casting calls for the series. Check out our list of projects similar to “Bunk’d” that are currently casting—and keep an eye on Backstage for future opportunities for young actors. With new campers and counselors joining each season, it’s likely the Disney Channel will put out an open call in advance of a likely Season 6. Stay in the loop via Disney Channel’s Twitter and Instagram pages, as well as the network’s official casting page.

In November 2019, Disney Channel launched a digital talent search inviting kids ages 8-16 to submit video auditions to be considered for upcoming casting opportunities. Actors were asked to record their performance and upload a video through the website. Their pointers included:

• Have a parent or guardian submit your video
• Be sure to record in landscape mode
• Film in front of a bright, plain background
• Make sure your head and shoulders are visible in the frame
• Be yourself and “let your personality shine through”

Judy Taylor, senior vice president of Casting and Talent Relations for Disney Channel, says that a digital search “gives Disney Channel a chance to potentially discover fresh, young and diverse talent who may not yet have agency representation.”

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In Season 5, “Bunk’d” stars:

• Miranda May as Lou Hockhauser
• Mallory James Mahoney as Destiny Baker
• Raphael Alejandro as Matteo Silva
• Will Buie Jr. as Finn Sawyer
• Shelby Simmons as Ava King
• Israel Johnson as Noah Lambert
• Trevor Tordjman as Parker Preston

Peyton List also returned as Emma Ross in the first episode of Season 5.

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Howard Meltzer has been the principal casting director for “Bunk’d” since the show debuted. The longtime casting director has also worked on several other Disney Channel shows, including “Raven’s Home” and “Lab Rats.” Meltzer served as the vice president of the Casting Society of America and is currently a governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

When it comes to auditions, Meltzer’s advice for young actors is to be encouraged—not intimated—by the opportunity. “We would not have carved these five or 10 minutes in the day for [an actor] to come in to read or go on tape or sit with the producers and network if we didn’t think that they could be the star or guest role on a show,” he tells Backstage. “Sometimes casting [can] be seen as an enemy, and that makes me sad. We’re not. We want you to get the role.”

“I would hope they would know how much we’re in their corner,” adds Judy Taylor, longtime SVP of casting for Disney Channel. She fosters a “very friendly, accessible” audition room for actors. “I think one of the most important attributes a casting director needs is a genuine, innate love of actors,” she says. “We are their advocates. 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.”

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Who better to offer audition tips than the actual cast of “Bunk’d”? Peyton List, who first played Emma Ross in “Jessie” and reprised the role for three seasons on “Bunk’d,” went through multiple screen tests before finally getting the part. List and her mother were in L.A. for pilot season, subletting an apartment for a month. On their last day in the city, she was called in to audition for “Jessie.”  “For the next month, I screen tested. I kept flying back and forth, [screen testing] about four times. When I booked the gig, I was back in New York, sitting in my living room,” she recalls. “When I found out, I was screaming, jumping on the couch, I was so excited, just crying. That was my dream ever since I was little.” 

Here’s what the rest of the “Bunk’d” cast—and the casting directors—had to say about nailing a Disney Channel audition:

Do your research. Reflecting on getting the part of Finn in Season 3, Will Buie Jr. said he went into the audition room “a huge fan” of both “Jessie” and “Bunk’d.” “I knew every episode by heart,” he says. “I really loved the characters in Seasons 1 and 2, but I was excited they were going to have new characters in Season 3 because it gave me a chance to audition. I studied the lines a lot and practiced so much before my auditions and two screen tests.”

Make a statement. Tessa Netting, who played Emma’s arch nemesis Hazel Heidi on Seasons 1 and 2, took a unique approach to the character. She modeled Hazel off her favorite villain, Harley Quinn, imitating her distinct vocal style and wearing pigtails, high socks, and a “Camp Half-Blood” T-shirt. “When I showed up for the audition, I was so different from everyone else there, it was absurd. Everyone else played more of the nerdy route of Hazel, they were wearing bucket hats and nerd glasses, where I was more like ‘Harley mean girl,’ so I stuck out,” she recalls.

“Most people will choose the obvious choice,” she continues. “Be embarrassing! Be out there! Think of something different you can do with the character. That’s always worked for me. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, that’s totally fine, [but] I guess then make a choice that’s not so obvious. Even if it’s not embarrassing or out there, it can still be different. Don’t be afraid to make a weird choice. Go with that choice and be completely committed to it.”

Don’t take notes personally. “Have the flexibility to take a note and not be so locked in to your preparation that you can’t move off that mark,” says Carol Goldwasser, a CD whose credits include Disney’s “Austin & Ally,” “Hannah Montana,” and “Dog With a Blog.” “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.’”

Buie Jr. agrees: “I’ve learned how important it is to listen and take feedback in a positive way. I’ve also learned how to handle rejection and disappointment. Actors have to audition a lot, and most of the time you are not chosen.”

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Energy is everything. You can’t overemphasize “how important it is to bring life and energy to roles in network sitcoms, particularly Disney and Nickelodeon,” says Jackie Reid, who owns and operates a talent management company specializing in young actors. “One of the biggest problems that casting encounters when working with kids is that they just can’t seem to draw the appropriate energy level out of them. They keep trying, over and over, and still the lines fall flat. It’s better to start bigger (while always grounded in reality, of course) and be pulled back than to never reach the level they need at all.”

Start small and build up. Judy Taylor, Disney Channel’s SVP of casting, advises budding young actors to “start small. Wherever you are, if you haven’t been in an acting class or you haven’t really had experience in your school’s drama department, I would encourage you to do that first and see if you love it as much as you think you’re going to. 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.” Then, if you’re still passionate about acting, start by submitting self-tapes. It’s okay if you don’t live in a major market, she says. “Families don’t have to move right away,” Taylor advises. “Maybe you get in a show where an agent sees you. Don’t feel like anything has to happen too fast.”