How to Get Cast on Netflix’s ‘The Night Agent’

Based on Matthew Quirk’s 2019 novel, “The Night Agent” follows Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), a low-level FBI agent who works in the White House Situation Room. Tasked with managing an emergency line in the building’s basement—known as the Night Action phone line, which rarely rings—Peter answers a call from someone named Rose (Luciane Buchanan), who claims her aunt and uncle have been murdered. This plunges the fledgling agent into a world of conspiracies that threaten the very government upon which the country was built.

Season 1 features:

• Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland
• Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin
• Fola Evans-Akingbola as Chelsea Arrington
• Sarah Desjardins as Maddie Redfield
• Eve Harlow as Ellen
• Phoenix Raei as Dale
• Enrique Murciano as Ben Almora
• D.B. Woodside as Erik Monks
• Hong Chau as Diane Farr
• Robert Patrick as Jamie Hawkins
• Kari Matchett as President Michelle Travers
• Christopher Shyer as Vice President Ashley Redfield

Season 2’s cast includes:

• Brittany Snow as Alice
• Teddy Sears as Warren
• Amanda Warren as Catherine Weaver
• Navid Negahban as Abbas
• Arienne Mandi as Noor
• Michael Malarkey as Markus
• Keon Alexander as Javad
• Berton Colon as Solomon
• Rob Heaps as Tomas

Netflix confirmed Season 3 will feature:

• David Lyons
• Jennifer Morrison
• Stephen Moyer
• Genesis Rodriguez
• Callum Vinson
• Suraj Sharma

However, details about their characters remain under wraps at this time.

John Papsidera (“Wednesday” “Yellowstone” “Lessons in Chemistry,” “Dexter: Original Sin”) serves as the primary casting director on “The Night Agent.”

For the veteran CD, how actors carry themselves makes all the difference. “I think confidence is one of the biggest things. It’s infectious if an actor walks in with confidence and belief in themselves—and not cockiness and not hubris, but belief in what they’re bringing into the room,” Papsidera told Backstage. “It’s contagious to directors and producers. I also think choices make a huge difference, and you’ll just find actors along the way [who] enable themselves…to find moments that are uniquely theirs. You’ll see a lot of people come in, and the readings are fine, but they’re not individualized. They read the words on the page, and it sounds right; but it’s the person [who] comes in and makes a choice that is incredibly specific to them that then you remember those things and go, I didn’t think of it being played that way, or I didn’t know that that was what it could be. And those are truly gifted people [who] take their craft into a different realm than just anybody [who] can read lines.”

“A lot of it has to do with being a real human being and allowing themselves to be seen,” Papsidera explained, “not just physically, but actually who they are. Being prepared certainly is part of it, and having an idea of what they want to do, making interesting choices—all of those things lend themselves to the overall experience of it. When you get to be in the company of an artist, those are the things and the moments I remember as a CD. I want everybody to rise to that level, because that’s what makes me remember them.”

Prior to landing the titular role on “The Night Agent,” Basso had “tuned out,” feeling the burnout from years of constant work, so he “took a big break, and I enjoyed old spy movies,” he told Netflix’s Tudum. But when Basso came upon the chance to audition for the role of Peter, he was intrigued, as it fit right in with his recent interests. Even creator Shawn Ryan said there’s likely no one else who could’ve fit into Peter’s shoes.

“The thing about Gabriel is that the minute you place eyes on him, you like him,” Ryan said, specifically referencing the show’s opening scene. “[When] the camera’s pan stops at Gabriel, you’re like, ‘Oh, who is that?’ You sense a good soul there…. The camera loves Gabriel—even when he is not speaking, something soulful comes across.” 

Ryan described Basso as “one of the most athletic and gifted stunt actors,” adding, “There’s a physicality and authenticity that he brings to the role that a lot of other actors fake but don’t really have.” That’s probably because Basso has years of martial arts training under his belt.

However, showing off his skills was overshadowed by one element: his facial hair. “I had auditioned while I was filming another movie, ‘Trigger Warning,’ with Jessica Alba. I had a beard. So when I sent in my tape, they turned me down,” he shared. “When I wrapped ‘Trigger Warning,’ I remember messaging my team again and asking, ‘Hey, whatever happened with “The Night Agent”? Because that was cool. Have they cast it yet?’ They said no. So I retaped with a clean shave and one thing led to another. And then I was Zoom-calling the director. I met [my costar] Luciane Buchanan on one of the auditions. Then I went to Shawn’s house and we just talked about the project for a bit.”

Beyond Basso, Ryan noted how important it was to establish a realistic supporting cast, which probably explains why he turned to actors who were experienced in the genre. “It’s finding those pillars that you can build a believable world around,” Ryan said. “So between the three of them [Robert Patrick, D.B. Woodside, and Enrique Murciano] and Hong Chau, who—it’s amazing; we cast this incredible actress, and then all of a sudden she’s getting nominated for SAG Awards and Oscars and everything [for ‘The Whale], and it’s been so wonderful to see her ride over the last few months. [And] Kari Matchett, who plays the president of the United States. You have to build a believable world in that White House for all the things happening outside the White House to be believable as well.”

“Finding these people who fit into those roles as these ambitious politicians or government servants in the FBI or Secret Service, it’s really important that world feels authentic,” he added. “And there’s great conflict. There’s great scenes between Hong Chau’s character and Enrique’s character, where they go at each other in a way that, to me, feels very authentic [to] the way that people who don’t like each other in the White House would go at each other. It was really fun to write for them, and they helped pull off the White House portion of this world really well.”

While “The Night Agent” Season 2 premieres Jan. 23, filming for Season 3 has already begun in Istanbul, according to Variety. Production paused for the holidays and is set to resume filming in New York in early 2025—so check back for updates once the series returns stateside!

Although there aren’t any open casting calls available to the public at the moment, we suggest securing representation if you have not yet done so, as these industry insiders often have access to listings that are otherwise unknown to the average joe. Here’s everything you need to know about getting an agent. 

We also suggest bookmarking our main casting page, which regularly updates with the latest listings. Or check out this roundup of major streamers seeking talent now. For more advice, our guide to getting cast on a Netflix project is filled with go-to tips to help you nail your next audition.

Just do it. For Buchanan, becoming an actor has always been what she wanted to do. But she says there’s no time like the present for those still trying to break into the business. “I guess it was always there for me; I don’t really remember a time [when] it wasn’t something I wanted to do,” she told FQ.

“I was a ’90s, square-eyed kid and always had a sense of play; so, naturally, I wanted to do what I saw every day on TV. I always thought I’d be too shy to ever do anything about it, but I am so happy I have…. Just do it. Don’t wait for it to come to you; the more you put into it you will get back, like anything else. Make your own work if jobs aren’t coming in,” Buchanan added. “Learn, learn, learn. Jump in the deep end, because it is rewarding; expect hard work and fun times.”

Fight for yourself. As Woodside told us, breaking into the entertainment business isn’t the easiest thing to do, but as long as you remain your biggest supporter, you can overcome any obstacles that stand in your way. “You always have to fight. I thought because I’m a hard worker, and because I’ve been in the business for 20 to 25 years, that it should be a natural progression and doors would naturally open up. I was shocked when that wasn’t the case,” he shared. “I would say: Always keep that grinding, hustler mentality for everything that you want to do in this business. Continue to grind. You always have to push and always have to fight. That can sound exhausting—it is—but it doesn’t mean you can’t take breaks. Just know you always have to advocate for yourself; never stop and persist. Don’t take no.”

Reframe rejection. Brittany Snow has enjoyed a long career, but as she told us, rejection hasn’t become any easier. However, her evolving mindset has helped her accept that what’s meant to be will be: Rejection is redirection. “I would love to tell everyone that I’m so used to rejection now…. But I still am a very sensitive human…. It always feels like a little bit of a [personal] rejection, but the tools that I have now and how I deal with it are much different than how I used to deal with them,” she said.

“I do truly believe that it was either a learning process, not meant to be, or something was getting me ready for something else. I can look back at so many TV shows…where it was down between me and somebody else and the other person got it, and then they met their husband on that show. They have a baby with that person. They live in Wales now. Things  that are so crazy where I’m like: I was not supposed to live in Wales with a baby!” she added. “Things that I now have perspective on, and that makes it easier for the next rejection. Because I’ve been on the other side of it, too, where I’ve directed and produced, and people can give the best audition ever and they’re so good, but it’s just not the right vibe, tone, look. There’s a whole bunch of things at play, and usually it has much more to do with everything else in the world and not just you.”

Make smart choices. While Papsidera is “not one for a lot of rules,” the CD told us that actors can do certain things to stand out in the room. “I’m not a big ‘don’t’ guy. It’s more about being present, making smart choices, being prepared. Those are things that impress me and that make a difference and separate actors from one another,” he said. “If an actor makes a smart choice or an unpredictable choice in some way… The person who really thinks about the material and tries to come at it creatively rather than just saying lines is nine times out of 10 the person that you’re going to think made a great choice. It’s going to stick out from the rest of the crowd. It seems simplistic and rudimentary, but it would shock you how many people don’t think it through.”

He continued, “It doesn’t mean a random choice, and it doesn’t mean being outrageous. It’s about smart choices. It’s about interpreting the material and character in a certain way that nobody else thought of. Fear gets in the way of making smart choices, being present, and allowing the camera and the process to happen. It’s less about doing sometimes and more about being.”