Netflix’s newest adaptation “Bet” stars Miku Martineau, Aviva Mongillo, and Anwen O’Driscoll in a campy series that’s part Japanese manga, part “The Queen’s Gambit.” Based on Homura Kawamoto’s 2014 manga, “Kakegurui”—which translates to “compulsive gambler” in English—the author’s story has already inspired two spinoff manga, a live-action Japanese series, an anime, and two live-action films. Produced by Boat Rocker Media, Netflix’s adaptation of “Bet” features 10 episodes that draw from the original story’s themes but don’t follow it down to the minutest detail, as the streamer is “betting” that the underlying premise will draw viewers.
“Bet” debuted on May 15, and its gripping finale already has fans begging for a second season. So, if you want to learn more about this new series, you’ve hit the jackpot. From the casting director to the casting process, here’s everything we know about landing a role on Netflix’s “Bet.”
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Set at St. Dominic’s Prep, “Bet” follows the students of an elite boarding school, who are the children of the world’s wealthiest citizens. But these students don’t excel in sports or academics—they gamble. Those who succeed live like royalty, while those who fail are made to pay. But when Japanese transfer student Yumeko arrives, she threatens to upend life on campus as they know it. A high roller, Yumeko is set on seeking revenge against those who murdered her parents.
The main cast of Netflix’s “Bet” Season 1 includes:
- Miku Martineau as Yumeko
- Ayo Solanke as Ryan
- Eve Edwards as Mary
- Clara Alexandrova as Kira
- Hunter Cardinal as Michael
- Anwen O’Driscoll as Riri
- Dorian Giordano as Chad
- Aviva Mongillo as Dori
- Ryan Sutherland as Suki
- Laura Afelskie as Runa
- Emma Elle Paterson as Blake
- Erin Agostino as Enza
- Shane Daly as Mattias
- Jay Yoo as Jo
- Rami Khan as Rex
- Piyal Sarker as Kylie
- James Burke as Raymond Rowe
- Christine Okuda Hara as Mrs. Kawamoto
Season 1 also features Alex Hook, Emily Shelton, Isaac Kragten, and Ang Kiriakos.
Larissa Mair (“Holly Hobbie,” “Odd Squad”) is the casting director for Netflix’s “Bet.” Mair is located in Toronto, and actors can keep an eye on what Mair and her associates are working on via her website. Don’t forget to check out our guide on becoming an actor in Toronto, too.
For advice on how to ace an audition with Mair or for a show like “Bet,” check out our resources on the 10 best anime monologues to power up your audition or 13 questions asked at casting interviews.
Like many major projects, actors were invited to audition for roles kept secret with fake character names. Solanke, for instance, came in to read for the role of Harry, who ultimately turned out to be his future role of Ryan. “When I read this, I was like, ‘You know what? I’ve experienced this before,’ ” he told Pop Culture Unplugged. “I tried to approach it in a way where I applied how I felt about situations to this character, and tried to bring it as home as possible and try to be someone that could be resonated with.”
Similarly, Mongillo originally auditioned for a character named Stephanie, who eventually became the role of Dori. “They changed the name in the audition because they did not want people to know it was based off of the manga ‘Kakegurui,’ ” she told Pop Culture Unplugged. “They didn’t want people to know that yet, so it was like a secret name, like a code name.”
Cardinal’s experience, however, was unusual compared to most. “I had an audition where it was this rad rebel character with a moral compass for this story called BET. Didn’t go into too much detail about it. I did the audition and immediately tried to forget about it. It’s kind of what I learned to do when I was doing tests in school. I’d prepare for it, then pretend to be like, ‘What test?’ ” he shared with What’s on Netflix. “Then a month went by, and they wanted to have a callback, stuff like that, and I was like ‘Yeah, okay, I’m not going to get cast in this, but sure, we’ll do a call.’ But, the callback didn’t happen because a month later, I found out I was cast with just one audition that I had done! No testing, no callbacks, no interviews of any kind. So then, a month later, I’m in Toronto, diving into the world of BET.”
Since Season 2 of “Bet” has yet to receive the greenlight, there are no open casting calls available at this time. We suggest checking out our roundups of Netflix and Canadian gigs that are casting right now. You may also want to bookmark our Netflix and Toronto casting directory pages, which regularly update with the latest related notices. For actors specifically interested in similar projects, our “Bet”-inspired gigs are casting as we speak. And don’t forget to study our guide on how to audition for Netflix!
When it comes to auditioning, there are the roles you land and the ones you don’t. But as Martineau said, after she auditions for a project, she forgets all about it, putting her thoughts about the part on the “back burner” because she prefers to “keep moving forward.”
“Rejection is not rejection—it’s redirection,” she told “That Digital Take” podcast. “If I audition for a role and it didn’t work out for me, there’s no point of me dreading over the role and thinking perhaps I’m not talented or things as such, because A, it was a time where I could continue to practice my craft, and [B], that role was never meant for me. It was meant for another actor out there.… That role was theirs and you should just celebrate that and be happy for them and just have the utmost confidence that your role will come.”
Giordano echoed the sentiment, noting rejection comes with the territory. “I’ve definitely learned how to handle rejection because I get a lot of it,” he told Naluda Magazine. “Sometimes people don’t see how much rejection you get as an actor; they only see you with success.” But, the actor added, the best way to work through rejection is to think ahead for your next audition: “When you’re auditioning I’ve learned to always be prepared because I’ve been in callbacks where there’ll be a scene that was in the initial audition, however, in the callback it wasn’t requested, and then all of a sudden they’ll ask you to do the scene on the fly, so I’m always extra prepared. Being prepared is a big thing in this business.”
Ultimately, you are your own worst enemy—or your biggest advocate. It all depends on your approach. “You have to believe in yourself,” Martineau said. “You are your biggest enemy sometimes. You are your biggest block and if you can get past your own self-doubts or self-critiques, you can really be free in your work.”
Giordano also added, “Always be on time and always be authentic to who you are. Don’t try to guess what the casting director or the director or the producer want. Just give them you.”
