How to Get Cast on Apple TV+’s ‘Silo’

Based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling trilogy—which consists of the novels “Wool,” “Shift,” and “Dust”—“Silo” is a dystopian science-fiction series that explores a future lived 144 stories underground. There, the 10,000 remaining people on Earth live out their days as they avoid the supposedly toxic, deadly surface above. In defiance of the rules, those who’ve tried to determine why the silo was built in the first place typically meet an early demise. So, when protagonist Juliette Nichols’ (Rebecca Ferguson) loved one ends up murdered, the engineer embarks upon her own journey to find the truth in an environment that might’ve been built on lies.

Based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling trilogy—which consists of the novels “Wool,” “Shift,” and “Dust”—“Silo” is a dystopian science-fiction series that explores a future lived 144 stories underground. There, the 10,000 remaining people on Earth live out their days as they avoid the supposedly toxic, deadly surface above. In defiance of the rules, those who’ve tried to determine why the silo was built in the first place typically meet an early demise. So, when protagonist Juliette Nichols’ (Rebecca Ferguson) loved one ends up murdered, the engineer embarks upon her own journey to find the truth in an environment that might’ve been built on lies.

“Silo” features a star-studded cast, including: 

• Rebecca Ferguson as Juliette Nichols
• Common as Robert Sims
• Tim Robbins as Bernard Holland
• Harriet Walter as Martha Walker
• Shane McRae as Knox
• Billy Postlethwaite as Hank
• Chinaza Uche as Paul Billings
• Remmie Milner as Shirley Campbell
• Avi Nash as Lukas Kyle
• Iain Glen as Dr. Pete Nichols
• Christian Ochoa Lavernia as Amundsen
• Rick Gomez as Patrick Kennedy
• Caitlin Zoz as Kathleen Billings
• Alexandria Riley as Camille Sims
• Chipo Chung as Sandy
• Olatunji Ayofe as Teddy
• Matt Gomez Hidaka as Cooper
• Tanya Moodie as Judge Mary Meadows
• Angela Yeoh as Deputy Molly Karins
• David Oyelowo as Sheriff Holston Becker
• Rashida Jones as Allison Becker
• Ferdinand Kingsley as George Wilkins
• Clare Perkins as Carla McLain 
• Akie Kotabe as Diego
• Steve Zahn as Solo

Cami Patton (“Justified”) and Suzanne Smith (“Outlander”) are the primary casting directors for “Silo.”

Patton told Backstage, “[Casting directors] work really hard to make auditions a very actor-friendly process. It doesn’t serve the actors or us not to do that. It should be a place where people are comfortable doing the work they came to do and feel good about it when they leave.” However, the veteran CD also noted that there are more moving parts behind the scenes than the average actor may realize—and that not getting a part does not necessarily reflect one’s skill as a performer.

“I don’t think [actors] know how many people generally are weighing in on a process, how random it can be, and why someone does or doesn’t get a job over the next person,” Patton said. “There are so many times producers and casting directors love what someone did and they don’t get the job. In those instances, what happens is they may not get that job, but they’re going to be remembered, and eventually, they’re going to get the right job.

“When I was casting ‘Justified,’ [there] was a very specific tone and a very specific pool of people that were right for it. I had actors that came in over and over and over through the years; and eventually, we get the exact right part,” she added.  “There were several times where, after having done that, I was actually able to offer them a part that would end up recurring because they’d done such great consistent work all along; it just wasn’t the right part. The best thing I can say is if the casting director is bringing you back, even if you’re not getting the jobs, then you’re doing your work. You’re doing a good job, they like you, and they’re going to help you find the right work.”

Having worked with creator Graham Yost for more than two decades, Patton’s usually on the same page as the showrunner. “ ‘Silo’ was created by Graham Yost, who I have worked with for 25 years and adore; and we have shorthand, and we have very similar tastes. I know who he knows. Sometimes, he surprises me with new people that he will turn me on to,” she told Daily Actor. “But in general, I have a pretty good sense of the tone he’s going for and who feels right, and we are usually in sync.”

Despite this synergy, Patton admitted Juliette was the hardest role to cast on “Silo.” She said, “We didn’t go out to a lot of people. We did read a lot of people, and we had the list of ladies that we felt could be right, that were offer-only. It didn’t have to be a big name, but, certainly, that’s a wonderful thing if we get it. So, we kind of did both approaches, and it was really informative about the character. And the more you saw of people reading it, the more you realized exactly how difficult a role it is to cast and what you’re asking of that person.”

She continued, “And when we went to Rebecca—who, if I remember correctly, was the first person we actually officially went out to, at least once I was on board—initially, she passed [on the role]. She read it, she took her time, she read the books; she really responded to it and took it very seriously, but passed.

“It was really hard to think of who else we wanted to offer it to that was going to feel as right,” she noted. “So, we started the process of testing people and just before we were ready to test, she called her agent and said, ‘Can you find out if that role is still available? I can’t let go of it.’ Thank God. And I only tell that story because she has told that story. We were all just like: ‘Oh, my God.’ Through the roof excited when she said yes.”

When it came to casting Juliette’s father, Dr. Pete Nichols, played by Iain Glen, Yost told Awards Focus they couldn’t have guessed the two actors would have such electric chemistry. “You don’t know for sure,” he said. “But you do know there’s a certain level of professionalism and the right attitude, and you pick that up on the Zoom. I knew that it was going to be a joy to work with Rebecca, and it has been. We get a kick out of seeing each other when we get together, make each other laugh, and talk about real stuff about our lives.

“And then there’s the work, so I knew she would be a really good partner,” Yost continued. “Meeting Iain Glen and Zooming with him, I was like: Oh, yeah, he’s the guy. Then you hear reports back: Rebecca texting, ‘Just did a day with Iain Glen. Oh, my God, what a treasure.’ And I talked to Ian, and he said, ‘It’s so much fun to work with Rebecca.’ All of that you don’t know. You’re going on their professionalism, the work they’ve done, and you hope for the best. You know that it’s going to be good. You just never know for sure if it’s going to be great. In this case, they ended up being absolutely wonderful together.”

On Dec. 16, halfway through “Silo” Season 2, the streamer greenlit the series for a third and fourth season—its final two seasons.  While the streamer has not yet revealed when the show will start filming its final installments, Ferguson told Collider it’s highly likely they will shoot both seasons back-to-back. 

“It’s three books, and the three books are divided into four seasons,” Ferguson explained. “I think we’re absolutely fine with saying Season 1, we’ve done. Season 2 is shot and coming out, and we’re now looking at greenlighting Seasons 3 and 4. And I think we would film them maybe together, and that would be the end.”

“Silo” doesn’t appear to have any public casting calls available at this time; however, when Seasons 3 and 4 start filming, we plan to stay on the lookout for casting notices when they become available. In the meantime, if you’re looking for an opportunity to audition for the dystopian drama, we recommend bookmarking our main casting page for the newest listings. You might also want to check out our guide on how to audition for Apple TV+ as you prepare.

Keep your feet on the ground. Ferguson understands there’s pressure coming at you from every angle. That’s why she advises actors to try again in the face of failure and remain grounded in their own identity. “Live. Try. Fail. Try again,” she said. “Just go for it. It’s a hard job; it’s a really, really difficult job, and it takes a lot of time. And you do feel sad a lot and you feel under a microscope. And the more you get to know yourself, the more grounded you can be in this world of scrutiny.” 

Listen intently. With years of casting under her belt, Patton strongly advises actors to listen to all that’s said in the audition room. “From the second you walk in the door, be listening. It’s very easy because of nerves to get in your head and be so busy concentrating on what you were planning to do when you walk in that you’re not hearing the dialogue coming beforehand. It’s a tipoff that they’re not in the right place. I think by and large, most casting people do their best to try and make that as relaxing as they can,” she noted. “We’re all trying to help make that as easy a process as we can. Casting directors want you to be the answer. They want the actor who walks in to be great.”

But then forget about everything. Once your audition ends, Patton recommends forgetting the whole thing: “When you walk out of a room, let it go and don’t think about it again. I couldn’t understand how my sister, who is an actor, could go through audition after audition, and [then] go to lunch. I would’ve been obsessing about what I did or didn’t do or what had happened. Did they like me or did they not? She said, for her, the audition was a job, and if she got booked, that was the gravy. And I think that’s the best way you can look at it: Your job today is to go on whatever auditions you have, be as prepared as you can be, and be as relaxed as you can be. If you don’t hear back or you don’t get it, don’t sweat it. There’s so much out of your control at that point, and all you can control is what you do in that room.”

Fame shouldn’t be your end goal. Glen told Express he’s more introverted than some may believe, but when it comes to voicing his opinion on pursuing acting for fame’s sake, he couldn’t keep quiet. “If that’s a goal, then I would really forget about it. To sustain a lifetime as an actor, you’ve really got to want to do the acty bit and know that there’s a really high chance that no one will ever know who you are,” he noted. “It’s the best business in the world, but do not get sucked into some notion of when you’re going to be well-known, how you can become well-known, and how fame might feel. I do bump into it quite a lot, even with my kids or other people…. There is an idea that a loose notion of fame can be superficially attractive, but it won’t keep you going.”

Fight your fears and calm your nerves. Smith knows tensions are high in the audition room—but don’t let your nerves ruin your only chance at a first impression. Even if you mess up, there’s power in taking a moment to regroup and restart. “Never be frightened. If you are going into an audition with a director or producers and you start off by fluffing, just say sorry, take a beat, and start again. Obviously, it’s difficult if it’s in the middle of something or at the end. But if it’s the beginning, I just say calm yourself,” the CD explained. “It’s nervous for us! We go in for jobs, too, and it’s just as nerve-racking…. I think the public tend to think acting is an easy job and all actors are incredibly wealthy and successful. They have no idea of how tough it is…. Just keep believing in yourself, and hone and hone and hone your craft.”