“The Traitors” took the reality TV world by storm when it premiered on Peacock in 2023, and it has not slowed down since. Fresh off its blockbuster fourth season, the Emmy-winning phenomenon, hosted by the delightfully theatrical Alan Cumming, has already been renewed through Season 6. Though the next celebrity cast list is under wraps, the thirst for strategic deception is higher than ever. In fact, NBC is expanding the series in September with “The Traitors: New Blood,” a highly anticipated spinoff featuring an all-civilian cast of everyday Americans.
If you have what it takes to lie, deceive, or spot a traitor, here is everything you need to know about the reality TV’s casting process, including audition advice from the show’s casting director.
JUMP TO
- What is “The Traitors” about?
- Everything we know about NBC’s non-celebrity version of “The Traitors”
- Who is in the cast of “The Traitors”?
- Who is the casting director for “The Traitors”?
- How does the casting process work?
- Where to find casting calls for “The Traitors”
- The best audition advice for getting cast on “The Traitors”
Each season of “The Traitors” brings together reality TV personalities, celebrities, athletes, and other public figures to compete for a cash prize through various challenges and missions. Loosely based on the board game Clue, players must hide their true motives and alliances to advance in the competition.
The host secretly designates a group of players as Traitors, who must eliminate the rest of the contestants, known as Faithfuls. The Traitors can “murder” players, eliminating them from the game, while the Faithfuls can vote to banish contestants in the hopes of identifying a Traitor. If the Faithfuls eliminate all the Traitors by the end of the game, they split the cash prize, worth up to $250,000. But if a Traitor remains, that person can claim the entire pot.
“The Traitors” is filmed at Ardross Castle, a 19th-century estate in the Scottish Highlands. Contestants have no contact with the outside world during filming.
NBC’s all-civilian edition of “The Traitors” now has an official title and premiere date. “The Traitors: New Blood” will debut Sept. 17 with a special two-hour premiere. New episodes will air on Thursdays on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock.
The series is separate from Season 5 of Peacock’s celebrity-led “The Traitors,” although it follows the same basic format and will again be hosted by Alan Cumming. “New Blood” will bring 22 everyday Americans—selected from more than 60,000 applicants nationwide—to the Scottish castle.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Cumming said when the civilian edition was first announced. “I think it’s going to be a hoot.”
Sharon Vuong, executive vice president of unscripted programming at NBCUniversal Entertainment, said the network looks forward to introducing viewers to “the next generation of legendary gamers and schemers.” She added that, unlike the celebrity edition, the civilian version allows both the players and the audience to get to know the contestants without any preconceived notions.
The Season 5 cast has not yet been announced. While Season 1 of the U.S. series featured both public figures and non-famous contestants, Seasons 2 through 4 featured casts composed entirely of celebrities and other well-known personalities.
Previous competitors have included reality TV stars, athletes, musicians, comedians, and public figures, including Ryan Lochte, Brandi Glanville, Kate Chastain, Rachel Reilly, Cirie Fields, Nikki Garcia, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Chris Tamburello, Janelle Pierzina, Peter Weber, Chrishell Stause, Tom Sandoval, Gabby Windey, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, and Dylan Efron.
Reality TV veteran Deena Katz (“The Masked Singer,” “Dancing With the Stars”) is the casting director. She joined the show as a casting director for Season 2 and also serves as a co–executive producer.
The casting process for “The Traitors” balances seasoned strategists with unexpected celebrity wildcards to drive intense psychological gameplay.
According to Katz, the show’s competitive nature requires a different approach than skill-based programs. While Season 2 was “heavily invested in finding game-playing celebrities,” the strategy evolved for Seasons 3 and 4 to include a broader mix of famous fans from outside the typical reality-competition genre.
Ultimately, the magic of the show comes from its contrast of personalities. As Katz explains, “There is a balance where you have to have the Boston Robs on, or the Wes Bergmanns and Derrick Levasseurs, because they’re going to be great at manipulating the game. But then you counter it with Chrishell Stause and Gabby Windey, who are surprisingly good at getting in and playing the game. That’s when it’s compelling and you want to watch every single week.”
Casting for Season 5 has not been announced. “The Traitors” is produced by Studio Lambert for Peacock and BBC, so keep an eye on the company’s applications page for updates about future opportunities. The celebrity edition does not currently have a public casting application, but prospective contestants can keep an eye on news about future civilian seasons.
There are plenty of other great casting opportunities you can take advantage of, which we spotlight in the guides below:
And bookmark these pages for even more auditions and acting jobs:
Ahead of Season 4, CD Katz shared her best “Traitors” audition tips with us:
Authenticity is everything: “Trying to portray something or someone that you think everybody wants to see [doesn’t work in reality TV], because that’s not what these shows are. The audience doesn’t buy into it if you’re not being authentic,” says Katz.
Show your love for the game: “I love people who love this game; if you really want to be there, you’re a better cast member. So if you’re a huge fan of the show, let me know,” says the CD.
On what makes a good Traitor: “It’s hard to be a Faithful, but it’s even harder to be a Traitor. You have to be smart and conniving. You have to be able to look someone right in the eye, have them love you, and then lie to them. You’re playing a game where you’re going to lie right to someone’s face who you might have known for 20 years. But it’s a game; I think it’s hard when people forget that and start taking it personally or getting their feelings hurt. That’s when you can get caught.”
You can also boost your chances of getting cast on a reality TV show with our expert advice:
