How to Get Cast on ‘The Wilds’

“The Wilds” is a young-adult drama that chronicles the lives of a group of high school girls who are stranded on a deserted island following a mysterious plane crash. With their lives on the line, they’re forced to overcome their differences and work together to survive. Sarah Streicher (“Daredevil”) is the creator of the series, which she also executive produces alongside Dylan Clark (“Bird Box,” “War for the Planet of the Apes”), Amy Harris (“The Carrie Diaries”), and Jamie Tarses (“The Mysterious Benedict Society,” “Happy Endings”).

Season 1 began filming in New Zealand in October 2019. After the series was greenlit for Season 2, the team moved to Queensland, Australia, and commenced filming in April 2021, wrapping in August. Pandemic-related delays have pushed back the release date for the new season, but it will likely air sometime in the first half of 2022. 

Deanna Brigidi (“Everything’s Gonna Be Okay,” “Stumptown”) and Kirsty McGregor (“Hardball,” “Bump”) scoured the globe to find their young leads. “I approached the casting process with tremendous passion for the material and [by] really trusting my gut instinct,” Brigidi says. She adds that Streicher “developed such beautifully layered and nuanced characters that by the time I finished reading the pilot script, I felt like I already knew them. I was able to target specific qualities and give actors fantastic material to showcase what they’re capable of.” 

Streicher says it was important to the team to cast up-and-coming actors. “ ‘The Wilds’ is a true ensemble show, and we felt that if we cast someone with an extremely high profile in any of the roles, focus would be pulled in that direction…. We were also very intentional about finding actors that had a real, accessible, and grounded quality. Even though ‘The Wilds’ has a big, staggering premise, our foremost goal has always been to tell deeply human stories about relatable teenage women. That was all the more reason to cast newcomers who were capable of bringing realness and nuance to the screen.”

Since Season 2 wrapped filming in August 2021, there are currently no auditions or open casting calls for the series. If the show is picked up for a third season, Streicher says actors should “make themselves known to casting directors like ours. We relied so much on Deanna’s encyclopedic knowledge of emerging talent, and we were always quick to check out audition tapes that she was especially excited about.”

In the meantime, be sure to check out our list of Australian auditions and casting calls, as well as projects that are actively hiring in Los Angeles and New York. Follow “The Wilds” on Instagram and Twitter to ensure you’re the first to hear about any developments—and to enjoy amusing behind-the-scenes snippets from the cast while you wait.

Much of the show’s success can be attributed to the diverse, talented ensemble. The Season 1 cast included: 

• Erana James as Toni Shalifoe
• Helena Howard as Nora Reid
• Jenna Clause as Martha Blackburn
• Mia Healey as Shelby Goodkind
• Reign Edwards as Rachel Reid
• Sarah Pidgeon as Leah Rilke
• Shannon Berry as Dot Campbell
• Sophia Ali as Fatin Jadmani
• David Sullivan as Daniel Faber
• Rachel Griffiths as Gretchen Klein
• Troy Winbush as Dean Young

In May 2021, it was announced that the following actors would be joining the cast for Season 2: 

• Aidan Laprete as Henry Tanaka
• Alex Fitzalan as Seth Novak
• Charles Alexander as Kirin O’Conner
• Miles Gutierrez-Riley as Ivan Taylor
• Nicholas Coombe as Josh Herbert
• Reed Shannon as Scotty Simms
• Tanner Ray Rook as Bo Leonard
• Zack Calderon as Rafael Garcia

Brigidi notes that the pandemic has “definitely changed the casting process,” with actors self-taping their auditions instead of being seen in person. “Guest casts are typically hired from those audition tapes, but sometimes I give notes for a re-tape,” she says. “Depending on the size of the role, a small group of actors are selected for callbacks with the producers via Zoom. We may throw in a Zoom chemistry read if necessary.” 

Streicher says that past auditions for “The Wilds” were often two-scene reads: one scene that captures the superficial qualities that a character presents to the world, and a second that illuminates their hidden layers. “We had to know that our prospective actors would be able to navigate these different dimensions,” she explains. “Sometimes a performer would absolutely nail one aspect of a character—Toni’s hotheadedness, for example, or Shelby’s effervescence—but they’d struggle to find Toni’s vulnerability or Shelby’s darkness. We were still inclined to bring those actors in for producer sessions to see if some notes and a collaborative discussion could strengthen whatever was flagging.”

Both Brigidi and Streicher agree that the actors who added an “element of surprise” to their prepared auditions won them over. “Each character in our little universe is completely unique,” Brigidi says. “So I respond most to actors who find a real connection to the material and bring their true selves to the role without putting on airs.” 

“I’d been living with these characters in my head and heart for so long, I thought I knew them pretty thoroughly,” Streicher says. “Nothing thrilled me more than when an actor would bring some brand-new quality to a character that I’d never imagined…. Whether it was a surprising burst of laughter in an otherwise heavy scene or a long pause that felt full of meaning, I always noticed and appreciated these flashes of the unexpected. They pointed to lots of deeper layers that could eventually be mined.”

Brigidi says that being familiar with the show’s tone before auditioning is key. “We don’t share scripts or plotlines, so auditionees won’t know much about their character or what’s happening in the story,” she says. “I think it’s important to familiarize yourself with the show, even if it’s just skimming through a single episode. The more context you have, the better.”