
If you’ve been captivated by Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” you’re not alone. For its debut season alone, the series earned seven Emmy nominations, including leading and supporting nods for Melanie Lynskey and Christina Ricci, respectively. And now, over two years since the survival drama got the greenlight for a third installment in December 2022, it’s finally headed our way on February 14, 2025.
Do you have what it takes to rough it out in the wilderness with this talented ensemble? From insights into the casting process to audition tips from industry veterans, here’s your field guide to landing a role on “Yellowjackets.”
JUMP TO
- What is “Yellowjackets” about?
- Who is in the cast of “Yellowjackets”?
- Who are the casting directors for “Yellowjackets”?
- How does the casting process work for “Yellowjackets”?
- Where can you find “Yellowjackets” casting calls and auditions?
- What are the best audition tips for landing a role on “Yellowjackets”?
The series is equal parts psychological drama, horror, dark comedy, and coming-of-age story. “Yellowjackets” follows a talented high school girls’ soccer team whose plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness in the ’90s. The passengers who make it out of the wreckage are then forced to survive in the woods for 19 months. The story alternates between 1996 and the modern day, focusing on four survivors who are now middle-aged.
The “Yellowjackets” cast includes:
- Melanie Lynskey as Shauna
- Tawny Cypress as Taissa
- Christina Ricci as Misty
- Juliette Lewis as Natalie
- Sophie Nélisse as Teen Shauna
- Jasmin Savoy Brown as Teen Taissa
- Samantha Hanratty as Teen Misty
- Sophie Thatcher as Teen Natalie
- Steven Krueger as Ben Scott
- Warren Kole as Jeff
- Ella Purnell as Teen Jackie
- Simone Kessell as Lottie
- Courtney Eaton as Teen Lottie
- Lauren Ambrose as Van
- Liv Hewson as Teen Van
- Jane Widdop as Teen Laura Lee
- Keeya King as Teen Akilah
- Kevin Alves as Teen Travis
- Alexa Barajas as Teen Mari
- Peter Gadiot as Adam
- Luciano Leroux as Javi Martinez
- Sarah Desjardins as Callie Sadecki
- Alex Wyndham as Kevyn Tan
- Elijah Wood as Walter
- Mya Lowe as Teen Gen
According to Variety, Hilary Swank and Joel McHale will appear on Season 3, with each signing on for a guest star role. Jason Ritter, Lynskey’s real-life husband, was slated to make a cameo appearance during Season 2, but his scenes were ultimately held for a later date.
Junie Lowry-Johnson and Libby Goldstein are the main CDs behind all three seasons of “Yellowjackets.” Lowry-Johnson has over 200 casting credits, eight of which won her Emmys. She’s been a CD on “Six Feet Under,” “Desperate Housewives,” “True Blood,” “Homeland,” and dozens of other series and movies. Goldstein is also known for her work on “Six Feet Under,” “True Blood,” and “Homeland.” Additional credits include “Ugly Betty,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” and “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Goldstein has over 100 casting credits and five Emmys under her belt.
If you get the chance to audition for these veteran CDs, expect a “relaxed atmosphere,” Goldstein told us. (You may even get to meet their dogs!) “We are very casual. It’s who we are. And in the end, we think actors appreciate our relaxed vibe,” she said.
Lowry-Johnson added that good auditions are all about authenticity. “We are always looking for the realness, the simpleness,” she explained, “for the scene to elicit our getting involved emotionally—not witnessing someone overacting.”
According to co-creator Bart Nickerson, casting was an uphill battle due to the massive amount of characters in the series. “It really felt like production was bearing down on us,” Nickerson told E!. “And it was, ‘Oh, my God, we have so many roles to fill, and we are not finding the right people.’ But then it just all somehow comes together after hours and hours and hours.”
Co-creator Ashley Lyle, who’s also Nickerson’s wife, went so far as to describe the casting experience as “emotionally devastating.” The amount of talent that came through the door made their decisions even more difficult. “Early on, we said, ‘This is a really big challenge, and I think we really need to focus on the essence of the character as opposed to the specifics of their physicality,’ ” Lyle recalled. “And in a weird way, by doing that, we ended up with actors who miraculously all could look a lot alike.”
“The casting process was this giant puzzle where two ensemble casts that could play each other also had to sort of stand alone,” Nickerson said in a bonus clip on the Season 1 DVD. “It was more about the spirit and the essence of these characters than a physical match,” Lyle added. By working closely with one another, the adult actors and their younger counterparts have developed complementary personas that continue to deliver on the creators’ intentions.
At this time, there are no open casting calls for the series, as we are still waiting to hear if “Yellowjackets” will get picked up for a fourth season. But in 2023, Lyle told Entertainment Weekly that she and Nickerson had always planned to tell the story over five seasons. So, we’re fairly certain the show will return (even if it takes two years). In the meantime, keep an eye on our main casting page for the latest notices, and check out our guide on how to audition for Showtime to prepare for your moment in the spotlight.
Come prepared: Goldstein emphasizes the importance of taking acting classes prior to walking into the audition room. “When opportunity knocks—and you never know when it will—you must be ready for it,” she told Backstage. “It’s easy to get into a casting office for one audition, but you want them to remember you for the next one. It’s not about getting this job—it’s about getting the next one.”
Lowry-Johnson believes that preparation is key to success. “Take your work seriously, study diligently, and always keep studying and deepening what you do,” she added. “Do not pursue this life for fame or fortune, but for the inner satisfaction it gives you.”
Embrace criticism: As an industry veteran, Ricci knows the business better than most—and her continued success likely comes from her willingness to learn and grow. “I would give this advice to anybody, really, starting in pretty much any field—and certainly in an artistic field. You should always be open to constructive criticism; but also, find the thing that you do that’s special, and do that thing,” Ricci said. “No matter how strange the thing is that you’re good at, if you’re the only person who does that, and does it beautifully…play to your strengths, even if they’re not popular at the time.”
Accept reality: Oscar winner Swank wants actors to make choices that are right for who they are and what they hope to achieve. “That’s the mantra that I live by: Make a choice, make it happen,” she said. “Be really clear about what it is you want in your life and then work towards that every day—and be open-minded when something else comes, so that you go: That’s actually a great idea, and if I wouldn’t have been open-minded, I wouldn’t have thought about that.”
But Swank said you can’t ignore what goes into keeping the industry running. “There’s a whole business side that you have to navigate. It's just part of it. And once you understand that and accept the reality that you can’t only do things you want to do, that part of life is sucking it up and doing stuff you don’t want to [do]—and that’s never going to change—you feel much better,” she explained. “It’s art and commerce—that’s the way it’s always been. But I think if you have good people around you to help with stuff you’re not as good at, you can focus more, but not entirely, on other things.”
Check out Backstage’s TV audition listings!