I never ever see casting calls for Soaps. How do you break into them? How do you do extra work for them and who casts under fives?

All this info is listed in Ross Reports.

Soaps do casting calls through breakdowns and agents just like other TV projects...

Hi Roxxy,

This should get yout started -

http://www.backgroundbeat.com/forums/index.php?showforum=157

I actually just submitted myself a few times and I eventually got called in for a contract role audition, I was shocked because I had a very limited resume. I didn't book it but I did end up getting a few days on a different soap that the same CD was working on.

Hi kenpo1980,

By submit do you mean send in a h/r or submit via the online services? just curious.

Thanks,

Annie

Getting some work on soaps is definitely an area where you can get work through self-submission.

Brian O'Neil's book "The Business of Acting" has great advice on getting soap work. I followed his plan and got my husband on all the NY soaps. So far he has done U-5s--getting dayplayer roles is harder and more likely from agent submissions.

I wasn't as fortunate, but I'm less marketable in that area than he is.

Good luck!

It may be superfluous to point this out, but if your goal ultimately is to be a regular on a soap, as opposed to doing under 5's and background, looks count way more than in other genres. Unless something's drastically changed since the last time I so much as glanced at one (a while, I confess), the first qualification for starring in a soap is to fit a certain conventional idea of beauty. If you're not what others consistently consider a very good looking person, I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Just posting a thank you to all who posted here. I recently submitted to the extra and u5 casting directors for the NY based soaps. It's nice to know that the opportunity to 'upgrade' is there.