Now Casting · Paid Roles · Columbus, Ohio
We're casting four paid roles for African American performers in an award-winning, festival-recognized short film shooting this October.
Deborah, Act Two
Chosen is a dark comedy about grief, old love, impossible timing, and the unexpected ways life asks us to begin again. Its comedy is grounded, not slapstick — the absurdity of real life arriving all at once, and the grace it takes to survive it. By centering an older Black woman as romantic, flawed, funny, and still becoming, the film challenges limiting portrayals of aging — and reminds us that reinvention has no expiration date.
We're casting four paid roles for African American performers in an award-winning, festival-recognized short film shooting this October.
All four roles are written for African American performers. This is a requirement of the story and the characters as written.
You do not need extensive acting credits. Experienced and newer performers are equally welcome — stage, screen, or first-time on camera. We're watching for truth and instinct, not a long résumé. Union and non-union performers welcome.
Janice, Deborah, and Harold must read as older. They're written in their 70s; performers roughly mid-60s and up are encouraged. These are vibrant, lively, fully alive characters.
Earthy, regal, and gloriously unbothered. A widow quietly carrying on with an old love, until one very long morning upends everything. Outspoken, witty, fun, and carefree, and it shows in how she carries herself: vibrant, stylish, and still very much a sexy woman. Underneath the comedy is someone done being anyone's second choice. Needs razor-sharp comic timing, real warmth, and gravity.
Rate: $300/day · 2 days. Role includes a brief staged physical altercation, choreographed for safety.
Harold's wife. Refined, dignified, and impeccably put together. She arrives not to beg but to collect what's hers. Her power is in restraint and composure, the quiet cut, until it finally cracks. An elegant, commanding presence. Needs stillness, dry devastation, and a willingness to commit to physical comedy.
Rate: $300/day · 2 days. Role includes a brief staged physical altercation, choreographed for safety.
An old love and a sitting councilman, held for most of the film by catalepsy, trance-like episodes in which he appears lifeless. A largely physical, largely still role built on control and presence, plus one short burst of confused, panicked life.
Rate: $150/day · 2 days. Wardrobe note: Harold appears to have been caught undressed, but there is no nudity in this film — the actor wears an undershirt and shorts and is covered with a blanket.
Deborah's grandson. Polished, quick, and very much not signed up for this. He becomes the tender, calming counterweight in the chaos. Needs charm, fast comic reactivity, and genuine warmth.
Rate: $150/day · 2 days.
About ten seconds. Say your name, the role you're reading, and your city. Then go straight into the scene.
Hold the phone sideways. Keep your eyeline just beside the lens, not into it. A plain wall behind you, soft light on your face, and a quiet room.
Ask a friend to read the other lines from off-camera, a little quieter than you. Their voice should not compete with yours.
We would rather see a bold interpretation than a safe one. Know the lines well enough to keep your eyes up. One take per side is plenty.
Add a short clip of yourself holding completely still for 60 to 90 seconds while someone talks nearby, then perform the wake-up lines.
It does not need to be a professional headshot. A clear, recent photo taken on your phone is perfectly fine — we just want to see your face. A résumé is welcome if you have one, but it isn't required.
Upload to YouTube (unlisted), Google Drive, or WeTransfer. Name the file LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_ROLE. Please don't send large attachments.
Send a link (unlisted YouTube, Google Drive, or WeTransfer) named LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_ROLE. Include your name, phone, the role, and a photo of yourself — it doesn't need to be a professional headshot. Self-tapes due Monday, August 31, 2026.