The action. The mystery. The 1980s sci-fi. All of these combined work together to create the hot 2016 show that is "Stranger Things." The show is known for bringing a multitude of child actors to the spotlight, like Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, and now that the kids have become America’s childhood sweethearts, every kid wants to know how to be the next Finn Wolfhard/Millie Bobby Brown, and so do I. To find out how I could possibly get in season three of "Stranger Things," I asked my friend Natasha to help me get in touch with her friend Kendall Greene, who was a background actor for season two. I decided to interview Kendall to see how I could get on the set, too!
Talking to Kendall was a blast! She is a funny, charismatic high schooler who enjoys background acting as a hobby. She told me about past acting gigs she had gotten, like "Mocking Jay Part 2," which came in handy when auditioning for "Stranger Things."
According to Kendall, season two casting was a lot easier than what season three casting is expected to be like. This is because the show has become a worldwide hit since its first two seasons. Kendall got on the show because since she had done background acting before, so she knew where to look, and more importantly, she knew what casting call companies look for, as detailed on their social media pages. Kendall saw the casting call for season two of "Stranger Things" on CL Castings Facebook Page and decided to go. She doesn't remember how much it paid, but on average, background acting jobs pay at least $60 for a day of your time.
But this wasn't the only website the casting calls were posted on. It was also available on websites like Backstage. Another thing that helps, Kendall said, is to just look out for the casting call because most of the time, they will be last minute and first-come first serve. Another thing she made me realize is that, to be at the casting call, you must live in or near the Atlanta, Georgia area. This is because you have to find a way to transport yourself to the set.
After talking to Kendall, I spoke with my YouTube friend iNickel, an actor/background based in Metro-Atlanta. She informed me that for "Stranger Things" season three, there will be a closed casting call for it. Nicole knew this because she frequently works with the casting company that The Duffer Brothers were in. On the casting company's website, it stated that to be a background actor, you have to have done a “job” with the company “Casting TaylorMade." After doing one job with them, you are then eligible to be on set.
Talking with Kendall and Nicole really made me feel prepared for the possibility of taking part of one of my favorite shows. But another thing I came to realize is that you must have the right intentions. If you are just a fan who wants to meet the cast, please don't. You may disrupt everyone's work on set, or you may leak something that isn't meant to be shared. Extras aren’t even supposed to have phones with them because of this risk, so taking precautions beforehand to be polite, considerate and adherent of the rules is a must if you want to try your hand at background acting. Overall, remember to just enjoy your time there, and have fun!
