Only pretty people or models can work on Soaps. Soaps now hire all sizes, shapes, colors, ages. “Real” people are necessary to portray seventy-five percent of the roles daily – nurses, policemen, attorneys, judges, doctors, boutique owners, journalists…the list goes on. Regional Accents (New York, Southern, Hispanic, etc) are acceptable. Wrong. Only if the character is specifically from these areas, do you need this kind of accent. Otherwise it would place you out of the location of a Pine Valley, Llanview, Springfield, etc. Get rid of the accent if you want to work.

If you do an extra job once, you’ll never get a contract part.Wrong. Just the opposite is true. If they get to know you, they will consider you for the recurring and other larger roles. Use the opportunity as an extra or “under-five” player to learn the system, network with the people who work on the show daily and make some money. Casting Directors hire you for major roles.Casting Directors can only hire you for the day player, “under-five” and extra roles, but their input is important for the contract parts. The final decision is up to an executive committee and eventually, the Executive Producer.

Directors hire you. Directors are under contract just like actors. Unlike directors in the theater and film (who have the final say), they have little or no input in the casting process for Soap Operas. You don’t need theater training, only on-camera “Soap” training to do a Soap Opera. Wrong. If you only have a limited budget to spend on training, go for the acting technique or scene study class with the best in the business. You can always learn on- camera technique the first day on the set. It’s easy.( i.e., an overly dramatic “bad” actor on stage will be a bad actor in front of a camera. As an actor just learn to be truthful and real in whatever media you plan to work).

If you take a course from a Soap Opera Casting Director, an assistant Casting Director or a daytime executive, you’ll get hired on that show. Not only do people still believe this myth, but it’s the major reason they sign up for courses with CD’s. When you sign a three year contract, they have to pay you no matter what for three years – you cannot be fired. Networks have the option of writing you out with two-months, two-weeks, two-days or two-minutes notice. You have to have an agent to get a job on a Soap. Eventually, if you’re up for a contract role you’ll need someone, an agent or lawyer, to negotiate your contract. And it will help to have an agent submit you for major contract parts. But you can get extra, under-five, even day player and running parts on your own.