How to Launch an Acting Career Outside LA and NYC: Smart Strategies from 5 Booming Markets

If you’re looking to get started as an actor and don’t live in New York or Los Angeles, take heart. It’s never been a better time to find your place in show business.

“Los Angeles isn’t even Los Angeles anymore,” says Florida-based casting director and podcaster Rose Rosen. “Most productions happen elsewhere. The system that we have in place for films and TV is incentive-based. Wherever there is an incentive, that’s where the work is.”

Key Insights

Film and TV production now follows tax incentives, meaning actors can find real opportunities and income in emerging regional markets.

Building a career starts locally through theater, classes, and casting platforms, which help actors gain experience and visibility without an agent.

Success depends on treating your career strategically by researching agents, targeting the right casting directors, and clearly defining your personal brand.

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We talked to casting directors in five of the hottest markets outside the two majors, and each chimed in with some solid advice, though there were a few common themes. For one, local theater is always a great way to get rolling, as oftentimes, local agents will not only see their own clients there, but also because they will use the forum as a scout for new talent.

Another common theme: classes. Find a local acting teacher who speaks to you, and, as Rosen advises, “is not abusive,” and work with them. That will help you hone your craft and get you to a place where you can be reliably employable.

FLORIDA

Rosen observes that “the self-tape situation has expanded our borders. The system that we have in place for films is incentive-based wherever there is an incentive. That’s where the work is. Now, [in] Florida specifically, you can work out of the gate. You could go and do commercials and make a lot of money and really hone your craft. You can learn how to be on set. You can learn how to deliver a good line.”

Rosen is a big proponent of using social media. Both your own, and participating with others’. “Half of my submissions come from the public billboard and half came from agents. So definitely make sure you have at least a free profile at Casting Networks.

In fact, do the free membership everywhere they have one. Keep putting your profiles up, follow all the billboards, and keep track of the social media of any entity that is advertising work. If you don’t have an agent, that’s your first move.”

Rosen’s podcast is a primer on how to get started, “from beginning to end,” but more than that, it’s about educating yourself. “Listen to all the podcasts. Every bit of free information is out there for you to absorb. You have to put the work in, in order to get to wherever you want to go.”

NEW ORLEANS

Ryan Glorioso observes there is an influx of films happening right now. “So I’m seeing a lot of things happening for people. A lot of actors are booking jobs and it feels good to see.”

Glorioso advises that while getting an agent is obviously very important, find one who has good local relationships. “We have a good handful of talent agencies in the state and in the surrounding region that cover the Southeast. Now, someone who’s based in Louisiana is probably going to have a stronger footprint in Louisiana.

If you’re looking to work more heavily in the Atlanta market, you’re going to want to make sure that agent has good relationships with casting directors in the markets that you want to work in. So I think when looking for a local agent, actors should not just be interviewed by the agent, but also interview them to know what their reach is.”

Essentially, just as you would do research for a role, you should also do it to further your career, especially when it comes to finding an agent. “Look into what some of their actors on their roster are booking,” he says.

“See who those casting directors are that these agents are working in close proximity with. So that’s important to have a local agent, because most of us see the actors through the agents.”

CHICAGO

Sarah Cayce observes that the Windy City has more of a variety of opportunities than any other city outside of the Big Two. “You really can do a little bit of everything if you want to have a career on stage, whether that’s doing improv or stand-up or being on at the Goodman Theatre or even storefront,” she says.

“I mean, there are folks who make their living just on stage, all the way to folks who do industrials out the wazoo. It’s such a big commercial town that [you’ll find] everything from national spots that are conceived and shot in Chicago, to industrials that might be boring, but golly Moses do they pay the bills.”

The film incentive in Illinois just improved markedly in 2026, which means there’s going to be a lot more work in both Chicago and the southern half of the state, but that also means that when you’re out there selling yourself to potential employers, you have to know what it is you’re selling.

“Be specific about what you want to do. You’re just like any other department head or small business owner,” she says. “Help us understand who you are and what you’re good at. Assume that once we trust you, we will expand into other things.

Let’s say that someone moves to Chicago because they really want to work on Chicago P.D. If they come here and start taking a ton of improv and commercial classes and get a commercial agent, they’re telling us something very different than their goals.”

Additionally, know who it is you’re targeting. Do research on local casting directors. Make sure you’re approaching the right place.

“Lots of us make it easy, all the way to submitting to us. Almost all of us have a website that tells folks exactly what we do, what we’re good at, and our awards. So you know exactly what what to expect from us. God forbid you start reaching out to a bunch of casting offices without having any idea who you are, trying to pitch something and you don’t know what that pitch is.”

OKLAHOMA

Chris Freihofer has been working as a casting director in Oklahoma for 22 years, and has had a front-row seat for the explosion in film production there. “I used to do maybe one movie a year,” he says, “but lately it’s been 10 to 12, and I’m already doing my third one this year.”

Freihofer is also big on classes and to “get trained,” recommending the state’s website as a starting place. But he also recognizes that this is only part of the answer.

He recommends getting on his mailing list (you can sign up on his website), which is where he posts 90 percent of the the work he’s doing, and while he gets much of his submissions from agents, there are plenty of unrepresented people sending in their tapes as well.

“Having an agent expands your opportunities for sure,” he explains, but also points out that “background casting is a great way for people to get in and see how it works.”

He also talks about how close Dallas, Austin and Kansas City are from Oklahoma, and with the impressive incentives on both the state and municipal level (combining them often improves a film’s financial incentive even more), how much of a draw the Sooner state is for actors in neighboring states.

This does come, however, with pet peeves. “I don’t think I’m alone in this by saying that just simply following the submission instructions goes a long way to success,” he says. “And when something says no phone calls, we mean no phone calls. Man, just send an email, we’ll probably answer it.”

Additionally, understand that there’s a process to everything, and that if you’re getting into the business, you need to grasp that.

“There’s sometimes an expectation of people who are an extra a few times, and they’re ready for that principal role. They think that’s an easy step, but,” he adds with a laugh, “I think people sometimes don’t realize that you can’t be a dentist just because you’ve sat in a dental chair.”

NEW MEXICO

There is something uniquely New Mexican about Shayne Hartigan’s advice for local actors: “network.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, production in New Mexico was booming. While it has since slowed a bit, the result is a DIY approach that fits into the New Mexico ethos.

“I’ve noticed we’ve got all these groups that have come up there, like New Mexico Women in Film, and the Background Actors Association, and they host monthly get-togethers, whether it’s cocktails or fundraisers or bingo nights.

As production started to slow down a bit, you’d get these new ecosystems of filmmakers that say, ‘Hey, well, work is slow, let’s just make our own project.’”

The result is a near constant sprouting of indie film and TV work, some as small as low five figures or as high as the million-dollar range, that employs actors who had come together when there were more larger productions happening in state.

“People got really lucky here,” he continues, “because there isn’t necessarily a huge pool of talent, so background actors were getting seen and promoted to series regulars. On top of that, people came together and joined these groups and it led to opportunities across the board.”

While the standard advice goes for people in New Mexico as well, the extra layer of putting yourself out there and getting to know fellow professionals, both experienced and less so, will be just as helpful in a way that it might not be in other places.

“We’re seeing that expand and blow up and then filter down into the commercials market,” he says. “What they’ve done is, some of these little pods have split off and said, “Okay, well, film is slow, but we have a bunch of local businesses and a bunch of big local businesses that moved to New Mexico. Let’s start doing commercials for them.”

Now those pods are making regular full-time work by producing commercials and still being involved in the industry. People just want to work and create, and that’s so special.”

Key Takeaways

Choose your market intentionally and align with agents and casting directors who have strong local relationships where you want to work.

Stay proactive by using casting platforms, social media, and community networks to access opportunities even without representation.

Commit to training, professionalism, and patience, understanding that career growth happens step-by-step rather than through quick leaps.