Central Casting is extending its background-actor services to all 50 US states, responding to film and television production becoming less concentrated in established hubs such as California and New York. The century-old company says the move will give productions greater flexibility by offering casting, payroll and compliance support wherever filming takes place.

Its full “premium” casting service will remain limited to California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Louisiana, while other states will receive a more production-led option based on casting directors’ lookbooks and support. The expansion comes as 39 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico offer screen-production incentives; California remains the largest spending market, although Illinois and New Mexico recorded $47 million and $91 million in production spending respectively in the second quarter of 2026.