When Netflix drops a hot new reality show, we’re collectively all ears. We’ve seen it with Squid Game: The Challenge, as well as with Love Is Blind. And we’re about to see it again with the streamer’s upcoming Monopoly series.
But this time, it could be you that the whole world is watching. Better yet, it could be you snatching the promised $2 million (£1.5 million) prize! Interested? Let’s get up to speed on what the contestants will face and how you can make the cut.
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For starters, there will be no flipping the board – we can say that much.
This will be a “life-sized, fully realized Monopoly town square,” according to Netflix. Good luck flipping that. “[Twelve] players will enter on equal footing. But equality won’t last long. To survive, contestants must accumulate everything or lose it all. Every negotiation, every decision, and every roll could mean the difference between building an empire and going directly to jail. One by one, bankrupt players are eliminated – until a single winner is left standing to take it all.”
Alliances will be forged. Hotels will be built. Second prizes in beauty contests will be won (potentially). Having navigated “the fine line between capitalism and chaos,” one contestant will depart a cool £1.5 million richer.
“If it’s a scripted show, you want brilliant actors. If it’s an unscripted show, you need brilliant people,” says Stephen Lambert, CEO of Monopoly production company Studio Lambert. The company’s previous reality competition shows include:
- Squid Game: The Challenge
- The Traitors
- The Circle
- Race Across the World
Lambert and executive producers including Nia Yemoh, Tim Harcourt, Jack Burgess, and Kim Murphy are the ones looking for those brilliant people.
Think you fit the bill? Here’s some advice from Netflix casting directors and Studio Lambert execs.
Be yourself
“Not everyone has to be loud and outgoing, and that’s why we say ‘be yourself.’ Because every individual has their own spin, and together as a cast is what makes that special,” says Erin Tomasello, casting director for Netflix’s The Circle and Studio Lambert’s The Traitors US.
Be open
“I’m always like, ‘How open is this person to sharing themselves?’” Because in our casting, we get 15 minutes to interview somebody – maybe,” says Rich Leist, director of unscripted casting at Netflix. “And in the 15 minutes, we’re trying to learn everything about you and piece out your best parts, so being open and emotionally available is so key.”
Get comfortable on camera
“In the end, you’re looking for people who are going to be comfortable in their skin when a camera is on them,” Lambert said during a panel at the Edinburgh TV Festival. “That’s often the hardest thing to find.… So the test is: Are they going to be themselves while being filmed?”
Be genuine
“We love real people. We make shows with real people at Studio Lambert all the time,” Toni Ireland, deputy creative director at Studio Lambert, said during a panel at the 2023 Media Production and Technology Show (MPTS). “You know Race Across the World, The Circle, Gogglebox – we know the value in everyday people that people can connect with.”
Don’t try to fill a role
“The biggest mistake I see people make is telling us what they think we want to hear,” Tomasello says. “Putting it on, giving us ‘game show,’ speaking in sound bites – you’re doing yourself a disservice.”
Have fun and be friendly
“All of these shows receive tons of applications and you’re the person getting the phone call. Have fun with that moment.… Just talk to the casting associate like you’d be talking to your friends,” says Donna A. Driscoll, casting director for Netflix’s Love Is Blind, told Backstage.
Be invested in the show
“We don’t want people to feel like they are multiple auditionees for all the reality shows out there,” says Sarah Fay, executive producer at Studio Lambert, said at MPTS. Be sure to turn up with Mastermind-level knowledge of your chosen show.
Have a thick skin — and be prepared for fame
“Our fans are passionate. They will tell you how much they love you, and also people will tell you how much they don’t like you,” Leist says. “We want to make sure that people who come on the show are prepared for handling that…to be thrust in the spotlight on a global scale.”
Talking of being prepared, expect a potentially lengthy casting process.
“We do several meetings…to make sure we’re getting who we think we’re getting,” Tomasello says. The process typically includes:
- Sending a self-tape with your application
- Getting a phone call
- Having a Skype or Zoom interview, which is edited and sent to network execs
- Final selection
The Circle US contestant Lauren Speed-Hamilton said it lasted “at least a couple of months.”
Even then, more individuals are cleared to play the game than actually make it on TV. Studio Lambert’s Harcourt said 20 to 25 were cleared for The Circle, yet only eight made the show. “You’re always still a finalist until the cameras are rolling,” Leist says.
You’ll find an open audition call at MonopolyCasting.com. As per the site, you must:
- Be at least 21 years old at the time of application
- Be available for three weeks of production
- Reside in the United States
- Have a passport for international travel, including to the UK and US
- Not work for (or have a relative who works for) Netflix or the All3 Media Group
The latest reality TV casting calls can be found here, and you can find out more about how to get cast on reality TV shows by following these specific show links:
- How to Get Cast on The Great British Bake Off
- How to Get Cast on The Traitors
- How to Get Cast on Love Is Blind: UK
- How to Get Cast on Squid Game: The Challenge
In the meantime, ensure that you’re audition-ready with the help of these guides:
