For casting directors
How to Write a Role Description That Gets Good Applications
In About this role, say who the character is, how big the part is, the language, and any skill it genuinely needs. Set an honest age range and gender, because those decide who hears about the role.
5 min read · Updated 13 September 2026
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In About this role, say who the character is, how much of the project they are in, the language they work in, and any skill the part genuinely needs. Set an honest age range and gender too: those decide which performers hear about the role.
Where performers read it
On your public casting call, each role opens to show its Character name, role type, gender, age range, the text you wrote in About this role, whether Nudity required is ticked, and its Required skills.
That is everything a performer has to decide whether to apply. Anything you leave out, they guess.
What to put in About this role
The field takes between 20 and 1,000 characters. Three to five sentences is usually right.
| Include | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who the character is | Performers self-select on the part, not the project | A junior doctor in a Mumbai government hospital |
| How big the part is | A lead and a one-day part attract different people | Present in all six episodes |
| Language and dialogue | Saves you screening out non-speakers later | Long dialogue scenes in Hindi, some Marathi |
| A skill the part needs | Only if the scene actually needs it | Must be comfortable on a two-wheeler |
| What you want in the application | Applicants write a note when they apply | Tell us about any long-form screen work |
Leave the shoot city, dates and pay out of the role. Those belong in the project description and on the Audition & logistics step, where they apply to every role on the call.
A worked example
A description that brings a thin shortlist:
Looking for talented female actor for lead role. Good looking, confident. Freshers also welcome.
The same role, rewritten:
Meera, 28, a junior doctor in a Mumbai government hospital, and the lead of a six-episode Hindi drama. She is in almost every scene, with long, fast dialogue in Hindi and a few lines in Marathi. We want someone who can carry quiet, tense scenes without overplaying them. Tell us about any long-form screen work you have done.
The second version names the character, the size of the part, the languages and the tone. A performer can tell in ten seconds whether it is for them.
Contact details are removed from roles too
Phone numbers, email addresses, social handles and outside links are replaced with ••••• in the
character name and the role description, exactly as they are in the project description. Applicants
reach you through Castkro.
Writing a number out in words, or asking people to message you somewhere else, does not get around this. It gets the call held for a person to review.
Set the age range and gender honestly
These two fields do more than the description. When your call goes live, performers whose gender and playable age range fit a role can be told about it, and Suggested talent in the Application Manager is matched on role type, age band and city.
- Lower age and Upper age are the ages the performer should be able to play on screen.
26to32for Meera, not18to58. - Gender set to All Genders matches everyone. Use it only when the part truly is open.
A genuine casting requirement is fine to state
Writing that a part needs a particular age, gender, language, look or physical skill is ordinary casting, and the review does not treat it as discrimination. What gets a call declined is language that is demeaning, or a requirement that has nothing to do with the part.
Pick skills a performer would actually list
Required skills needs at least one. Choose skills that performers add to their own profiles,
such as Acting, Dancing or Singing, rather than adding every skill the list offers. A long list
tells an applicant nothing about what matters.
Tick Nudity required only when it is true
If the part involves nudity or intimacy, tick Nudity required and say plainly in the description what the scene involves. A professionally stated requirement is acceptable, and the review does not treat it as sexual content. Raising it only after someone has applied is not acceptable.
Words that stop a call going live
Some things in a role description get the whole call declined, whatever else it says. Keep all of these out:
- Asking performers to pay anything to apply or audition, including a registration fee, a portfolio charge or a refundable deposit
- Meeting performers in a hotel room or a private home
- Personal favours, or any romantic or sexual expectation, in exchange for a part
- Sexually explicit wording
- Casting anyone under 18 without a parent or guardian involved
Promising fame, guaranteed work or a guaranteed income sends the call to a person for review.
FAQ
How long should a role description be?
Between 20 and 1,000 characters. Three to five sentences covering the character, the size of the part, the language and anything the part genuinely needs is enough for most roles.
Can I copy the same description into several roles?
You can, but performers apply to one role at a time, so a shared description makes every role look the same. Give each role at least a line about who that character is.
Can I say I only want a certain age or gender?
Yes. Stating the age range, gender, language or look a part calls for is ordinary casting. Set the Lower age, Upper age and Gender fields to match, because those are what decide who hears about the role.
Why did my phone number disappear from the role?
Contact details are removed automatically from a casting call's title and project description, and from each role's character name and About this role. Applicants reach you through Castkro instead.
Where do I ask for a self-tape or a photo?
Say what you want in About this role. When performers apply they can add a note in Describe why you're the best fit, and their profile photos and videos come with every application.