Mandy

Mandy is a well-established casting and crew platform that has been connecting actors, filmmakers, and creative professionals with production opportunities since the early 2000s. The platform originated with a strong focus on the United Kingdom market, where it built its reputation as a go-to resource for independent film, television, and commercial casting. Over the years, Mandy expanded into a global platform with listings from North America, Europe, Australia, and other markets, making it one of the more internationally oriented casting resources available. In a significant industry development, Mandy was acquired by Backstage (itself owned by Cast & Crew) in recent years, bringing it under the same corporate umbrella as Backstage and StarNow. This acquisition has influenced the platform's positioning and pricing structure, though Mandy continues to operate as a distinct brand with its own identity and user base. The platform serves both the talent side (actors, models, voice artists) and the production side (crew, filmmakers, producers), creating a dual-marketplace model.

What distinguishes Mandy from purely actor-focused platforms like Actors Access is its dual nature as both a casting resource and a crew hiring platform. This means the community includes not just actors seeking roles but also directors, producers, cinematographers, and other crew members seeking collaborators, which creates networking opportunities that go beyond traditional casting. Mandy has historically been particularly strong for independent and mid-budget productions, the kind of projects where a director might be casting leads while simultaneously hiring a DP and a sound mixer. The platform's international reach is a genuine differentiator — actors looking for opportunities in the UK, Europe, or Australia will find listings on Mandy that rarely appear on American-centric platforms like Actors Access. The Backstage acquisition means that Mandy's infrastructure and verification processes have been strengthened, and there is increasing integration between the Backstage and Mandy platforms. For actors who work across borders or who thrive in the indie film ecosystem, Mandy occupies a unique and valuable niche.

Getting started on Mandy is simple — you create a free account, build a profile with your headshot, resume or CV, demo reel, and performance details, and begin browsing available casting calls and production opportunities. The platform does not require professional credits or union membership to join, making it accessible to performers at all experience levels. Free account holders can browse listings and apply for many of them, though some features and listings are restricted to premium members. The search interface allows you to filter opportunities by location, project type, role type, and budget level, helping you find relevant castings without wading through irrelevant listings. Submissions are made directly through the platform, with your profile materials attached automatically. Mandy also allows you to set up alerts for new listings matching your criteria, so you receive notifications when relevant opportunities are posted. The profile creation process encourages you to be thorough with your skills, experience, and media uploads, as more complete profiles receive better visibility in search results.

Daily use of Mandy involves checking new casting calls, browsing the platform's production listings, and managing your profile for maximum visibility. The platform publishes new opportunities regularly, with a mix of casting calls for actors and job postings for crew, so learning to filter effectively is important for actors who want to focus on performance opportunities. Premium members benefit from priority placement in search results and applications, which can make a meaningful difference when popular listings receive dozens of submissions. The platform supports self-tape and video reel uploads, which are increasingly important as remote casting becomes standard. Mandy's community features allow some interaction between talent and producers, facilitating connections that can lead to future collaborations beyond any single casting call. The mobile experience is functional for browsing and applying, though the desktop version provides the most complete feature set. One useful aspect of Mandy is the ability to see crew and production listings, which gives actors insight into which productions are actively hiring and may be casting soon.

Mandy attracts a diverse, international community of actors, filmmakers, and creative professionals at all career stages. The platform is particularly popular in the United Kingdom and Europe, where it has been a trusted resource for over two decades, but it has a growing user base in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking markets. Both union and non-union actors use the platform, with listings spanning the full range from student films and no-budget passion projects to professional, paid productions with meaningful budgets. The platform is especially popular among actors who work in the independent film space, where Mandy's production-side marketplace creates a natural pipeline of casting opportunities. Emerging actors and those building early credits represent a significant portion of the user base, as Mandy's free tier and accessible interface make it an approachable starting point. The crew side of the platform attracts directors, producers, and other above-the-line creatives who may become valuable professional contacts for actors who engage with the community.

Mandy operates on a freemium model with a free tier and premium membership options. Free accounts allow you to browse casting calls, apply for many listings, and maintain a basic profile. Premium membership pricing has evolved following the Backstage acquisition — current rates are approximately $7.95 per month or $50 per year, though exact pricing may vary and should be confirmed during the registration process on mandy.com. Premium benefits include priority in search results, priority applications that appear at the top of casting directors' submission lists, access to exclusive premium-only listings, and enhanced profile features. The pricing is competitive compared to major platforms like Backstage ($25/month) and Casting Networks ($29.99/month), making premium access relatively affordable. There are no per-submission fees for either free or premium accounts. For actors who use Mandy consistently, the premium upgrade represents reasonable value, particularly if you are applying for competitive listings where priority placement can affect whether your submission gets seen.

Mandy is best suited for actors who want international casting exposure, particularly those interested in UK and European productions, or who work extensively in the independent film space. If you are a UK-based actor, Mandy should be part of your casting toolkit alongside Spotlight, providing access to indie and mid-budget opportunities that may not appear on the Spotlight directory. For U.S.-based actors, Mandy works well as a supplementary platform after you have established presence on Actors Access and Backstage. The free tier makes Mandy a no-risk addition — create a profile, browse regularly, and upgrade to premium only if you find consistent value in the listings. Actors who are building early credits and are willing to work on indie and low-budget projects will find Mandy particularly useful as a source of opportunities. If you are focused exclusively on major studio and network productions in the U.S., Mandy will have limited relevance compared to Actors Access and Casting Networks.

Take advantage of Mandy's international listings by setting up location filters for markets you are willing to work in — if you can self-tape for UK or European productions, you have access to a pool of opportunities that most U.S.-focused actors overlook. Browse the crew and production listings to identify productions in pre-production that have not yet posted casting calls — reaching out proactively to a director who is actively building their crew can get you seen before official casting begins. If you are using the free tier, apply strategically for listings where your type is a strong match rather than mass-submitting, as free accounts may have some application limitations. Keep your Mandy profile synchronized with your Backstage profile since the platforms share ownership, and casting directors may encounter you on either site. Upload a showreel or self-tape samples to your profile, as productions casting remotely will rely heavily on video to evaluate you. Check the platform at least twice per week, with extra attention to weekday mornings when new listings tend to post.