Tona B. Dahlquist Casting (Virginia)

Tona B. Dahlquist Casting is one of the most established and respected casting operations in the Southeastern United States, with over 30 years of industry experience that spans some of the most iconic film and television productions to shoot in the region. The company's impressive filmography includes casting work on Academy Award-winning films such as Forrest Gump (1994) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021), as well as major blockbusters including The Hunger Games (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), and the Halloween franchise entries Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021). Operating across a multi-state territory that includes Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, Tona B. Dahlquist bridges the gap between casting services and talent representation, providing a unique dual capability that gives represented actors insider access to the casting perspective that drives hiring decisions on major productions. The company's longevity and the caliber of productions they have serviced place them in a category that few regional casting operations can match.

In the current production landscape, Tona B. Dahlquist Casting continues to serve as both a casting office for incoming film and television productions and a talent resource that connects local actors with professional opportunities across the multi-state Southeast territory. The company's dual role means they simultaneously operate as the entity that casting directors hire to find talent and as a resource that connects actors with these very opportunities — a position that provides unique insight into exactly what productions need and how to match talent with specific casting requirements. Virginia's production market benefits from state incentives and proximity to Washington, D.C., which creates distinctive casting needs for government, military, political, and corporate content that the D.C.-adjacent region generates in abundance. The company's geographic reach across Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia means they serve productions throughout one of the most active filmmaking corridors in the United States, where the combination of tax incentives, diverse locations, and established production infrastructure attracts a steady flow of major projects.

Actors seeking to work with Tona B. Dahlquist Casting can submit their materials directly with professional headshots and a resume that highlights relevant training, performance credits, and any special skills or characteristics that make them valuable for the types of productions that shoot in the Southeast. The company maintains an active social media presence, particularly on Instagram (@tonacasting), where casting calls and production announcements are regularly posted, providing actors with real-time information about upcoming opportunities that require local talent. The Virginia and broader Mid-Atlantic market values reliable, professional talent who can handle a range of project types — from major studio features requiring background and day-player talent to commercial and industrial work for the government and corporate clients that are abundant in the D.C.-adjacent region. Submissions should clearly indicate your geographic location and availability, as the multi-state territory means productions may be casting in Virginia, the Carolinas, or Georgia, and proximity to the filming location is a significant factor in casting decisions.

The casting operation functions by serving as the local casting arm for productions that come to the Southeast, meaning Tona B. Dahlquist's team is often directly responsible for finding and casting the local talent that fills background, day-player, and supporting roles on the major productions filming in the region. This casting-side perspective provides represented talent with an invaluable advantage — the people submitting you for opportunities are the same people who understand exactly what the production's casting director and director are looking for, eliminating the guesswork that often characterizes the traditional agent-to-casting-director submission chain. The company handles casting for a range of roles from featured background and atmosphere players to small speaking parts that productions cast locally to reduce travel costs, providing working opportunities that build professional credits and on-set experience. Recent casting work including a 2026 call for 'The Hunting Wives' demonstrates the company's continued active engagement with current productions, maintaining the relevance and industry connections that have defined the operation for three decades.

Talent working with Tona B. Dahlquist Casting range from experienced SAG-AFTRA members who have accumulated extensive credits on the major productions the company has cast over three decades to newer actors seeking to build their first professional on-set experiences through background work and small roles. The multi-state coverage means the talent pool draws from diverse communities across Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, providing productions with access to the authentic regional types and demographics they need for specific projects. Actors with professional, authoritative, and distinguished looks find particularly strong opportunities in the D.C.-adjacent market, where government, military, political, and corporate productions are always seeking talent who can convincingly portray senators, military officers, business executives, and other professional types. The company's track record on major productions means their talent pool includes actors who have appeared in some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed films of the past three decades.

Tona B. Dahlquist Casting operates within the standard industry compensation framework, with actors paid according to the specific production's rate structure — SAG-AFTRA union rates for union productions and negotiated rates for non-union work, with background, day-player, and featured roles each commanding different compensation levels. For casting services on major productions, the company does not charge actors fees to be considered or submitted — they are hired and compensated by the production company, not by the talent they cast, which is the standard and ethical business model for casting directors. If the company also provides talent representation services, commission rates would follow industry standards, typically 10% for union work and 20% for non-union projects, though actors should clarify the specific terms of any representation arrangement directly. The major productions that the company regularly casts pay professional rates that comply with applicable union agreements and local employment standards. Being cast in a major studio feature or television series through Tona B. Dahlquist provides both immediate compensation and the long-term career value of having credits on recognizable, high-profile projects.

Tona B. Dahlquist Casting is an excellent resource for actors in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia who want to connect with the major film and television productions that shoot throughout the Southeast, particularly performers who are looking to build professional credits on high-profile projects through background, day-player, and supporting roles. The company is especially valuable for actors in the D.C.-adjacent market who possess the professional, authoritative, and distinguished types that are in high demand for the government, military, and corporate productions unique to the region. If you are seeking full-service talent agency representation with consistent proactive submissions across all casting categories, you should consider dedicated talent agencies alongside or instead of casting-focused operations. Actors who are building their resumes and seeking on-set experience with major productions will find exceptional opportunities through the company's casting operation on studio features and television series. For any performer in the Southeast who wants access to the region's highest-profile productions, working with the casting operation that has placed talent in films from Forrest Gump to The Hunger Games represents an opportunity that is genuinely difficult to find elsewhere.

Follow Tona B. Dahlquist Casting on Instagram (@tonacasting) and monitor their social media channels actively, as casting calls and production announcements are frequently posted there and response time can determine whether you are considered for time-sensitive opportunities. Develop the specific skills and presentation qualities that the D.C.-adjacent and Southeast markets value most — military bearing, professional corporate presentation, Southern authenticity, and the ability to convincingly portray the types of characters that the region's distinctive production landscape requires. Build a strong self-tape capability, as productions casting throughout the multi-state territory increasingly rely on video submissions from actors who cannot attend in-person casting sessions. Maintain your flexibility and willingness to travel within the Southeast region when significant production opportunities arise, as the willingness to drive several hours for a booking on a major studio production can be the difference between building impressive credits and watching opportunities pass you by. Keep your submission materials current and immediately accessible so you can respond to casting calls within hours of their posting, as the competitive nature of casting for major productions means that prompt, professional responses are essential for serious consideration.