If you are under the age of 25 – and possibly even beyond – one of the many roles you might pursue is that of a High School student. However, what casting agents are looking for when casting a high school student is going to depend on the target demographic of the shows they are casting for. High school students on shows geared toward a younger audience are going to be looking for something very different from shows geared towards high school students themselves, such as Gossip Girl or Veronica Mars, while shows aimed at adults are also going to look for something else entirely.

Here are 5 types of High School Students and what kind of looks they might present to help you get started.

1.) Disney Channel / Nickelodeon/ Afternoon High School Student

Photo credit (clockwise from top left): Laura Burke, Laura Burke, Jessica Sherman

High School Students on shows geared towards younger audiences are going to essentially be caricatures of high school students. Fresh faced, innocent, eager – these are all hallmarks of the kind of image that channels like Disney and Nickelodeon want to present when casting for almost any show. For these shows, expect High School Students to often be played by age-appropriate actors and to be cast from a very narrow range of “types.” Even the “tough” character on a Disney show is going to not be all that “tough.” If you are under 24 and your look is fresh-faced, innocent, clean-cut All-American, this is the place for you.  Kids shows are also a great place to “break in” to the business, as they are more likely to hire actors that lack significant experience or an extensive resume.  The list is long and distinguished of adult stars that got their starts on kid’s shows.

2.) Sitcom High School Student

 Photo credit (clockwise from top left):  Laura Burke, Laura Burke, Member Photography, Michael Hiller

A Sitcom High School Student is roughly the Prime Time equivalent of a Disney Channel High School student, but with just a little more edge. Sitcom characters will still most often be clean-cut and “good family values” types of characters, but a sitcom will be more likely to hire an older actor with more experience, rather than an age-appropriate actor that might be new to the business. If they can find an age-appropriate actor with an extensive resume, however, all the better.

3.) Prime Time Drama High School Student

Photo credit (clockwise from top left): Member Photography, Lionfly Photography, Member Photography, Karin Simone, Dana Patrick

If your look is harder or edgier, then prime time dramas will be your bread and butter. Prime Time Dramas often have storylines involving teens that are drop-outs, burnouts or are in some way troublesome. They are also more likely to hire an older actor as the more experienced and seasoned actors can deliver more nuanced performances with less rehearsal and direction. If you are an over-20 to mid-20’s actor with a more edgy but young look, this might be the place for you.  

4.) Soap Opera High School Student

Photo credit (clockwise from top left): Alan Weissman, Alan Weissman, Dana Patrick, Laura Burke

Like Disney, Soap Opera High School Students will lean more towards being caricatures of high school students, but in the opposite way. While Disney will lean towards the clean-cut, all-American image, soap operas will generally lean towards the troubled teen. Teen roles on soap operas generally involve some variation on the saucy teen vixen or the troubled son of a powerful man. Soap operas are known for high drama and that goes for the younger cast as well. The good news about Soap Operas is that they regularly have very high turnovers in their casts and don’t demand a high degree of acting experience. This makes them are a great place to get quick, easy or steady work that will still get you some good experience under your belt.

5.) Premium Channel High School Student

 Photo credit (clockwise from top left): Marc Cartwright, Maus Photography,  Karin Simone

Like Prime Time Dramas, the shows on Premium or pay channels will often be more gritty and raw than what a regular Network show would be able to get away with. If your look is more non-traditional or edgy, this might be the right place for you.  Premium channels such as HBO, Showtime and more recently, streaming services like Netflix and Hulu are creating their own original dramas and might be more likely to use older, more seasoned actors, rather than age-appropriate actors that still lack experience.

TO RECAP:

• If your look is young, fresh-faced, innocent and “All-American”, then kid’s shows and sitcoms are the right place for you 
• If your look is edgy/exotic or you are a little older, then prime-time dramas and premium networks are the place for you
• If you lack experience or an extensive resume, kids shows and soap operas are great places to build them