Term

Central Casting

A United States background-casting company founded in 1925 to organize studio hiring and reduce exploitation in the then-chaotic market for extras.

Pre-production

Also known as: Central Casting Corporation

Reviewed September 3, 2026

In practice

The corporation was formed in December 1925 and opened to registrants in January 1926. Today the brand remains a casting service; “straight out of Central Casting” is also an idiom, not a generic name for every background-casting office.

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Sources

How the Founding of Central Casting Revolutionized Background Casting — Central Casting