The creative team behind the Norwegian drama, SKAM, is looking for authentic Austin teens for the American remake of the international phenomenon. SKAM won numerous awards in Norway for its groundbreaking and authentic portrayal of the daily lives of teenagers. America is not the only country to make a remake of the hit show, but it is the only remake of the show that is being produced by the original Norwegian creators, which is an all-female team.

Over the past few weeks Westwood students have probably seen the SKAM business cards floating around or heard promotions for the open casting call they were previously holding.

“I auditioned for SKAM because I’ve always been into acting and thought it was a really cool opportunity,” Caytie Jenkins ‘18 said. “What intrigued me about SKAM was that it portrays common high school hardships and struggles that teenagers go through, so I thought it would be cool if I could be a part of that and to help others realize that they’re not alone.”

As the open casting comes to a close, the team is still searching for a specific role of a Muslim woman aged 17-19 years old to audition for a lead role. Students interested in auditioning should contact send their name, phone, email, birth date, current city of residence and a photo to Vicky Boone Casting. Prior acting experience is not required, and if cast, talent will be paid professional scale.

“This is a great opportunity for a young Muslim woman to authentically portray the Muslim American experience in a fun show,” casting director Ms. Vicky Boone said. “The show is narrative drama shaped around friendship and reality to create the most genuine portrayal of teen life.”

Austin-based Vicky Boone Casting is the team in charge of finding the people to play in the American remake, and has previously done regional casting for such critically acclaimed films as Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, and most recently Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!!

SKAM Austin is also being produced by XIX Entertainment, creator of American Idol, along with the original creators of the show in Norway. The creative team are strong advocators in the importance that young adults see their stories and themselves portrayed in media, and hope to deliver that message in this project.