Casting is the process of choosing actors for roles in a play, movie, or TV show. When directors hold casting calls, actors audition by reading lines or performing scenes, hoping to be cast in a part. A casting director watches hundreds of auditions, looking for actors whose talents, appearance, and personality fit each character. Landing a role through casting can launch an actor's career, while being typecast means getting offered the same kind of role repeatedly because that's what people think you do best.

The word also means the act of throwing something, especially a fishing line. When you cast a fishing line, you swing the rod so the line and hook fly out over the water. Skilled anglers can cast their lines precisely where the fish are biting.

In metalworking and manufacturing, casting means pouring molten metal or another liquid material into a mold, then letting it harden into a specific shape. Factories cast everything from engine parts to bronze statues this way. A doctor might put a cast (made from plaster or fiberglass) on a broken arm to hold the bones in place while they heal.