Portland casting company Cast Iron Studios has put out a call for locals to work on the new HBO series from executive producer Alan Ball ("Six Feet Under," "True Blood.") The roles are as background performers, not principals, according to casting director Lana Veenker.

Veenker says Cast Iron Studios, which is handling local principal and extras casting, is specifically looking for "experienced female mountain bikers, and people of Persian descent." Persia is the name historically associated with the area we now know as Iran.

The filming will take place in the Portland area July 17-21.

More details: the female mountain bikers should be in their 20s to 30s, and look athletic enough to participate in extreme sports. Those interested should also be able to bring their own equipment -- i.e., mountain bike and cycling shoes -- to the set if they are cast.

In a post on the Cast Iron Studios website, Veenker says there won't be cycling during the filming, but the bikers will be seen as if they had been cycling, and are now finished.

The extras of Persian descent the company is seeking should be men and women ages 30 to 50, but Veenker says in the blog post that they'll also be looking for some children, young adults and seniors of Persian heritage.

And, of course, Portland hipster types are still wanted. "We're constantly combing our database for great beards and mustaches," as Veenker is quoted as saying in the blog post.

The HBO series still doesn't have a title (it's listed on IMDB one of "Here, Now," but that's not yet the official title.) Tim Robbins and Holly Hunter star, as an idealistic Portland couple who adopted children from Vietnam, Somalia and Colombia and who also have a biological child.

Though the series is set in Portland, the majority of filming is happening in Los Angeles, with some shooting in Portland of exteriors and other scenes. The pilot was shot in April, with four days of filming in Portland.

The Cast Iron Studios site also specifies that these are non-union positions, with pay starting at minimum wage (8-hour guarantee, plus overtime) for general extras, to between $100-$150/day for other background positions. Background performers can also earn bumps for the use of their cars, bicycles, pets, etc., the site specifies.

To be considered for work as extras on the show, submit online via the company's extras submission form. Deadline is Thursday, July 13, 2017.

For more details, visit the Cast Iron Studios website.

-- Kristi Turnquist



kturnquist@oregonian.com

503-221-8227

@Kristiturnquist