Somebody Casting - Formerly Mad Dog Casting
This article is not written with malicious intent, nor to harass or defame anyone. It is shared in good faith and in the public interest, based on information already reported publicly or directly experienced by others. The purpose is awareness and protection - not personal attack.
In 2018, ‘Mad Dog Casting’, a long-running agency that supplied background artists and crew to productions in film and TV, merged with ‘2020 Casting’, a similar agency, to become ‘Mad Dog 2020’. In recent years, Mad Dog 2020 has faced mounting allegations of poor treatment and non-payment.
In June 2024, Equity issued a formal caution about Mad Dog 2020, following repeated breaches of agreements and court orders for unpaid wages. Then in May 2025, Mad Dog appointed liquidators, meaning the company officially shut down, owing thousands of pounds to workers - money that many are still fighting for and have never received.
But the story doesn’t end there…it seems some of the people behind Mad Dog are back with a new agency called Somebody casting.
Who Were Mad Dog / Mad Dog 2020?
Mad Dog 2020 has:
Failed to pay dozens (potentially 100+) of supporting artists
Ignored County Court Judgments
Triggered Equity to take legal action on behalf of members owed over £21,000
Been accused of misleading casting claims and dodgy commission practices
Mad Dog Casting LTD is now dissolved. But a new agency for actors and supporting artists, ‘Somebody Casting Ltd’, has seemingly been set up by the same people.
What Companies House Reveals
Companies House is the UK’s official register of companies. You can see who runs a company, if it’s gone into liquidation, any name changes, etc.
When following the trail for Mad Dog Casting and Somebody Ltd, here’s some of what you find:
Key names at Mad Dog Casting Ltd are also listed as people with significant control in Cinextra Ltd and Somebody Ltd
Mad Dog Holdings Ltd changed its name to Cinextra Ltd, which now controls Somebody Ltd
All three companies share the same business address and are linked to the same individuals
This isn’t new behaviour: the people seemingly at the helm of Somebody Casting have been involved in multiple companies later dissolved, liquidated, or that went insolvent, including one called FP1 Ltd in 2020.
The Pattern is Clear
When one company runs into trouble, another emerges
The same people remain in charge
There’s no transparency or accountability
This seems to be an example of “phoenixing” - when a company goes bust and its directors set up a new one to escape debt, responsibility, or legal scrutiny.
While not always technically illegal, it’s often used to exploit loopholes and avoid paying what is owed - and can be unlawful if used to deliberately defraud creditors or workers.
In the case of Mad Dog and Somebody, Equity has explicitly called this phoenixing and demanded regulatory intervention. The evidence suggests that ‘Somebody Casting’ are the same players in a new disguise.
In a recent Facebook post, Somebody Ltd claims they are a completely new business with no connection to Mad Dog. But based on what we know from Companies House and verified records, this appears to be an attempt to distance themselves from their past while continuing business under a new name - with many of the same people, the same address, and ties to a company with significant control over both.
Equity’s Warnings
📢 Oct 2024: Equity issues official caution to members about both Mad Dog 2020 Casting Ltd and Somebody Ltd.
“We continue to receive evidence that supports these companies being closely linked and failing to pay performers for their work.”
📢 Feb 2025: Equity confirms Mad Dog has gone into liquidation, leaving people owed thousands in unpaid fees.
“We have demanded that regulators take action against the directors involved.”
📢 March 2025: Equity reiterates that directors should not be allowed to simply start again under a different name, and vows to campaign for systemic change.
“This is an example of phoenixing - a company dissolving and reforming under a new name to avoid responsibility. Equity will continue to demand that those in power are held to account and that performers are protected.”
Mismanagement and Alleged Fraud
In December 2023, Mad Dog sent an email to some performers indicating they would be deferring payments owed for work completed that year, despite a legal requirement to ring-fence money owed to workers. While Mad Dog formally acknowledged struggling to pay Supporting Artists from December 2023, evidence suggests they had been in financial difficulty long before they informed clients. If payments were deferred without legal justification, particularly when funds should have been protected in trust, this strongly suggests mismanagement or even fraud.
From a former Supporting Artist for Mad Dog:
“Mad Dog continued trading for over 18 months after admitting struggling to pay SA’s, and continued to fail to pay existing artists all the while gaining new contracts and onboarding new SA’s. In some cases, they were even the sole supplier of SA’s on a project, all supposedly whilst nobody in the industry with power or influence knew they weren’t paying people. How did it go unchallenged for so long?”
While Mad Dog focused on background and supporting artists, Somebody Casting appear to be now representing professional actors too.
If you’re an actor being approached by this agency, or a production/casting office considering working with Somebody Casting… take this as a warning.
The patterns of poor practice, lack of accountability, and financial misconduct are well-documented. The name may have changed, but the people, the behaviours, and the red flags remain.
“In a low paid, zero hours industry you are dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t. Most SAs have other jobs, work fewer than 20 days per year, and are even less likely to have representation. Bad industry operators prey on this. As a former police officer I learned early on that the law only applies to the lawful. This became further apparent when Mad Dog ignored the County Court Judgements to pay those still owed. Yet, the Industry itself continued to use Mad Dog whilst productions knew SAs weren’t being paid.”
– Former Mad Dog Client
General Reminders About Working with Agencies
In the UK, it is unlawful for an agent to withhold payment from a client for longer than 10 days after receiving it from production. This is stated under The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.
The time it takes for production to pay an agent can vary, but invoices from paying clients are usually paid within 30 days of the agent issuing it.
You should not be waiting months or years (!!) for payment.
When you do receive pay it should always come with a remittance: a document clearly stating the details of the payment including the date, gross amount received, any deductions, the net amount paid to you, and the dates relevant to the job and payment.
You are well within your rights to reach out directly to casting offices and production companies, especially in regards to transparency about money you are entitled to.
For further guidance and official warnings, see Equity’s announcement:
Equity: Advice About Mad Dog Casting Ltd and Somebody Ltd
Written by Alexa Morden
Click here to read about how to spot rogue agencies.
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