Cast

Top (L-R): Joseph Lymous, Alise Morales, Jake Szczepaniak, Miya Kodama, Adisa Williams, Geoffrey James

Bottom (L-R): Jetta Juriansz, Vinny Thomas, Zae Jordan, Lorena Russi, Evan Mills, D.J. Mausner

Producing Team

Top (L-R): Tyler Davis, Laurie Magers, Calvin Seabrooks, Eddie Mujica

Bottom (L-R): Anosh McAdam, Asia Martin, Sai Lang, Jordan Stafford

The 2023 “CBS Showcase” Premiere Screening Event in Hollywood Jan. 17

Additional Virtual Screenings Jan. 18 and Jan. 19

RSVP for the Virtual Screening Event HERE

Click HERE for a Sneak Peek

Click HERE for Photos

LOS ANGELES – Jan. 4, 2023 – Paramount Global today announced the 12 cast members and producing team for the 2023 CBS SHOWCASE, which will hold a premiere screening event in Hollywood on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Additional virtual screenings will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 18 and Thursday, Jan. 19 at 1:00 PM, PT, 4:00 PM, PT and 7:00 PM, PT. Click HERE to RSVP for the virtual screenings.

Recognized by many as the industry leader in actor showcases designed to spotlight up-and-coming talent, SHOWCASE is a highly produced hour of comedic digital shorts, sketches and music videos with bold, laugh-out-loud funny performances and original, creative writing. The show is viewed by senior-level executives, showrunners and casting directors from Paramount brands, as well as other networks and streamers, in addition to talent agents and managers from across the entertainment industry. 

Currently in its 18^th year, SHOWCASE is overseen by the CBS Talent and Casting group in partnership with Paramount’s Office of Global Inclusion, as well as a team of creative producers who are all returning alumni of the program.

This year’s cast members include: Adisa Williams (Kingston, Jamaica), Alise Morales (Fairfax, Va.), D.J. Mausner (Toronto, Ontario), Evan Mills (Chicago, Ill.), Geoffrey James (Cleveland, Ohio), Jake Szczepaniak (Wheaton, Ill.), Jetta Juriansz (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Joseph Lymous (New Orleans, La.), Lorena Russi (Queens, N.Y.), Miya Kodama (Fresno, Calif.), Vinny Thomas (Denver, Colo.) and Zae Jordan (Atlanta, Ga.).

The producing team, whose members are all former participants of SHOWCASE, includes: Tyler Davis (“Work in Progress”) as director/EP, Laurie Magers (“Obliterated”) & Calvin Seabrooks (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “4400”) as co-head writers/EPs, Eddie Mujica (“Gordita Chronicles,” “True Story with Ed and Randall”) as associate director/EP, Anosh McAdam (THE NEIGHBORHOOD) as producer and Asia Martin (“The Chi”), Sai Lang (“Special”) and Jordan Stafford (“JFL New Faces 2022”) as consulting producers.

“We are so grateful to this year’s producing team for returning to SHOWCASE and developing an entertaining, genre-bending show that not only demonstrates their skills as creators but also provides an impressive launching pad for this year’s talented cast,” said Claudia Lyon, EVP of talent and casting at CBS Entertainment. “As the scale of SHOWCASE continues to grow under the creative leadership of our program alumni, so does the caliber of talent in front of the camera. We look forward to introducing industry audiences to these 12 newcomers who deliver noteworthy performances that signal great things yet to come,” added Dorey Poder, VP of talent and casting at CBS Entertainment.

Following a nationwide talent search, 12 performers from across the country are selected to participate in a month-long virtual writers’ room where they collaborate with a team of producers to develop tailor-made characters and scenes that highlight their unique comedic voices. The cast is then brought to Los Angeles to take part in a three-week shoot, gaining valuable on-set experience. After the wrap of production, cast members attend a variety of informational workshops and panels, ranging from audition technique to Q&A with esteemed SHOWCASE alumni. Each performer is set up with executive mentors who remain a resource to them as they navigate the next steps of their careers.

Since making the switch from a staged sketch show to a filmed presentation of comedic digital shorts, SHOWCASE has been recognized by an impressive list of notable film festivals, including Outfest, the Academy Award-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Dances with Films, Salute Your Shorts and the San Diego International Film Festival, to name a few. SHOWCASE has also been featured in publications like Forbes and The Los Angeles Times for its positive impact on the entertainment industry, particularly for introducing and amplifying a number of BIPOC, disabled, queer and oftentimes intersectional voices that go on to have meaningful careers both in front of and behind the camera.  

At the CBS Television Network, there have been 21 alumni to appear on CBS series so far this season, including a record five series regulars (Sheila Carrasco/GHOSTS, Diona Reasonover/NCIS, Jay Lee/CSI: VEGAS, Gina Yashere/BOB <3 ABISHOLA, Ginger Gonzaga/TRUE LIES) and a number of notable recurring/guests (John Hartman/GHOSTS, Sara Amini/CSI: VEGAS, Punam Patel/GHOSTS, Lilan Bowden/NCIS, and more).

Alumni of SHOWCASE include Emmy Award winners Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”) and Tiffany Haddish (“Girls Trip”), Golden Globe nominee Hong Chau (“Downsizing”), Emmy Award nominees Nicole Byer (“Nailed It!”) and Punam Patel (“Special”), Hollywood Critics Association Awards Winners Nico Santos (“Superstore”) and Rosa Salazar (“Alita: Battle Angel”), Imagen Foundation Awards Nominee Sheila Carrasco (GHOSTS), Diona Reasonover (NCIS), Jay Lee (CSI: VEGAS), Gina Yashere (BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA), Ginger Gonzaga (TRUE LIES), Geoffrey Arend (“Madame Secretary”), Justin Hires (“MacGyver”), Tien Tran (“How I Met Your Father”), Ego Nwodim (“Saturday Night Live”), Leah Lewis (“Nancy Drew”), Drew Tarver (“The Other Two”), Hasan Minhaj (“The Daily Show”), Melissa Villaseñor (“Saturday Night Live”), Karan Soni (“Deadpool”), Haneefah Wood (“Truth Be Told”), Colton Dunn (“Superstore”), Eugene Cordero (STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS), Carl Tart (“Grand Crew”), Bresha Webb (“Run the World”), Brianna Baker (“9-1-1: Lone Star”), Aida Osman (“Rap Sh!t”) and Wyatt Cenac (“The Daily Show”), among numerous others.

Click here for more information on Paramount’s CBS SHOWCASE: https://www.paramount.com/showcase.