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We are seeking top-tier talent for our Feature Film! Are you an actor in the Chicagoland area? Apply today. You can find our listing on Backstage.com   https://www.backstage.com/casting/sharing-air-3002294

All principal cast must be comfortable scuba diving. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming. 

Union Status
This is a SAG-AFTRA union production operating under the Ultra Low Budget Agreement. That means:

• SAG-AFTRA members may apply and will be hired under union contract.
• Non-union actors may also apply. If cast, you can work on this film without already being a union member. In fact, non-union actors hired for speaking roles will become SAG-eligible through this project.

Jonathan Strong is a skilled Scuba Instructor in his late 40s, carrying both quiet strength and unhealed grief. Once adventurous and full of life, he now wears the weight of personal loss and guilt that has made him cautious, sometimes withdrawn. His rugged, approachable appearance and calm authority in the water make him a natural leader, yet beneath the surface he struggles with doubts about his own worthiness to guide others. To numb the pain he hasn’t faced, Jonathan regularly turns to alcohol. While he keeps up a competent, steady exterior, his reliance on drinking reveals the cracks in his armor. He's a man doing his best to stay afloat while secretly drowning inside. At his core, Jonathan is compassionate and deeply empathetic, with a gift for seeing potential in people others might overlook. Training a diverse group of divers forces him to confront his own unresolved pain while rediscovering the transformative joy of diving. 

*This role is for a Scuba Instructor and you must be comfortable scuba diving. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Roman Carmichael is a man in his late 30s to early 40s whose sharp exterior hides deep emotional wounds. Born into privilege as a trust-fund kid, he grew up with parents rich in wealth but poor in love, leaving him with a restless spirit and an unfulfilled longing for genuine connection. He has traveled the world chasing thrill and adventure, yet beneath the surface he yearns for someone who will love him for who he is, not for what he has. When Roman meets Jewels, his defenses begin to crack. Their relationship blossoms with the intensity of a modern Romeo and Juliet, a love both exhilarating and doomed. As he discovers that Jewels has stage four cancer with only a short time to live, Roman is forced to confront the fragility of life and the depth of his own heart.

*This role is for a scuba diver. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Jewels Abbott is a woman in her late 30s who has spent much of her life behind the quiet walls of editing textbooks being steady, dependable, and safe. Adventure always seemed like something meant for other people. But after being diagnosed with stage four cancer, and with her hair just beginning to grow back from treatments, Jewels realizes she can’t leave this world without truly living. Determined to step out of her comfort zone, she takes up scuba diving, where she discovers not only a new sense of wonder but also the possibility of love. When she meets Roman Carmichael, their connection is immediate and electric. This Romeo and Juliet–like romance is as tender as it is tragic. Her greatest secret is that time is slipping away, and her deepest fear is dying without ever having been fully loved.

*This role is for a scuba diver. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Clarissa is a woman in her 30s and is a Scuba Instructor. She has a sister that’s a quadriplegic and she has become a volunteer to help people of all abilities discover the freedom under the water. She’s nurturing but direct, is Jonathan‘s support system and also looks out for him recognizing that he’s trying to drown his demons in alcohol. She’s tall and beautiful and a bad ass. Her partner, Joyce is a flight instructor and also volunteers on dive trips.

*This role is for a Scuba Instructor and you must be comfortable scuba diving. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Scott Barron is an ADAPTIVE DIVER, is a man in his 30s, a rugged United States Army veteran whose presence commands quiet respect. A former helicopter pilot, he lost both of his hands at the wrists in combat, making him a BILATERAL AMPUTEE. Rather than letting his injuries define him, Scott has rebuilt his life with resilience, purpose, and courage. He volunteers with the scuba organization, using the water as both therapy and empowerment, and dedicates time at the VA to support fellow veterans. Scott carries himself with humility and an unshakable sense of brotherhood. Scott takes Ethan McKnight under his wing, guiding him not only through the challenges of diving but also through the invisible wounds of service.

*This role is for a scuba diver. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Ethan McKnight is an ADAPTIVE DIVER, is a man in his late 20s to early 30s, a United States Army veteran whose life was forever changed by a helicopter crash. Now a WHEELCHAIR USER with limited use of his left side, Ethan lives with the daily frustration of dependence and physical limitation. His injuries have left him brooding and angry, quick to push away even those who love him most.
At the heart of this struggle is his relationship with his fiancée, Laura. Though she remains loyal and devoted, Ethan’s bitterness and fear of being a burden cause him to keep her at arm’s length. His isolation deepens until Scott Barron convinces Ethan to let go of pride, accept help, and rediscover his own strength.

*This role is for a scuba diver. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Dan Black is a BLIND ADAPTIVE DIVER, is a man in his 30s who was born without sight. Though independent and resourceful, he often feels the tension between his own confidence and his mother’s lingering overprotectiveness. Living on his own with his loyal SERVICE DOG, Bubbles. Dan longs to experience life as fully as sighted people do with freedom, adventure, and discovery. When he learns to scuba dive, an entirely new world opens up to him. Without vision, he experiences the underwater realm through touch, sound, and sensation, discovering a profound connection to the water and to himself. His journey reflects courage, humor, and a refusal to be defined by limitations, showing that adventure belongs to everyone who dares to embrace it.

*This role is for a scuba diver. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Lois Newland is an ADAPTIVE DIVER, is a strong black woman in her later years, married to her devoted husband, Ben. She now is a WHEELCHAIR USER living with Multiple Sclerosis, but refuses to let her diagnosis define the boundaries of her life. Feisty, witty, and full of determination, Lois approaches each day with the conviction that adventure isn’t just for the young or the able-bodied. When she learns about the adaptive scuba organization, Lois seizes the opportunity with both hands, eager to dive beneath the surface and embrace experiences she once thought were no longer possible. Her courage inspires not only Ben but also those around her, proving that true adventure comes from the spirit, not the body.

*This role is for a scuba diver. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Ben Newland is a strong black man in his later years, a seasoned and successful lawyer now looking toward retirement. Practical and protective by nature, Ben is deeply devoted to his wife, Lois, who uses a wheelchair due to MS. When Lois insists on having an adventure through scuba diving, Ben is terrified because the water feels foreign, dangerous, and overwhelming to him.
Despite his fears, Ben agrees to join her because his love runs deeper than his doubts. In the water, he faces real struggles, particularly with clearing his ears, making each dive a physical and emotional trial. Yet as he witnesses the freedom and joy diving gives Lois, Ben finds the strength to push past his own resistance. For Ben, the water is both his hell and, paradoxically, the source of healing for his wife.

*This role is for a scuba diver. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Emily is Jonathan Strong’s longtime love interest, a woman who embodies both compassion and strength. She has stood by Jonathan through years of his grief and self-destructive patterns, loving him deeply but slowly realizing that she cannot save him from himself. Her patience has worn thin, not from lack of love, but from her refusal to keep sacrificing her own happiness for his inability to heal. When Emily decides to move to Florida, it is both an act of self-preservation and a final wake-up call to Jonathan. She remains sympathetic, empathetic, and caring, but she has drawn firm boundaries making it clear that unless Jonathan chooses to reclaim his life, she cannot be part of his downward spiral.
*Emily will be cast in Florida where all her scenes take place. Non-diver.

Laura is Ethan McKnight’s devoted fiancée, a woman in her late 20s to early 30s whose strength comes from fierce loyalty and unconditional love. She refuses to let Ethan’s injuries define him or their relationship. His broken body does not make him any less of a man to her. Despite her deep love, Laura is not afraid to challenge Ethan. When he pushes her away, she confronts him with passion and pain, demanding that he stop shutting her out. Her unwavering commitment ultimately breaks through his anger and pride, reminding him that love is not pity but partnership. Laura joins Ethan on the scuba trip to Florida, standing beside him as both anchor and inspiration. 

*Not a scuba diver.

Joyce is a woman in her late 30s, she is Clarissa‘s partner, is a flight instructor and also volunteers as a scuba Adaptive Dive Buddy with the organization. She also dives with Chris who is the quadriplegic. She makes the trip to Florida. 

*This role is for a scuba diver. Certified divers preferred. If you are not currently certified, production will arrange for your scuba certification in the Chicagoland area prior to filming.

Nurse Gloria is a seasoned VA nurse whose no-nonsense toughness is matched by a deeply caring heart. She is the kind of caregiver who won’t coddle but will always stand by those in her care, earning respect through honesty, resilience, and compassion. She shares a special history with Scott Barron, having been the one who helped guide him back from the brink of depression after his life-changing injuries. Their bond is built on trust, candor, and a quiet affection that runs beneath the surface.

*Needed for one day filming on set at the VA Hospital.

Roger McKnight is an older man, at least in his 50s. He is the stern yet quietly devoted father of Ethan and husband to Joan. A man of traditional values, Roger once imagined a different future for his son, hoping Ethan would choose a path outside of the military. Though he struggled with Ethan’s decision, he respects the honor of his service and, in the wake of Ethan’s injuries, steps into the role of a steady support system.

*Needed for one day filming on set at the VA Hospital.

Joan McKnight is an older woman, at least in her 50s, the loving mother of Ethan and wife to Roger. Deeply grateful that her son survived the helicopter crash, Joan’s love for Ethan is unwavering, even as he pushes her away in anger and despair. Gentle yet resilient, Joan serves as the emotional glue of the family. She encourages healing and reconciliation between Ethan and his father.

*Needed for one day filming on set at the VA Hospital.

Carmen is Roman Carmichael’s longtime nanny turned house caretaker, a warm and maternal presence who has quietly filled the role Roman’s own mother never provided. Now in her later years, she continues to prepare his meals and keep his home in order, but her true value lies in her steady companionship and heartfelt guidance. Carmen is Roman’s confidant, the one person who sees beyond his sharp exterior and restless adventures to the wounded boy still longing for love. With gentle wisdom and unconditional care, she grounds him when his life feels adrift, offering the stability and nurturing he has always craved.

*Needed for one day filming on set at Roman's House.

Sherri is Dan Black’s overprotective mother, a woman whose love for her son sometimes comes out as worry and exasperation. She fusses over him with a huff-and-puff attitude while packing his clothes, questioning his choices, and fretting over his safety. To Sherri, Dan’s decision to go scuba diving feels reckless and dangerous, and she can’t help but voice her concerns. Beneath her anxious exterior, however, Sherri’s devotion is undeniable. She loves Dan deeply and, alongside his service dog Bubbles, stands by him even as she struggles to let go of control. Her character brings both humor and tenderness, showing the messy but heartfelt ways a mother supports her adult child’s independence while learning to release her own fear.

*Needed for one day filming on set at Dan's House.

 davidmarsh24@gmail.com

David Marsh - Producer, Director, Screenwriter