ABC CASTING ANNOUNCES 2015 NATIONWIDE TALENT SEARCH "ABC DISCOVERS: DIGITAL TALENT COMPETITION" TO BEGIN MONDAY, JUNE 1

Winner Receives a One-Year $25,000 Talent Deal with ABC and a Spot in the ABC Discovers: Talent Showcase

The third annual ABC Discovers: Digital Talent Competition (previously known as ABC Make Me A Star) will take place Monday, June 1 - Sunday, June 14. Beginning June 1, actors 18 and older are encouraged to visit ABCDiscovers.com and submit a video for the chance to receive a one-year $25,000 talent deal with ABC and a spot in the New York or Los Angeles 2015 ABC Discovers: Talent Showcase. This year's winner will be announced Monday, July 20.

Keli Lee, Executive Vice President Casting and Talent, ABC Entertainment said, "My team and I are always in the process of discovering and championing new talent, and this competition gives an opportunity to find actors who may not have had the chance to be seen yet by a team of professional casting executives. The digital talent competition has been a game-changer for us, and through it we've been able to find and cultivate new talent across the country."

To enter the ABC Discovers: Digital Talent Competition, actors are asked to create a video performing one of the comedy or drama scenes posted on ABCDiscovers.com. Actors will be judged on quality of performance, potential star power and technical skill set. Last year's winners were Khalilah Joi Dubose (Hampton, Virginia) and Cornelius Smith Jr. (Detroit, Michigan). After winning, Smith Jr. went on to land a recurring role on the ABC hit drama "Scandal" as neighborhood activist Marcus Walker. Visit ABCDiscovers.com beginning June 1 for full details on how to enter and for Official Rules.

Now in its 14th year, ABC Discovers: Talent Showcase in Los Angeles and New York continues to serve as a launching pad for discovering new talent, including Academy-Award(R) winning actress Lupita Nyong'o of "12 Years a Slave," Gina Rodriguez, 2015 Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy, "Jane The Virgin," Chadwick Boseman of "Black Panther" and "42," Randall Park of "Fresh Off The Boat," Jesse Williams, of "Grey's Anatomy," and "Dancing with the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The Showcase is a rigorous audition and rehearsal process in which ABC Casting executives work with the actors to put on a one night live performance, industry only event, where more than 400 producers, agents, casting directors and entertainment executives attend. Following the Showcase, ABC Casting continues to champion and work with the actors throughout the next year by providing mentorship and acting opportunities on television. To date, 34 talent showcases in LA and New York have been produced, and ABC Casting has mentored nearly 500 actors.