Inclusive Language: What You Need To Know When Casting

When it comes to casting, there’s a massive opportunity for brands to make a commitment to the public to put diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of their brand identity. It’s an important mission because, historically, cisgender white men have been centered in most facets of U.S. culture. This is especially true in the entertainment and advertising industries, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

In 2019, only 15.1% of feature-length films were directed by women, while Black, Indigenous, and people of color directed just 14.4% percent of the most profitable Hollywood releases. Among all senior executive positions, 93% are held by white people and 80% by men. You see these disparities and might ask yourself, “What can I do to create a more equitable industry?” 

Aside from being a vocal ally by attending protests and supporting minority makers through grants and resources, as marketing professionals, we can be advocates and enact change by turning our attention to the inclusive language we’re using in our field, especially when casting talent for video ads.

Related: Grants and Resources for Minority Content Makers

Language is a tool that always needs sharpening, and that’s especially true for inclusive language. As our culture evolves, we’re constantly refining our language to accurately reflect more lived experiences. When this happens, our sea of terminology grows, which can be difficult to navigate. But we’re here to help! Here are some insights and tips on inclusive language you should use during the diversity casting process.

Learn more: Social Media Video Ad Specs & Placements Guide

Diversity Casting in Entertainment and Video Marketing: The Statistics

Adopting inclusive language isn’t about ticking boxes or filling quotas. It’s about giving people the respect they deserve — that they systemically have rarely received. If you want your efforts to be honest and authentic, you must fully understand the reasons why diversity, equity, and inclusion are necessary for the greater good.

Use these statistics to have a deeper understanding of why diversity and inclusion are key to leveling the playing field for talent from all walks of life (and how it can even improve your bottom line.)

According to the 2024 Hollywood Diversity Report: 

• In 2023, seven of the top 10 streaming films and 16 of the top 20 streaming films (ranked by total household ratings) featured casts in which more than 30 percent of the actors were BIPOC. 
• In 2023, four of the top 10 and 11 of the top 20 streaming films had casts in which more than 40 percent of the actors were female.
• In 2023, only three of the top 10 and four of the top 20 films had casts where more than 20 percent of the actors had known disabilities. 
• Among each household’s or viewer group’s top 20 streaming films, 15 to 17 films featured casts that were more than 30 percent BIPOC.
• In 2023, 45 percent of lead roles in top streaming films were played by BIPOC actors, up from 33.3 percent in 2022.
• Women reached proportionate representation as streaming film leads, increasing from 48.5 percent in 2022 to 51 percent in 2023. 

Additionally: 

• A global study found that 75% of consumers say that a brand’s diversity and inclusion reputation influences their purchase decisions. (Kantar)
• Two out of three Americans said their social values shape their shopping choices. Additionally, 45 percent believe retailers should actively support Black-owned businesses and brands. (McKinsey & Company) 
• Another study found that 68% of U.S. adults believe that brands with a large target audience are responsible for promoting diversity and inclusion. (Statista)

Learn more about grants and resources that can help you get ahead!

Inclusive Language To Use in Casting

When choosing the language you’ll use during casting, there’s one big question you should ask yourself first: is identifying ethnicity, gender, ability, age, or other physical characteristics actually necessary in describing the character?

The implicit bias we face socially is that cisgender, heterosexual, non-disabled, and white are all default characteristics rather than one subset of our national identity. Because of this, producers will often needlessly include descriptors about a character’s physical characteristics even when identifying them has no impact on the narrative.

Sometimes, a character’s ethnicity, gender, or other factors can be vitally important to a video. Especially if it’s addressing your brand’s key demographics or part of your company’s continuing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you’re casting talent that is fully representative of our world, you want to ensure that you’re using inclusive language that can allow that to happen. Here is advice on the language you should use to remain inclusive during the casting process.

Race, Ethnicity, National Origin Inclusive Language

The best words or terms to use for inclusiveness have changed throughout history. A word that a generation before used may now be seen as insensitive today, especially in regard to race, ethnicity, and national origin. This isn’t just in the world of video advertising but across all industries. 

Buffer has created a guide to inclusive language that can easily be applied to the diversity casting process. We’ve identified some of the language you should use in regard to race, ethnicity, gender, and national origin.

Black/African American/BIPOC

The term African American was first popularized by civil rights activist Jesse Jackson in 1989. However, many find the term can erase an individual’s unique heritage by being too homogenous. In recent years, the term BIPOC — which stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color — has arisen as a word that’s more representative of the specific injustices faced by Black and Indigenous people. However, this term has faced criticism for (quite literally) condensing the experiences of these groups into a single acronym. 

As diversity and equity consultant Sahra Ali told Readers Digest, “The most appropriate term to use is Black … because it speaks to the collective experience of people with darker skin without negating the individual or historical background.” 

It’s also important to capitalize the B in Black when referring to a group in cultural terms. This reflects the shared sense of identity associated with the word. Similarly, you should use these words as adjectives (as opposed to nouns) when referring to groups. 

Latinx/Hispanic 

These pan-ethnic terms are used for people tracing their roots to Latin America and Spain. Latinx is a gender-neutral variant of Latino/Latina, though it isn’t as widely used as other terms. (People also sometimes use “Latine” as another variant.)

Be aware that there is a problematic history associated with the word “Hispanic.” No matter the situation, remain receptive to how someone wants to be identified. Based on a Pew Research study, country of origin labels, like Mexican or Cuban, are preferred over these pan-ethnic terms.

Indigenous/Native American

Unless an individual identifies themselves with the term, never use the word “Indian” when referring to Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Catch-all terms like Native American and Indigenous American are actually representative of this group’s history in the United States. 

Similar to using country of origin labels with Latinx communities, it’s recommended to be more specific with Indigenous/Native American talent and use original tribal names. Remember, there’s nothing inappropriate about asking what someone prefers to be identified as. 

Asian

Technically, it’s safe to use the term Asian person when referring to anyone of Asian descent. That said, Asia is a huge continent, so we recommend trying to be as specific as possible when describing your character; East Asian people (from China, Mongolia, Japan, Korea, etc.) are very different from Southeast Asian people (from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Phillippines, etc.), who are very different from South Asian people (from India, Pakistan, Nepal, etc.), and so on. If the person is of Asian descent and from America, use the term Asian American. But get more specific if you can — you can also use a country of origin label, like Korean American or Indian American, to be more representative of the Asian diaspora. 

Gender Inclusive Language

Don’t assume everyone is a man — after all, most people on earth aren’t! Masculine language has predominantly been the default when writing anything where the gender isn’t expressly non-masculine. Think of well-known phrases like “all men are created equal” or “for all mankind.” These terms don’t account for everyone, and can make people feel excluded.

As diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments have begun to dismantle this default, you should ensure that you aren’t falling into the trap of centering casting language around masculine pronouns and terms. If you’re casting the audience surrogate, don’t refer to them as an “everyman” but instead as an “everyperson.” You’ll also be more inclusive by asking for a person’s pronouns — like he/him, she/her, and they/them, among others — and sharing your own. 

LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Language

Just like how you shouldn’t assume everyone is a man, you should also not assume everyone is heterosexual or cisgender (aka the gender you assume they are). If your narrative requires a non-cishet (cisgender-heterosexual) person, make sure you are using appropriate descriptive language. 

Transgender is a term for someone whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. Non-binary or gender nonconforming is an umbrella term for a person whose gender identity is neither solely male nor female (falling outside the gender binary). 

Specifically, when casting trans actors, ensure that you are using the correct pronouns. If you are unclear about someone’s identity or how to refer to them, don’t hesitate to ask how they’d like to be addressed — especially if you provide your own pronouns first. 

Disability Inclusive Language

The disability community is somewhat split on how to reference them. One camp prefers “people-first language,” which centers on the person, and not their disability, like “student with autism.” The other camp prefers “identity-first language,” which celebrates disability as an inherent part of a person’s identity, like “autistic student.” Because there’s no consensus on which preference is “more appropriate” to use, you should always ask a person’s preference first, rather than making an assumption.

Regardless of preference, you never want to use language that stigmatizes disability as an impairment. The term “hearing-impaired,” for example, has a negative connotation (people with this disability usually prefer “deaf” or “hard of hearing”). Similarly, never use words like “crazy” — either when describing someone with a mental disability or just in general / colloquially — as it upholds the stigma that people with mental health disabilities and illnesses are dangerous.

Age Inclusive Language

Do not use terms like older or younger when casting talent. Instead, use actual age ranges — like 18-24 or 45-65 — because it gives specificity to what you are looking for. 

Socioeconomic Inclusive Language 

A word like “professional” may not immediately seem like it’s mired in stereotypes, but when we consider the term, it’s typically been associated with a homogenous idea of the white-collar worker, which typically meant white and male. (Blue-collar workers are professionals, too!)

Be more descriptive about what you intend with the word by specifying gender, age, and the industry they’re coming from. This can extend into costuming, as well. If the last five years have proven anything, it’s that “professional attire” doesn’t mean much anymore.

Similarly, do not use words like “wealthy” or “poor” that can conjure stereotypes surrounding a character’s personality or the clothes they wear. A person isn’t defined by their economic status, and even if a character arc is informed by issues surrounding money, you will pigeonhole an actor (and other creatives) by narrowly defining who that character is meant to represent.

Physical Characteristics Language

If a character’s size is hyper-specific to the production, use Plus Size, which is a commonly accepted term in the fashion and beauty industry.In that same vein, try to shy away from using the term “real” when describing a character. It’s an ambiguous term with a lack of clear meaning. What is “real” about them that you want to see come across during the casting process? 

Other terms that you want to avoid around physical characteristics:

Urban/Ghetto

Ambiguous descriptive terms like “urban” and “ghetto” are dog whistles for racist Black stereotypes. Focus your description on the personality traits of the character instead of the characteristics of the actor. If you’ve used “urban” in the past as a way to describe a character’s style or clothing, use plain, specific language to update that description. The characterization you intend to convey could be easily described as a person who wears street clothes (try using trendy brands, too — Supreme, Nike, etc.) associated with large metropolitan areas.

Exotic

Similar to the above language, do not use terms like “exotic” or “wild” when casting non-white talent. This is an example of fetishism and tokenism, relegating a certain race or gender to racist stereotypes. Instead, ask yourself what you’re really trying to convey with these words. Then, turn those into actionable descriptions that describe why the character behaves a certain way.

Ethnic

Along with words like “diverse talent” in a casting breakdown, you want to be intentional and specific with what you mean by “ethnic.” Be thoroughly descriptive rather than using ambiguous terms that could be misconstrued. Asking for “ethnic talent” is similar to using a term like “color blind.” It erases the individual, lived experience of non-white actors. Don’t shy away from being specific in what you are looking for to avoid accidentally using terms mired in casual racism.

Hair-Specific Language

This is one area where descriptive terms shouldn’t be used at all. Unless your concept absolutely requires specific hair requirements (e.g., you’re a Black hair care company), leave those descriptions out of your casting breakdown completely. Never use terms like “frizzy,” “unruly,” or “difficult” (among even less appropriate synonyms) to describe natural Black hair. 

Inclusive Language in Diversity Casting: The Takeaway

The most important lesson you should take away is that you will make mistakes when crafting inclusive language. Listen to others when they tell you that your words affected them. Rather than getting defensive, listen to what they’re saying, thank them for calling you out, and tell them how you will learn from the moment. 

Using inclusive language during the casting process can help erase the inequities that have blocked others from entering the advertising industry. Diversity in casting means giving audiences a chance to see a different perspective on a narrative they’ve likely seen before. Most importantly, it also gives audiences who are unaccustomed to seeing themselves in the media a chance to finally see their story told.

Inclusive language is necessary for casting, and you should go beyond it as well. You can look for ways to extend this way of thinking across your entire business.

Stay sensitive to every way you communicate within your organization, be it through job descriptions or internal communications. Being aware of the language you use is a universal and ongoing lesson. Regardless of the sector or industry you work in, this is important to track and stay informed about. If you’re in a position of power, don’t squander it. Intentionally utilize inclusive language to empower those around you. 

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