‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Real World’ will hold casting calls in KC

For Kansas Citians looking for love and adventure (or 15 minutes of fame), you’re in luck.

Reality shows “The Bachelor” and “The Real World” will hold open casting calls in the Kansas City area Saturday and next weekend.

ABC’s “The Bachelor” will be auditioning hopefuls for its 20th season from 1-5 p.m. Saturday at Overland Park’s Ritz Charles, 9000 W. 137th St. People can apply online or mail in an application. You can attend the casting call without sending in an application. (You can also be a good, or bad, friend and nominate someone to be on the show.)

The casting team encourages applicants to make a video of themselves because it’s the best way to show one’s personality and ensure that they’re seen by producers. The online application asks for basic information, occupation, if you have any children and your weight — this is reality TV, after all. It also asks you to write a paragraph about why you would like to be on the television show and upload a photo of yourself.

Applicants also must be older than 21, have never appeared on a prime time reality TV show, and be single. The show defines being single as “not currently be involved in a committed intimate relationship … any co-habitation relationship involving physical intimacy; or a monogamous dating relationship more than two months in duration,” according to the online application. Last year, the KC casting call for “The Bachelor” attracted about 270 applicants.

MTV’s “The Real World” auditions will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 25 at Johnny’s Tavern, 1310 Grand Blvd. Hopefuls must be 21 or older by October 2015 and “appear to be between the ages of 20 and 24.” Applicants are also asked to bring in a recent photo of themselves and photo ID. If you can’t make it to the casting call, applications are accepted online.

Producers are looking for people who have a “larger-than-life personality, a unique life story, an adventurous spirit and a personal magnetism,” according to a news release.

They are also looking for those who are “open-minded and open-hearted” and make viewers laugh and cry. They also like people who are at a turning point in their lives. “The Real World” has been on since 1992 and films what it’s like when young strangers have to live together.

There’s reason to think Kansas Citians have a good chance for success.

Two KC guys, Tanner Tolbert and Ryan McDill, were on “The Bachelorette” this season. Tolbert made it far and will star in the coming season of “Bachelor in Paradise.” But McDill was kicked off after the first episode in dramatic fashion. KC’s Nikki Ferrell won infamous bachelor Juan Pablo’s heart on “The Bachelor” in 2014, and Sylvia Elsrode of KC recently starred in “The Real World: Skeletons.”

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 1:30 PM with the headline "‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Real World’ will hold casting calls in KC."