In the series premiere, we go behind the scenes and watch hundreds of talented New York City actors as they go through the nerve-wracking process of casting calls and auditions. From the forty-eight actors casting director Billy Hopkins calls back, who will be chosen for the It Factor's cast of twelve?

Daisy won the Tony Award for best actress when she was eleven. Now at 21, she finds herself auditioning with aspiring actresses fresh out of college.

Life seems sweet for Miranda as she waits for the call to start shooting her role in Third Watch. Joy quickly turns to disappointment when her part is written out of the script.

We follow Kevin as he models to pay his bills and learns that sessions with casting directors aren't necessarily self-esteem building. He balances his disappointment in auditioning with his newfound love - the craft of acting.

Daisy gets a tattoo, proving (to herself at least) that she has grown beyond the little girl from The Secret Garden. Her conflict between past and present is further illustrated as she struggles with the musical theater world's expectations of her and her dreams for herself.

Jimmy distracts himself from his anxiety about waiting to hear from Ed by a trip to see his family in small town New Jersey where he's treated like a big star. While visiting with his parents, he learns that he didn't get the role; he wasn't fat enough.

Nathan's trip to LA starts at a low point - his friend is hours late picking him up at the airport and gets lower as we see that his manager has unexpectedly left town and Nathan won't get to go on any auditions during his trip to the West coast. Nathan philosophizes as he plays golf and waits to fly back to New York.

Katheryn runs her own Tae Kwan Do school in Toronto and simultaneously pursues her acting career in New York. When an audition for THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL conflicts with her commitment to testing her students, she realizes that she must choose between her two loves.

Katheryn is on the verge of deciding between her lives in Toronto and New York. She attends an acting class that eerily mirrors her real life when she has to postpone her anniversary dinner with Steve to go shoot a guest spot in a Canadian sitcom. Upon Katheryn's return to New York, she and Steve celebrate their anniversary and commitment to each other at least for now!

Kevin is growing as an actor, both in terms of the art and the business. He seeks advice from his manager who sends Kevin on an audition for GUIDING LIGHT and suggests he consider moving to Los Angles. As we see Kevin back in the Hamptons tending bar we learn that the GUIDING LIGHT audition was fruitless, but his dreams of becoming an actor have not been deferred.

Chelsea is anxious about her appearance on GUIDING LIGHT. The tension mounts when she realizes she's forgotten to bring a necklace that's crucial for continuity. Disaster is averted and anxiety is transformed to delight when she finds out the producers want her to return to shoot more episodes.

Kevin is still waiting for his big break, Jimmy is at the dentist's, Queen Esther rehearses THE BIG PAYBACK, and Miranda is full of plans to star in PATTI BURNS.

See who makes it, who has it, and who is still striving for it. In The IT FACTOR's final episode we touch base with each of our thirteen actors.