How Universal Studios Hollywood Creates Career Launching Pads for Aspirational Studio Tour Guides

Hollywood, California…for most, it’s a city in Southern California; for others, it’s a mystifying, untouchable, elusive place where hopeful entertainment industry novices come to follow their dreams. While there are no easy answers in how to “make it in Hollywood” or how to land that perfect job, perseverance is key and becoming a Studio Tour Guide at Universal Studios Hollywood may be a beacon in guiding some career paths. 

The role of a Studio Tour Guide is to entertain and educate the millions of guests visiting Universal Studios Hollywood’s world-renowned, behind-the-scenes Studio Tour attraction, which recently marked a milestone 60 years of moviemaking magic. The Studio Tour is the genesis of Universal Studios Hollywood, the original theme park in the Universal Destinations & Experiences portfolio. 

History of the Studio Tour Guide

Since 1964, Studio Tour Guides have played an instrumental role in this acclaimed attraction and continue to be a vital part of its ongoing success. Numerous times a day, trained Studio Tour Guides engage with guests, educating them on the inner workings of the movie and television backlot. Armed with insider knowledge and first-hand accounts, Studio Tour Guides entertain guests with compelling insight into the elusive world of moviemaking magic.

As a global entertainment destination, appealing to a multi-cultural audience, Studio Tours are routinely conducted in a variety of languages, including English, Spanish and Mandarin, by a diverse base of Studio Tour Guides.

For many years, the role of a Studio Tour Guide has become a highly sought-after position with candidates auditioning from around the globe – and for good reason. Future filmmakers, budding actors and executives in-the-making are empowered to take advantage of a variety of exclusive opportunities and Hollywood-insider perks that may include intimate group symposiums with prestigious industry professionals, free acting classes and seminars.

The job also affords Team Members the welcomed ability for broad job flexibility. Guides who have landed roles in a play, movie or commercial may require time off from their role as Studio Tour Guides; it’s the same job flexibility many performers require when they opt for posts as restaurant wait staff or car service drivers, for example. Studio Tour Guides have the ability to adjust their availability for work by choosing to work part-time or seasonally, or they can apply for professional leaves of absence to support these endeavors.

Additionally, qualified Team Members, including Studio Tour Guides, can apply to cross-train in other positions and to work in other departments across the theme park, which can serve as a launching pad for a flourishing career within the company.

Throughout the history of the Studio Tour, dozens of producers, directors, performers, movie and TV professionals as well as industry executives began their careers as Studio Tour Guides, and to this day, former Studio Tour Guides rank among the leaders shepherding the Studio Tour, Universal Studios Hollywood and NBCUniversal into the future.

Here’s a look at a handful of former Studio Tour Guides who have transitioned into management roles within the company.

John Murdy is Creative Director and Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. His illustrious career began in 1989 as a Studio Tour Guide shortly after college graduation. He studied theatre, had a fascination with film history and loved improv. In 1991, John seized upon an opportunity to work as a production assistant in Planning and Developing, today known as Universal Creative. His career blossomed within Universal Creative. In 2000, John oversaw the modern transformation of the Studio Tour to include the now familiar audio-visuals monitors and served as the creative executive behind the “Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride” indoor roller coaster, before leaping into the heart of Halloween Horror Nights as the Executive Producer in 2004, a role he relishes to this day. 

Scot Burklin is Vice President, Operations, Attractions and Planning, with oversight in the operations of all rides, attractions and lands developed for Universal Studios Hollywood. This impressive role was years in the making, beginning in 1993 when Scot stumbled upon a Studio Tour Guides casting call in a Hollywood trade publication. He moved to L.A. from Florida shortly after earning his BFA in theatrical performance to follow his dream of becoming an actor and immediately thought, “I love film and television, I could do that.” He recalls, “There is so much history on this property, and I loved being a Tour Guide.” 1996 was a game-changing year for him. A huge fan of the Jurassic Park film, Scot successfully interviewed for a supervisor role to support the opening of the “Jurassic Park River Adventure” thrill ride. His career launched from there as he navigated a series of more senior jobs within operations, ultimately spearheading the Standard Operating Procedures for the launch of Universal Studios Japan. With a career that has spanned more than 30 years at Universal Studios Hollywood, Scot reflected on a moment as a Studio Tour Guide that has impacted his entire career. 

Jennifer Oswald is Vice President, Business Development & Global Stage Management for Universal Studios with oversight of all production bookings on the studio lot. She also helps secure production locations around the world for all of the company’s internal productions. In 1996, Jennifer returned to Los Angeles after college and saw an open call ad for Studio Tour Guides in a Hollywood trade magazine.  As a former dancer and performer, she thought the next logical step in her career would be to pursue acting and found exposure to the studio lot and the flexibility of hours appealing. Shortly afterwards, Jennifer landed a seasonal job as an assistant within the operations department, which led to a variety of roles from a seasonal supervisor for the Studio Tour to a manager with oversight of various facets of the Studio Tour. The professional bridge to the studio backlot was a byproduct of the exposure and professional relationships she fostered over time in her role as a Studio Tour Guide and Studio Tour Manager. Eventually a junior position became available within Stage and Backlot Operations where she excelled, ultimately leading to her current role. The stars appear to have been aligned for Jennifer. “I remember taking a walking tour and being so excited seeing the facades and sets knowing this is where movies are filmed and thinking how incredibly exciting it was,” she said. 

Benjamin Salisbury is Senior Director of Attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood, responsible for the overall operations of all theme park rides and attractions. He was a child actor who went on to study broadcast journalism in college. With a performance background, he auditioned for summer job as a Studio Tour Guide in 2000, which lasted every summer for the next few years. It then became his full-time job after college graduation. In 2008, Benjamin “realized there were other opportunities available to me within Universal Studios Hollywood that I wanted to explore.” He toggled his career as a Studio Tour Guide while working in various departments within the company. When a Manager of Studio Tour Guides position opened up, he interviewed for it and got the job. 

There was a crescendo of opportunities and various roles over the years which led to his current role. 

Dennis Satterfield is the Director of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood and manages a team of 12. A Southern California native and the nephew of a property master for movie and television shows, Dennis was very familiar with working on a movie studio lot. Fresh out of high school in 1996, Dennis auditioned to become a Studio Tour Guide and put his theatrical training to the test. “I fancied myself to one day be an actor or comedian,” he remembers and saw Studio Tour Guides as a path forward. During non-peak periods, Dennis traded in his Studio Tour Guide job to be a professional stand-in for actors for film and television. He toggled these opportunities until 1998, when he was selected to work as a seasonal supervisor of the Studio Tour and Studio Tour Guides. He still managed to squeeze in opportunities to be a Studio Tour Guide until the seasonal role became permanent—“and I’ve never looked back,” he recalls. He expanded his professional training by working in other areas of the theme park before segueing back to the Studio Tour to oversee training, seminars, classes and casting. 

Angela Weech is the Senior Sales Manager of Youth, VIP and Group Sales for Universal Studios Hollywood. She holds a master’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics and a B.A. degree in Spanish with a minor Physics and has a lifelong passion for movie studio history. “I spent a lot of time researching for a job that would not be boring,” she explained. She hails from Minnesota but answered an open call for bilingual speaking Studio Tour Guides in Los Angeles and remembers standing in line next to potential candidates toting headshots and acting resumes. “I had my professional resume with me and felt out of place and almost chickened out.” She recalled that during her research for a job, she was pleased to learn that Universal Studios Hollywood extended internal professional opportunities, so she stayed the course with that in mind and landed her first gig as a Studio Tour Guide in 2008, which lasted until 2011. During that time, she proactively looked to expand her career opportunities and dabbled in a variety of Studio Tour-related roles, including Studio Tour dispatcher, working for then Studio Tour Guide Manager and former Studio Tour Guide, Benjamin Salisbury. “I remember the professional advice Benjamin gave to me when I later accepted that role. ‘This could be the start of whatever you want it to be,’ he had said.” A year later she transitioned to a role within the Sales team, working in a variety of capacities from sales coordinator to VIP Tour sales, proving her competency and earning promotions along the way. Today, Angela manages a team of 15 and is another Universal Studios Hollywood professional success story. “It was a hard decision to say goodbye to my job as a Studio Tour Guide. They are so important, but I knew this next chapter was a path I was meant to take.”

Suzanne Dixon is the Senior Manager of Entertainment Production at Universal Studios Hollywood and has held her post for the past five years. She grew up in Southern California, loved performing and public speaking and jumped at the chance to audition to become a Studio Tour Guide in 1996 after seeing a job posting in an entertainment publication. “Sharing the Studio’s history with our guests in a really fun way was what I loved most, and touring the backlot gave me a sense of being immersed in movies and television,” she said. Professionally, Suzanne aspired to either become a performer or a production manager. She tried her hand at acting, but when another internal opportunity presented itself, she took a leap. She landed a temporary role in Human Resources that led to a full-time job…a total 180-degrees from her original professional aspirations. With a steady eye on pursuing production opportunities, she soon applied for and landed a seasonal stage manager position. As time went on, she applied and worked in a variety of other production jobs within the theme park. The experience and opportunities were priceless.

Mark McFadden is Senior Training Specialist, Learning & Development at Universal Studios Hollywood. His road to becoming a Studio Tour Guide took place 20 years after he travelled numerous other paths in pursuit of acting. Graduating college with a double major in Theatre and Mass Communications, he remained in Ohio to follow his dreams. After giving it the college try, he spent the next decade working for several small business owners in Chicago before moving to Florida on a whim, eventually becoming a certified scuba instructor and Coast Guard-licensed boat captain. He was already certified and dove in and moved acting to the rear-view mirror. And then he had an epiphany. He wanted to give acting another shot and moved back to Los Angeles. He auditioned to become a Studio Tour Guide in 2000 because he thought it would be a great way to hone his improv skills and talk about movies. He loved it because each tour was “like a one-man show where you got to connect with people and play to a crowd since every single tour was different.” He remained a Studio Tour Guide until 2006 when he took a temporary job in Human Resources, where his second career blossomed into a full-time job that ultimately led to his current role in Learning & Development. 

Mariano Federovsky is a Production Services Representative for Universal Studios. Originally from Argentina, Mariano moved to Los Angeles when he was 12 years old and remembers visiting Universal Studios Hollywood, “The Studio Tour was the most magical thing I had ever seen. I was fascinated by the backlot.” He had never seen anything like that before and that led to his lifelong passion for filmmaking. In 1999, at the age of 19, he auditioned as a Spanish-English bilingual Studio Tour Guide, while doing double-time earning a college degree in film production. He excelled as a Studio Tour Guide, and in 2008, seized on an opportunity to work within Employee Services for Universal Studios Hollywood. His entry level stint turned into a full-time job, where he was promoted up the ranks to Manager of Employee Services and Community Relations. In 2022, Mariano reflected upon his career path and decided to make a radical change. “I worked hard for a degree in film production and that was my passion.” He successfully applied and accepted his current role which enabled him to utilize the skillset he learned as a Studio Tour Guide. His seasoned roles as a Studio Tour Guide and HR manager helped prepare him for this next chapter; he was very familiar with the studio lot, had a wealth of film knowledge and was a pro at event production. 

How to Become a Studio Tour Guide

If becoming a Studio Tour Guide has been a bucket list dream, now is the time as Universal Studios Hollywood is hosting virtual open call auditions from April 23 through May 14, 2025.  Applicants will need to submit a self-taped audition that includes a brief self-introduction, toplining relevant experience with emphasis on public speaking, performance or customer engagement and reading a passage from the official Studio Tour script. In-person call-backs and next steps will follow once the casting team has reviewed all submissions. 

Please visit www.USHjobs.com to learn more and to submit a self-taped audition.