About 40 New York City actors responded to a casting call offering $75 for zombie roles in what they believed was a mock demonstration. Instead, they found themselves marching in extreme heat alongside the Gotham Housing Alliance to protest Mayor Zohran Mamdani's proposed rent freeze on nearly one million rent-stabilized buildings.

Several performers, including Ian Cobb who lives in a rent-stabilized apartment, said they felt duped. The organization paid $3,000 to $4,000 to Characters for Hire to recruit participants, claiming the event was clearly explained. However, the casting company stated they were only told it would be a mock demonstration.

The protest intensified when roughly 50 pro-tenant demonstrators gathered at the same location, creating tension between the groups. Some actors left early, while others stayed but covered their faces with signs. The incident highlights how heated the housing debate has become under Mamdani's democratic socialist leadership.

The Rent Guidelines Board will vote on the rent freeze proposal on June 25, with a majority of members appointed by the mayor. This theatrical clash represents the growing polarization in New York's housing policy battles, where both sides are escalating their public demonstrations.