When I launched my completely ill prepared exploration into the world of auditioning for TV, Film and Commercials, I immediately secured a highly respected agent in LA and booked the very first film I auditioned for. This nearly frictionless experience so early in my journey was both a blessing and a curse. One concept I have come to fully support is that being a rockstar in the “interview room” or booking an audition does not mean you’re a great actor. In fact, I would go as far as to say that being a great auditioner and being a great actor are two entirely different modalities. With that said, in order to establish and sustain a career as a respected actor I do believe it is necessary to have a solid audition game.
There are so many different perspectives on auditioning. Do this. Don’t do that. You should never use a prop. Props are great. You MUST know what casting directors are looking for. Casting directors have NO idea what they’re looking for. You get the idea. It’s messy at best. And everyone thinks they’re an expert. I’m here to tell you…I’m not an expert. I’m not going to tell you what you “should” or “shouldn’t” do in auditions. In fact, I actually despise the concept of “should.” I don’t believe anyone is really an expert when it comes to auditioning. If they were, they would have created the perfect potion to share with every actor, ensuring each of their minions would annihilate every audition that came before them.
The unique component that I do bring to the table is that I have personally worked with thousands of actors, and hundreds of amazing acting coaches, casting directors, agents, managers, and various other top industry pros in the TV/Film industry, over the last two decades. The vast majority of my time as both an acting coach and acting studio owner has been specifically focused on helping actors create dynamic auditions in the world of TV & Film. From actors who have never stepped foot in an audition room, to actors who are working at the highest level in the entertainment industry, I’ve had the opportunity to see what seems to work, and what doesn’t, in a variety of different situations, through a variety of different lenses, amongst a vast array of different creatives.
Much like dieting and nutrition, everyone is pretty much just guessing when it comes to auditioning. It’s all about perspective. Some things work for some people, and different things work for others. And while I have no intention of hustling you the perfect pill to “ace your audition,” my decades of experience in this industry have given me a handful of skill sets that seem to be relevant to helping actors deliver some pretty solid stuff in the audition room. What’s also interesting to me is the tools that seem to be effective in the audition room also seem to be effective in life. So whether you apply these concepts to auditioning or not, you’ll now have some tips to becoming better at life. And I think we could all be a little better at life, right?
Here are 3 of my top tips I believe can help almost any actor become better at auditioning…and better at life…
PLAY → “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” -Carl Jung
I often look at life as a game, and I intend to play it with fervor. I don’t think the audition room is any different. When I look at my four year old deeply immersed in her fantastically imaginative world of play, I find myself thinking, I wish my actors could be having this much authentic fun in the audition room. We can learn a lot from kids. Not the least of which, how essential play is to living. If an actor’s job is to be reflective of living, I think most would agree it’s a heck of a lot more compelling to watch someone having fun in an audition, than painfully trudging through a mud field of lines (unfortunately, what most actors do). I don’t think I’ve ever had a casting director, agent, manager, producer, director, or any other industry professional utter the words, “I just think you had too much fun in that audition.” I believe an actor’s job is to tell a story with as much truth as they can, while having as much fun as they can. They must enjoy the process as much as the product at the end. Each moment must be saturated with connection and excitement. Fun is not optional, it is essential to the process. The question then beckons, how can you have more fun in your audition? Answer: PLAY MORE! Give yourself the freedom to let loose. Give yourself permission to be messy, and silly, and ugly, and foolish, and wrong, and all the other stuff that comes with authentic play. Embrace your inner child, and give them the go ahead to run wild. If you do, my guess is that you’ll have a lot more fun with your auditions…and in turn, we’ll have a lot more fun watching you.
OWN IT → “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” -Brené Brown
If every person in America was given five bucks each time an actor walked into the audition room apologizing for who they were and what they did, our economy would go through the roof! It is mindblowing to me how small actors play in the audition room. I’m not sure if it’s because they’ve all been convinced the best way to stand out is to kiss booty and suck up, or if they genuinely believe their voice doesn’t matter, but the real pandemic in our industry is the vast majority of actors thinking they don’t deserve to be there. They don’t value what they bring to the table, or who they are as individuals. It’s heartbreaking. I’ve met and worked with so many wonderfully amazing humans who are so scared to own who they are, let alone share their awesomeness in the audition room. Conversely, I’ve also had the privilege of coaching and helping guide a handful of individuals who truly own their uniqueness. And when I am blessed with the fortune of helping my actors taste this sweet nectar of embracing and expressing their perfectly imperfect essence, it’s an absolute thing of beauty. There is something so calming and simultaneously exhilarating when an actor unapologetically walks into the room, and allows their energy to say, “I know who I am. I embrace who I am. Sit back and relax. We’re about to have some fun.”
BE DISTINCTIVE → “You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” -Robin Williams
As a child, there was one person I looked up to and wanted to emulate more than any other human (debatably an alien life form…nanu nanu 🖖). His name was Robin Williams. Chances are, not only do you know who Robin Williams is, but when you hear his name it evokes specific thoughts. For most, my guess would be thoughts of happiness, wonder and an attribute I believe is essential to auditioning, distinction. In my opinion, there was never a more distinctive actor than Robin Williams. Point and case, when Robin auditioned for the role of ‘Mork from Ork’ on the hit sitcom Happy Days, which then led to his breakout role on Mork and Mindy, the show’s creator, Garry Marshall, told him to take a seat. Instead of sitting on a chair like a “normal person,” Robin decided to sit on his head on the chair. He then proceeded to conduct the entire audition as though he was an actual alien (again, up for debate). I often reference Robin Williams when talking to my actors about being distinctive. I’ve had the opportunity to hear hours of feedback from many of the top casting directors in TV & Film. One of the notes I’ve heard time and time again, “We want to be surprised. We want to see someone make a different choice.” Something I like to tell my actors is, “if you’re distinctive enough, no one can be better than you!” What I mean by this is that you’ve got to embrace all of the things about you that make you YOU! You’ve got to let go and give yourself the freedom to share all the ingredients of your life recipe that make your dish so delightfully unique. When you do this you give the world something they’ve never experienced before. And if you’re able to embrace this distinctive nature that lies within all of us, that “little spark of madness” Robin referenced, magical moments are inevitable!
Written by Erik Lingvall!
