Do you come off crazy?

Actors can be intense people with big personalities, and that is awesome.  I love working with creative people from all fields and big personalities are just a part of the job.  However, sometimes your personality can get in the way.  I always encourage actors to be themselves when they enter the room for an audition, but sometimes your personality can talk you right out of a job.  Here are some tips:

Actions speak louder than words

If you’re a naturally talkative person, just pull it back a bit when you come in for an audition.  Show us that you are pleasant and fun by smiling and engaging us with a greeting, but that’s it.  Don’t tell us your life story or ask a bunch of questions. Don’t try to turn the tables, you are the one auditioning.  Just greet the panel, follow whatever directions they give you, do your thing, and leave. 

Let your freak flag fly at half mast

That is to say, don’t be a big weirdo. Sometimes when you’re nervous, you might come off a bit stand offish or even surly. You may seem aloof or a bit anti-social.  Work to break through those nerves so you don’t seem  too strange. I get it: some actors are socially awkward. If that’s the case: act like you’re not.

Don’t push  your luck

Seriously, don’t ask if you’re going to get the part.  Don’t call or email constantly to get status updates.  It just makes you seem desperate.  After the audition, you just have to let it go.  Actors have lost the job after the audition because they were all over me with phone calls and emails.  You don’t want to look unstable or like a stalker, so back off.

Let your personality work for you, not against you.  Be engaging, professional, and just try to act like a relatively normal person.  Remeber, we’re not just casting the role; we’re also casting the person we want to spend the next 5 days, 6 weeks, or 3 months with.

Should actors bear the burden of cultural responsibility?

I keep coming back to this question:  as an actor and a person of color, are you responsible for the images that you put out into the world?  It’s not the same for white actors because there is more balance between the positive and the negative in portrayals of white characters.  However, every time a Black, Asian, or Latino actor plays a gang member, a drug dealer, pimp, rapist, murder, or wife beater that image just sits there virtually uncontested.  Also, there are  stereotypes that aren’t necessarily negative but still represent a narrow way of thinking: the wise old man/ woman of color who may not be able to read or write but is there to teach the white central character some valuable life lessons or the highly intelligent Asian character who is fixated on getting into an Ivy League school.   Actors of color are often cast as saints or sinners, but its rare to see layered, multi-dimensional portrayals of contemporary people of color in mainstream cinema.  So my question for actors of color: do you feel culturally responsible for the roles you take?  Do you debate whether to play a stereotypical character or do you just figure that if you turn it down, someone else will take it?  Does cultural responsibility factor into your thinking at all or do you just see it as a job?

For myself, I shy away from casting projects that feature a lot of negative or stereotypical roles for people of color, and I try to encourage directors to look at people of color for roles that don’t have a specific race.  One of the reasons I started working in casting was to increase opportunities for people of color to find good roles.  I hope in the long run, there will be more multi-dimensional roles out there, so people of color don’t have to think about whether to take roles based on cultural responsibility.  One day, I hope there will be so many diverse roles for people of color that playing a gang banger or drug dealer will be seen as a refreshing change.

Auditions that make me cry (in a good way and a bad way)

It has been forever.  Sorry about that.  I’ve been really busy with some exciting projects.  I really love casting and working with actors, and I hope that shows in my work.  I hope that actors love acting, but that love doesn’t always show.  I want to see that you want the role, but I don’t want to see that you need the role.  Desperation is not sexy; confidence is.

At a recent audition, I saw the pure magic that can happen when you match the right two actors with the right scene.  The honesty on display brought tears to my eyes.  The seamless work between these two virtual strangers (they met in the hallway approximately 30 seconds before the audition) was a testament to the power of acting.  It’s rare that something like this happens, but when it does, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Sometimes auditions make me cry in the other way.  I’ve been bored to tears.  Remember, this is your time: make it memorable.  Whatever you do, don’t be boring! Make choices! Even if your choices don’t work, at least you made them rather than giving me nothing. Also, don’t undermine your work by apologizing.  JUST DON’T DO IT.  A lot of actors feel the need to be self-deprecating, but the audition room is not the place.  I’ve seen an actor do a strong read but then destroy that work by criticizing himself.

“I wasn’t really connected that time.”

“That wasn’t what I wanted to do.”

“I was totally off.”

JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Let me and the director decide what we think of your audition, if we think you can do better, we’ll ask you to do it again.  Maybe, I thought it was fantastic, but you’ve told me it was bad: not only have you undermined your audition, but you’ve also insulted me. If you’re second guessing yourself in the audition, it’s likely that you’ll be second guessing yourself on set.  When you criticize your own work, it’s a red flag to directors that says “difficult to work with”. I’m sure that it’s mostly just nerves, but you have to learn to control the impulse to blurt out an apology after you finish the scene (even if you thought it was crap).

One more thing: if you still have to audition (meaning you’re not offer only), then you need to bring a hard copy of your headshot and resume with you at all times.  Period. End of sentence.  Don’t think your agent sent it.  Don’t think that everyone in the room is familiar enough with your work.  I have a newsflash for you: a lot of directors don’t watch TV or go to the theatre.  They may watch films, but mostly art house films or just the biggest blockbusters.  If you weren’t the star, they won’t remember who you were. Maybe they have seen you before, but you look different now. Don’t handicap yourself by making it harder to remember you.  At the end of the day, we’ll go through the headshots (not the video, that will come later) and if yours isn’t there you are more likely to be forgotten.

I try not to be too harsh.  Sometimes I scold actors because I want you all to do your best and not make detrimental mistakes.

Casting Directors vs. Talent Agents

There are a lot of very smart actors, directors, and producers out there, but for some reason, people continue to confuse the role of the casting director and the talent agent.  I get emails daily from actors asking for representation or producers looking for me to submit my clients for consideration.   So, let’s end the confusion and state clearly the difference between casting directors and talent agents and see how they work together.

Talent agents represent actors.  A talent agent may see an actor in a film, a showcase, or an off-Broadway play, and call him/ her into the office for a meeting.  A casting director or a director may recommend you to a talent agent who will then call you in for a meeting.  Also, an actor currently represented by that agent may recommend you as well.  These are the main ways that one finds representation by an agent.  Once represented, your agent will submit you for casting opportunities.  If you land a job through your agent, he/ she will receive a predetermined percentage of your earnings (usually 10 %- 15%).  Talent agents can submit you for projects that you normally would not be able to submit to directly.  They also can negotiate contracts on your behalf.

Casting directors work as part of the creative staff for a specific project.  When casting a film, a casting director will post casting notices, contact talent agents, arrange auditions, and sort through submissions.  The casting director chooses which actors will be brought in to audition.  The casting director does not have final say in the casting decisions, but he/she has influence in the process and works with the producer and director to find the strongest cast.  The casting director makes the offers.  In some cases, the casting director will negotiate the talent contracts on behalf of the production.

So those are the basics.  I think the whole confusion stems from the common use of the term “casting agent” which for the most part is considered an incorrect term.  Also, on film, tv, and commercial projects, the producers will hire an extras casting agency.  These companies do not represent actors, but they do have large talent databases from which to pull background talent, so in the case of extras, the extras casting agency serves the role of both talent agent and casting director.

Now with any luck, I’ll stop getting letters from actors asking me to represent them!

Actors Who Self Sabotage (Yes, I’m Talking About You)

Today, I found myself in an all too familiar position.  Here I was, calling an actor who was a no show for an audition for a well-paid gig. I also found myself in this position yesterday so I know it well.  When actors book an audition and then bail at the last minute, it not only reflects poorly on the actor but also on the casting director.  The casting director has to endure the exasperated looks from the producers and writers because an actor hasn’t shown up.  Maybe even the clients are in the room, and I’m sitting there trying to get actors and agents on the phone.  If the auditions don’t go smoothly, it’s likely that the client won’t hire me again and it is definite that I will never call the actors who bailed again. And if any other casting director asks me about that actor, I will make sure to tell them that he/ she was a no show for me and seems unreliable.
Actors often assume that we’re seeing tons of people for every role and their absence won’t be noted, but the fact is that technology has made it easier for us to narrow down choices and we may only call in a handful of people.  That was the case today, when one out of the three people we were seeing just didn’t show up.  It’s embarrassing for me, the producer, the director and everyone involved. Actors should know that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.   I wrote about actor flakiness before, but I think it goes deeper than that.  What it’s really about is self sabotage.

For every committed, hardworking actor there is another so-called actor who is really a  self-saboteur.  A self-saboteur is someone who likes pretending to be a struggling actor.  He or she will casually look at auditions, but never go because, I mean, what’s the point. When he gets called in for an audition, he’ll just blow it off or decide he’s too sick or busy to go in.  The self-saboteur likes to complain about a lack of opportunities, but when an opportunity arises she is quick to dismiss it.  She has that attitude of ” I’m not right for it anyway” or ” I’m sure they’re just going to cast someone famous” or “It will just be a waste of time.” The self-saboteur psychs himself out and decides that the whole casting process  is stacked against him.  The difficult thing is that it’s often hard to spot self-saboteurs until it’s too late.  I’ve started to learn the early warning signs, and in the future I’ll be sure to heed those warnings.  Are you a self saboteur?  Take this quick quiz to find out!

1. How long does it take you to return calls from casting professionals?

A) less than an hour

B) Before the end of the business day

C) Within 24- 48 hours

D) I don’t really check my voicemail

 

2) How up to date is your headshot?

A)  It’s like looking in the mirror

B) It’s a couple of years old, but I look the same

C) It’s in black and white

D) Well, my hair is much shorter and a different color now, but it kind of looks like me…

3.  The last time you went on an audition…

A) was within the last 10 days and I always show up on time and prepared.

B) was a few weeks back.  I’m selective but I always show up on time and prepared.

C) was maybe a month or so ago, not sure.  They all blend together.

D) Auditions are just a waste of time.

The Results

If you answered A to all questions, you’re in good shape.  Also, if you answered B to all (or a mixture of As and Bs) you don’t really have anything to worry about. However, if you answered C to any questions, you’re in danger of slipping into self sabotage limbo, and if you answered mostly Ds you are a fully committed self-saboteur.

So what doe sit all mean?  Well, if you’re a committed self-saboteur, it’s time to re-evaluate your choice to be an actor. If a writer never writes is he still a writer?  If an actor never acts is she still an actor?  Think about your relationship with acting and whether it’s something you still want to do.

How to stand out at an open call

I’ve had the good fortune (or misfortune) of attending a lot of open calls.  Whether the call is union or non, film or theater, I see the same mistakes over and over.  I think many actors avoid open calls because they view them as a waste of time, but frankly, that’s not true.  An open call is never a waste of time UNLESS you are not even close to right for any of the roles being cast.  Then it is a waste of time because the casting team will view you as someone who is wasting their time.  So how do y0u stand out at an open call when there are hundreds maybe even thousands of other people being seen?  Here are some tips to steer you toward success.

1) Try to be either early or late

From my experience, I best remember the first people I saw and the last people I saw when I’m sorting through hundreds of actors afterward.  The early people set the standard, and the late people are the freshest in my mind.

2) Be original (but not too original)

There is nothing more annoying the hearing the same song or monologue over and over and over again.  When the casting notice asks that you prepare a song or monologue from the show, then the repetition is expected, but often times that’s not the case.  At a recent open call, I asked for actors to bring a poem of their choosing to read.  I was surprised by the number of actors who chose the same handful of poems.  Some performed them well, while others struggled.  When it came to decision time, certain people stood out more because they chose material that was a little off the beaten path.  The conversation often goes like this:

Casting Director:  I think Melissa did a great job.  Do you think we should call her back?

Director: Which one was she?

Casting Director:  Red sweater.  She sang “Gimme Gimme”?

Director: That doesn’t narrow it down.

Choose your material wisely, and look for songs and speeches that show off your range and your knowledge of theatre/ film history. Now, I realize actors aren’t psychic and can’t know what others are performing, but just try to stay away from really popular recent shows and you’ll be ahead of the game.  Mix it up and you’ll stand out.

3) Let your acting speak for itself

At open call, the casting team has been sitting there for hours and sometimes days.  There is no time for chit chat.  Come in with a smile, introduce yourself and then launch right into the work.  When a casting director says “Whenever you’re ready” she really means: “right now.”  No timewasters, please!

Like it or not, an open call is always a mixed bag, and what will make you stand out is your creativity, professionalism, and talent.

2010 Oscar Nominations Highlight a Lack of Support for Black, Asian, and Latino Filmmakers

I’m an Oscar junkie.  I’ve seen every film that has won the Oscar for Best Picture as well as most of the Best Actor and Actress winners.  In recent years we’ve seen a slight uptick in the number of black actors who have been nominated for their performances, but the recognition of Asian and Latino actors still lags behind.  Also, filmmakers of color still languish outside of mainstream visibility.  In my opinion, there’s only one color Hollywood cares about and that color is GREEN.  Money drives Hollywood’s decision making process, and the ability to guarantee a solid return will overcome any latent or overt racism among Hollywood decision makers.  People of color make up about 40% of the US population, but that is not reflected in our mainstream cinema.  We can complain about being treated unfairly or we can choose to support quality films that feature people of color in significant roles in front of and behind the camera.  You can start now by adding the following films to your Netflix queue, and check out the blog in coming months to read about upcoming film releases that need your support.  If you know of an upcoming film that you’d like me to check out, leave a comment and I’ll be sure to look into it.

Add these to your Netflix Queue:

Night Catches Us

Blood Done Sign My Name

The Taqwacores

Acting with a Grain of Salt

Actors are commended for their intensity.  Some of the most celebrated actors are explosive, volatile, and slightly dangerous on stage and screen.  Intensity is an actor’s friend when he or she is on stage or in front of the camera, but off stage and/or screen, it’s best not to take oneself too seriously.

Actors are fascinating creatures.  We have all heard the stories of the actors who become so consumed with their characters that they remain in character between scenes.  We’ve heard these stories because they are the exception and not the rule.  Staying in character off stage is incredibly annoying and not very considerate or generous to the people you’re working with, especially if you’re playing an unpleasant character.  My advice to actors is to act with a grain of salt.  Devote yourself to your craft and always handle yourself in a pleasant and professional manner, but keep in mind that after all, this is just acting.  Acting is a serious and respectable profession, but no one is going to die if you flub a line.  The fate of the free world is not at stake.   A character may be able to pull the nation back from the brink of nuclear war, but an actor is an entertainer, artist, and interpreter.  Your role is important in society, we need actors to make us laugh, cry, swoon, and dream.  However, actors are no more or less important than plumbers, lawyers, trash collectors, chefs, and athletes; we all have our contribution and the quickest way for an actor lose touch is to start condescending to his characters.  So smile in between takes and be yourself.  Save the intensity for the stage and screen, and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Catching up with the best actors on the new Fall TV shows

We’re six weeks into the new Fall TV season, and surprisingly, only a few new shows have crashed and burned.  Sadly, Undercovers, a show that I liked a lot,  just couldn’t find an audience.  Lone Star (not a favorite), The Whole Truth (not a bad show), My Generation (great cast, not so great everything else), and Outlaw (I love Jimmy Smits and wish him better luck with future projects) have all fallen by the wayside, but there are some fantastic new shows that are still (for now) going strong.  If you’re an actor looking to work in television drama, there are some amazing opportunities to learn from the diverse and talented actors working on the small screen.

There is nothing more formulaic than a gritty cop show, but Detroit 187 and Blue Bloods are breathing new life into the stagnant format.  The writing is strong and intriguing, but the subtle, detailed, and nuanced acting provides the backbone of these shows.  Veterans like James McDaniel, Tom Selleck, Michael Imperioli, and Len Cariou show why they are called on again and again for stage and screen work.  Detroit 187 has a strong multi-cultural ensemble and a lot of fresh faces, and Blue Bloods features a relatable family dynamic and believable sibling relationships.  Also, the kids on Blue Bloods act like kids, which is a rarity on television.  Both shows maintain the delicate balance between the police cases and the personal lives of the characters.

Family dinners are a staple on Blue Bloods.

You can find another fantastic ensemble on Boardwalk Empire. This show features stalwart actors Steve Buscemi, Michael Stuhlbarg, Michael Shannon, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Michael Pitt among many others(wow, there are a lot of Michaels on that show), and they are making the most of their meaty roles.  The actors have excellent attention to period detail, but they aren’t slaves to it.  The performances are fresh and vital and intense, and the actors allow their physicality to tell the story.     Kelly MacDonald has her best role since ever (and I’m a huge fan of her performance in a similar role in Gosford Park), and Paz de la Huerta is giving a break-out performance in tiny delicious increments.

What do these actors have in common?  Each has taken a different path: some are TV veterans, some come from film and theatre backgrounds, but all of them have shown a deep commitment to their craft and the ability to inhabit characters.  Your mom was wrong, you can learn a lot by watching TV.

Do actors read acting books?

If you go to the Drama Book Shop or Barnes & Noble, you will find a vast selection of books on acting.  There are books about monologues, books on auditioning, there are books teaching different acting styles, and even more books on the business of acting.  After many years in the business and countless auditions, I’ve come to the conclusion that most actors do not read acting books.  I believe that many actors buy these books, and then the books sit on a shelf collecting dust. Of course, there are actors who are always prepared and they are very knowledgeable about their craft and the appropriate business practices in the industry, but unfortunately, these actors are in the minority

I have come to this conclusion after collecting years of evidence.  I still receive emails and letters from actors seeking representation.  I’m a casting director, not an agent.  I don’t represent talent.  I get emails addressed to “Casting Director”,  “Agency”, “To whom it may concern”, “Client”, or my favorite “Dear Sir”.  I know that the “business of acting” books make it clear that an actor should take the time to find out to whom to address a letter, so why don’t actors follow that advice?  If I only received the occasional poorly addressed note, I might think that it was just a fluke or that these missives only came from inexperienced actors.  However, actors who are members of all three acting unions have written me in hopes of representation and called me “Sir”.

Also, I’ve read books on auditioning, and if all the actors who have come in to audition had read them, they would know not to make the following mistakes:

Showing up late, not being prepared, asking in the audition if you’re getting a callback, or not bring bringing your headshot and résumé.  However, I have difficulty recalling an audition where at least one of these transgressions has not occurred.  This happens at every level of production from student films to episodic television and Broadway shows.  Many actors are conscientious and dedicated, but the buffoons who flood our mailboxes and inboxes are doing all actors a disservice.   As an actor, you can’t control what other people do, but you can separate yourself from the pack by always conducting yourself with the utmost level of professionalism.  Take the advice of acting books, most of them won’t steer you wrong.