I’m proofing the edit that Andrew and I have been working on, and something jumped out at me just now that I thought was worth excerpting here, for my fellow actors. I guess you could call it my fundamental rule for successful auditions:
I believe that actors have to find a way to enjoy themselves whether they book the job or not. We have to find ways to enjoy auditions, and as hard as it is, as counter intuitive as it is, we just can’t make success or failure about booking the job. We have to make success or failure about enjoying ourselves. We have to enjoy the process of creating the character, preparing the audition, and then giving the people on the other side of the desk whatever our take on the character is. We absolutely cannot go in there and try to give them what we think they want. The way we stand out, and the way we enjoy it whether we are hired or not, is to take the material, prepare it, and find some way to make it our own. Even if we don’t book the job (and the ratio of auditions to jobs is something like 20 : 1 for successful actors) we’ve been creative. Casting people will recognize that, and even if we’re not right for this particular job, they are more likely to bring us back in for other parts, because they’ve already seen us take a creative risk. I guess it’s kind of twisted to say that I enjoyed myself by being such an evil man, but committing to something completely, and refusing to look back until it was all over, was tremendously satisfying.
This particular excerpt is related to my audition for Criminal Minds last year, but I think it could apply to any job interview where you’re expected to be creative. I’ve been an actor for pretty much my entire life, but I didn’t figure out this really important truth until just a few years ago. Since I figured it out, I’ve had much more satisfying experiences in auditions, whether I’ve booked the job or not. I’m also more relaxed, and the whole process isn’t nearly as soul-crushing as it once was.
There is so much that’s out of our control when we audition, we need to focus on what we can control: how prepared we are, how clear our take on the character is, and how committed we are to that interpretation. I had an audition recently for a network show that everyone wants to be on. I prepared my scenes to the best of my ability, and I had a great time showing the casting people my take on the character. They sent my tape to the producers, and I didn’t get the job. They say that they really liked me, though, and they’d keep me in mind for a different role in the future. I don’t know if that’ll happen, but I know that I did not suck and I made a good impression when I read for them. This is what I set out to do, so the audition was a success, because during the small part of the process I have any control over, I did my job, and that’s all I can do. It’s all any of us can do, and if we think that we can do something more, we’ll drive ourselves crazy. We just have to get in there, do the best we can do, and let it go when we walk out of the room. In fact, I throw my sides into the nearest recycling bin as soon as I’m done, so I symbolically and literally let the whole thing go once it’s out of my hands.
This may seem like a bunch of “yeah, duh,” information, but it took me over 20 years to figure it out, so if I can help anyone else get here a little bit faster than I did, my work here is done.
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Man… isn’t everything you end of learning a “yeah, duh” later on? Dont know about you but anything thats been worth learning has always been something that after you learn it you look at it and think “why the freaking hell did I not figure this out before?!?” for me. Or something yer parents told you and you didnt want to believe because we knew better…we so didnt.
Amen. I still struggle with the soul-crushing aspect of auditions – for a long time I barely went to any because I was so afraid of screwing it up and looking stupid. I had to make a conscious decision to not talk myself out of going to an audition because I *might* not be the best person there, and just take a deep breath and go for it.
Now, I try to enjoy them like you do. You have no control over whether you get the gig, and I try to focus more on being pleased with my read. Sometimes it’s hard to do, though!
It’s nice to know that even someone who has a successful career feels the same way about auditions – thanks Wil.
Just the idea of auditioning makes my heart a little fluttery. Writing is difficult enough. 🙂
I try to keep that sort of perspective whenever I audition, though I’m not always successful. The other thing I keep in mind is to try and have the attitude of “you don’t need this show, it needs you.” That way I have the confidence I need to do well in the audition while at the same time reminding myself that not getting cast isn’t the end of the world. Auditioning can still be a gut wrenching experience though — just last week I saw a show I auditioned for months ago. I spent the first 10 minutes or so frustrated that I wasn’t a part of it. But after that I got over my bruised ego (a challenge for most actors, I’d wager) and was able to enjoy the show.
Thank you for this. I’m sharing it with my friends. Thank you very much.
Thanks for the clue in. I was just starting to figure that out myself… Though Musical Theatre is a little different, it’s all fundamentally there. 😀 Thanks again!
That’s good advice for showing a portfolio, too.
i love that tip about “letting things go” by throwing the sides away after the audition, Wil. i’ve always kept them, as if by holding onto those pieces of paper, my chances of booking the job would improve. i’m going to go through my car today with a trash bag and finally get rid of those things.
It’s an interesting take, and goes along with the way I’ve been thinking about auditions for a while now. As someone who does mostly theatre (not a lot of television or films shot in Denver), and mainly musicals at that, I’ve discovered that an audition is really a performance for a small (albeit important) audience. If I didn’t love performing, I wouldn’t do what I do. Once I started thinking of it that way, auditions stopped being scary and became my time to shine.
Thanks, Wil, for confirming the way I’d already felt anyway.
… I dunno. Some things will only be learned when the person learns them through experience.
Given that they’re apparently so “yeah, duh”, it seems like you already knew this stuff, but it just hadn’t clicked before then. The trick is finding that zone of enjoyment at least once and remembering it the next time. That’s something that words can’t teach. Yes?
This is great, Wil!
(Why is it so hard to remember that acting is an *art* when you’re staring down an audition?)
I have to say that this works for job interviews also — I’m much better when I just go to meet new people and find out what they’re up to than thinking about wanting a job and whether or not I impress them.
But yeah, it took me a while to realize this.
I am an actor by hobby, not by trade, and I auditioned for the first time last year in a community theater production of Macbeth. It was my first, so I didn’t know what to expect, but my attitude was that it would be a learning experience. She totally tore into me and ordered me all around, but because I was looking for pointers, assuming I’d not do well anyway, I learned more in two minutes of audition about playing shakespeare than in weeks of preparation on my own. And for free. I got a small part, and made good friends. Now I do auditions sometimes just to stay sharp, even if the production is totally out of my league.
Same advice I give my students for job interviews.Be positive and be yourself.
I’m not an actor or even in the entertainment business (I’m an electrical engineer), but I first heard you speak about this in a blog post several years ago (Before you were in exile) and I have applied it to my job application process. For engineers, our interview process is all about crunching numbers and remembering arcane facts and being able to troubleshoot misbehaving electrons all from memory. By applying your strategy of “having fun”, I was able to churn through countless interviews (before I got my current LOVELY job at a top-tier semiconductor company) without letting myself get too down about the black and white success and failure ratio.
Hey Wil,
This is a very insightful perspective that can translate to any creative field or nearly any field in general. Please pardon my reference to TNG but this reminds me of the second season’s episode “Peak Performance” when Data engages Kolrami in a rematch of Strategema and changes his strategy and forces the game to end in a stalemate.
Sorry, my inner “Fanboy” has decides to show off
Echoing what others have said about this applying to job interviews and, I think, life, as well. It took me a lot of years to figure out that I shouldn’t go around always worrying about what others think about me. Whatever I do needs to be fun/rewarding/exciting for *me*. On the employment front, the best way to get a life-sucking job is to pretend during the interview process. Interesting to know that it applies to auditions.
Being more focused on the process – on doing your best and enjoying it – rather than on the “goal” is a very Zen mindset. Kudos to you for finding that place within in the midst of a very non-zen business. 🙂
Namaste.
The process always counts more than the result.
I get what you’re going for, but I actually would advise _not_ taking an “I don’t need you, you need me” attitude, because you can come across as arrogant and aloof, which is a huge turn off to casting people.
Obviously, keep doing whatever works for you, but be mindful that there’s a lot more going on with casting than just that one job.
Does that make sense? I’m not sure it does.
It’s good to know that even if you weren’t right for the particular role, that casting directors will notice if you take risks and they’ll keep you in mind. I’m always very reserved at auditions (nerves, you know), but I’m keeping this in mind and at my next audition, I’m giving everything to it.
I’m printing this blog post and putting it in my wallet so whenever I have auditions in my life, can look at it, remember it, and make sure to give the audition my all and then forget about it.
Yeah, that’s very profound about things “clicking.” Thanks, man! I may use that in the future.
i taught acting at the university level for 10+ years. (though i’m temporarily on hiatus for breeding purposes) i’ve been advising my acting students to keep an audition journal upon graduation. write 100 entries on 100 auditions, trying to have a full sensory recall of each experience, with an eye towards something you learned, regretted, surprised or embarassed yourself with.
only after you’ve filled that notebook and read it through at least twice should you decide whether you should stick with acting or not.
the trick is–make the auditions about the journal and about becoming better at auditions, and not about getting the job. exactly what you are saying here.
also–as a director for stage: i always, always appreciate the folks who say thank you at the end, and seem to really mean it. like they had a blast up there. you are right. we remember you for the passion even if you aren’t right for the role.
Excellent! For 24 years, I’ve been a stand up comic. Before going on stage, comics say to one another “Have fun!”. Now, I find myself saying that to actors as well before an audition. And the highest compliment I can pay to the Casting Director is that I had fun during the audition.
Oh totally. I internalize it rather than let it affect my behavior. I’d never be so presumptuous as to tell a casting director that they needed me. It’s more of a confidence/distance thing. Ideally it means I’ll give the best audition I’m capable of but won’t become so invested that I’ll beat myself up if I don’t get the part. That just doesn’t quite roll off the proverbial tongue as well as “they need me more than I need them.”
One way that people cope with unpredictable circumstances is to develop superstitions.
(For some reason, the name ‘Macbeth’ comes to mind here…)
So I wondered, were you ever tempted to succumb to superstitious behaviour before auditions, or have you managed to remain rational, despite how little control you have over things that mattered so much to you?
The only thing I ever did was look at myself in the mirror in the car, and tell myself not to suck, or to go in there and kick their ass. It wasn’t a superstition as much as it was a ritual that told my subconscious that it was time to shut up and get to work.
I may not be an actor…but I play many roles everyday at the Vet clinic I run…and I do know that being honest with yourself is where you need to start anything…and from the honesty flows all else…if you act like a dick and think the world owes you something…you can’t pretend that attitude away, your true essense always shines through…even if you can’t see it. You just have to do the best you can, enjoy life, and be gracious and try not to let the negative things hold you, or you them. Play, have fun, be kind and loverly things will happen around you.
My friend is currently doing the audition thing and we chat together beforehand and I give him little pep talks and whatnot. But what we usually focus on are the people he’s getting in front of. He’s pretty good at auditions, though he skews a little “funny best friend” or too young, so when he’s in front of Greg Daniels he knows that what he’s there for is to make an impression and show these people what he’s got. If he’s not right for the role (not that he can’t handle it) at least these people will go “Hey, let’s get [name redacted] in here to audition. We like him.”
You might think it sounds like a “yeah. duh” thing, but I’ve noticed in life that the “yeah, duh” things are often the things I screw up the most. It’s good to hear these things over and over so that they become part of your basic knowledge, accessible without having to think too hard about it. I also think this advice applies to a lot of other situations, like job interviews or public speaking. You’ve got to have a good time to do it right.
I had an audition recently for a network show that everyone wants to be on.
Dancing With The Stars right? Everyone wants on that thing!
Because new actors will be reading this as well as the experienced. Yes, please have fun and take chances and be specific with your character choices and physicalities. But, please do remember to be polite.
When you get up in front of your audience, introduce yourself and your piece. At the end, say thank you. Those simple acts can really spell the difference if it comes down to making a choice between actors of equal quality in an audition. It becomes a matter of which of these people would I rather specd weeks of rehearsal and performance time with.
I actually wrote out a quote from that original blog post and have had it taped to my refrigerator ever since. Thank you for putting your realization into words. That little slip of paper has saved my sanity more than once.
This is a great bit of advice, and something that really rang true with me as I’m getting back into the industry after six years away. Thanks Wil – I really appreciate it and will try and remember it not only when I audition, but when I go to class as well.