It’s not about the scene. It’s about this human being.

I recently heard a casting director say:  

“It’s less about coming in and doing really well on the scene, and more about: what’s your take on this character?  We’re looking for the thing you do with the character that lights us up - not that you came in and nailed the scene.”

It’s you, that way. You're always playing yourself.

Start thinking of yourself as a problem solver.  

“I’m looking for the actor or actress that’s not trying to please, but who’s bringing their point of view to the character, their own personality, their own reading into what the character means to them.”

- Ryan Murphy 

You aren’t there to impress them, you’re there to solve the casting director’s problem. 

Denzel Washington, said to me:

“Prepare, prepare, prepare, and then throw it all out. Allow your character to reveal herself to you.“

When Denzel Washington stepped on our set, he changed the energy in the room.

He was relaxed, focused, quiet and ready to play.
We were about to watch a master at work.

Every take was an improv, an exploration.

Everything you need to know is in your audition material.

The breakdown and sides should be enough to craft the scene.

It’s not always useful to read the script:
You get involved as the audience.
You don’t want to know more than your character knows.
You don’t want to forecast or act the story.

If you’re acting vulnerability, it’s not vulnerability.

“You can’t recycle vulnerability. An audience can tell when they’re in the presence of a truth that was discovered just for them, and they can tell when it’s a truth that’s being recycled. We want to watch behind your eyes - you taking in that information - and it shifting you.”
- George C. Wolfe

If you’re acting the scene, there's no space for discovery.
If there’s no discovery, you’re blocking vulnerability.

Michael Caine once said:

“The camera already loves you deeply. You don’t have to win its affection. It hangs on to every word, every look. Like a faithful lover, she can’t take her eyes off you. She is listening to and recording everything you do, however minutely you do it. You have never known such devotion.”

The camera is the most intimate relationship you’ll have on set.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen how top actors work.

The actors we love to watch bury themselves in character.
And through character, they become moment hunters. 

They’re not concerned with being right or wrong - because they know that if they’re in character, they can do no wrong.

“Kelly, I wanted to send a thank you note for last week’s coaching. I deeply appreciate your talent, patience, and support for getting to that last take. Thank you for putting so much care into our session. Wish I could work like that every week!”  - Tina D

I work with actors who are playing the long game.

Auditioning is never about getting the job.‍ ‍

Whether or not you fit into the creative vision isn’t up to you.

Steven Spielberg is known for watching tapes with the sound off. Why?

Because auditions are the actor’s close-up, and close-ups aren’t about words. They’re about emotional information.

Most actors get an audition and immediately go to their lines.

But here’s the truth:
If you don’t know who you are, you’re in trouble.

I don’t need to tell you that auditioning is different now.

Gone are the days of walking into a casting office and winning someone over in the room.

We’ve lost the chance to connect in person.

We’ve lost the ability to sit across from a casting director and let them see who we are.

We can’t ask questions, and they can’t offer adjustments based on conversations with the creators.

"I coached with Kelly on an audition for an HBO film… next thing I know, I'm playing opposite Nicole Kidman in a major motion picture. That's 100% a true story."‍ ‍

- Eric Michael Roy

Most of What You've Been Told About Auditioning Is Dead Wrong

You’ve probably been told a lot about how to audition.
I was too.

Most of it? Total nonsense.

I wish someone had told me the truth when I was doubting my talent - so I’m telling you now.

Imagine submitting your audition and knowing - truly knowing - you nailed it.

You send in your tape without second-guessing.

You weren’t in your head. You weren’t controlling the scene.

You finished the take and thought:
“What a surprise, I didn’t see that coming! I was completely absorbed in my own experience, that felt effortless.”

It’s not luck.

Here’s the truth:‍ ‍

most actors don’t book the job - not because they lack talent, but because their tapes don’t land.

The problem isn’t performance. It’s interpretation.

The sides are your roadmap - but if you don’t know how to read them, you’ll miss what the writer is trying to tell you.

I had a conversation yesterday with a casting friend of mine about the magnetic power of not caring, in an audition.

Think about the person at the party who’s not performing, not trying, just present.

They’re the one everyone wants to know more about.
They’re impossible to ignore.
That’s the energy that books.

Two Game-Changing Audition Secrets I’ve Learned:

Auditioning is a separate skill. It's a broad stroke, not a performance.

A network television casting director recently told me about auditioning:

"You're either the girl, or you're not the girl. Show us a glimpse of what you’d do with the character, and the rest is out of your hands."