Be Who You Are Or Nothing At All

“I like to audition.  There’s a little bit of fear involved. You’re showing them your choice, your slant, your ideas on the character. You’re giving them an idea of what your intentions are.”  - Toni Collette

I’ve never been hired because I nailed the scene.
I’ve never been hired because I was word perfect.

I’ve been hired because they decided I was her.

You’re either the guy or not the guy. That’s not up to you.

It’s not just about talent.
There are countless factors at play behind the scenes that you’ll never see or know.

Release the need to get the job. You have no control over getting it.

Every audition is an opportunity to show casting who you are.
You aren’t auditioning for the job.
You’re collecting fans of your work.

They don’t want to think you care about the job.

Do it for you. Act for yourself.

Every audition is an opportunity to walk around in someone else’s shoes.
To learn something about yourself.
To work on your craft.

If you accept that it’s not about getting the job, it becomes about honoring the character.

Yipee! Look who I get to be today!

If you accept that you aren’t in control of getting the job, you can free yourself from giving a shit about what happens.

You might get the job, you might not. That’s out of your hands.

You’re job is to create a compelling character that serves the text.

That’s what they’re hoping and praying for.

Casting Directors want to see what you bring to the table.
They want you to show them what you’d do if you had the job.
They want to sit back and watch you do your work.

“The best actors are the ones who tell us who they are. It’s about bringing yourself to the role. There are parts of us in every character.” - Andrew Scott

Be who you are, or nothing at all

You aren’t becoming someone else.
You’re using the character to reveal something about yourself.
In your auditions, never leave you out.

It’s you, that way.
Never take it away from yourself. Use you the most.

I’m this person, who’s doing things in a particular way:

Why am I avoiding her eyes?
Why am I sitting back in my chair?
Why aren’t I speaking?

Acting is an interpretive art.
We want to watch you, not the plot.

Interpret the life.