How To Fall In Love With Auditioning

“If you know what you’re saying, why you’re saying it, and how you feel when you’re saying it, you don’t have to act.” - Al Pacino

Whoever is watching your audition tape is asking one question:
Do I believe them?

When you’re pushing, it’s because you don’t trust that you’re enough.

The words don’t belong to you yet, so you put something on them.
Something inauthentic, untruthful.

You’ve memorized the lines, but they’re not yours.
You don’t know why you’re saying them and what you mean.

Audition Myths:
You have to do something memorable, something that pops.
You have to stand out and grab their attention.

You don’t. That’s not your job.

Your job is to create a compelling character that serves the text.
Your job is to show them what you’d do with the role.

The writer has given you a roadmap.
Your job is to find your way in. It’s you, that way.

How do you find character if you don’t know that you’re looking to find him?
How do you discover what kind of woman she is, if you’re afraid of being wrong?

The character will reveal itself in the text.

You have to allow yourself to play. To really play.
Most actors are afraid to play in an audition.

Forgive yourself for not being as truthful as you think you should be.
Allow yourself to play. Allow yourself to be wrong.

It’s not about getting the scene right.
Don’t work from story. Work from human shit.

It’s about discovering who this person is.
What’s your take on this role? What would you do with it?

Release the need to be good or right.
You can’t be creative when you’re frightened or anxious.

Stop caring what they think about you.
Stop trying to impress them. Forget about them.
They want to sit back and watch you do your work.

Honor your character.
Approach every audition with curiosity, playfulness, invention.

This is how I want to do it.
This is my James. This is my Beth.

The best actors work this way.
They don’t care about the job.
They fall in love with pretending.