It can be intimidating and overwhelming in the beginning to walk into a cattle call audition and sit for hours watching the parade of physically fit, ultra-groomed talent. But don’t let it frighten you, for things aren’t always as they appear.
There is a lot of competition in this business, some of which is very talented with looks, connections and determination to boot. But the majority of your “competition” is not competition at all, but rather only warm bodies that make auditions drag on much longer than necessary. Here are some things I have seen at auditions that have left me amused, confused and/or just completely dumbfounded…but far more confident nonetheless.
Some people just cannot handle the spotlight.
Nervousness is normal and expected. But rest assured that many of your competitors will crumble under pressure. Better still, a few of those who do will be rather talented and beautiful and, with a little composure, could have easily snatched that role right out from underneath you.
If an actor cannot stay focussed for a couple of people with a camcorder, how are they going to deal with a fully equipped crew? If an actor falls apart on stage in front of 50 people waiting to audition for that same role, how are they going to perform for a packed house of people who have paid to be entertained? The obvious answer: they won’t. They won’t be given that opportunity. So don’t worry about them, no matter how gifted they may be.
It is not enough to be talented and perfect for a role. A casting director will not assume that an actor is capable of believably delivering memorized lines in a natural, stutter-free manner. It is up to the actor to prove themselves and their abilities. If you posses the ability to get through a scene without mangling it beyond recognition, you will likely be preceded/followed by someone who will make your performance seem much better than it was simply by falling to pieces at the sound of the word “action”.
Some people just cannot act.
Among the mumbling, monotone-delivering, frozen faced androids are those who strut into an audition room knowing they will not only book the role, but will also inspire a new Oscar category for Greatest Audition Of All Time. They perform every line which ends with an exclamation point as a balls-to-the-wall nuclear meltdown, and every comma is expressed with a long, uncomfortable silence as if they are waiting for someone to cue the power ballad while they awkwardly stare off into space. The best part of all is that that level of arrogance is usually accompanied by an equally high level of denial, and that person will likely chalk off the fact that they never seem to make call-backs to “it’s all about who you know,” eventually giving up all together and staying out of your way.
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