Let me remind you of your uniqueness. People are running crazy trying to get the pilot season auditions, prepping and booking them, getting agents and managers to submit on line with your vision, and be a GOOD ACTOR.
I was coaching one of my peeps recently and noticed a crucial missing aspect in his prep. He did excellent work learning the role and connecting with me. But he was working so hard to get the character right that THE PERSON wasn’t in the room! I reminded the actor that the reason he is being called in to audition in the first place is because the casting team desperately want him to bring his own FLAVOR FLAV to the otherwise “typical” characters. Bingo. Then the actor popped. And had fun.
Have you noticed the uniqueness of the leads on your favorite TV shows? No one, I mean no one, can do what Maggie Smith does with just one single line on Downton Abbey. Her wry humor and strong subtext add indelible nuances to her deliveries. I so look forward to her zingers.Kerry Washington. It’s hard to have that kind of class and emotion all in one character. But that’s who she is. It’s not just good writing. She’s created the kind of character that people are biting their nails over.
I am pretty clear that unless you are a bombshell or extreme hottie, you aren’t typically just being cast for your looks. There’s gotta be SOMETHING else going on. A sparkle of personality in your eye or a kindness in the audition room. Or, better, you are making original and inspired choices with the material. You understand the scene and you know how to own it. That’s it! That’s what is booking the job!
Who are your favorite actors on TV? What can you identify as their unique traits? Why can’t anyone else do what that actor does?
Now, why can’t anyone else do what YOU do?
