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Audition Room

Casting Stories: My Final In-Person Pilot Test

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Here’s a fun pilot season story from the old days:

We were looking for a male love interest. It was a series regular role, not the lead but an important part of the ensemble. The creators fell in love with an actor who was younger than the role was written. We tested him and the studio and network both pushed back with the same note: “He feels too young.” Too young to be with the actress we had cast (grrrrr… double standards,) and too young to have the job the character had.
Our prods picked up their broken hearts and we went back and started looking for the role, once again. But nobody had the original guy’s essence. So after some communication with the execs about our plan, the producers decided to fight for the young guy. We brought him in to read with the actress we had cast and the chemistry was BONKERS. (Like I get the vapors just *thinking* about their chemistry.) We had him read a new “on-the-job” scene that played into his youth. With those two pieces of footage, the execs gave us the go-ahead to have him test again.
Side note: No one is in this business to waste people’s time, and ultimately we are all on the same team with the same goal, which is why I want to make clear that through this entire process, we were talking to the studio and network about our intentions. If they had felt it was pointless, they would’ve told us to leave it, but they heard the producer’s passion and were open. That’s hugely important to this story.
He came to the studio and tested. Aced it. On to the network, which was the bigger hurdle. And again, this was a LIVE test. This dude knew he was climbing uphill and kept a great attitude, incredible energy and enthusiasm, bolstered by the passion we had oozed all over him. He showed up to the network test, clearly nervous, but the new material showed him off well. He did his read, left the room to wait outside and the head of the network turned to us with a thumbs up and said, “go for it.” The showrunner asked if we could tell him right then, the execs said absolutely and went back to work. Once the room was just us Casting folks and the producers, we brought the actor back in and the showrunner got to tell him, face to face, that he booked it.

Live tests were sooooooooo hard (and that’s the understatement of the century) and we didn’t always know the outcome in the room – sometimes the execs had to go and discuss or rewatch tape – but very occasionally, we got to the hug the actor and break the amazing news right in that moment. 

That was the very last live test I experienced, and it was all the way back in early 2016. Everything has been on tape since then. I don’t miss the live tests. They were unbelievably stressful and they tanked many an actor who could’ve been great in those roles but who buckled under the pressure. But I’m so glad my final experience was with that young actor and that group of passionate creatives.
Welcome to the Audition Room

Casting Directors are on your side (seriously.)

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CASTING LOVES YOU!

I like to include this hashtag in my social media posts because there seems to be an underlying sense that Casting Directors are an enemy of the actor. Truth time: outside of your family, we are your BIGGEST supporters.

The audition room (virtual or live) can be an intimidating place. Sometimes the CD isn’t always warm and fluffy, but that does not diminish the fact that Casting wants you to succeed.

With that in mind, here are TEN things to remember about us kindly Casting folks:

1. We WANT you to be “the one.” If you are invited to read, whether it be in person or via self-tape, we are envisioning you as a real option for that role. Nothing is more satisfying to a Casting Director than an actor who absolutely nails an audition/redirect, because it validates our creative genius [brushes dust off shoulders] and it means our work on that role is done.

2. We’ve selected you out of THOUSANDS of submissions. If you’ve made it in to the audition room, we already like you. (See #1.) We’ve culled down our choices from hundreds or thousands down to very few. We have to be a fan to give you one of those coveted spots. Walk into the room (or tape) with the confidence of knowing that Casting digs your work.

3. We have bad days, too. There are many aspects to a Casting Director’s job, and (shockingly) not all of them are fun. Beyond being creative and engaging with actors in the audition room, we are also up against crazy deadlines, we have producers/directors/executives all of whom might have a differing opinion on a character, we are constantly needing information from or in tough negotiations with reps, and on top of that, we are human beings with our own personal shit. Forgive us if we aren’t overly friendly when you walk into the room. We’ve got a lot on our plates.

4. If we request a self-tape instead of a live audition, it doesn’t make us any less interested in you. There are only so many hours in the day to read people and watch tapes. As such, we don’t throw out self-tape requests willy-nilly. If your rep doesn’t get you in live, but DOES get you a self-tape request, it means that we are interested to see your take on the role. Take it as a good sign (see #2.)

5. We all enjoy and appreciate actors. There is no way you can get into casting without loving actors. We love what you are capable of, and we love that you are fearless in pursuit of truth and beauty. We may not always be able to match your abundant energy, but that doesn’t mean we dislike being around you.

6. If we’re passionate about an actor for a role, we will work our BUTTS off until everyone else sees it, too. I’ve edited reels, spent hours looking for and ripping additional footage, put together photo collages, re-read actors multiple times to get an EXACT take… And I’m sure every Casting Director you meet will have similar stories of the hurdles they’ve jumped to get an actor hired.

7. If we aren’t in the room for your read, assume there’s a good reason. Casting Directors are constantly being pulled in 18 different directions at once. We’ve got conference calls, and emails, and deals in process, and self-tapes coming in, and oh yeah, sometimes we need to use the restroom. Also, occasionally, we just need a break from the audition room. If it’s your turn to read and the CD steps out and has a member of their staff read you instead, it is by no means a sign of disrespect or disinterest. We do this because we trust our staff to guide you, and we trust you to be make strong choices, and to be open-minded and professional. We will gladly watch your tape after the session.

8. If you only get one take, don’t assume it’s because we hated what you did. Hey, guess what? Sometimes you nail it on the first take. Sometimes we find you very interesting, but just not right. Both of these are reasons why we might not have you read a scene again.

9. When you are in our audition room, Casting is not your parents/therapists/spouses/acting coaches. We may adore you and even be real/social friends, but when you come to audition, we want to see you work. We are there to guide you through the material, not coach you on career obstacles or coddle you when you mess up. Remember, we have crazy deadlines and likely a waiting room full of people. We care about you, but when you’re in our room, we want to keep things (warmly) professional.

10. Do good work, and we will find you. These days, because there are so many mediums (TV, film, shorts, web series, theatre, etc.) actors are always seem concerned that they will never be seen or discovered. If you are doing strong, exciting work, then somehow, someway, we will see it. If you build it, we will come. Every time.