Auditioning for Love and Money

Forget about trying to please the director-getting the part takes getting the character

by Colleen Patrick | Published August 6, 1994

Are you auditioning for every role you could possibly play? Actors looking to expand their visibility, range and experience audition for everything. The actor's goal should not be to "get the job," and especially not to please the director or casting agent. The goal should be to create a character, to develop a wide repertoire.

Two things drive directors nuts in an audition. The first is actors who have obviously given the role little (if any) thought. It's not enough to just show up, you must come prepared; present a developed character. The second thing is actors who don't listen. Actors relaxed enough to pay close attention to what the director is asking for consistently get high marks.

What drives you, the actor, crazy is a director who doesn't really know what he or she wants. There is a way to remedy all this, and to leave feeling good about your craft, your talent and your choices, no matter how off-base you believe the director, casting agent, or producer to be.

First, read your sides (script pages) carefully. Think about the character and the story. What does the character want? What does she feel? Where is she? How would she interact with the scene's environment? What is the beginning, middle and end of this story?

One film project I did was particularly difficult to cast. The person I ultimately cast got the part for two reasons: First, the actor was more interested in being the character than pleasing me. When I gave him a note (a verbal suggestion for his character), he responded in character. Other actors broke character when they communicated with me.

A review of the video revealed the other actors simply weren't as immersed in the character, and therefore not as natural as the person we cast. Second, the actor brought more to the part than I had written. He developed a heart and soul for the character, a depth I hadn't seen in the script or the other auditioning actors (who were still very good). After along day, one actress got my attention when she started her audition by saying, "I see this character starting out disinterested, then ultimately becoming completely involved. Is that correct?" This actress was involved enough to analyze the part.

Meryl Streep landed her award-winning role as Joanna in Kramer vs. Kramer by analyzing the character. She was originally slated to audition for a bit part in the film. But at her audition, she gave a concise analysis of the part of Joanna. She praised the script mightily, but noted that Joanna fell into stereotyped, shallow characterization in specific places. She went on to describe how she would change the role.

She was excused from the audition and later cast as Joanna without further review. The script was even rewritten to accommodate her character interpretation and development.

John Ratzenburger (Cliff in Cheers) says that he failed his Cheers audition, badly. As the character for which he originally tried out, that is. But as he was leaving, he asked the producers if they had already cast the "bar know-it-all." Huh? "You know," he said, "the guy who..." and went on to give a bogus breakdown of the office furniture composition in the audition area—as Cliff.

That improvised character development landed him a steady job for 11 years. Ask questions. The most important thing to remember in an audition is that the people for whom you are auditioning will be doing other projects in the future, some of which your talent may be tailor-made for.

Directors remember actors whose auditions stand out in their minds, even if they aren't cast the first time around.

Colleen Patrick is a Seattle screenwriter, director and author. She teaches beginning and advanced "Acting for Film" classes.

COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

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Comment by Arkadiy on 4/09/08 at 12:49 am

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