Audition Advice for Actors
Audition: Love it or hate it, as an actor, it’s your only chances of getting work, so here’s some useful advice that I’ve learned in my career that should be of help to actors out there:
ONE: Don’t focus on the expressions of the audition panel, it’s not an accurate indication of what they are feeling and you’re making yourself more self-conscious. I know this, because I’ve got a horrible, thunderous, you’re shit expression, which does not reflect what I’m thinking. Focus on your task. Don’t know what that means, send me an email, I’ll help you out.
TWO: Don’t bring in props, just mime it. They make you look stupid.
THREE: Cleavage. These are not assets that you should be showing off in the audition. Have the sense to put them away and keep them away. The reason for this is simple. When you enter the audition room and your chest comes first, this is likely to occur: The gay men on the panel won’t thank you for it, the straight men will be appreciative but as this is a professional audition, they will either spend the entire time trying to avoid looking at your tits – in which case, they won’t be paying attention to your audition, OR the straight men will be staring at your tits, which means they won’t be paying attention to your audition. The women on the panel will immediately lose respect for you and you can’t afford to do that. Get cast based on your abilities, not your breasts.
FOUR: Don’t be everybody’s friend, lighting up the room with your effervescent personality, they’ll smile to your face and hate you when you go. Don’t go on about the writer or director’s work, they’ll think it’s false, you won’t get the part. If you want compliment the writing, then do it justice. Do it well even if it’s the worst crap you’ve ever read, if you want the job, make it come to life, treat it like it’s Mamet, Coward or Shakespeare, do it as well as you can and go.
FIVE: No matter who you know on the panel, keep it professional.
SIX: Do not change the tiniest part of the script. Most writers spent a long time on their script, if you want to write, writer your own script.
SEVEN: Just do your audition. Don’t ask for direction before the audition or ask if they want to see it different. If they want to see it different, they’ll ask for it.
LASTLY: Be GREAT. That’s all they want. All other audition tips are basically void when compared to this instruction. Go in and be great. Easier said than done? Well, that’s your job, don’t moan about it.
Of course, there are many more things I could tell you about auditioning, but you’ll have to be a patient!
To You, The Best!Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2010
2 Comments to Audition Advice for Actors
Hi Mark,
thanks for the excellent advice – though auditions are not ‘your only chances of getting work’, surely. Another option (which I know you are very familiar with yourself) is to take an entrepreneurial approach to acting by writing your own material or collaborating with others who can write, developing a network of people who can cover different aspects of a production, raising funds and putting on productions together etc. Of course this can take years, but by the end of all this, as an actor you have a better chance of ending up with a meaty part that highlights your best acting abilities and fits you like a glove, a script you are proud of, and a director to whom you are a collaborator rather than a subaltern – provided of course those involved in this network all have high standards and are not just good friends. Especially in places outside of London, where auditions are scarce, this approach may well be more fruitful in the long-term, than the first option (which of course can be taken in parallel) of going to auditions. And isn’t this second option something strongly encouraged by the founders of Practical Aesthetics, to not just wait for auditions but also aim to generate your own material or work with others who can write parts for you? Some blog posts on helping actors develop their writing skills and entrepreneurial mindset would be really helpful – and I know you are exceptionally well-placed for offering advice on both 
Hey Alexa, yeah, sure I agree with you when it comes to theatre, I was thinking about television and film when I was writing this, although I didn’t make that clear. I think in those industries, doing your own thing, is trickier, much trickier to get into through your own industrial actions. In theatre, yes though. I’ll write something about writing and entrepreneurship soon, good call, thanks.
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13/11/2009