The ActorCast Blog

We all hear stories of actors discovered off the street to star in a huge movie and be catapulted directly to the front cover of Vanity Fair– and that’s because sometimes that does happen. Johnny Depp was convinced to take a shot at acting by his friend Nicolas Cage. Ashton Kutcher was found at a bar in college and booked his first audition, which was for That ’70’s Show. Cameron Diaz was cast in The Mask with no acting experience whatsoever.

However, these are exceptions to the rule. A career as a movie star, tv star, character actor, or any other type of on-screen Hollywood job requires training and experience, not just good looks and charm. It may seem like the stars we know and love came out of nowhere but in fact, their fame is a result of studying and working for years with little recognition.

Most stars, including Scarlett Johansson, Rachel McAdams, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr, and Brad Pitt all studied acting with various theater groups, camps, schools, classes and coaches before becoming famous. An acting career doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen without skill and hardwork.

There are many different acting methods and ideologies about acting, but your first step should be to explore them and start tapping into your talent. Find out what type of actor you are, and how good you can be. Some methods may really resonate with you, some you may find off-putting but you have to find control over your acting ability. You have to learn how and when to turn it on and off and you have to learn the technical stuff as well. You don’t want to be in the room with a casting director and have them give you a note you don’t understand or can’t turn into action, so you need to know not only the way to do that, but the terms the acting community uses. It’s easy to focus so much on trying to gain the opportunity, that you forget to work on being a great actor at the same time.

Acting is a fun career— but it’s still work and if you put the work in from the start, you’ll be that much better off when you get the chance you need.

Starting out as an actor is hard. People tend to hire actors with “credits”, so how do you get your first ones?

The first thing you should do is start studying somewhere and finding local showcases. You can put those on your resume when you have no formal roles yet and it will begin your acting career. You will learn the basics of acting and find your strengths and weaknesses. It’s important to go into auditions as a polished actor, not just a talented one. From there, local theater usually doesn’t require big credits for great roles and it gives you not only a line on your resume, which at this stage is important, but it gives great experience auditioning, rehearsing, and performing. Student films usually offer the same advantages with film experience. Some good local theater credits or student film credits can get you in the door for commercial auditions and independent films and things can start to snowball from there.

The goal is to always be moving and always be studying. When you’re starting out, every audition provides something and every role can add to your resume. Like any career, an acting career takes time to build. It takes a while to get to the top, but don’t get intimidated by the road ahead. Just start.

Risa Bramon Garcia cut her teeth as a casting director on the feature “Desperately Seeking Susan”. She went on to do “Fatal Attraction”, “Wall Street”, “Uncle Buck”, “Christmas Vacation”, “Born on the Fourth of July”, ‘JFK”, “Benny and Joon”, “True Romance”, “The Joy Luck Club”, “Speed”, and the list goes on and on. She also directed the film “200 Cigarettes”. Needless to say, she knows how to work with actors and she excels at recognizing talent. She now holds intensive master classes in the Los Angeles area.  We recently spoke with Risa about some of the fun parts of her job as well as what actors can do to get her attention.

What is the most fun part about being a casting director?
The most fun has always been in the moment when somebody unbelievably talented shows up. That actor often doesn’t know it, but we do. And you know in your bones that this is amazing talent right in front of you. Its a rush.

Can you share a great “casting history” moment?

I guess what comes to mind is casting Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. The short of it is – we’d seen every actress we could think of for her role and for Anne Archer’s. We heard from her agent that Glenn was interested, but the producer and director had little interest. They wanted a hot, sexy, predatory woman. And they just couldn’t see Glenn as Alex, or whatever her character’s name was at that time. But talent is bigger than sex, so we convinced them to at least meet her.  Glenn met them at a hotel bar for a drink on 57th street. She showed up as the character. And they came back to the office weak-kneed. Adrian Lyne, the director, said – I can make an actress hot, I can’t make an actress talented. So, after then putting her through hours of auditioning with Michael Douglas on tape, she grabbed the role, got “heated up” and the rest is history. Regarding Anne Archer, we were getting close to shooting and still had nobody. One night I couldn’t sleep so I turned on the TV. There was this movie on late that night, Waltz Across Texas, I think it was called, and Anne Archer was some kind of oil woman… and she was exactly right. We tracked her down the next day in LA, she read with Michael shortly after, and that was that. Exhausting process but it turned out right.

What do you think is the greatest challenge to actors starting out today?

That’s a good one. Holding onto their belief in themselves, their artist selves, without getting all caught up in the race for fame and success. And continuing to work on their craft above all. And to keep creating. There’s no substitute for working, even if it’s in a student film or tiny theatre, or your own internet video.

We hear so often about actors being discovered walking down the street, with no experience or training. How much does training, coaching, and studying acting methods really help an actor in the room?

Like an athlete, an actor has to keep in shape. So acting, however one can do that, is vital. In class, in workshops, in small productions wherever, in theatre, by writing… to keep the juices flowing and the art alive. And to shape one’s craft. There are tons of teachers out there and you have to find the one(s) who are right for you. Who feel like they get you and can bring out your best actors self.

How does coaching help actors/why should they do it?

Coaching is a tricky thing. Having been on both sides of the table, I understand what’s required. Be careful to stay true to your own instincts and to stay loose with your choices. Some coaches give you ways to do the scene that don’t always jive with what’s wanted. So it’s important to use coaching as one would use a trainer. To get in shape for the audition. Not to be “told what to do.” I believe in coaching when an actor needs some guidance, some inspiration, even a push… to get unstuck, to help things flow, to get one’s mind wrapped around the work, and just to build confidence, which is one of the most important elements in doing our best work.

Many of the calls that casting directors take are from agents looking for feedback on their client’s audition. Feedback can be an integral part of an actor’s career. There’s a lot to be learned from why you didn’t get the part or what you could do better. That being said, in order to benefit, you have to be open to the constructive criticism and that can be hard, especially when the critiques can feel so personal.

Ask any actor and they can probably remember the notes they got, either in the room or after the audition, that hurt the most. It can take its toll on even the most confident of actors. However, the solution isn’t to build up a wall and ignore the critiques. It’s to listen closely and decide how you’re going to handle each one. Some will resonate with you; others won’t at all. The important thing is to give them all proper thought so you’re a better actor the next time. People notice when you’ve improved and they appreciate the work you put into being better.

Casting directors are trying to help you with their critiques, but the only way they can do that is if you listen.

After the wonderfully relaxing holiday, every industry goes back to work. But for agents, managers, casting directors and actors, they are diving head first into their busiest time of year….Pilot Season.

January through April can be make or break time for a lot of actors to get work. With most of the networks putting pilots into production during this time, casting offices are busy casting TV show after TV show in time for the “Up Fronts” in May when the networks announce their fall schedules. Since there are so many pilots in production, there are a lot of roles to be cast.

Traditionally, pilot season has kept all of Hollywood busy during the late winter and early spring. However, as television seasons become less standard, as cable channels start producing their own television shows, and as distribution becomes less and less primetime centered with the advention of Tivo and streaming shows from your computer, “pilot season” has become more of a grey area.  Not all of the pilots start during the beginning of the year anymore. Plenty of pilots are being shot year round.

That being said, the heavy workload of pilot season definitely still creates a lot of both stress and opportunity in the beginning of the year. So if you’re looking to start your acting career, or if you’ve been at this for a while and want to move up, now’s your chance.

Any audition is an opportunity to prove yourself not only for the role but also to the casting director. Countless times in my experience have actors come in for a role they aren’t right for but have done such a wonderful audition that they are considered for other roles in the project or to audition for another project. What this means is that you should always been prepared and putting your best foot forward.

If you’re called in for an audition, or to go on tape, for a role you don’t think works for you or aren’t interested in, be great anyway. Even if you don’t get the part, Casting Directors always take notice of talent. Succeeding as an actor is about making sure when the right role comes along, casting directors know to consider you. You can do that by being a great actor all of the time, no matter the role or the project. Furthermore, if you audition and don’t get the part, it’s not necessarily a loss. You never know when a casting director has been impressed with your talent but hasn’t found what project you fit into yet.

Every audition no matter how small can lead to a big role, so take your auditions seriously, put everything you have into them, and be easy to work with. That way when the right role comes along, it can find you.

Cast It is a website created exclusively for casting directors.

It allows casting directors to share auditions, demo reels,  lists and photos directly with directors, producers and studio executives. They can also send out breakdowns, accept submissions, host open calls, schedule their sessions and search for actors. It’s highly secure, very easy to understand, and is used by the vast majority of Hollywood casting offices (including 90% of studio films produced. For a sample of recent projects click here.) Read more…

While you may eventually have to move to LA for your career, that doesn’t mean you can’t get started right away in your hometown. Start acting in local theater and student film productions. There are also a lot of movies that now shoot on location so do your research and find out if any of them are in your local area and are looking for extras or “day players”, which are small roles that usually work around a day. Many productions hire local casting directors to find local talent for location shoots. Find these casting directors in your area and submit yourself to them. ActorCast can help you find them. You should also audition for online open calls and submit yourself when the casting director encourages video submissions. Read more…

With little exception, the answer is yes. However, all this means is that you need an agent eventually. It doesn’t mean you need one right now.

For the leading roles in movies and television shows, casting directors trust agents to bring them the right caliber of actor. Actors that aren’t represented by agents, typically are not considered. There are two exceptions to this rule, however, and both of them are important to know. Read more…

Emily Urbani of The Osbrink Agency is the kind of youth agent that makes being a child actor fun. What separates Emily, and the Osbrink Agency in general, is that they are effective and ambitious for their clients while having great taste and a good attitude, which is crucial in order to have an impact on the casting office. Emily recently took time out of her schedule to talk to me about what it’s like to rep child stars. Here is what she had to say:
Read more…