The Truth About Casting

I did something recently

That I haven’t done for years.

I was a reader for casting.

Helping out on a big new film coming up.

When I first graduated,

This was something I did it heaps.

Of course, there was a lot more opportunity for it.

Casting needs readers all the time,

Because there were hardly any self tapes.

(I feel like this shows my age).

When pilot season was still a thing

I was used all the time in casting to help

Other actors do their auditions.

It was partly how I learned to act for screen.

Drama school had a very limited film and television

Program while I studied,

So by asking to be a reader for big casting directors,

I got to be in the room with them

As the veil was lifted on how casting occurred.

I was also able to watch fantastic actors work

In the room;

How they all approach and apply their craft.

And how differently each actor

Might interpret the same scene

To give their own version.

It was and still to this day

One of the best ways to practice acting that I know.

Because it’s live

And real.

And the pressure is on.

I want to give my best

So the other actor in the room

Has the best chance at giving

The performance they desire.

I loved doing it.

Still do.

But in between Covid,

Working on screen

Building my own career,

And of course,

And having children,

Being a reader really fell off my radar.

But recently,

While things have been quiet

I asked my agent whether it was

Something that still happened.

And luckily for me…

Despite most auditions happening via self tape now

There’s still room for re-calls in the room with casting.

Especially for large scale films

Where they are audition multiple people at the same time.

So in I went

To play and learn.

And whilst I was in that casting room

I was given a few beautiful reminders

About acting, our industry

And the truth about casting:

Namely-

When it comes to matching an actor to a role

Casting want to know only two things:

Are you think right piece

For the jigsaw puzzle?

And

When the chips are down,

Can you deliver?

But also…

The experience reminded me

Of how utterly random and un-forgiving

The nature of our industry can be.

Which in one sense,

Felt liberating,

And on the other,

Felt frustrating

Because of the injustice of it all.

Let me explain.

Now this would never happen

When casting a single leading role

(I think I hope! Oh god, who knows… it probably has…)

But on this occasion

Casting were looking at

A number of fellas

All coming in to play

Various members of a gang.

So they were seeing numerous

People in any one session.

One group of four came in

And the director and casting director

Worked with them all,

Swapping roles around,

Swapping dialogue,

Swapping looks,

Really working with these lads,

Giving them an awesome opportunity to

Explore and play.

It was great.

But here’s where it get’s weird.

As this particular group left…

The casting director turned to the director and said:

“That’s odd… I didn’t recognise one of those guys”

And after chatting,

Nothing became clear…

No one recognised him from the initial round of auditions.

They were both at a loss.

“Who was he? He was really good”.

And they went out to check what had happened…

Turns out,

The actor they didn’t recognise,

(Let’s call him Dan)
Well Dan’s agent had apparently

Sent the wrong Dan.

And this other Dan had showed.

Not only did he show up,

He did a good job.

The director liked him…

And he booked the film!

While the other Dan -

The real one…

Who was supposed to be in the audition,

Was probably at home in bed.

Random.

In one Dan’s case, lucky.

And for the other Dan,

Incredibly un-lucky.

He never got to attend his own re-call.

But this is the nature of our business…

If you happen to be in the right place

At the right time,

And you happen to fit the jigsaw puzzle,

Then you're in with a shot.

But more importantly than this…

You must be able to deliver when it matters most

When given your opportunity.

Why?

I’m glad you asked.

Random Dan who booked the part

Didn’t just “look right”,

He came in a smashed it out of the park.

It was very easy for casting to say “yes”,

Even though the role was never meant to be his.

But another example from the same day

Would give casting a big headache.

The director really want to find a young woman

For an important and slightly challenging scene.

I’m thinking of a particular actor who came in.

She was very striking,

And the second she walked through the door,

The director wanted to

Give her every opportunity

To give him the performance

He was looking for.

To be the right piece of the jigsaw.

She must have done six takes

With direction,

Which is a lot.

And she did a fairly good job.

Perhaps slightly uncomfortable.

A bit nervous maybe.

Something holding her back.

But clearly a capable actor.

In my head…

“Yep that could be the piece of the jigsaw puzzle right there”.

But when she left.

I could see the director in anguish

He said:

“I love her look so much

I really love her look.

But it’s a massive two-shot with a lot going on in the background.

A lot of pressure on one shot.

I’ll have five goes at it.

What if she can’t do it”?

The casting director said

“She was nervous”

And the director said back immediately,

“Yeah. What if she’s nervous on set”?

Despite in every way

Being “right” for the role,

And what the director was looking for,

He didn’t trust that she could deliver

In a high pressure moment

When it really mattered…

If you recall,

He gave her six takes to smash it out of the park…

She didn’t give him what he was after in those takes…

So when he’s got a five million dollar shot set up

And only 5 takes to capture what he needs,

Is she the person he’s going to trust

Can give him the shot?

I don’t know.

She wasn’t cast on the spot like Dan.

It was an ongoing conversation.

I guess I’ll find out when the film comes out.

Out of the whole day,

The one thing that I really want to

Talk about

My favourite moment of the whole day.

The one that re-ignited my faith in our little art form.

And… of course…

It came in the form of a fuck up.

I got to watch nearly ten actors

All so different,

So unique,

Come to give their work.

For this particular character.

And you could have easily cast

Five out of the ten

On the sport,

Based off performance alone.

They would all deliver something unique

Or something special in their own way.

But what made me feel liberated

Because even when one of the actor’s

“Screwed up”

It didn’t have the slightest impact whatsoever on whether

They were considered “good or bad”.

Or “right” for the role,

In fact, it was the best moment of the whole day.

While casting were looking

For this particular female role

Many actors came in.

On one occasion

Two at a time to read different roles in the same scene.

An actor came in, read for her part

Let’s call her Grace.

Grace did her thing,

But then was asked to read in another language,

Her native tongue,

Which the director suggest

To see what that offer the character.

Grace did it, and it was much better.

The scene really sang.

And Grace appeared to be far more comfortable.

The director loved it,

And asked Grace to continue doing so.

They did a few more takes

Then the audition was over and it was the next

Persons slot.

But Grace was asked to stick around

For the next actor to come in and read opposite her as well,

Which she was more than happy to do.

This next actor coming in

Let’s call her Lucy,

Well Lucy no idea that Grace was going to speaking

A different language.

Everyone forgot to tell her.

And so Lucy started her scene

And when Grace first spoke,

The fear of god was apparent in Lucy’s eyes.

She was taken aback.

Her face betrayed her a little,

“What the fuck is this…”

But… it worked…!

The scene was great,

It was a bit muddled and confused

But Lucy really listened

I mean… she was really really listening

Because otherwise…

When the fuck was she supposed to know

When to speak?

And they muddled their way through the scene,

And at the end,

Everyone broke down laughing.

It was awesome.

A bit of a train wreck.

But awesome…

Because it was real.

It was a moment of real human connection.

And that is what we are trying to capture

When ever we get the opportunity.

As I said,

It was a really great reminder

Of all the best and worst parts of our business.

And from chatting to the casting director

About what has been going on in the industry

With auditioning and self-tapes

I got to understand the kind of work

That she is seeing consistently,

And what she values.

This is what she said:

“I like self tapes because

We get to see so many different’t people.

We have a far greater reach.

But… people are doing 20 or 30 takes…

Trying to get them perfect

They are trying to get it right.

And it kills the scenes.

It kills the performance.

When what we want are the moments

That are human”.

And she was right.

In the end…

On numerous occasions

The director went with the opposite to what

Was written on the page.

Because the actor gave them something

They didn’t know they were looking for.

And that’s casting.

Are you the right piece of the jigsaw puzzle?

Maybe,

Maybe not.

But any amount of trying

To be anything other than who you are,

Is a fools errand.

At the end of the day…

Even what’s not he page is just a guide.

And the decision

Will come down to thousands of factors

Most of which are outside our control.

So focus on what you can.

Your process.

Your prep.

Your honesty.

Your choices.

Your behaviour.

Be exactly where you’re at and

And hold everything loosely

So when the time comes

You can deliver.

Have fun out there.

Dx