As a 'jobbing actor' you spend your life trying to prove yourself. From audition to audition your ultimate focus has to be proving to the casting director that you are the right person for the role. I spend many an afternoon sat in the waiting room of an casting surrounded by many other actors, all of whom have the same 'look' as me and who're all after securing this particular contract and adding a further credit to their CV. 90% of the auditions end in rejection, so thick skin is a priority. I suppose that I take it for granted that I don't get upset or take it personally when the castings don't necessarily go in my favour. But then again if anyone can mess up an audition, then it'll be me!
I was invited to audition for a commercial where I would be playing the role of 'Dad', type casting? We were paired up with potential 'Son's' and had to improvise a game of football. I had to throw the football to the young actor who then had to 'header' it back for me to catch. Simple? Perhaps for someone else, but being totally sport/football remedial only I could totally 'balls' this up. I threw the football to the 'son' who headed it back brilliantly, amazing, all I had to do was catch the ball, how hard could that be? I reached out my hands to catch the ball but for some reason I fumbled the catch sending the leather football bounding across the room onto the table of the London based casting director. The ball shook the table, knocking over her glass of water onto literally hundreds of CV's and all over her. Funnily enough i didn't get the part?
Then there are those castings where you are convinced that you have the part. The role was an ongoing advert campaign, the fee was HUGE and I nailed the audition. I was funny when I had to be, I was charming and polite and I knew that the room loved me. The casting was on a Friday, leaving Saturday and Sunday before I would have heard anything. I was so convinced I'd nailed it that in my head I was spending the massive fee, planning house renovations holidays with the kids and much more. Monday came.... and the phone didn't ring. It didn't even ring on Tuesday. On Wednesday I rang my management to see if they'd heard anything. That was a few months ago now and as far as I'm aware they still haven't heard anything? I'm not giving up hope just yet..... well, maybe if I've not heard anything by Christmas?
On a more inspiring note I was invited to actually take the other side of the casting panel recently. Halifax Amateurs were casting their latest production; 'Our House', and I was invited to help cast it. I went prepared for the stereotypical AmDram audition process, middle aged women who still think they can play the 18 year old debutante, the member who has always played a part and thinks as they've been a member for 40 years that they deserve there shot at the leading role. HOW WRONG WAS I? I can honestly say that I was blown away by the talent and professionalism of every single auditionee. Every one who auditioned could have easily and very convincingly played the role they fancied casting for. I was reminded of seeing the words 'The level was a very high standard' on rejection letters from my AmDram days, and I suppose, being the cynic that I am, I thought, 'yeah whatever', but this really was the truth. It was a masterclass in audition preparation and as a 'professional audition-er' it really made me reassess my approach to the whole situation. I can not wait to see how the people we cast that day develop from the audition to the opening night.
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