Brooke Thomas and Mary Egan, casting directors at HOUSE Production and Casting (www.HouseProd.com) in New York City, teach an on-camera commercial class under the name “Brooke and Mary.” At each of the three classes they work on-camera with cue cards and commercial copy and invite commercial talent agents to the final class to watch. For more information on their classes, visit www.BrookeandMary.com

Interviewed by Joanna Parson

So, my (non-actor) friends and I are sitting around, and we’re watching TV. Some girl comes on the screen, makes one goofy face to sell yogurt, and pockets $25,000. My friends ask me why I don’t do commercials. It seems easy enough! In your opinion, is it?
Brooke & Mary: We think doing commercials is very different from stage or film acting. You have to have a certain confidence in being yourself in front of the camera rather than taking on a character as you do in the theater and film. It is the ability to truly relax and have confidence in being “yourself” that makes for a good commercial actor. This is easier said than done. Casting directors and directors look for these natural attributes to match with the brand that’s going to be advertised. Obviously, most of the time the people who are successful at doing commercials are trained actors (with an occasional “real person” here or there) but it’s a different way of acting all together. And don’t forget, there are many people out there who want to do commercial acting; it’s very competitive.

But because there’s a larger volume of work for new faces, it sometimes seems easier to break into the commercial world than into legit roles in film and television. Are commercial agents and casting directors more approachable than legit agents?
Brooke & Mary: In reality, despite the appearance of a boom in entertainment, there have been only modest gains for union actors in recent years according to Actor’s Equity and Screen Actors Guild statistics. Having said that, commercial agents and casting directors are always looking for new faces, particularly in the non-union sector. They usually have a large roster of clients in order to keep up with the larger volume of work. Legit agents are very selective and usually keep their client lists small.

You teach a popular class in acting for commercials ("Brooke and Mary")-- I learned a lot from it myself. But why should people study commercial “acting”? Is it its own style, or does any other acting training give you the goods?
Brooke & Mary: Commercial actor training is very different than classical actor training. In a commercial audition for example, you frequently use cue cards, which is unheard of in a legit audition. We believe that all actor training is beneficial to acting in commercials. For example, if the feel of the commercial is very conversational the actor may apply the technique of putting himself or herself in a location that is quiet and intimate to prepare.

How important are looks in commercial work? Is it only for beautiful people who can afford all the trendy outfits? If I can’t afford a trip to the salon every week, am I doomed?
Brooke & Mary: As an actor your looks are always important, but it’s not about “beautiful” people per se but attractive character types. Keeping healthy goes without saying. The trend in commercials is to cast for “real” people. This simply means directors and agencies are casting more for the “every person” out there, people who are diverse in their looks, all types, all ages, all ethnicities, all sizes and shapes.

I’ve also always wondered how important it is to “dress the part” for an audition. If I get a call for Captain Morgan Rum, for example, should I dress up like a pirate? Do gimmicks like that often result in booking the job?
Brooke & Mary: Uhhh, we’d suggest not donning a pirate outfit to an audition. A small prop or accessory can be interesting and helpful to you as an actor, but don’t go overboard with a pirate outfit, pun intended. We would not advise putting on a full costume for an audition as it could distract from your performance. You’ll look like a goober. We don’t believe that gimmicks ever work. However, it is important to dress appropriately for the audition. Example: If you were called in for a Pepcid AC commercial and you were going to be a truck driver, it would be beneficial for you to dress very casual.

You work with commercial agents every day. In your opinion, what are the best ways for actors to approach commercial agents when they’re looking for representation? What are those agents looking for?
Brooke & Mary: Actors should approach commercial agents in any way they can without being intrusive or annoying. If a listing says “don’t call or visit” in the Ross Reports directory, don’t call or visit. With that being said you must use all your friends, and friends of friends for referrals. If they have agents ask them to set you up with an appointment. If none of your friends have agents then take a class that offers a visit from an agent or casting director. Do mailings, send postcards. Agents are looking for perseverance and confidence from potential clients.

I personally “freelance” with about four commercial agencies-- meaning that they have my name on file and call me occasionally, without an exclusive arrangement. Is that an okay thing to do? Aren’t they all getting called for the same jobs? And when do you know when it’s right to sign exclusively with one agency?
Brooke & Mary: Freelancing is the perfect way for you and an agent to get to know each other. It gives you the opportunity to see how that agent perceives you and their ability to get you out on auditions. Most agents get the same breakdowns. If you are submitted to audition by several agents, it is the casting directors job to give the agent who submitted you first an appointment time. There have been instances where agents have called us to ensure they got an appointment for an actor who freelances with several agents. As for signing with an agent, it’s only right if you and the agent have a good working relationship. You need to question whether you think the agent gets you out on auditions enough, do they respond to your telephone calls, are they sending you out on the right auditions for your type, do you trust them?

Commercial casting directors often go to Actors Connection, or other situations where actors are paying for the opportunity to audition. But should an actor knock themselves out trying to meet casting directors if they’re not represented by an agent? Do casting directors such as yourselves ever call unrepresented people in directly?
Brooke & Mary: We call unrepresented talent in to audition all the time. Actors should make connections with anyone and everyone in “the business”. We know of a legit agent who has met actors and thought they were fantastic but already had their type on their roster so they referred the actor to an agent friend of theirs. You never know.

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