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Competition Jan 28/29: So ya wanna be a Broadway Star?

January 4, 2012 By Kipley Leave a Comment

The New Paradigm Theatre in Southern CT is hosting a competition/fund raiser called, “So ya wanna be a Broadway Star?”.  January 28th and 29th at the Stamford Hilton in Connecticut.

A two-day American Idol-type event that allows contestants to sing and receive comments from Industry professionals including:  Paul Bogaev (Musical Producer for Bway: Spiderman, Aida, Movies: Chicago, Nine, Dreamgirls) Jamibeth Margolis (Casting Dir for Bway: Phantom, Cats, Les Miz) Barry Moss (Casting dir for Bway: Little Women, Jekyll & Hyde, Tommy), Scott Bryce(Daytime Emmy nominee, As the world turns, Murphy Brown and Director for PBS) Richard Sabellico (NY Director: I Can Get it for You Wholesale, Annie, Wonderful Town)

Applicants can go to www.nptheatre.org for all the details and to see the list of prizes including a photo session, ten pack of classes from Actors Connection, 5 pack of classes from The Edge studios, Classes with Jamibeth Margolis, Richard Sabellico and Paul Bogaev and much more.

Three chances to be a winner.  Also a chance to get in on the ground floor of a new professional theatre company close to NY.   Kristin Huffman- Artistic Director & Jamibeth Margolis- Executive Director.

With a special guest host!  Nick Mitchell from American Idol!  Don’t wait as applications are limited.

Filed Under: Auditions, Featured, News & Events

Casting Director: Paul Russell, New York City

August 24, 2010 By Kipley 1 Comment

Paul Russell’s career as a casting director, SDC director, acting teacher and former actor has spanned nearly thirty years. He has worked on projects for major film studios, television networks, Broadway and is the author of ACTING: Make it Your Business – How to Avoid Mistakes and Achieve Success as a Working Actor.

To contact Paul visit: www.PaulRussell.net.

Paul… you have written a fantastic new book, “ACTING: Make it Your Business “. What is your greatest hope for those who read the book?

That the actor, whether new to the business or as a veteran, treats every aspect of the business with professionalism. As I wrote in the book, “This industry is all about image, image, and image. Oh and did I mention image?”

In your book, you reveal “The Cardinal Sin of Auditioning”. What is it, and why is it so offensive to casting directors?

This Cardinal Sin pisses me and my colleagues (casting personnel, talent reps, producers and directors) so much that not only did I devote several pages to it in ACTING: Make It Your Business, I also recently wrote about it in my weekly blog Answers for Actors.

What is so monstrous a sin to cause such ire? Actors auditioning for projects for which they are either; knowingly not right for the role(s) available, not available for the production or worst of all not interested in actually taking the job if offered employment. Now, that last reason may be a surprise to some of the readers here but it happens. Often. Far to f-ing much. If you want to know what happens to those arrogant actors who propagate the Cardinal Sin of auditioning… well… you’ll have to read my book.

Throughout your book, you include insightful interviews with actors who have built and sustained very successful careers. In your opinion, what are the most important qualities of successful actors?

Keen self-awareness of type and potential. Lack of desire to be in this business just to be famous (far too many of those Paris Hilton wanna-be’s roaming audition studio corridors) and a strong work ethic. Most of all; sanity is key. The insecurities that plague our business, especially among actors, often ruin careers and projects.

What do the people you interviewed have in common?

They work. Often. They’re also grounded and realistic about the business. They have no bull shit pretenses about ability and their place within the industry. I don’t like associating myself with ass kissers or bull-shitters.

So much of the e-mail we receive at ActorsLife.com comes from aspiring actors whose main focus is on becoming famous. In your experience, what impact does a yearning for fame have on an actors’ career development?

If fame is all you want here’s a cold water splash for you. Get the fuck out of the business. Now. We have no place for people who are more concerned about dressing rooms, limos, talk show appearances and wealth. All of that is a by-product of the business that less than one percent of actors attain. Be in this business because of love for craft not for love of attention. Got it?

You want fame? Go on a reality show. You want to be an actor? Get training and never stop learning and growing. I and my colleagues on this side of the audition table detest actors, or actor hopefuls, who live by the mantra “I wanna be a famous actor!” Give us all and yourself a break. Grow up.

What is your job as a casting director, and what do you love about it?
Before we begin, there’s a statement I make at the beginning of every class or coaching seminar and I wanted to place it at the very start of the interview…

Everything I say is right.
Everything I say is wrong.
There are many conflicting opinions in this industry. Don’t take one person’s words as gospel, including my own. Take what works for you.

My job as a casting director is to solve puzzles. As often as I joke about being “glorified human resources”, I’m dedicated to helping performers attain goals and employment. I began as an actor and understand the “hell” they go through in order to survive.What I most love about being a casting director is completing a project. Well, actually, what does thrill me is when a performer hits the audition dead-on and chills go through everyone behind the table. By-the-by, there are also many things I hate about being a casting director and one of them is that table that separates the creative team from the talent. It’s intimidating for the performer.

What are the qualities of a good casting director?
Being open to new or unknown talent. Perseverance in putting the puzzle together. Going after the actor that passes on a project because his representation told him to pass, when in reality, the actor wants to work. Organization. There’s a lot of paperwork. There’s more time at the desk than there is behind the audition table.

How does your experience as an actor and director make you a better casting director?
I don’t know if my experience in all three performance fields makes me better. I may be more aware and sensitive to what an actor is going through during an audition having been there myself. As a director, also being a casting director, I will work a lot with actors in pre-screens to help them reach what the creative team is seeking. I’ll nearly always ask an actor in a pre-screen; “Can we play?”

What qualities do you admire in actors you have worked with?
Wit, intelligence, genuine charm and honesty.

What (if any) are the differences between casting for film, tv, and theater projects?
With film and TV the exchange I’m looking for in an actor’s audition is much more intimate than with theatrical auditions. Lately I’ve seen far too many actors giving a film or TV read for theatrical auditions. When this happens the essence of the character and the scene/story dynamic has a life expectancy of 2 inches beyond the actor before it falls dead onto the floor.

Do you expect to see a different acting style/technique depending on the project, or can a good actor move easily from theater to on-camera work?
For me, performance on a stage is an expansion of the heart. Film and TV is more analytical and comes from the depths of the soul and projected through the performers eyes. Many actors now know how to make the transference. The one’s that have the hardest time straddling the two are those with no stage experience and those with only broad musical comedy experience

What are the first steps an actor should take in developing a relationship with a casting director?
Know that a casting director is not an agent. I don’t represent actors, I champion and hope for them. Also, know that a casting director is not someone to be put upon a pedestal and revered as all knowing and powerful. Respect as a casting director should be earned by acts of humanity than by credits on a resume.
To break into the frenetic world that a casting director is caught up in, an actor would do well to keep aware of the projects the casting director is working on and keep sending their marketing material when appropriate. Also, doing well at auditions helps.

Are there resources you recommend investigating to find out more about specific casting directors?
I’m purposely ignorant to the myriad of “guides”, books and other published resources that capture our names and addresses. Learning a casting director’s history is as easy as Google. IMDB.com is helpful as well.

If a casting director you want to know more about is holding a seminar or lecture series, go and meet them if affordable. Ask questions but don’t interrogate.

The best way to know a casting director is to present quality work and/or ask if a casting director needs help whether it’s being a reader, audition site assistant/intern, opening the avalanche of mail received daily (there’s a good one to learn the difference between proper and poor marketing). Be honest on the approach. We’re all ambitious to some degree, using others to move along. I prefer honesty in knowing that an actor who wants to help out is doing so to learn.

Are events at places like TVI and Actors’ Connection an effective way to meet casting directors?
Yes, if used efficiently. TVI is a great place. Actor’s Connection has improved dramatically with the new management. One-on-One is also good. But make sure that you’re placing your hard earned money on the right industry associate. Often when I go, I see that other associates on the schedule are low-level assistants at agencies and casting offices. Many agents and casting directors with their names on the doors do not want to be bothered with these “Paid Auditions.” Sometimes I can understand that feeling after having a knife pulled on me by an actor as part of his audition. But they are missing opportunities. I do know of some agents with their names on the door who are very faithful about this form of outreach and treating it seriously.

Myself, I have often called in people for a project that I have met at Paid Auditions. But for some industry associates, theses places are seen as two dreadful hours to mindlessly sit through in order to gain some extra cash to pay personal bills. Be judicious about who you pay to meet.

What should actors consider when getting headshots?
That the headshot LOOK exactly like the actor when the actor enters the audition room each and every time, for the life expectancy of that headshot. One would think that this question need not so much hand wringing and sleepless nights for an actor. It’s simple. What we see is what we should get. Every time. Repeat. Every time. I and others behind the table expect, no, demand, to see reflected in corporeal form what is on paper in front of us. Would anyone buying a car or house seen first by a photo, learn that in reality the photo and reality do not match. No.

This does not mean that an actor has to be wearing the same clothing in the audition setting as in the picture, although I do know of one actress who used to do that. I haven’t seen her in awhile, I don’t know if she still reflects that picture and wears the dress to auditions, if so that blue velvet dress must be thin shreds by now.

Don’t go cheap if the quality is cheap because that’s all you can afford. Do some shopping as you would for a car. A headshot is an investment. Ask agents and casting directors what photographers work they prefer. Ask other actors. Look at many headshots.

Also, stop the color crap. This color craze thing that is spreading from LA like a virus, is horrible. The quality is often poorer than B&W and many look like high school graduation portraits or worse, air brushed, pin-ups from a porn magazine. The burgeoning color headshots for actors has become a talking point nearly every time agents, managers and casting directors get together. To put it bluntly. We hate the color pictures. Stop feeding into the anxiety that you must have them because a small, limited number of actors have them and photographers are telling you we want them. We don’t want them. They’re ugly. When the photographers pushing color headshots are sitting behind our desks, then they have the right to say; ‘This is what the industry wants’ Until then, stop sending color pictures.

What are you looking for on an actor’s resume? What impresses you?
If I am casting for a specific project I am looking for similar credits that match what I am casting at present. I will also, sadly, look to see the education factor. MFA? BA? “Industry approved” school or workshops given by long-time out of the loop actor-teachers. I will also look to see what directors the actor has worked with as well as the level of the performance venue(s).

I came from summer stock and dinner theater. I know there are quality actors out there who for whatever reason can not cross that bridge into the next level. It’s not always easy. Beyond talent, timing and luck are major factors. But there is a snob factor that I will admit to having myself because my clients (producers) expect a certain level of quality and history. For a language play I give stronger consideration to an actor who has worked at the Guthrie or Yale than someone who has only done musical ensemble at Barney’s Beef & Boards at The K-mart Plaza Dinner Theater. Mea culpa. But all integrity is not lost. If the latter is the only credit on the resume, something else might spark me into meeting the actor. For every casting director, it’s subjective

How important is a college degree in acting?
Sadly, today, we’ve forgotten that great actors of the past did not need an MFA to be an actor. But the system, as it stands presently, nearly demands those three little letters be present on the resume. I admit to taking part in the snobbery of “the industry approved schools”. As mentioned previously, I sometimes have to. BUT, I also open all my mail and will bring in anyone I consider appropriate, based on the variables presented, without regard to three little initials that cost three thousand times their base number.

Is there any other training you feel actors should have?
Life. Remember there is a world beyond the tight knit entertainment community. Also, go out and work. Stop waiting with cell phone in hand for that pilot audition. Take work in the regional and stock theaters. You meet more people working than you do sitting with a phone in your hand, waiting for it to vibrate with the possibility of an audition that might lead to a callback which may in turn lead to another callback, then testing, then studio haggling…oy … it’s nearly endless. Go out and work. Broadway directors work out of town at regional theaters, why should it be any different for actors? Work is training.

How important is it for actors to participate in “showcase” evenings, and what type of showcase (if any) are you most likely to attend?
The AEA Showcase Contract began as a good opportunity for out-of-work AEA actors in NY to keep fresh. Unfortunately, today, showcases have become New York City’s version of really bad community theater that is an endurance test for the audience, and sometimes the actors. I stopped attending showcases long ago after seeing far too many torturous productions of “Savage In Limbo”, the most overdone showcase play.

The only showcases I attend are those of very close friends, associates and school leagues. Please remember that we’re people too. We have lives. We work all day, have little opportunity to eat, sit in sessions which cause “audition glaze” and have to commute 45 mins. to 90 mins. to get home. Attending a showcase is still work to us. Make sure that what you’re are inviting us to, is something that you would proudly invite your entire family to. And their neighbors. I am often asked this question and my basic response is; ‘Don’t invite me to anything unless everything about the production is absolutely stellar. If you’re stellar in a production that is less than stellar, don’t bother because then I’m wondering why you made the poor choice to be a part of something so painful for the audience. I go home with a lot of resentment.’

Is there anything that would make a showcase more appealing?
Stop doing Savage In Limbo.

How often should an actor mail you a headshot and resume or a postcard?
A post card tells me nothing. I prefer to receive a full headshot & resume. One of each please. I often get mailings from an actor that has sent five to seven of the same headshot. It happened to me this morning. Am I to paper my walls or wrap my holiday gifts with the extras? (They now await my municipal waste service.) Send the headshots when relevant to a project or if there is something new to say. With regard to postcards they are better suited for commercial and extras casting. Know the appropriate demographic you’re spending your hard earned money on when doing mailings.

Are “blind mailings” an effective way to get noticed?
If you can afford the cost, then do so. Some casting directors open all their mail, others (no names mentioned) let the mail pile up unopened and then after three or four months toss the unopened mailings into the dumpster. (I know of one office that is very guilty.) I can’t do the latter for several reasons. One; I never know if what is in the envelope that may match a project I’m working on or may soon be working on. Two; I appreciate the time and cost factor an actor has spent to send the mailing. Three; Karma. I’m sending out mail as well and I would want someone to open my mail.

What is the best way for an actor to follow up after mailing a headshot?
For each casting director the answer will be different. For me; don’t call. I am often surprised and a bit annoyed by the actor who will call and ask if I got their headshot. Why am I surprised? I get on average 50 headshots a day. I barely recall what I had for breakfast. Why am I annoyed? Because I’m constantly on a deadline and trying to get my work done. The actor “headshot follow-up” phone calls are an equivilant to a tele-marketing call during diner. Trust me when I say that, I open all my mail and keep a large file for reference. If you have mailed information to me, I’ve looked at it.

One follow up I really dislike is getting a postcard, inside a Hallmark envelope, masked as a greeting card (the actor thinking it will disguise the mailing. Most of us are not that stupid, well, OK, some of us are.) Then on the postcard I’m being told nothing except “Hi, how are you? My cat is at the vet” (I get these often. Either there are a lot of rich veterinarians out there or a large group of insecure felines who need attention.)
At what point does “following up” become a nuisance?
When the Christmas cards come from people I’ve never met. And inside the Christmas card is their postcard. This is a business. Treat it as such. Be professional. Outreach for employment as an actor should not be much different in behavior as if you’re interviewing for civilian employment. Sending me Christmas cards with a resume will have you on display at my next class as part of “the Freak File”. By the way thank you to the actor who sent the blue holiday card with the loose, Mylar snow flakes that fell onto my floor when the card was opened. I’m now taking my cat to the vet.

If an actor has no film or tv credits, do you recommend they make their own demo reel or pay a service to shoot a demo reel of them?
” If I wanted to sell cars, do I falsify my resume to read that I worked at several non-existent dealerships? No. If an actor has no experience with film or TV, go get some. Endure the confusion and the chaos that is student films. Find those casting directors who cast for independent features (SAG Modified, Non-Union, etc…), track down the NYU and Columbia students. Nearly everyday Craigslist.org has listings.

Making up a reel on your own, in which the product is not a result of a production under a directors guidance is parallel to making up a resume and filling in credits that didn’t happen. You weren’t hired. DON’T DO IT. And also you take the risk that the final product, of which cost equaled three months rent, is poor in quality, and lacks authenticity. It’s like a showcase but in electronic form.”

Do you feel a personal website is an important tool for actors? Do you visit actors’ websites?
Yes. & Yes.

What are the common mistakes you see actors make?
If an actor wants to learn to acknowledge and correct some of their mistakes, become a reader at auditions. We ALL make mistakes. When I jumped over the table from being an actor to being a casting director I was mortified by seeing mistakes I had made previously, now reflected by the actors in front of me.

The biggest mistake of all, are actors treating the actor employment search as something foreign to normal civilian job searching. Be professional. Cut the cute, get attention “I’m unique” crap unless that is what is being sought. If you do gimmicks routinely, you’ll end up in the trash basket. Or worse, my Freak File for the class I teach on career development and audition technique. It goes from the headshot and resume to mailings, to getting the audition, winning the audition, to negotiating the deal.

At heart this business is image, image, image. What image do you want to present and be known by? By the way, 90% of the decision process about a performer’s ability to match a role is made within the first ten seconds of entering the audition room. During the audition, it’s the actor’s job to meet or exceed those expectations or correct and defy the less than stellar expectations.

Is there anything that frustrates you when dealing with actors?
In all fairness there is frustration on both sides of the table. It’s unavoidable. We’re human. But as to my own frustrations … yes I have them, but I’ll have to do a Reader’s Digest version or else I’ll never be able to walk safely the audition hallways again.

My biggest pet peeve goes back to what I stated earlier. Image. Know who you are and how to present that in a professional manner. And what I mean by a professional manner is this: If you were applying for a civilian job at a Fortune 500 company, would you send a poorly laid out resume or no resume at all with NO cover letter? Actors do this to me. I get similar and worse all the time. I still keep in my Freak File the “cover letter” I received from one actress whose cover letter was a Prozac post-it and written on it the role she wanted. Nothing else.

The other major pet peeve I have is when I encounter actors who don’t want to work. I’m floored by it. When I was an actor, you took work when it came. Nowadays many actors in NY are waiting for the film and TV career to land in their lap. Go to LA.

Now, I understand that some work may not be to an actor’s liking. Everyone is discerning. I’m picky with my food. It’s a Virgo thing. But I and my assistant Bonnie Black (also an actress) are amazed when actors pass on an audition for a project they feel is beneath them. Example; recently we had many actors (with minimal to fair credits) turning down a chance to play Othello over several weeks, to audiences of 5,000 a night for a weekly salary that would be the cost of a month’s rent in a small NY apartment. I thought this business was about creating, not waiting.

What steps can actors take to make the casting director’s job as easy as possible?
Enjoy the audition as much as possible. I know that is easier said than done. And I’ve heard from actors and agents that going in for some auditions is tantamount to facing a Nazi firing squad. I and my assistant Bonnie try to strive for a much more relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Also, be prepared. Even if you’ve been called in for an appointment and your representation has sent the casting director a headshot, BRING MORE with you. Again, I refer to the civilian world. Would you go to an interview for a job without your resume and some business cards? Also, make sure that you have the proper material for the audition. I can’t stress enough, be prepared. It’s those prepared people who get the job.

When called in for an audition, what can an actor do to be well prepared?
Ask questions. If represented make sure to ask the person calling you with the audition gives you full information on the following: (and this is going to seem elementary but not knowing the following, often happens)

Full address of audition. Who is going to be in the room? Is there a script available? Can I read the script? Are there sides? (BIG OVERLOOKED FAUX PAS). The more prepared the better chances you have of winning. Who is involved? Commitment dates. Even the play title. OK, OK, I know that sounds obvious BUT sometimes an agent will just give out a character name and hope that the actor will know that Prospero is from As You Like It. Or is it Measure For Measure…. or Death of A Salesman? I wish I were making up the last one..

If the casting director instructs you or your representation that you should see a current production of what you’re auditioning for, even though you’re auditioning for a tour or regional version of that same play or musical, DO IT. It means that the director is going to be wanting a carbon copy of what another director has labored to present.

Prepare your audition as it would be in the audition setting. If it is a scene, drag, beg, or Craigslist.org a scene partner to be the reader. Place the reader where a reader normally is set in the audition room.

Do not memorize the performance. Memorizing the lines is okay if you’re solid with them but if the performance becomes audition by rote, you’re dead. Like scene theater games, do your audition piece in settings with activities that have nothing to do with material. Such as; Lady Macbeth ‘rehearses’ the “out damn spot” scene as the actress washes dishes, folds laundry, drives her Ford Explorer to the mall. Sweeney Todd rehearses his ‘Epiphany’ while planting mums in the back yard or jogging in the park …

Doing your audition outside of its intended environment as written will open up discoveries. You’ll hear new interpretations. Also you will be stronger in the audition room when the director begins adjustments. You’ll feel secure because, hey, if you could be Maggie from “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof” at the local Pathmark, you can be Maggie anywhere in any situation.

Also, musical performer auditions … As patronizing and elementary as the following is, many musical performers do forget that the lyrics to a musical number where written to tell a story and not just words placed to accentuate the pretty notes. I and many of my client’s want to hear the story in a song. Take the notes away from lyrics and dive into what is being told. (Okay if it’s Tim Rice you may find yourself laughing and wondering about the intellectual depth of a lyric that reads; “Only goes to showa, greatest man since Noah”.) There are some exceptions.

If an actor is considering moving to New York, what is the most important thing they should know about the industry before they arrive?
No one is going to call you. You have to make the calls and create the work. The competition is fierce, sometimes dishonorable. From the many “no’s” there will always be at least one “yes”.

What did you think of this interview? Let us know!

Another popular mailing is; “I auditioned for (insert generic play) and (insert generic commercial) and (insert generic casting director) and I’m available.’ OK, so I’ve just been told that you’re auditioning a lot but not getting any work. What’s wrong with your talent if you’re auditioning for the world and not booking? Why should I call you in if you’re not succeeding? Don’t tell us about the auditions you didn’t get. Tell us about the work you’re getting. And please, no pet stories.”

Filed Under: Casting Tagged With: , , ,

Casting Director: Gayle Pillsbury, Zane/Pillsbury Casting, Los Angeles

August 19, 2010 By Kipley 2 Comments

Gayle Pillsbury Bio:

I was born and raised in Long Beach, California, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Film from USC. After studying in Paris, France for a short period and dabbling in the fashion world, I started my casting career as an assistant to casting director Peg Halligan after graduating from college. I then worked as an assistant for Leslie Litt and Steven O’Neill at NBC Casting, and then had the honor of working for Meg Liberman and Marc Hirschfeld, my beloved mentors, at Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting. It was there that I met an extraordinary group of casting directors who I love as my friends and admire to this day, including my incredible partner Bonnie Zane.

Following Liberman/Hirschfeld, I was hired as the head of talent and casting at Imagine Television where I oversaw the casting of many great shows including “Felicity” “Sports Night” “Wonderland” and “24”. My friend Bonnie encouraged me to leave and partner with her and I have been laughing everyday since.

I live in Echo Park with my magnificent, loving and supportive husband, Doug Piburn, and our 3 glorious young children.

Interviewed by Matthew Rose

First off, how did you get into casting?
I was in my last year at USC and didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I graduated. I knew I wanted to do something in entertainment but had absolutely no idea what the job spectrum consisted of at that point since I didn’t grow up in LA or know anyone in the business. I was a huge fan of the show “China Beach” which was on at that time, and the casting of that show was so superb that it made me aware for the first time that actors don’t just magically appear onscreen but it is someone’s actual JOB to find and hire actors for movies and television shows. I was working at the time in the ABC page program which is basically an on-the-lot temp agency – you fill in for assistants in various departments who have called in sick, you seat audiences at shows, give tours, work the Academy Awards etc.

It was an incredible introduction to the television business and I could schedule my work hours around my classes. Through this program I became friends with someone whose wife, Laurie, was in casting so I asked him if I could sit down with her and pick her brain about what the job entails. I wanted to learn about it to see if it was something I could do. I mean you don’t get a degree in Casting. You can’t learn how to be a casting director in film school. So I sat down with Laurie who was the associate to a great casting director Peg Halligan.and they hired me as their intern. I then became their assistant and then associate and BOOM that was the beginning.

Who was your most memorable audition? Why?
Oh – there have been just so many it’s difficult to isolate just one! In the forefront of my mind are the outstanding auditions I saw last season when I was casting a one-hour show for ABC called “In Justice” about people wrongly convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. The writing was superb and it was an absolutely gut-wrenching show to hold auditions for because actors had to place themselves in such extreme emotional situations for an audition. There was one role where a young teenage kid has been convicted of murdering his young sister in their home in the middle of the night.

In the scene we used to audition with, the detectives are interrogating him and basically psychologically torturing this poor kid over a 14-hour period to force a confession out of him. He is innocent of the crime, but he has been completely cut off from communication with his family and the detectives are telling him lies, like his parents know he killed his sister and they never want to see him again, that police found his DNA in the blood in her room, stuff like that.

Anyway, this young actor named Hunter Parrish came in and his audition was so raw and vulnerable, just beautiful, that I could barely get through the scene with him I was choking on tears. We watched this kid start from a place of shock and confusion over the murder of his little sister, and transform into a curled up ball of quivering emotion as he says to the detectives that if they are telling him he killed his sister than he must have – he doesn’t remember doing it, but he must have. By the time Hunter was finished there was not a dry eye in the room, literally. I couldn’t believe this teenage boy was able to go that deep, to open up so completely. It was breathtaking and heartbreaking. Needless to say he was cast in the role and was magnificent.

What is the most common mistake you see actors make in auditions?
Excuses, excuses, excuses! For being late, for not having the right sides, for not having read the script, for not being prepared. I know everyone thinks their situation is unique, but believe me they’re not when you are sitting on our side of the room. It really becomes like the “dog ate my homework” excuse even when the circumstances seem quite valid.

Actors don’t seem to realize that it’s not a position of strength to walk into a room with producers, writers, and a director and preface your audition with static. You are basically stating that the audition is compromised and the effect is that your audience is now half-listening. For a super-petty-yet-always-discussed mistake, actors who come in BATHED in perfume or cologne send us over the edge. Unfortunately, too few people have mastered the art of the subtle dab when it comes to applying their signature scent! Often times we are reading actors in relatively small rooms, and it’s distracting to be drowning in an overpowering fragrance. In addition, the stench lingers for hours after an actor’s left the room which is not a good thing for us OR the actor. We want to remember your stellar performance, not be praying for the moment you leave so we can run gasping for some fresh air.

You have cast both comedies and dramas. Which genre do you think is the most challenging for an actor? Why?
Hmmm. I don’t know that you can exactly measure which genre would be most “challenging” per se. Acting is challenging, it’s an art form, and it takes talent. It’s easy for those of us who aren’t actors to forget what is involved in completely transforming yourself to inhabit a role wholeheartedly and believably be it comedy or drama. I mean, Robert DeNiro may have a case to make for the drama side about the rigors involved with prepping for and playing Jake LaMotta compared to, say, Steve Carell playing Andy Stitzer in the “40 Year Old Virgin”. Is one BETTER than the other? How do you compare? They are vastly different roles and yet both such fully realized and brilliant performances. And yet we all know there are comedic performances that demand dramatic transformations as well. Just picture what Jim Carrey had to endure in the makeup chair to become Ace Ventura or the Grinch!

In terms of television, I think a 1-hour drama SCHEDULE may be more arduous than half hour, which is so civilized. I happen to think Kiefer Sutherland must be the hardest working actor in television right now with everything he has to do on “24”! Really long shoot schedules, clearly a lot of night shoots, the intensity involved with saving the world on a minute-to-minute basis while juggling the emotions of personal relationships. I get exhausted just watching him! But then imagine the tremendous skill it entails to be funny take after take especially if you’re not feeling particularly funny that moment. Just think of all the negative things that can happen on any given day that could contribute to one’s feeling unfunny! How do you override that? I mean, inherently funny people know how to turn pain into comedy, but the skill involved in doing that is staggering to me. Additionally, comedic actors have to find a way to keep the material and the jokes fresh so when they deliver the lines on camera they pop. When you’re rehearsing and doing a scene over and over it would be very easy to lose sight of what’s funny about it.

To flip it over again, the auditioning process for actors in a one-hour show is challenging. Often times the scene they’re auditioning with is so emotional and extreme. An actor has to walk into a room filled with people they don’t know, GO THERE and be real and natural, and vulnerable or intense, and leave. We saw so many incredible auditions during the season of “In Justice” where actors would have to splay themselves open during a two-minute audition, collect themselves, and then enter the real world. Ideally there should be a special room where actors can acclimate before having to step outside and face the world again – kind of the equivalent of getting juice and a cookie after giving blood. I always feel a little irresponsible letting actors leave after those kind of emotional auditions, like, “Oh please, be careful, don’t drive yet”.

On the flip side, think of auditioning for a comedy. Imagine you’re waiting to audition for a comedy; you’re sitting in the waiting room and hear producers laughing their heads off at the audition that’s happening ahead of you. Then it’s your turn. You walk in, you start, and….crickets. And you have to keep going and try and turn them around. I mean, I have so much respect for what these actors have to endure for the auditioning process ALONE, that I think by the time they actually get the role that’s the easy part!

Also, the thing about comedy is – you either get it or you don’t. Not everyone is funny. It takes an exceptional gift to see dialogue in a comedic way and give it a special twist. There has to be something unique about the PERSON who can set themselves apart in comedy. I would always tell actors in cold reading workshops to watch episodes of “Friends” and really LISTEN to the way those actors deliver their lines. Why does Matthew Perry kill you every time he delivers a line? Think of the way that line may look on the page – just a line of dialogue – and think of the way he delivers it that makes you howl. I just think you have to understand timing, and not everyone does. Needless to say, I have so much respect for actors and what is required of them in both genres. Maybe it just depends on what your personal niche is as an actor to determine what would be considered more “challenging”. Hmmmm.

You audition a lot of actors for one and two line roles. But, many are used to preparing monologues, scenes, etc when they audition for theater roles. As an actor, how can you stand out when you have such little dialogue?
You can stand out by not trying to turn 2 lines into a monologue. You can make a strong choice and keep it simple at the same time. A quintessential example of this is Lisa Kudrow as ‘Ursula’ in “Mad About You”. She would just sail in with a couple of lines as a waitress and flatten you with her originality and perfection. Now Lisa Kudrow has a very special and unique quality about her so I’m not saying adopt an artifice so you too can be like Lisa Kudrow. Just understand the purpose those one or two lines are serving in that scene and play around with it while you’re rehearsing to see if you can make it pop in a way that still makes sense for the scene. Can you deliver the lines sarcastically without pushing it? If you just throw it away does that give it a little spin? The key is to not make a meal out of it.

How important is it for an actor to have a degree in acting? Does that influence your decision making process?
Not important to me as a casting director at all. I think that’s more about how deep into an academic understanding of acting an ACTOR wants to get. And while it’s impressive, it doesn’t impact my ability to determine if you’ve nailed a scene or not.

In your opinion, what makes a great headshot?
A headshot should first a foremost LOOK LIKE THE ACTOR. I understand everyone wants their headshot to be the idealized version of themselves, but when you’re shaving off 10 years with extreme airbrushing it becomes downright deceiving. I like to read people I haven’t met before, and a lot of times I will bring people in off their headshots alone. But when a role calls for a 25 year old, you’ve been submitted for that role, I bring you in and you turn out to be 35 or older because you don’t look a thing like your picture I will be pissed off. A headshot should also have a spirit to it that you feel best represents you. Do you want to project a sense of mystery, sensuality, playfulness, intensity, professional competence etc. then go from there.

Do you have any advice on how actors can get a really great headshot?
Look at headshots of other actors and see whose shots you like and ask them for the photographers name and number. Ask your agent or manager if they have anyone to recommend. Search online for photographers – a lot of photographers have websites. If you are really strapped for cash and desperate for a headshot, have a friend shoot you on a digital camera that has high resolution during a time of day where there is great light! Take the card in to a professional lab and have 8X10’s made.

What are you looking for on an actors’ résumé? What impresses you?
Personally I am impressed by a solid theatre resume – it’s the first thing I look at. If they are comedy actors I always look at where they’ve studied – groundlings, second city etc. Other than that I just like getting an idea of what the variety of work they’ve done is.

The biggest challenge for actors: finding an agent or manager. What advice would you give to anyone seeking representation?
There isn’t a precise formula unfortunately, so I would have to emphasize to actors to be as pro active as possible. Audition for theatre, if you get a part, even a small role, in a play at an amazing theatre like the Ahmanson, Taper, Geffen Playhouse, or Pasadena Playhouse, or really reputable smaller theatres like the Coast Playhouse or Hudson Theatres, someone is bound to see your performance. Send out mailings to agents and/or managers inviting them to see you in that performance. Do indie films or student films so you can begin to compile a reel for yourself and submit them to agencies. I can’t guarantee they’ll all watch them but they may. Take classes at the Groundlings, Second City, Improv Olympic – talk to friends and fellow actors about THEIR agents and how they got them. Maybe someone can put in a good word for you with their agent if they like your work. It’s essential to just put yourself out there. Another route to consider is to start off by finding a commercial agent first. It may be easier to find representation since so much to commercials is “type”. We track of lot of people down based on a commercial we saw them in so don’t forget the key is to find ways to be seen.

If an actor does not have representation, what is the best way for them to get noticed by a casting director?
Well, I’d give much the same advice as for finding an agent/manager – it’s about being pro active. Additionally, I believe wholeheartedly that cold-reading workshops are a fantastic way to meet casting directors. For as long as I’ve been in casting I’ve taught cold reading workshops and I’ve found some of my favorite actors from those. In these workshops a casting director gets to see how you handle scenes, where your instincts lie, get a glimpse of you as a person. There are some out there who are scammers so be careful and do your research, but the good workshops are excellent resources. You can also try and send a general submission of yourself to a casting office – I’ve opened some pictures and just really liked the picture of the person and held onto it until an appropriate role came up so I could audition that actor. And while I don’t want to sound discouraging, general submissions are a long shot – you’re really bargaining on timing and luck. But again, it’s about being pro-active and creative-minded.

Some actors bombard casting directors with mailing announcing their latest play, commercial, etc. How do you feel about this tactic?
I don’t like to be saturated. When I’m bombarded with mailings from the same actor I develop immunity to them. I think that dilutes their impact. Only send me mailings for key events: if you’ve changed reps, get new headshots, or are appearing in something you are very proud of. That said, every office has their personal preference regarding mailings.

How has reality TV affected your work? Do you see roles for actors increasing or decreasing over the next few years? Why?
Reality television. Part of me can’t help but feel its heavy presence in the primetime schedule has reduced the amount of work out there not only for casting directors but for everyone in every facet of production in the scripted television world. And yet on the other hand look at all the exceptional original series that are airing on various cable channels! Excellent writing, acting, and production values – I mean these series are like mini-features. I watch absolutely every series on F/X for example! So, I think it’s difficult to say for sure. I like to believe that opportunities arise in alternate areas when they are diminishing elsewhere. Something that may or may not be a direct result of the shrinking of fictionalized shows on network television is the introduction of “webisodes”. They are 2 1⁄2 minute micro-series that air on basic cable and/or the web. They are not commercials, they are just condensed little series that you can follow over potentially hundreds of episodes. We just finished casting “Zipped” – the first five webisodes sponsored by Marshall’s that was great fun. Television producers produce it, television writers wrote it and we cast incredible actors with extensive television and film credits. Apparently this is the new frontier. Is it a substitute for being on a primetime network series? Well, no, not yet. But at least it’s another arena in which actors can act. So to answer your question (a bit circuitously) about roles increasing or decreasing for actors, I have faith that it all balances out for everyone. You have worked with child actors on such shows as Third Rock From The Sun, George Lopez, According To Jim, etc.

What would you say to parents who are thinking of getting their kids in the business? What’s the best way to prepare a child for showbiz?
I would beg them to please, PLEASE make sure this is something the child is truly interested in and not a way for parents to vicariously quest after their own unfulfilled dreams. I would recommend they start their kids out in commercials to make sure this is something they are comfortable with and enjoy enough to want to pursue. It’s very easy to demonize parents who put their kids into this business at such young ages, however there are kids, believe it or not, who just KNOW this is what they want to do. I’ve seen them! I’ve hired them! At all ages! And you can just tell – they love every moment of the process. And so I think – good for you! I will never forget this one kid we cast 3 years ago in an ABC Family pilot. His name is Reed Alexander and he must have been about 9 years old when we hired him (he went on to do 2 episodes of “Will & Grace” as ‘Jordan Truman’ and was hilarious). Anyway, I LOVE this kid. He is so unique and special and he just knew he wanted to be an actor. He cold-called agents from his home in Florida looking for representation! His parents are both attorneys, I believe, and so loving and supportive you can just tell that they are making sacrifices to help their child realize his passion, as opposed to pushing him into something because they see their child as an extension of themselves.

Look, I’m a parent. I understand the logic behind having your children do commercials, or print ads or even film and television work when they are very young because, well, you can sock away some money for college. But because I’m a parent, I have an extremely difficult time watching the kids who really don’t want to be at an audition and the way some parents handle that. You’d be amazed by the pressure and scrutiny and barking some of these parents lay on their poor kids. I had a 6-year-old kid ask me in the room if he got the job because his father promised him an X-box if he did. WHAT?! Forget that an X-box is WAY TOO violent for kids that age but to bribe your kids in that way is emotionally harrowing for me. A tremendous responsibility lays with parents whose kids are in show business. They need to keep their kids grounded, make them feel loved and supported regardless of whether they’re booking jobs or not, retain some semblance of normalcy in their kids lives as much as possible, make sure they understand the importance of education. At the risk of sounding like I’m teaching a parenting class here, I would always advise parents to make sure their child goes to college, especially kids who have achieved success in acting at a young age. Growing up in this business is not a fair representation of what real life is like. I would imagine it could be quite disorienting to try and exist in the non-famous world after you’ve experienced fantasyland. But if a kid steps out of that world long enough to receive a college education, I think the odds are more in their favor to grow up and have a well-rounded and balanced perspective.


I’m an actor and I’ve just moved to Los Angeles. What the first three things I should do to get my career going?
Well, my advice would normally be tailored to consider where the actor is in their career when they move to Los Angeles but I’ll just generalize here assuming the actor is young in their career. Obviously, try and get an agent. If you have an agent, request that they schedule general meetings for you with casting executives at the various studios and networks. Those executives in turn will remember you for the plethora of projects they oversee, or have a casting director bring you in to read for one of their projects.

Get involved in a great class so that you’re challenged creatively and provided with an immediate environment in which to make friends and “network” – as much as I loathe that word it’s applicable here.

As I’ve already mentioned, I would encourage actors to do theatre. I know people don’t think L.A. is a theatre town and maybe compared to Chicago or New York it isn’t. However, there IS excellent theatre here and people DO go.

To be honest, I think it’s essential to remember to LIVE LIFE outside of all of this industry-orientation. Read! Write! Paint! Play music! Go to museums! Get a dog! Become politically active! Volunteer for goodness sake! If you are just a person waiting for your agent to call you, speak only about your auditions, who was at your auditions, the club you went to where Leo walked by you, the promises so and so made about casting you in such and such project – you cease to be an interesting individual. And the question I pose is: How do you become an interesting actor if you aren’t experiencing the world? What do you draw from? You risk losing perspective!

My 4-year-old daughter takes a theatre class at the Silver Lake Conservatory that incorporates music and instruments in the telling of a story and they have a performance at the end of the 5-week session. Her teacher is an actress! I think that is so great! What a wonderful way to be creative and apply your talents! I think Los Angeles has so much to offer – it just takes you being creative minded and assertive in terms of how you are going to sculpt a life for yourself inside and outside of the business of being an actor in this town.

George Lopez is one of the few shows on television with a Hispanic cast. Do you feel that minority characters are well represented on television these days?
I think it’s a heck of a lot better than it used to be. Is it a perfect panoply of ethnic representation? Maybe not. However, my experience is that the networks, studios and producers really make it a priority to have ethnically diverse casts in their ensembles, and to cast people of color in prominent roles not just ancillary ones. They are extremely conscientious of this issue and I think that is just as important as simply having diversity somewhere in your cast. For example I LOVED Dennis Haysbert as President David Palmer on “24” – an African American President – wouldn’t that be just awesome?! I love seeing racially mixed couples like Sandra Oh and Isaiah Washington in “Grey’s Anatomy”. I love that James Pickens Jr. runs that hospital and that Chandra Wilson rules those Caucasian kids with an iron fist. I love that the world can see Naveen Andrews, Daniel Dae Kim and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje of “Lost” as sexy, complex individuals. And the list goes on. The key here is that these people are people – there is no neon light over their heads branding them first and foremost by their ethnicity or throwing them into stereotypes. I think “Will & Grace” definitely did that for the gay community as well. It’s about depicting the humanness of people without speaking too heavily to the minority issue. That’s where I feel the real advances have been made and will continue to develop and expand.

Who are some of your favorite actors that you have worked with over the years? Why?
There are so many! My partner Bonnie Zane and I love actors and through the years we found a few favorites that we jokingly call our “repertory company” – actors we bring in for every pilot every year not because we are creatively stagnant or lazy but because these actors are SO TALENTED and we know they are going to make a role sing every time we read them. Plus they’re just great people – they know who they are.

But in terms of mentioning a recognizable name, I would have to say the first person that comes to mind is John Lithgow. I had the privilege of casting “3rd Rock From the Sun” for the first 3 and a half seasons of the show when I worked at Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting. John Lithgow was always so warm and personable and dignified. He never lost his humanity – ever. He would warmly welcome every guest actor on that set regardless of the size of the role. When the episode was finished he sent every guest and co-star and extra actor a drawing he had done of the cast with a personalized note of thanks. That is class.

Now, John Lithgow has had an impressive career. By industry standards he would in no way have to go out of his way to make an actor doing 2 lines in an episode feel welcome. And yet it was effortless for him. He was always respectful of the executive producers Bonnie and Terry Turner and the writers and directors and the jobs they did. He didn’t throw tantrums, he wasn’t a diva, and he didn’t lambaste anyone over a storyline or anything else for that matter. He never exhibited anything below impeccable manners, humanity and grace. As the star of a show, that informs the way everything and everyone operates. So as a result, at least during my tenure there, it was one of the happiest places to work. I was so spoiled by that experience. I will NEVER understand why some actors turn into monsters. It is excruciating to work on a show where an actor barks at everyone, will berate writers over scripts, make guest actors feel unwelcome and basically create a maelstrom wherever they go. It is a difficult enough business, everyone works so incredibly hard to produce a series, and yet some actors haven’t learned that you can be talented and successful without spewing venom at everyone around you. Clearly they haven’t heard that adage about catching more bees with honey than vinegar . . .

What is the best part about your job?
I absolutely love contributing to putting the pieces of the creative puzzle together. When you are completely in sync with your writers and producers and director and together you watch these actors come in and bring a script to life – it’s just an honor, it’s so exciting. Casting can be a really tough process, and sometimes as the casting director you feel like you’re on the receiving end of everyone’s panic or skepticism or blame. And yet when you come out the other side, when you’ve assembled a cast everyone is happy with, there is such a feeling of pride. I’m only 40, but I always look at all the actors regardless of their age and feel like the proud parent. I just feel blessed to be working in this business.

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