Ah, another edition of The Actors Voice where the title of the column could just be the whole column, itself. I mean, really. If there are two actors auditioning and one leads from a place of confidence, a place of knowing the material, a place of having made choices, a place of, “I’ve GOT this,” and the other actor leads from a place of, “I NEED this,” the choice is going to be easy.
But it’s not two actors we’re talking about. Even on the lowest-budget projects with only one day of casting, we’re talking about dozens and dozens of actors… and it’s no secret that the majority of the actors we meet will be leading with need.
That’s good news for those of you who have that sense of, “Hey, I’m just here to show you what I can do with this material. It looks like THIS when I play with these words in this character: BOOM,” when you audition. It means you’ll stand out in the best possible way.
Actors are constantly asking, “What can give me the edge?” “How do I get noticed amongst the bajillion other actors out there?” “I’m talented, but I just need a chance I’m not getting. How do I get that?” “What do I dooooooo to prove to them that I deserve a shot?”
You stop needing it.
Because NEED is “casting repellant.” It smells like a bad date who leans in too closely when you know you’re not feeling it. You’ll end up saying, “It’s not you; it’s me,” but, honey, we all know it’s him. Or her. Or whomever. The needy thing? Totally unattractive. Both in the Law of Attraction sense and in the actual attractiveness sense.
We want to put people on set whose vibes coast at the, “I’ve got this. Watch me nail this. I do this all day, people,” speed. We want pros. We want folks who don’t live and die for each audition, because they know they’re in it for the long haul. We certainly don’t want to watch you and think, “Wow. If he’s this freaked out by the process of auditioning, imagine how nervous he’ll be on set!”
But it’s not just during auditions that a “lead with need” vibe can keep you from your goal. Where I see it more than anywhere else is in the agent-getting process. Oy. Poor actors. Made to feel as though they’re lucky to sign with someone who has never even seen their acting, but who is willing to let them put a logo on their resumé and who will occasionally click SUBMIT on an electronic breakdown, and who will collect a commission, should they book.
“Having an agent is better than having NO agent, though, Bonnie,” I’ve been told by actors who are sure it’s better to be with their spaghetti-slinging rep than to be on their own and hustling without any representation. Hmm… okay. Yeah, I’ll say that’s along the lines of, “Being married is better than being single, so it’s okay if he beats me.”
Girl, he BEATS YOU. Get out.
But actors get told, “You’ve gotta have an agent,” so off they go to sign with whomever will take them, even before they have a credit, any training, or a clue what they’re doing in a major market. They’ll invest in new headshots by photographers who pay kickbacks to the agents who refer them. They’ll take so-so classes with coaches who do the same. They’ll spend money to update all their online profiles and they’ll do a mass mailing to tell the casting community that they’re now proudly repped by… a bottom-feeder. They have no idea how that makes them look, because they haven’t checked a mirror at all throughout this process. They’ve ignored the warnings when they’ve tried to Google their prospective business partner, or they’ve not Googled at all. They’re just so dang excited to have SOMEONE say, “I’ll rep you,” that they never question why this agent doesn’t actually need to see them act, before signing on.
So, absolutely, you can get with someone whose level of quality control is there, if you’d like. And everyone in casting knows what level of quality that agent stands for. “But some of his clients DO book work,” you’ll counter.
Yes. You’re right. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Demand better. Get the agent or manager you deserve for where you are and — more importantly — where you’re headed as a professional who will be in this business for decades. Don’t settle for scraps when you can load up a gorgeous plate at the buffet. Have confidence in who you are, what you do, and your potential earning power — both for you and for your future rep, and whatever you do, don’t lead with need.
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001517.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.