Bonnie,
I just had to thank you so much for your recent Actors Voice entry called “The Gift.”
I’ve been struggling recently with a TV comedy class in which the casting director has been trying to force me into much older roles, because she says she only sees me castable as an older woman (40s-50s). This has been such a head-trip because I’m in my 30s and have been working steadily this year in theatre and film as my age, if not younger!
I finally brought this up to her and mentioned that most CDs, directors, and producers tend to cast me 20s-30s, but she couldn’t believe it and continues to push these older characters at me, even coaching me to cut my hair, wear pearls, all this conservative stuff that is not authentic to who I am. And this class was supposed to be about bringing our authentic selves to the table!
It’s really been bumming me out and has definitely made me feel diminished. Talk about a rough realm to work in, let alone trying to play with comedy!
So I was incredibly grateful when I came upon your article today, “The Gift,” because it brought me back to reality, to remembering that each time we perform/audition, we have an opportunity to not only embrace ourselves and our craft, but to share that joy of creation with others.
We can’t control how someone else might see us or how they’d like us to be. We can only bring our gifts to the table, and that is enough!
My gift is my own. It is unique, and I will not let it be diminished!
Thanks, Bon.
Best wishes always,
Laura Daniel
Hi Laura. Thanks for writing.
I love that you’ve taken this as a reason to remember that your gift can’t be diminished without your permission! That’s awesome!
Something I’d like to mention about your class is that the CD running the class is responsible for exactly ONE opinion: Her own. Of course, you know that, but there will be moments during class when you might believe she speaks on behalf of all casting directors, whether they cast commercials, industrials, voiceovers, feature films, sitcoms, dramatic episodics, or stage plays! We do not have one, unified voice or opinion on anything, I’m afraid. And if you have the proof of having BOOKED work recently, that’s a CD whose vote cancels out that of your class’s instructor.
Does that mean that one of those CDs has a more valuable opinion than the other? Maybe. And some actors might value the opinions in the exact opposite way! Depends on who casts what and what your goals are as an actor. Basically, if a commercial CD tells you that you play 50 but your major goal is to book a sitcom, I’d listen to that sitcom CD who told you you’re just now looking 30! (And not just because that opinion is also the more flattering one. 😉 I’d take the advice of the CD whose opinion would/could lead to the biggest booking — even if it meant “being 50” before actually turning 30 — and even then, I’d always remember that that’s only ONE person’s opinion.)
For example, one of my favorite actors is actually 26. She looks 35, minimum. I recently cast her to play late 30s and she was taken aback by that choice, but rolled with it because she wanted the work and trusted that we knew what we were doing, in casting her that way. Sure enough, she was amazing! She got lots of great feedback for her work. She has a maturity that goes beyond her physical years and a look that WORKS “older.” And because she’d rather work than not work, she’s not afraid to push into that older age range if that’s how the industry sees her. So, please do be willing to “hear” your instructor. You do have to trust the person you signed up to take classes with (assuming you did good research going in). She does have perspective that you may lack.
My larger concern with your current acting coach is that this class is designed to “bring out your authentic self,” but you’re being asked to “cut your hair, wear pearls, all this conservative stuff.” Wow! Regardless of a difference of opinion in your age range, I find it disconcerting when an actor is coaxed (or coached) away from authentic type areas, if that is in fact what’s happening. Heck, maybe you’re not in tune with your type, and “going conservative” would really up your bookings! But I worry about “change for change’s sake” in some classes like this, so my gut tells me to say, “Good for you, sticking to your guns!” Maybe you can play older than you think, but that doesn’t mean you have to go from “hippy chick” to “soccer mom.”
(Of course, I don’t want to encourage actors to argue with their coaches when they’re given advice that they want to resist. One of the reasons you take classes is to grow and stretch and push yourself, so you need to be OPEN to hearing things that might not sit well at first, but that could lead you to a breakthrough.)
Keep me posted, okay? I’d love to know what your next booking might be! No matter what, of course, it will be because you shared your gift. 😉
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/000946.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.