Your natural charm and ability is the obvious reason. But if that is the case, why don’t they get you in more often?
If it is your ability, then why don’t they get you in for a range of roles?
A Casting Director has a perception of you. An attitude, an opinion. To which you say ….. OMG, what do they think of me? You reason that if they are getting you into their room, they think you are hugely talented.
The question you need to answer is this:
Are you there because you can play any role?
Or are you there because they think you are right for THIS role?
This role. What is it? If you can dissect the role, the project etc and unpack what is the essence of this role, you have worked out how you are perceived by THIS Casting Director.
And of course, it may be different with another Casting Director. You are there because the Casting Director thinks you have a quality (or a look) that is right for a particular role. As far as they are concerned, this is your strength.
It is important for you to understand how they perceive you. If you can do that, now you have identified your strength (one of your strengths!).
What do you do with that information? You double down. If they get you in for tough guys, make sure you self tape tough guy characters and make sure they get that tape.
Yes, we are saying make a tape for one particular Casting Director. But show them more complexity in the character, or perhaps how you handle a bigger role, or a similar character with depth and dimension.
Actors always keep doing their tapes and auditions and never analyse ….. why? Why me? Why this role? Why this size role?
You see by having an understanding of why a particular Casting Director gets you in, now you have a chance of answering the bigger question:
Why not me?
Because you need to address the elephant in the room. What have I done wrong to this Casting Director, because they never see me?
Like any person or business in a market place, you need to analyse what works for you …. And what doesn’t.
Because until you have that information, you will never make choices and decisions that move your career forward.
If you cannot answer Why Me? Then you will never ever answer Why not me?
Our Creating Compelling Characters starts January 14. Places are limited.
