If you want a career in acting, then auditioning is a non-negotiable part of building your career. Just look at Jessica Gunning, the breakout star of Richard Gadd's hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer. She’s been praised across the board for her chilling portrayal of obsessive stalker Martha, but she still had to go through four rounds of auditions to secure the role and prove she was right for the part. Whilst not every casting process will be quite as rigorous, auditioning is integral to the casting process, and it’s how most actors get work.
It can feel daunting if you’re new to the game, but with the right preparation and some tips for shining on the day, you should be nailing your auditions in no time.
Here, the pros pass down their top tips for doing well in acting auditions.
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1. Read the script in full
Whether you’ve been given the whole script or a small section of it, read everything carefully. Director Barbara Houseman advises actors, “Mine the text for information. That includes the stage directions and other character’s lines. You’d be surprised how many actors miss key details because they have gone straight into hyper-focus on their own character’s lines.”
2. Form a clear sense of your character
Casting director Nadine Rennie tells us, “Strong ‘flavour’ choices are better than neutral ‘middle of the road’ choices.” She advises actors to make a clear decision and play it. Houseman suggests working out "what, from the inside, is going on that makes [your character] act the way they do on the outside?" For example, a pompous character doesn’t see themselves as pompous, but they do have a strong inner belief that they are right, which may cause them to appear pompous.
3. Learn your lines
Houseman says, "You should be learning your lines by association." Think about the logic of what you are saying and connect it to the intention, emotions, and conflicts that are attached. This helps create a brain-body link that is stronger than learning the words by repetition alone.
4. Practise your delivery
With Zoom auditions now more common than in-person ones, actress Jasmine Blackborrow (The Gentleman, Marie Antoinette) points out: “The tricky thing with navigating a Zoom audition is [eye line].... It’s obviously easier to read with the casting director, but that might mean your eye line is skewed.” Her top tip? “I often practise with a friend and we work out things like [a good] eye line.”
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Whilst there are some differences between auditioning for stage and screen, such as the presence of a camera for the latter, much is the same for both.
The order in which the below happens may not always be the same, but these are the things you can expect from an acting audition:
1. Introductions
The first thing you can expect when you walk into the audition room (or enter it virtually via Zoom) is to meet the people who are auditioning you. This could include the director, casting director, casting associate, the producer(s), and the showrunner, depending on the project. These introductions will be as simple as a friendly handshake (if in-person) and exchanging of names, but you may also be asked to include your slate. Try to present yourself as self-assured and confident. If you get nervous, try to focus your attention on details outside of yourself. What colour eyes does the director have? What sounds can you hear in the room?
2. A general chat
Most casting teams will want to have a brief chat to hear your thoughts on the script and the character you’re reading for, and to get to know you better. Be prepared to answer the dreaded question, “What have you been up to lately?” While it’s preferable to mention any recent acting roles, if you’re in a dry spell workwise, have another answer up your sleeve. Try to sound positive: mentioning a performance class you’re taking or a writing project you’re working on will sound much more engaging than telling them you’ve been out of work for the past six months.
3. Play the scene(s)
The director and/or casting director will ask you to perform the scene or scenes they’ve asked you to prepare. Trust your instincts here: there’s no need to second guess what the director wants now you’re in the room. Show them your interpretation. If the director has another vision, you’ll have the chance to adapt your performance.
4. Redirection before playing the scene(s) again
After you have performed your scene(s), the director or casting director will give you notes (for example, providing any additional context for the scene or character that could be helpful for your second take) and redirection before giving you a chance to try the scene again. This doesn’t mean you did it wrong the first time. A key part of the audition process for the casting team is seeing what you are like to work with. How do you process a note? Can you take redirection and adapt your performance? Going for another take gives you the chance to show something different, so embrace it. For screen auditions, the casting team usually sends your best take to anyone else involved in the casting process, such as the producers.
1. Arrive on time
This one doesn’t need much explaining. Aim to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your audition time (to give yourself a traffic issues buffer), but if something unavoidable happens and you’re late, apologise and then try to let it go.
2. Get in the zone
Houseman, meanwhile, recommends using a mantra to help get you in the zone. “Something another character has said before the scene starts, or something your character is thinking,” she suggests. Whatever it is, repeating this mantra in your head will help you enter an active inner world, which in turn can help you deliver an engaging audition.
3. Don’t rush
Blackborrow recommends avoiding feeling rushed. “It’s easy to feel like you have to go as soon as they say ‘action’, but do what you need to get the best take.”
4. Focus on your scene partner
Blackborrow says, "Some casting directors are brilliant to read with. They give you clues and remind you that certain directors want certain things,” such as concentrating during a scene. Even if you are the one speaking, avoid losing focus on your scene partner. What are they communicating with their body language or facial expressions?
5. Put feedback into practice
Rennie advises auditionees: “Play the note you have been given.” You will likely be working with the director for an extended period of time if you book the job, so it’s incredibly important to show you can really listen to, and take onboard, notes. Blackborrow tells us, “If you don’t understand a note or it hasn’t landed yet, take a minute for it to digest or talk about it more with them before you start.”
6. Treat the audition like it’s your first day on the job
Auditions are part of your work as an actor, so treat them with the active focus and sense of purpose you’d bring to a job. This should help prevent any niggling insecurities creeping in. See your audition as day one in the process of working on this character, in this scene, with this director. Blackborrow says she found this approach keeps her “calm, confident and focused, rather than getting in my own way.”
7. Invest in your life outside of acting
Auditions can feel like a cattle market. Naturally, it can feel dispiriting when you don’t land the job – even if you were up against hundreds of others. Investing in your hobbies, relationships, and self-care – in other words, having a variety of things you care about – can ease the anxious ‘all or nothing’ feeling that often comes with an audition and help you deliver a better performance.
Finally, as Rennie puts it, whoever you’re auditioning for will want you to be the one. In other words, they’ll want you to be the answer to their question of who to cast. So, go in with confidence, do your best, and then try to let it go.