This is a blog about preparing for and giving your best performance at auditions.
I have been acting professionally since I was 17 years old, and have performed in over 100 plays, musicals, and films. In my time as an actor I have learned that auditioning can be the most nerve wracking part of being an actor. How do you give your best performance when you are so nervous? How do you let the casting director see your true talent when you’re so busy worrying about all of the things that could go wrong? My goal is to help you calm down, focus on what’s important, and get out of your own way.
How do we do that? Through preparation. But what does that mean? Well, it means different things to different people. For some people it means learning every aspect of their character inside and out. For others it means preparing in a very physical way (breath control exercises, vocal warm-ups, etc.). And for some people it means practicing the scene over and over until they feel comfortable with it.
The reality is that there is no formula for preparation because everyone’s process is different. The key is finding what works for you and then trusting yourself to deliver a great audition!
Hello! This is a blog about auditioning for film, TV, commercials and theatre. It is written by a professional actor who has worked in almost every area of the entertainment business and who has also coached many actors.
The purpose of this blog is to give actors the knowledge they need to succeed at every kind of audition. The techniques described here are based on proven methods that have worked for many actors over the years. They will help you get the edge you need to be cast in your dream role.
This blog does not cover how to get representation or how to start an acting career; rather it addresses the technical skills needed for a successful audition performance. It may also be of interest to directors and casting agents who are looking for information on what makes an outstanding audition performance.
The purpose of this blog is to provide an opportunity for actors to share information and experiences with each other. I hope you will take advantage of the free resources on this site and share them with other actors.
I am an actor, director and coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have been a member of Actors Equity Association since 1981. My experience ranges from Broadway to regional theater to T.V. Soaps to commercials to movies. For many years I have been teaching auditioning classes, private coaching and directing actors in plays at the college level.
On my blog Advice from a Casting Director I am collecting information from casting directors about what they look for when they are casting a show and how actors can best prepare themselves for an audition.
My blog, Tips for Actors, has tips on how to get into character, how to audition for musicals, learning your lines, using subtext in your scene work and more.
Please click on “subscribe” or “follow” buttons if you want to be notified every time I post new content here or on Advice from a Casting Director. Thank You!
I’ve been taking classes for about 7 years, and every single audition I’ve been in, I’ve never felt as prepared as this. Whether it was for a play or a TV show, I always felt like I could do more.
I’m much more confident with my auditions now, and I don’t get nervous before going into them. It’s all thanks to you Michael! Thank you so much!
I have been taking Michael’s classes ever since he moved out to Los Angeles and started teaching. And when I tell people that he is the best acting coach that I have ever worked with, it’s not even close.
Michael has taught me so much about myself, life and acting through his wonderful lessons and classes. He really cares about every student and what they take away from his lessons. His passion for acting is inspiring and infectious. He is truly one of a kind!!!
I cannot recommend him more highly!!
The Process of Auditioning
The first thing to do is understand the process of auditioning, so that you can go into it with realistic expectations.
In this business, there are always more actors than there are available roles. When I was starting out, I would see dozens of actors at every audition. Now I see hundreds. And if you look at the number of credits in an actor’s resume, you’ll find that for every credit there were probably 10-50 auditions.
For every one of these auditions, we only need one actor. So most actors will not get cast in every role they audition for. It’s just a numbers game. The important thing is to keep going to auditions and keep getting better as an actor.
There is no such thing as “the perfect audition.” There is just a series of auditions where the director picks the person who was the best fit for his role and production team on that day.*
Welcome to ACT Academy!
On this site you will find a variety of tutorials and resources to help you develop your academic skills. We welcome feedback about these tutorials at act@act.org.
ACT Academy™ is a free online learning tool and test practice program designed to help you get the best score possible on the ACT test, and well on your way to college and career success. Learn more about ACT Academy. Get a taste of the ACT test with practice questions. Familiarize yourself with the instructions and format, then review, analyze, and answer the questions to see if you’re correct—and why. Looking for more? Try our new QuickPrep Practice Test!
Have a specific question? Check out our frequently asked questions or post one of your own!
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.
And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.
CuteAct is a contributor at CuteAct. We are committed to providing well-researched, accurate, and valuable content to our readers.
