I have a confession to make: I’m not a huge fan of headshots.
I know, it’s a bit of an odd thing for an actor to say. Headshots are how we sell ourselves. Without them, we’d probably be naked and running around the streets of Los Angeles (and then we’d all get arrested).
But let me explain why I don’t love them.
I love the idea of headshots, I just don’t love looking at them. Like many actors, the majority of my time is spent in front of the computer, filling out forms and uploading photos to casting sites and agencies. Because of this, I see A LOT of photos every day…and because most photos look the same, they often blend together into one giant picture in my mind.
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You’ve been going on auditions and you’re not booking. You have a great headshot and resume, but it just isn’t happening for you. So what’s the problem?
Is it your headshot? Your resume? Your training? Your agent? You need to take a long, hard, objective look at your product – and that includes your headshot – and see if that is the best you can do. If it’s not, fix it.
The one thing you *can* control is your product, i.e., how good an actor you are! You can also control how prepared you are for each audition (not just in terms of knowing your lines, but also doing research into the character and project). Be sure to make copies of sides for every audition sent out by any agency or casting office.
If it’s not your product, then maybe the problem is one of the many other factors involved in getting cast in a role: Is there really a role for you? Do they know who you are (and more importantly: do they know that they know who you are)? Do they like you? Are they afraid to hire you because their last experience with someone with your type was bad? Did they cast someone similar to you on a
The first time I saw my name on the marquee of a theater was at the Circle in the Square in New York. I was doing a play called P.S. Your Cat Is Dead. It was an Off-Broadway house, but it’s still pretty huge. And it was great!
A year later, I was on Broadway in Proof opposite Anne Heche, Gary Sinise and Larry Bryggman. And that’s when I went to see The Producers for the first time. We were all blown away by it, especially the big dance numbers.
The musical aspect of the show really makes sense when you’re watching it live. There are so many talented people in one theater, and they are working together to create something so beautiful. It’s truly a magical experience.
My favorite role was playing Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical on Broadway when I was 18 years old. It was such a fun show to be in, and I loved that we were able to make people laugh every night while also telling a really empowering story about a woman who goes after what she wants and ends up getting it!
Actors on Actors: The Interviews
A series of in-depth conversations between some of the actors in this year’s awards race.
By Variety Staff
Bryan Cranston and Viola Davis
Bryan Cranston and Viola Davis
Photographed by Matt Sayles for Variety
Bryan Cranston and Viola Davis discuss their characters in Trumbo and How to Get Away With Murder, respectively. They talk about how they find depth in their characters and the motivations behind their actions.
In this conversation, Steve Buscemi and Michael Chernus talk about their experience on the set of Orange Is the New Black.
Steve Buscemi: What’s your background in theater?
Michael Chernus: I did a lot of theater as a kid, and then I went to college for it. And then in New York I was doing a lot of theater with Elevator Repair Service until I started doing O.I.T.N.B.
S.B.: How did you get involved with that group?
M.C.: It’s an ensemble-based company in the East Village, and it’s all these people who’ve been working together for years and years, since they were kids at Juilliard together or whatever, so it’s like a family, really. Whenever they’re casting something they put out a call to the family members, but sometimes they find new people too–when they do a bigger production they’ll be more open to seeing fresh faces because there are more roles available. But it’s a very tight knit group of people who’ve worked with each other for so long that they all trust one another implicitly; once you’re in that circle you can really do no wrong by them because they know what your taste is like
