casting: respecting actors and performance
Casting is a funny thing when you really think about it. We’ve all seen reality shows based on the casting format such as The X-Factor et al and they’re entertaining. Sometimes casting can be as well. I have seen people who come in absolutely convinced that they’re right for the role but are really quite bad. I’ve known some directors who would instantly dismiss a person after a few seconds and thank them for coming while opening the door for them. I think that’s wrong. I try not to think about how far people have travelled to my castings or how much they really want this job because it can’t effect your decision but they have made the effort to turn up. Even though they’re wrong for the particular job I’m casting for, I still conduct the casting in a normal way. Hopefully they’ll learn something from the experience of working with a director one-on-one for five minutes. It would be very easy for me to just say thanks, skip through it too quickly to let them leave. I wonder, given the choice, what the actor would think? Would they rather me tell them that they’re not right even thought they’ve prepared and turned up or would they prefer the director to continue in a respectable way. I hope that it doesn’t create false hope. I guess there’s a fine line.
I write this after just being casting for a commercial all day. I’ve just seen 52 people in a day and I’m absolutely knackered! Every director has a different approach to casting; I try not to let my energy or concentration drop whether you’re the first or the last person I see in a day. I respect the people who enter my casting room. I give people exactly the same pieces of information about the commercial and what they’re about to do. I think that’s fair - even though it involves me saying the same time 52 times. I even get into a routine of where I’m standing in the room when I say something - this isn’t planned, it’s just automatic. I feel like I’ve been performing all day to keep this up and that’s why I’m tired as I write this. Let me point out that commercial and drama casting are very different beasts. Commercials can be very repetitive because you’re - most of the time - looking for reaction performances; “Look at this, pretend this is the best deal you’ve ever seen…” whereas drama castings (my obvious favourite) are never a chore. You’re working with actors on a character and on a more naturalistic dialogue performance and they can be very inspiring and exciting.
I think it’s all about respect. I don’t think a lot of directors respect actors these days. We’re under the illusion that there are “so many of them” - and thats true, but that doesn’t mean we should take advantage of them. When it comes down to it, the director is in a position of power. We chose whether they get the job or not. We create the experience they have in the casting room. Acting is a very difficult profession and hardly anyone can make a living from it. Even getting an audition is a big challenge for a lot of actors. I don’t know how anyone does it, to be honest. My girlfriend is an actor… I’m constantly amazed by her energy and the hard work she puts into just “being noticed”. I know I couldn’t do it… your work and success is completely in the hands of other people. The agents, directors, casting directors, producers, clients… the actor has no control. If a director wants to go and make a film, they make that choice and go and make it. If an actor wants to be in something, they have to wait for somebody to call them. That’s a scary position to be in.
Jess - my girlfriend - told be about a horrid audition once. She was up for a part in an independent feature film and was called to an office in London somewhere. She arrived in what was a busy office environment expecting to be lead into a quiet room somewhere… instead she was told to begin the audition - in the office. Phones were going off, people were chatting and talking during it. Even the “director” and “producers” (which I put in quotations because they’re an unprofessional joke to the industry - I’d name and shame them if I could remember their names) were playing with phones. They even let the work experience crowd watch the audition. I was disgusted and furious when I heard about this. How can they not respect the actor and the performance? How can the actor deliver the best in this environment? It’s a complete joke and I can guarantee that it’ll have some awful performances if this is how they think they should work with actors.
I think my obsession with respecting actors must stem back to a memory that’s just come back to me. I used to think I was going to be an actor. I even had an agent when I was younger… I remember one casting. I was about 14 years old. I took the trip into the city centre by myself to this grand hotel where it was taking place. It was for a Lego commercial and they were looking for a kid to play with some new toy. After waiting a while, all of the kids were lined up against the wall. A woman - who was either the director or the casting director (either way, she was scary) - walked up and down us as if we were soldiers up for inspection. She pointed saying “You, You, You and… You” then left the room. And that was it. The kids who weren’t selected - who were utterly disappointed - were just told to go home. I was amongst them. Annoyed, I left the room thinking that this was no way to be treated. I felt like nothing.
If I ever made an actor feel like that, I’d never forgive myself.
