Casting is always pressuring you to “Be different!”“Do something the other actors aren’t doing!”“Show us something we haven’t seen!”“Set yourself apart from everyone else!” And you’re no fool, you want a job, so you accommodate out of their requests. You throw in a lisp or an accent, maybe you do a soft shoe, grow a … Continued The post HOW TO SET YOURSELF APART FROM EVERYONE ELSE appeared first on Acting Classes & Coaching | Los Angeles | Lesly Kahn.
Casting is always pressuring you to
“Be different!”
“Do something the other actors aren’t doing!”
“Show us something we haven’t seen!”
“Set yourself apart from everyone else!”
And you’re no fool, you want a job, so you accommodate out of their requests. You throw in a lisp or an accent, maybe you do a soft shoe, grow a mustache, shave your head, add lines, wear a bizarre bathrobe, sport a fake nose, etc., right?
The problem is that they don’t actually want you to be different. They just THINK that’s what they want. And that’s because last week an actor did all kinds of stuff in his audish that they hadn’t seen before. And everyone loved it. It therefore makes sense that they would deduce that being different is the key to being better. But it’s not.
They do want you to be great. But while it might look to them like the great actors are doing something DIFFERENT from everyone else, they’re actually just doing MORE. A lot more. They’re going deeper. They’re more specific.
I heard “go deeper” a lot when I was in drama school. And, like you, I did what I was told. I went freaking deeper. Into ME, MYSELF, my CHILDHOOD, my PAIN, my ANGUISH; I expressed allllllllllllllll of my agonizing FEEEEEEELINGS (mainly about my mother).
ALLLL the time. And?
It got me nowhere.
Because that’s not what I should have been doing. While going deeper emotionally might be a great idea, you also need to go deeper into the text. Do more of what the text is asking of you. Not just throw on some roller blades because they’re “different,” feel spiffy about your oh-so-creative self, and call it a day.
To prove this point, I asked the internet to show me a story about an actor that did something weird/inappropriate/odd for a role in an audition just to be different, but ended up booking the job.
Only ONE story came up. Can you believe it? One! This is it:
Jenette Goldstein — Aliens (1986)
“Jenette Goldstein, who played Vasquez in Aliens, turned up to casting thinking it was a movie about immigration. Bill Paxton’s illegal alien comment within the movie was an inside joke.
What Went Wrong:
Actress Jenette Goldstein thought the sci-fi film Aliens was about illegal immigrants—and walked into her audition in high heels, a miniskirt, and long hair, totally mismatched for the tough, trigger-happy space marine she was hoping to play, Looper.
Why It Worked Anyway:
Despite the bizarre wardrobe choice and misunderstanding of the film’s premise, the producers noticed that Goldstein had incredible, ripped arms from recent bodybuilding, which conveyed exactly the physical toughness they needed for the role. They asked her to come back in something more appropriate — and ultimately cast her as Corporal Vasquez, one of the roughest marines in the squad Looper.
Bonus — Character Easter Egg:
In a nod to her hilarious misinterpretation of the assignment, the film includes a cheeky line where Hudson remarks that Vasquez is only on the mission because she thought they said “illegal aliens” Looper.
But even THIS story is not about an actor who purposefully did something to be different. This was just a story about an actor who made a mistake and got lucky.
I did however, find a zillion stories of actors who booked their roles because they were different, but those differences weren’t haphazard. Their performances had more depth and specificity than others. Here are some examples:
Robin Williams – Mork & Mindy (1978)
“Williams auditioned to play an alien. Instead of reading lines normally, he sat on his head in the chair and began speaking in bizarre voices. The casting team was floored by his strangeness—and cast him instantly.”
But I don’t think what he did was at all strange. The character was a freaking alien. In a comedy. Of COURSE he would do it on his head with odd voices! He just went further!
Henry Thomas – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
“During his audition, Thomas was asked to improvise a scene where government agents were taking E.T. away. He burst into tears on the spot—raw, unrestrained sobbing that shocked everyone in the room. Steven Spielberg immediately said, “Okay, kid, you got the job.”
Again, he did more. Went deeper.
Dustin Hoffman – The Graduate (1967)
“Hoffman was so nervous in his audition for Benjamin Braddock that he kept fumbling his lines, sweating, and stammering. Instead of seeing him as a failure, director Mike Nichols realized his awkwardness was perfect for the anxious, uncertain young man the role required. Hoffman’s nervous “weirdness” helped him book his career-defining role.”
Yup. But he wasn’t different ON PURPOSE. He didn’t pull something strange out of his ass.
Hugh Jackman – X-Men (2000)
“During his screen test as Wolverine, Jackman decided to prowl around the room like a wild animal instead of standing still and reading. The casting team found it odd but magnetic—it gave them the feral quality they were searching for.”
Again, nothing weird here. The guy’s name is freaking Wolverine! Why WOULDN’T he “prowl around the room like a wild animal”!? He’d be crazy NOT to!
Sylvester Stallone – Rocky
“Stallone auditioned for other roles before Rocky and often came across as mumbling, unpolished, and even disrespectful to casting directors. When he pitched Rocky, producers initially just wanted to buy his script for someone else. He flat-out refused, which could have ruined his chances. Instead, his stubbornness impressed them enough to cast him in the role he “shouldn’t” have gotten.”
Again, he didn’t TRY to do something unusual. He just happened to be perfect for the role he wrote for himself. Hmmmm. (I hope you’re getting an idea.)
Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone
“She auditioned looking completely disheveled—frizzy hair, no makeup, and intentionally dirty clothes. One casting director later admitted they thought she’d taken “method” too far and looked almost homeless. But her raw, inappropriate boldness was so authentic that she got the part and earned her first Oscar nomination.”
Spare me. The internet wrote, “Jennifer Lawrence was originally turned down for the role of Ree for being “too pretty.” She flew overnight into New York City, walked 13 blocks in the sleet to the casting office, and auditioned with a runny nose and hair she hadn’t washed in a week.”
Had she not read the script prior to her first audition? What on EARTH compelled her to go to the first audition looking “pretty?”
Ed O’Neill – Married… with Children
“In his audition, instead of delivering the lines with energy, O’Neill walked into the room, sighed deeply, slouched on the couch, and looked utterly defeated. The producers thought he wasn’t even trying… then realized that was exactly who Al Bundy was. His “lazy, wrong choice” got him the job.”
Yet AGAIN, he didn’t do anything untoward or inappropriate. He was THE GUY.
Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad (2008)
“For his audition as Walter White, Cranston leaned into an odd choice: he played Walt as if he were already broken, half-dead inside. The producers originally thought he was too “dark,” but Vince Gilligan argued his weird, unsettling vibe was exactly what the show needed. That “off” energy booked him the role.”
Cranston wasn’t thinking, “Ooooh, I have to be different, I’ll play it dark.” He recognized that he was coming off a light, comedic role in MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, saw that could hurt his chances, looked at the character, saw his pain and played what he perceived to be that person’s truth.
I read this quote: “Actors who “get weird” often stick in casting directors’ minds because they show boldness, truth, or unpredictability.” Maybe. But I would guess most of the time they “stick in casting directors’ minds” for reasons far less lofty.
I was discussing this issue with the brilliant Brian Stepanek (actor, director, writer, coach, father and teacher extraordinairre – you know him from THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY, everything LOUD HOUSE, TRANSFORMERS, YOUNG SHELDON, NICKY, RICKY, DICKY & DAWN, and so much more) and he told me a couple personal stories.
When he went to read for THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY, they were seeking an overweight, bearded Hagrid type, which Brian is NOT. When he walked in the room (in those days, actors actually WALKED INTO ROOMS! Can you believe it????!!!!), ten Hagrids were sitting there. Brian said, “I was like, ‘Why am I here? I’m not right for this! Does that guy use conditioner?’ You know what, I’m not going to try to be a lumbering oaf. I’m not good at that. And no one will buy me as that. So I made him a savant. And did crazy stuff.” Brian got a callback. The writers looked at each other and went, “Can we do that?” Because it was such a departure. And that’s how he booked Arwin.
“Brian!” I exclaimed. “That is not a story of someone who did something weird just to be different! You were accurate to the text! You did what you could do to do the job! What else were you gonna do? Wear a fat suit?”
Chagrined, Brian said, “Wait! I have another story! I was in Chicago and went in to read for a Ralph’s commercial. They wanted someone to play a hockey player. And I was like, ‘I’m not a hockey player!’ They said they wanted a guy who believably looked like he could have had all his teeth knocked out because it was a Ralph’s spot, the gist of which was that they wanted people who never smile, who DO smile when they hear how great the deals are going to be at Ralph’s. And I thought to myself, you know what? Nobody is ever going to believe I’m a hockey player, but I’m great at Secret Service agents, and they don’t smile! I’ll do that!” He told me that he walked in looking crisp in a suit. Looking at him quizzically, they said, “Are you here for the toothless hockey player?’ He didn’t say a word. He just put on some sunglasses and an ear bud, barely moved his lips and said, “I’m secret service.” And booked it.’
So please don’t SEEK to be different. It will get you nowhere. Instead, pretend the text is like a Magic Eye picture – a stereogram:
“A stereogram is an optical illusion of depth … if you view the image in a particular way, the three-dimensional image reveals itself in an uncanny way. But getting the hidden image within a stereogram to reveal itself takes a couple of tries to master.” – https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/magic-eye-pictures
And allow yourself to sink deeper and deeper into the picture until you can see the images hidden within it.
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