As a casting director, I’m constantly meeting and communicating with actors. I very much enjoy these interactions; my admiration for actors has sustained me during three decades in the entertainment business. Yet, as with any human interaction, one should observe etiquette and respect boundaries. We’re all in this together, and there are not “us” vs. “them” divisions, but here are some tips and suggestions of what to do and what not to do. It’s always better to err on the side of restraint, and a lack of presumption.
1. Don’t email a casting director—unless he is a good friend—on a weekend. I often get unsolicited emails from actors who send me their reels on weekends. I’ve also gotten emails from actors I don’t know, asking me to look at their headshot proofs (and they attach them). This is rather presumptuous, especially on a weekend, when all of us need time to regroup, recharge, and detach from work whenever possible.
2. If you do email a casting director (on a weekday!), please make sure you spell her name correctly, and also check for spelling errors in the body of an email. It is so apparent when an actor is sending out a form letter to many casting
Leave a Reply