When I sit in on castings, I watch actors come in one after the other after the other, all trying to be what they think they’re supposed to be. I watch amazing, talented actors push away or hide the things that make them unique and special. It just kills me.
And then in walks an actor, no excuses, no apologies, just a raw confidence in who they are and what special attributes they’re bringing to the table, and everyone in the room exhales a sigh of relief. Finally. Someone who is real. Someone not trying to be what they think they’re supposed to be or trying to be what they want to be or trying to be something someone has told them they should be. A real person owning everything about themselves: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
It’s usually those “ugly” parts or aspects of our personalities we don’t think are good enough, that might be thought of as negative, that aren’t as bold and bright as we think an actor is supposed to be, that separates us from every other actor at that audition. Aspects that color us as full, layered, real human beings, the things that directors seek out and look for in an actor.
An actor who can accept and more importantly own every aspect of their being is
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