The first time I auditioned for a TV show, I felt confident. The role was funny and I’d already done a ton of comedies on stage. The writing was solid, but just to ensure that I would “kill” in the room, I worked out what I thought were some hilarious bits and added a few awesome eye-rolls to ensure I scored every possible laugh.
However, something unexpected happened when I arrived at the audition: I got very nervous. So much so that when my name was called, I entered the casting director’s office blind with terror. I couldn’t remember any of the schtick I’d so carefully worked out. When I was invited to begin, I fixed my attention on the reader like he was the only life-raft on a very stormy sea. As all my funny gags fell by the wayside, my heart sank like a stone. No one was laughing and for good reason.
I was just talking, not giving any kind of comic performance at all! My audition flew by in what felt like five seconds. Utterly humiliated, I slowly turned to the casting director and director, who oddly both looked very pleased. “That was terrific!” the director shouted. “Really funny.”
I left their office having no idea what had just happened and was even more
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