Actor Growth

It was a small class today again with three people. However, there was one new student as another lady was on vacation. So regularly I guess we can expect about four people. The focus today was on cold reads where we had absolutely no time to prepare for a scene as we were just given some sides and then expected to perform it as if it was a last minute audition.

The first scene I was given was a side for Stargate Universe. Overall it was a pretty serious tone type of scene. I was a little worried about this as I made a comment on how these are the types of audition roles that I don’t think I would even get a callback for normally. Reason being was that it was a military esque type of role and I didn’t think that I could come up with anything creative enough to get pass the fact that I don’t have the Hollywood military guy look.

The coach then made a comment on how I can’t really think of it that way as in real life I could easily say that I am in the military. As well, being me was unique in itself as no one else necessarily has the same look. True enough and I did the scene. The coach thought I did well and made a comment how I was perfectly believable as a military guy and that he would have saluted me. That was kind of a good challenge I thought.

The second scene was completely different as I was reading as a busboy for a project called The Troop. My personal interpretation of the scene was that it was a comedy and so I played it in a “douche” type of way. In some ways I was holding back too as I wasn’t sure if this was the right direction. However, in the end the room was laughing and the coach mentioned that he has seen hundreds of people do that scene and that my interpretation of it was so unique that everyone in the actual audition room would have been cracking up.

There was another coach there too today and he was saying how it’s all about bringing something unique. Basically, in the audition room the casting director sees so many people and for the most part everyone does it the exact same way. Doing something different will make you stand out from the rest. He made a comment about mines where it’s kind of like they expect everyone to make chili, but it’s adding those different spices to it to make it your own. He said I basically made chili and threw some corn in there. lol.

Afterwards I was talking to the coach in the end and the topic revolved around what he realized was a key in his success before things started to take off for him. It came down to his personality in the audition room. Example, walking into the room where people would like him as an individual and seeming like a great person who you would like to work with.

I mentioned too how this was a kind of poplar opposite advice I received from the last coach as he basically implied to me that you have to be dead serious as you are a professional and all. Interesting day though and was a nice change of pace from the stuff that I normally do.