This summer I had the incredible honor to intern and assist the impeccable Michael Cassara at Michael Cassara Casting. A genius at what he does, Michael showed me how he runs his business as a top tier Casting Director in New York City. There was something so magical, as a performer myself, about being on the other side of the table.
Y'all, if you are grinding every day, waking up at the crack of dawn just to be seen and feeling so under water with how this business is run, I have some insight for you that might find extremely helpful.
Recommended for you
(I am an actress just like you. Hear me out here!)
The Casting Director is the middle man between your agent and the job.
The casting director sometimes has a large say in how the actual CASTING goes, however, he or she is primarily in charge of who the creative team will see in the room and when. That translates to thousands of emails and calls back and forth to agents to set up appointments. It also means working with the creative team to figure out the specifics, what they request from the actors and what they want to see.
Therefore: it is extremely important to make a strong relationship with the Casting Director.
It takes a casting director a while to REALLY get to know you as a performer. Acclimate yourselves. Look up some top casting agencies and check out how they prefer to receive headshots and resumes. Email? Mail? Are you allowed to slip in your info under the door? Keep them updated if you're with a new agency, if you booked a new job, if you perhaps relocated. And please, keep it short and sweet. Staying active goes a long way and when you wiggle your way in, you will come up in conversation.
We ALL stress about representation and agents. But I have news for you.
***You don't necessarily need an agent to be a working actor. But if you are trying to get your little LaDuca in the door, then have some guts and build a relationship with the person who can get you right in front of the creative team!
Consistency is KEY.
This one is a big one here. The more often you prove yourself as a well-prepared, professional and highly-skilled actor or actress, the better. I can't stress the importance of a solid image as a performer because for a casting director, this is PRIME.
Present yourself as this way and the chances of being called in for an appointment by the casting director will skyrocket.
Hey, maybe the first two jobs of the week weren't your jobs. But boy is that casting director rooting for you. They're going to sing your praises when you're finally right for something if you are consistently doing wonderful work in the room. Don't worry.
It all comes back around.
It ain't personal!
Once I spent some time in "the room where it happens," (gross, sorry) I recognized the importance of separating yourself from your work. What is said behind the table is strictly to save time and find exactly what the creative team is looking for. It's a business.
Make the Casting Director's job easy.
Focus on what YOU bring to the table.
Honestly, this is a life lesson. But it's so important as an actor that it's almost the difference between sanity and losing your mind. There are a thousands of people that do what you do... how are you unique?
If you want the casting director to think of you as top tier, then figure out your strengths and really nail 'em to the ground.
Ignorance is bliss, my friends.
I'm not advising you to be a complete fool and always stay out of the loop. But you will never be able to truly know what the creative team is thinking. Maybe your role is already cast, but the team is afraid that a contract may overlap and the actor will have to pull out of the production. Bingo.
Maybe they have the audition room for only 15 more minutes and scheduling is a bitch so they have to rush you.
Calm down. Do what you can the best you can and STOP WORRYING ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE (easier said than done, I suppose.) Is it worth wasting time over that ninety seconds in the room? NAH.
You can be whatever you want to be in life. But if you choose to be an actor at any given time, then be a damn actor! You don't have to be the agent, the casting the director, the choreographer, the musical director, the director. You don't have to do anyone's job but your own.
Just do it well, respect yourself, and you're already well on your way.
Looking pretty with NYC casting directors Michael Cassara and Alan Filderman
