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Risky Business

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Having cast many films and plays,  I can state with confidence that l know that the one thing that always gets you closer to the job is when you do something 'else'.  Certainly you want to honor the words of the script.  But there is nothing more powerful than when an actor auditions with that something 'else' and the Writer is actually present in the room. 

Jumper
Of course, the Writer always has a specific way he or she sees the script.  Thus, you are needed to fulfill that intention. That's your job as an actor, to fulfill the intention of the Writer for this character. However in almost every set of sides for a character there are the obvious givens and the not so obvious revelations;  that's the work.  For instance, the character may be described as edgy, fiending for drugs, downscale and dangerous. 

You of course fill your plate with all the things that say edgy, fiending, downscale and dangerous.  And, fifty other actors will do the same thing.  Twenty of those actors will be good, ten excellent.  But one or two will do something 'else'.  Jane or Jim will take that bigger risk.  Maybe Jim will come in with a pair of dirty jeans, old shoes and a dirty shirt -- downscale,  but he will wear a dress shirt with a dirty old tie.  Jim has made the choice that this character was from money at one point or wants people to believe that he is anyway. 

Or maybe every Janet, Julie and Jill comes in and plays this character as a screaming raving, 'dangerous' lunatic.  But Jane, Jane is smart, she sees the fear in the character and she has compassion for her.  So she plays her differently -- mousy with fits of tears followed by fits of straight unemotional, pull-it together talk.  No other actor does that and it was never specifically stated in the script.  The Writer will sit up and take notice, I promise. 

Now there is always the possibility that they might like your risky choice but it's entirely going in the wrong direction.  However  if you went for it and you're talented, they will most likely give you an adjustment and almost nine times out of ten if you are the actor that did something 'else' -- not just something 'else' for shock value but informed by the character -- you will earn that call-back! 

Take a risk.  Isn't that why you became an actor?  Safe actors are servers at Denny's.

-- Heather Langone

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