Show Biz How To Article

"Look the other feller in the eye and listen carefully." ~ John Wayne

"Hit your marks and tell the truth." ~ James Cagney

These wonderful instructions by two of the most enduring screen stars of all time, point us toward the truth behind the craft of acting. But these first 'duties' of the actor don't really tell the entire story – as any actor who has to handle a lot of props, rattle off technical jargon, or act opposite a rubber ball on a stick – can tell you.

Similarly, casting directors have duties that aren't as obvious as their title may indicate.

Of course, good casting directors are to be congratulated for discovering a new star – or casting a show brilliantly. But, just as with good actors, good casting directors are expected to have some 'practical' skills as well.

For instance, one thing expected of every casting director is to, "Keep the 'crazy actors' out!" And, in fact, that's the part that every producer expects the casting director to do FIRST.

Because 'crazy actors' are expensive and producers don't like expensive – unless your name puts butts in seats, or means an immediate 'green light' for their project ... and even then, it's not something a smart producer wants to deal with, when putting together a show.

So, believe me, every casting director has this 'first duty' at the forefront of her (or his) mind – when they are looking for actors to 'bring in' to the producers. Which means that even if you're the most brilliant actor available ... if you're 'crazy,' some less brilliant (but sane) actor is usually going to get the part.

Because if the casting director brings a 'crazy actor' in to the producers, that casting director can (and probably will) become unemployed in a New York minute. That's because producers are very skittish around crazy actors. As are directors. And stars have been known to walk off sets – when faced with a 'crazy actor.'

So the big question is this: What qualities does one need to exhibit, in order to be labeled as 'crazy?' (By the way, this is not a clinical or medical definition of crazy. It's strictly a show business definition.)

Here's a short and very incomplete list of 'crazy' traits an actor can exhibit: Tardy. Feckless. Bitter. Grasping. Needy. Slovenly. Dishonest. Clueless. Argumentative. Unprepared. Ultra-Competitive. Mean. Cynical. And, of course, you'd have to be crazy to keep insisting on 'fairness.'

Below are a some of the more common behaviors that will help you get into a casting director's 'crazy' file:

Arriving late to the audition.
Sending out 8 year-old headshots.
Lying on your resume. (An extra, standing near the star, is not 'featured.')
Including a note that states it is your destiny to win the Oscar.
Gossiping about other shows, actors, directors, etc. while waiting to go in.
Being nasty, sexist, or patronizing to the receptionist.
Pointing out how long it's been since you last worked.
Bringing your pet along on an audition.
Insisting that you're right for another, bigger, role.
Asking when will it ever be 'your turn' to get cast.
Using the gerundive form of the "F" word in describing former co-workers.
Selling weight loss products in the waiting room.
Threatening suicide, homicide, or revenge – if you are not cast.
Grabbing a casting director by the throat during your audition – because "it's in the script."

Of course, this is just a quick overview of the kind of behaviors that can result in being 'typed' as crazy. There are literally scores of other ways to qualify.

When it comes to auditions and dealing with casting directors you must always remember – and adhere to – the "4 P's"

Prompt.
Prepared.
Persistently Nice.
Professional.

If you can keep these four behaviors in mind, you'll always do better at auditions than the 'crazy actors' whose agendas rarely match the needs of the casting director, producer, director, or star.

It's your choice of course.

You can be 'crazy' ... and spend your career as a wannabe.

Or you can be a 'prompt, prepared, polite, pro' ... and spend your career working.

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE All of the acting career advice and courses found on this site are meant for educational purposes only. Every effort has been made to give reasonable and competent advice and represent the products accurately, however Bob Fraser, Bob Fraser Productions, and Stage Door Media make no warrantee that the information provided on this site will be suitable or useful for all users. Any earnings discussed are not the norm and should not be construed to be typical.

The accomplishment of a professional acting career is not an easy task. Your results are a function of your actions. The author is not a lawyer, tax accountant or business advisor, so your decisions about those kinds of matters should be based on advice from a professional in those fields. Any error of fact, misspellings, or other errata are strictly unintentional. No portion of this site may be copied, transferred or reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission of the copyright holder.

"Look the other feller in the eye and listen carefully." ~ John Wayne

"Hit your marks and tell the truth." ~ James Cagney

Similarly, casting directors have duties that aren't as obvious as their title may indicate.

Of course, good casting directors are to be congratulated for discovering a new star – or casting a show brilliantly. But, just as with good actors, good casting directors are expected to have some 'practical' skills as well.

For instance, one thing expected of every casting director is to, "Keep the 'crazy actors' out!" And, in fact, that's the part that every producer expects the casting director to do FIRST.

Because 'crazy actors' are expensive and producers don't like expensive – unless your name puts butts in seats, or means an immediate 'green light' for their project ... and even then, it's not something a smart producer wants to deal with, when putting together a show.

So the big question is this: What qualities does one need to exhibit, in order to be labeled as 'crazy?' (By the way, this is not a clinical or medical definition of crazy. It's strictly a show business definition.)

Here's a short and very incomplete list of 'crazy' traits an actor can exhibit: Tardy. Feckless. Bitter. Grasping. Needy. Slovenly. Dishonest. Clueless. Argumentative. Unprepared. Ultra-Competitive. Mean. Cynical. And, of course, you'd have to be crazy to keep insisting on 'fairness.'

Below are a some of the more common behaviors that will help you get into a casting director's 'crazy' file:

Arriving late to the audition.

Sending out 8 year-old headshots.

Lying on your resume. (An extra, standing near the star, is not 'featured.')

Including a note that states it is your destiny to win the Oscar.

Gossiping about other shows, actors, directors, etc. while waiting to go in.

Being nasty, sexist, or patronizing to the receptionist.

Pointing out how long it's been since you last worked.

Bringing your pet along on an audition.

Insisting that you're right for another, bigger, role.

Asking when will it ever be 'your turn' to get cast.

Using the gerundive form of the "F" word in describing former co-workers.

Selling weight loss products in the waiting room.

Threatening suicide, homicide, or revenge – if you are not cast.

Grabbing a casting director by the throat during your audition – because "it's in the script."

Of course, this is just a quick overview of the kind of behaviors that can result in being 'typed' as crazy. There are literally scores of other ways to qualify.

When it comes to auditions and dealing with casting directors you must always remember – and adhere to – the "4 P's"

Prompt.

Prepared.

Persistently Nice.

Professional.

If you can keep these four behaviors in mind, you'll always do better at auditions than the 'crazy actors' whose agendas rarely match the needs of the casting director, producer, director, or star.

It's your choice of course.

You can be 'crazy' ... and spend your career as a wannabe.

Or you can be a 'prompt, prepared, polite, pro' ... and spend your career working.