Backstage Experts

26 Reasons Why You Didn’t Get The Part

Since this is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive and the one that hangs you up the most and twists you into knots as an actor and a creative being, let’s get into it.

15 Things Actors Do That Make Me Happy

Risa Bramon Garcia shares characteristics of actors that make her happy as a casting director and acting coach.

10 Sacrifices an Actor Makes

If you’re lucky, you can earn a very good living at acting. But there are also some sacrifices that an actor makes as she pursues a career.

10 Things You Wish The Casting Director Had Told You Sooner

Casting director Caroline Liem shares insight into what every actor should know about pursuing a career in acting.

How To Find the Perfect Day Job

Actors need to "get real" about what it actually takes to make it as an actor. I’ve waxed philosophic about training to the point of being an expert, and making a real commitment of time and energy. So, you can guess my position on day jobs.

Why Auditioning Is Not Acting

I truly believe auditioning is a separate animal from acting. Acting is what you get to do once you get the part. Auditioning is something else entirely.

12 Questions to Determine Whether You’re Ready to Pursue Acting

Think you have the temperament and business sense to survive in the entertainment industry? Take Lana's self-evaluation quiz and see how you score.

6 Real Auditions Gone Horribly Wrong

Casting Director Lana Veenker reveals disastrous actor choices in the audition room…and what to do instead.

6 Books Every Actor Should Have on the Shelf

Between my Kindle and my bedside table, I have perused and read far too many books to list in one article. However, I’d like to recommend six “must haves” for aspiring and working actors alike.

How to Make a Casting Director's Day

To be an actor means to play in your own sandbox, on cue, under pressure, in front of a bunch of people who need to be reminded of their own, often misplaced sandboxes.