You get the opportunity to audition for a project. Congratulations. Many people don’t realize how difficult it can be just to get an audition. Depending on the location and type of project being cast, it’s not unusual to have 500 to 1500 people submitted for one role with CDs only inviting 30 people to read for the role—just getting the audition is winning!
So now you have a callback, which means you’re being asked to come back and read again. Every situation is different. Maybe they only ask five people to come back. Maybe an actor who didn’t initially audition is brought into the callback. Whatever the case, the callback is an opportunity for the director and others involved with the project to see you in person. Even casting the smallest roles is a huge deal. Everyone wants to make sure you not only can repeat what you did at the audition and make changes to your read if requested, but they also want to make sure that you’re someone they want to work with on a set.
Mistake #1
Some actors will show up for their call back without any thought of their original audition. They dress differently or even change hair styles without thinking of the possible consequences.
READ: The Post-Audition Checklist Every Actor Needs
You want to look the same way you did at the audition. Don’t make any physical changes without first confirming with your agent. I’ve heard from some directors that they loved the person who initially read but with the physical changes the actor made between the audition and callback, they didn’t even recognize the actor nor did they think that the new look fit the character. And suddenly, the actor who was seriously in the running for the part is no longer being considered.
So play it safe: wear the same clothes and sport the same general look at the callback.
Mistake #2
The callback is not the time to show off your range of acting skills. Some actors think the director will be impressed if a very different read is given at the callback but the truth of the matter is that the director liked your read at the audition—that’s why you got the callback.
Read it the same way at the callback. You may be asked to read things differently, but wait until you are asked to make the adjustment.
While the road to booking the job may not be the easiest, if you keep these two common mistakes in mind when you do get a callback, know that you’ll stand out as an actor who delivers what the powers that be are looking for.
Aaron Marcus has been a full-time actor for over 30 years. He has been cast in over 1,200 acting and modeling jobs to date. You have seen him on “Gotham,” “House of Cards,” “Do No Harm,” “Law & Order,” “Rectify,” “Halt and Catch Fire,” “The Wire,” “Mr. Robot,” and “West Wing,” as well as film projects such as “Project Almanac,” “Philomena,” “Fishbowl,” “Buck Run,” “Eugene,” and “A Modest Suggestion.” Aaron’s new book, “How to Become a Successful Actor and Model,” is considered by many industry experts to be the most important book on this topic. Aaron has given his Book the Job workshop over 600 times spanning three continents. He also offers private online mentoring and monthly online workshops.
Check out Backstage’s Broadway audition listings!
The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
