Welcome back to another installment of our new series of articles on Backstage wherein we profile and interview some of the amazing people behind the casting directors: the unsung heroes of casting. If you missed the last one on casting associate Cori-Anne Greenhouse, read it here.
As a session director, I can’t overstate the value of a great lobby assistant. I depend on them to make sure my session is running smoothly. They make sure the actors are showing up or called on if they’re late; that pairs or groups of actors are being assembled; and that everyone has all the information they need to be ready to come in the room for the explanation and audition.
Not only are they important members of our casting team but, like session directors, many of them work all over town with many casting directors, and pull double duty working as casting assistants as well. Like this month’s two heroes: Kellyanne O’Callaghan, from New Jersey, and Patricia Mendoza, one of those rare native Angelinos. They work with pretty much everybody in town. If you’re a commercial actor in L.A., there’s almost no way you haven’t met them already, but just didn’t know who they are. Let’s change that, shall we?
Shaan: How would you describe what a lobby assistant does?
Kellyanne: Wrangler, organizer—you explain what’s going on. We specifically pair and group people because we want you to book it. Actors get pissed like, “You skipped me.” No, I didn’t skip you.
Patricia: “I know what I’m doing. I’m trying to give you the best possible [audition] experience.”
Shaan:There’s something weird about sign-in sheets where people think signing in is like taking a ticket at the deli counter, where we have to go in that order.
Kellyanne:Yeah, and it’s not.
Shaan: Why do you think people so anxious and freaked out when it comes to acting and auditioning?
Patricia: It’s such a hard business, and you’re being judged, and you’re putting yourself out there and being vulnerable and being rejected left and right. I think it’s a horrible process. You have to have such a thick skin. Actors are sensitive, and you want it so bad, and you don’t want to be a waitress anymore, and if you just booked this commercial…
Kellyanne: We also don’t get to act as much as we want to. So you don’t get to practice as much, and when an audition comes up, it’s like, “Oh, my God. Here’s my chance. Here’s my chance.” It just becomes a ball of excitement and nerves and anxiety.
Shaan: What is the best way for commercial actors to network or get into more commercial casting offices?
Patricia: Don’t send postcards. Some of the people I work for go to a lot of comedy shows if they want to find new people. You should definitely have your résumé and all your information filled out and accurate on all your online casting profiles. This is your job.
Kellyanne: That’s what blows my mind, too, because [actors are] so anxious to give you a headshot, but everything is so digital now. This is literally your digital résumé. Why is this stuff here on paper and not there? It takes 15 minutes to input it. It’s super user-friendly.
Shaan: What are some common issues that you see actors have at auditions?
Patricia: I think they’re stressed when they have five auditions they’re trying to get to, and that’s when I like to tell actors, “You're here now. Don’t go in the room freaking out about the next thing, because then you’re blowing this audition. Don’t rush. You’re not going to get this one if your mind is over there.”
Kellyanne: This kid at a callback recently was so nervous that I couldn’t let him in the room. He just could not relax, so I had him drop and do 20 pushups. He’s like, “Really? OK.” And he just starts doing them, and then when he got up, his face was actually more relaxed. I was like, “Look, the blood’s flowing. Now, go in and kick butt.” And when he came out, he was like, “Thank you. It did make me feel better.”
Shaan: It’s like you're doing therapy out there.
Patricia: Yeah, absolutely.
Kellyanne: We are totally therapists, sometimes.
Shaan:Is there any one message you’d like to send to all actors reading this?
Patricia: All the information is in your email. Trust me. It’s there. Who you’re auditioning for, the product and the role—I promise you, your agent does tell you that stuff.
Kellyanne: Listen, read, and be present.
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