"My favorite audition advice came from sitting in on a panel of working actors at ActorFest L.A. last year. Rusty Schwimmer had mentioned that she looks forward to just meeting someone new when going to an audition. In a culture where we cross paths with so many people without acknowledgment, thinking this way creates an opportunity for a connection and can take away the nervousness of doing a read in front of a possible stranger."
—David Garry Los Angeles
"Act like you don't even know they are being mean to you."
—Soroya Bouse New York
"Work an audition from 'behind the table.' Assist with actor check-in, be a reader, ask your director friends if you can help out on their next big call—whatever it takes—and then really observe. Watching a creative team collaborate to determine what's best for a project and seeing actor after actor audition will give you perspective on what does and doesn't work and why, which is invaluable information for your own audition process."
—Scott Ramsey New York
"Be prepared. Always have more than one monologue or song ready to perform, bring an extra headshot/résumé, and do your homework on the theatre company and the show they are casting. It really pays to be as prepared as possible for any audition, and that extra bit of initiative shows the casting director that you take yourself and this business seriously."
—Elizabeth Ruelas New York
"Seduce them. Be the guy that women want and men want to be. Also, be a reader for as many casting directors as you can, so you can watch some of the absurdity unfold, from both sides of the table. It will take away any anxiety you've ever had about auditioning."
—Ty Jones New York
"The best audition advice I've ever been given is to just enjoy the whole process of the audition. When you look at it as another opportunity to perform instead of worrying about the outcome, you are able to relax more. This allows your talent and creativity to flow more easily. I actually love auditioning now."
—Aaron Merken Los Angeles
"The best audition advice I've ever received was from a musical director I worked with years ago who told me, 'Whatever you do, just make sure you sing the song. Don't sing at the song.' It's a constant reminder for me to keep it simple and true."
—Brendan Byrnes New York
"I was at a callback for a play at Lincoln Center. When I came out of the audition, I burst into tears and began to pack my stuff. The pressure of it all had gotten to me. As I wiped my tears, I realized that Mark Ruffalo was standing at the craft services table outside one of the rehearsal rooms. He looked at me, glanced at the audition room I'd just come from, and then walked into his rehearsal room. Two seconds later, he came back out, looked me in the eye and said, 'Go back in there. Go back in there! Go!'"
—Tatiana Suarez Pico New York
"The best audition advice that I've ever received was from a casting director who told me to walk in as if I was the actor they wanted to hire. Believe it or not, the auditioners hate being there just as much as the actor does, and they want to find the right one as soon as possible. That advice gives me great confidence without being cocky."
—Ian Tomaschik via the Internet