What Actors Can Learn From the Casts of ‘Friends’ and ‘The Office’ This Pilot Season

Here we are: pilot season. Again. (If you own a bat, please find me and hit me in the head so I can rest peacefully until this madness is over.)

I was going to discuss pilot season in general terms, but I’ve been asked to write a column that deals with one specific element in great detail—I offered to send Backstage a copy of my bar bill, but they rejected that idea. So, instead, I’m going to dig deep on one of the hardest parts of all this craziness.

Here’s the setup: You just tested for a series regular role on a network pilot, and it went absurdly well. You felt good. Everyone seemed receptive. And there were only two other actors up for the role.

Now what?

READ: 9 Actors Share Their Top Tips and Tales for Pilot Season

Well, the language in the agreement you signed right before the test is crystal clear. They have 10 business days to make up their minds. In actor time, that’s an eternity. That’s why agents always try to negotiate that number down to five business days. Sometimes we succeed; sometimes we don’t. It all depends on how far along they are in the casting process. At the very least, most studios will revise the language so it reads something like this: The option period is 10 business days, reducible to five if the actor receives a bona fide offer to test on another pilot.

Why do they need so much time to make their decision? Well, there are many reasons. For starters, every studio and network is simultaneously testing several actors for every role in every pilot. That’s a whole lot of decision making! And, sometimes, the decision makers aren’t in the room when you read, so the tape of your brilliant performance has to make the rounds. This takes time.

READ: 48 Famous Actors Who’ve Guest-Starred on ‘Friends’

Another reason is that the actor who gets chosen might be dependent on who gets a different part in the same pilot. For example, let’s go old school and look at the casts of hit shows like “Friends” and “The Office.” Those are brilliant ensembles, right? Well, those ensembles were built so the actors would complement one another and be believable as friends or co-workers. The creators had to consider the whole as well as the parts.

Here’s a third reason you have to wait—and it’s a shitty one. You might be the choice in the room, but 10 days gives the producers time to read and test another round of actors for your part. Doing this might lead to them finding someone they want more. And if it doesn’t, you’re under option, so you’re still there waiting to be picked. In these types of situations, the studio might keep you on pins and needles until the very last second.

READ: Everything You Need to Know About Booking a Pilot

In most cases, actors aren’t forced to wait 10 whole days. Word tends to come down sooner rather than later, because everyone needs to move on to the next test. There have even been instances where I’ve received the news an hour after my client left the room.

But don’t count on that. Be ready to wait. And if you do get the part, be ready to wait some more, because it’s going to be a while before you learn if the pilot is going to series.

Patience is indeed a virtue. 

This story originally appeared in the Feb. 13 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.