A good actor is prepared, specific and relaxed enough to listen: they make clear choices, take direction easily, don't try to prove themselves, and are kind and professional to everyone on set. We asked 21 casting directors what experienced actors do differently in an audition, and 21 for their on-set advice. Here is what they said.
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We counted the answers. Of the 21 casting directors who told us what seasoned actors do differently in the room, 11 described some kind of ease: confidence, comfort or relaxation. Nine pointed to preparation, homework or specificity, and nine to listening and taking direction. Six said experienced actors aren't trying to win approval or prove they can act.
A few pushed back on the question. Greg Apps said instinct and spontaneity can beat polish, and Scot Boland, Kerry Barden and Risa Bramon Garcia have all watched very experienced actors audition badly. Auditioning is its own skill.
Because nerves block everything else. Josh Einsohn said relaxation is one of the biggest differences: nervous actors talk over his notes and don't really hear them. Kahleen Crawford made the same link, saying a relaxed actor is able to listen. Victoria Burrows and Ricki Maslar both see newer actors trying to please the room, asking themselves "am I doing this right?"
Ease isn't the absence of fear. Ricki said a professional may be terrified inside but never shows it, and Sunny Boling has seen seasoned actors shaking because they want the part so much. See audition nerves for ways to manage it.
More than most people think. Deirdre Bowen said the best actors treat the audition as seriously as the performance itself. Lisa Zambetti's number one observation of actors who book is being completely off book with your face up, because directors and writers fall out of the scene when you look down. Sunny Boling notices that seasoned actors ask deeper, better researched questions.
Rachel Sutton wants more than one version: seasoned actors arrive with a couple of ideas ready, so when she redirects them, they can roll with it.
Gayle Pillsbury answered in one word: specificity. A seasoned actor knows how they feel about each person in the scene, uses the space, and knows exactly where to look. Even a co-star bartender cleaning glasses brings a whole world. In her words, "85% of the reads that we see are fine," and nobody becomes an actor to be fine.
Kym's tip for small roles fits here: build the character as if they're the lead of their own film, and this scene is their easy day. You won't overplay it, but you'll have opinions.
Seth Yanklewitz called it the true difference: an actor who hears an adjustment and makes it, rather than doing the same thing again. Anya Colloff finds greener actors harder to direct because they're in fight or flight mode. Gayle warned against rehearsed reactions: you're a different person in the room than you were in your car, so listen and respond to what is happening now.
David Newman says if you've been brought in, they already assume you can act, so an audition is about choices, not proof. John Frank Levey described experienced actors learning to "do nothing": connect emotionally to the text and say the words. Risa Bramon Garcia wants actors who show up "fully loaded and ready to work", not asking to be taken care of.
Casting directors find it hard to define, but they described it. Lisa Zambetti called it making the words your own, so she doesn't see the work at all. Kerry Barden looks for actors who surprise him, and Ronnie Yeskel told actors to be dangerous and take chances. Asked what makes a real contender, Risa listed ease, authority, collaboration, confidence, goodness, humanity, vulnerability, love of the work, and having done the homework.
Character. Of the 21 casting directors who gave us on-set tips, 13 stressed kindness and respect for everyone, and nine said know your lines and come prepared. Lisa Beach tells actors to be great "between action and cut" and good company between cut and action, because producers now ask whether someone is good to work with. Deborah Barylski asks crews whether anyone was unkind, and doesn't bring those actors back. Producer Shaked Berenson rehires actors who learn the crew's names and help out.
Yes, with training and time. Kym says she books more often when she's in class, and nearly every series regular she knows stays in class. Manager Chris Roe adds a caution: if a new class's technique coincides with your auditions drying up, notice it. Kym also warns against rushing into rooms before your craft is ready, because a casting office may not call you back for a while.
Casting directors told us good actors are prepared, specific and relaxed enough to listen. They make clear choices, take direction easily, don't try to prove themselves, and are kind and professional on set.
Preparation, specificity, presence, directability, ease without needing approval, kindness and professionalism, and a commitment to keep training.
In the room, they notice ease, preparation and whether you can hear a note and adjust. Most said experience shows mainly as confidence and comfort.
Some actors have natural ability, but our experts agree craft is learned and kept sharp in class. Kym says she books more often when she is training.
Specific choices. Gayle Pillsbury said most reads are fine; the actors who stand out know their relationships, their environment and exactly where to look.
Being on time, knowing your lines, listening, and treating every crew member with respect. Producers and casting directors do hear how actors behave on set.
Good actors are built step by step: training, materials, experience and relationships. 10 Steps To Becoming An Actor sets out the order to work in.
Kym's free class: the ten steps, in order, from first class to first booking. Free, just pop in your email.
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