Auditioning is an art form in itself so it’s important that an actor knows what he’s doing when he enters the room.  Here are the secrets to a great audition.

The Secret to A Great Audition

SECRET #1.  You want to walk in well prepared, relaxed and confident.  Sure, easy for me to say.  But if you’re well prepared and not second guessing yourself, you will walk in excited, relaxed, and confident.  I’ve seen actors sabotage themselves because they doubted their work and their talent when they had it all together. The crazy thing is that you know when you’re ready, and to go against that just destroys the very thing you’ve given your all to achieve.  Don’t allow old negative patterns to wreck your audition.

SECRET #2.  Be sure you make creative choices that will tell the story of this character in an extraordinary way.  Casting director, Bernard Telsey had this to say when asked what’s the secret to a great audition?  “When somebody comes in and takes you to an emotional place that the material is demanding but you wouldn’t have thought of.  What that involves:  completely prepared, making performance choices.  It makes you want to be in the room with them longer.”

SECRET #3. DETAILS.  When Faith Ford, who was studying with me at the time, went into read for Corky on the hit series “Murphy Brown,” she had prepared so thoroughly for the part, that she even knew how the character danced.  So it was natural for her to show them Corky dancing on that final audition and she blew them away won the part.  She made a creative choice that revealed how she would play the character in an extraordinary way.  The series ran on CBS for 10 years and she had 5 Emmy nominations and 2 Golden Globe nominations.

The real secret to a great audition is all about you–your talent, your hard work, and believing in yourself.  Go make it happen!

Lynette McNeill

Any Questions, Call (310) 274-1085

By Lynette McNeill
Acting Coach & Director

© 2016 Lynette McNeill Studios