Don’t Sabotage Yourself

By Carmichael Phillip

  • Don’t Sabotage Yourself

    Why make it even more difficult by sabotaging your own chances?

    (by Jim Webb)

    (Photo: Public Domain Pictures | Pexels)

    It’s ok if something outside of your control sabotages your audition. Just don’t sabotage yourself.

    It’s difficult enough for an actor to find and secure a paying gig. Why make it even more difficult by sabotaging your own chances?

  • There are so many things outside of the actor’s control that make it difficult to book a role. Consider things like:

    Submissions

    With hundreds, even thousands of actors submitted to the same breakdown, it’s semi-miraculous to receive an audition in the first place. One of the biggest obstacles to becoming a successful, working actor is just getting into audition rooms.

    Competition

    The actor is competing with many other talented actors, usually with a similar profile. How the heck is an actor supposed to stand out when all the competing actors look like you?

    Fit

    The actor can give the best audition and still not receive the role because they simply did not fit what casting was looking for. Or, perhaps, someone else is just a better fit. What are you gonna do?

  • Since there are so many things outside your control, it’s important that you do NOTHING that makes your odds for success even worse. That would include things like:

    Lack of Preparation

    Why audition for a show without seeing a couple of episodes first? Why audition for a commercial without taking a moment to YouTube a few of the brand’s previous commercials? Why audition for a role without spending sufficient time breaking down the sides and trying to get off-book?

    Lack of Professionalism

    No one wants to work with someone who is unprofessional. Things like playing around on your phone in the audition waiting room, chewing gum as you enter the audition room, not getting on your mark quickly, wasting the auditors time, etc., can all be considered unprofessional.

    Tardiness

    Showing up late to an audition, on occasion, is a fact of the #actorslife. However, showing up late, as a common practice, is unprofessional. What’s more, it leaves you insufficient time to go over the script and get into character.

    There are many things an actor simply cannot control. Sometimes you just get sabotaged. Just make sure that you’re part of the solution, not part of the problem.


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