Get the job or be remembered.
If neither is happening, then steps need to be taken. The benefit of the doubt is that you’re a talented actor, but is that all it takes? When you walk into an audition room, are you provocative? Are you charming? Are you funny? Are Agents and Casting Directors thinking about you when you leave the room? Are they trying to figure out ways to find you opportunities? How do you leave your mark? The answer is personality…. and that’s the magic formula.
We all have different personas with different groups of people. You act differently with your parents than you do with your friends. You act differently at work than you do at a party. You take on a new persona in each different context. In acting, it’s called subtext.
What I’m stressing is you need to bring the most interesting aspect of yourself into the room. Bring something special to your character that no one else can bring. As one famous actor said, “It’s not just whether or not you can be the character. Can this vivid person show me this character through their own vivid personality?”
Two types of actors rule Hollywood.
The ones who’ve mastered the art of interpreting and communicating a character in the deepest and most skillful way, and wait for it… big personalities. Where do you think the biggest box office star in in the world, Dwayne Johnson, fits? He’s undeniably the hardest working actor in entertainment today, and one of the biggest social media stars ever. He’s charisma personified.
At the other end of the spectrum is Daniel Day Lewis, who chooses to be defined strictly by the roles that he plays. It’s fair to say that the general public doesn’t really know who Daniel Day Lewis is as a person, because he loses himself so completely in his characters. He’s different every time. On the other hand, we know exactly what we’re getting when we go to a Dwayne Johnson movie.
What drives you to be an actor?
What goal lies before you in this most difficult of professions? You better have big ambitions, have big talent, and have a big personality if you want to make a living as an actor. Most actors have big ambitions, but they must stay focused and learn how to be the best of the best as a performer. That’s the Daniel Day Lewis way. Otherwise, you better figure out how to leave an unforgettable impression on every Agent & Casting Director you meet. A big personality doesn’t mean being loud and annoying. It means entertaining the Agents & Casting Directors who are taking time out of their day to meet with you. It’s a fine line, and it’s also a skill that needs to be honed to perfection.