“People are desperate for you to be great. So be great.”
Auditions are tough.
You are going in to a room, usually meeting strangers, knowing that the stakes are high and the next ten minutes could make a huge difference to your career.
The pressure is on, your nerves are high – and all this time you are expected to be able to deliver your best!
No wonder we hear such audition horror stories and we all probably have a few of our own anecdotes about times when we have ‘fallen short’ at a casting.
It’s good to remember that even big names share in our audition worries – I rarely meet an actor who doesn’t feel some kind of nerves at an audition or casting.
The one thing which gets me through most auditions is to remember that the panel, the casting director, the clients, the director, whoever it is that you are meeting – they are on your side
Here is what Hollywood actor Matt Damon has to say about what he learnt from being on the other side of a casting table when he was casting his Oscar winning movie ‘Good Will Hunting’
Its tough, auditions are different.
I mean, I would say this though, when we did Good Will Hunting I remember it was the first time that I sat on the other side of the table.
And I always went in with a real chip on my shoulder thinking, like you know, feeling because you get rejected so much go kinda go like ‘alright you’re gonna reject me’ and you kind of walk in with this chip on your shoulder.
It wasn’t until I sat on the other side of the table that I realised you want the actor to be great, you want the actor to take the part, because that solves all your problems.
If an actor walks in off the street and blows your doors off then you know that’s a big big win for the for the production, right. So, I think understanding that might be useful for people to know going in that, like that, people are desperate for you to be great.
So be great.
I mean, I would say this though, when we did Good Will Hunting I remember it was the first time that I sat on the other side of the table.
And I always went in with a real chip on my shoulder thinking, like you know, feeling because you get rejected so much go kinda go like ‘alright you’re gonna reject me’ and you kind of walk in with this chip on your shoulder.
It wasn’t until I sat on the other side of the table that I realised you want the actor to be great, you want the actor to take the part, because that solves all your problems.
If an actor walks in off the street and blows your doors off then you know that’s a big big win for the for the production, right. So, I think understanding that might be useful for people to know going in that, like that, people are desperate for you to be great.
So be great.
Matt Damon offers audition advice to aspiring actors.
When promoting the movie Invictus Matt Damon was asked to share his advice on auditioning.
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