MISSISSAUGA

26 Reasons Why You Didn’t Get The Part
Some words of wisdom from Casting Expert, Amy Jo Berman
Amy Jo Berman
Yes, I’m writing about why you DIDN’T
get the part. Yes, even though your audition
was amazing and you were totally on
your game and you lit up the room with creative
acting genius, you still might not get
the part. I know, I know…you’re probably
thinking, but Amy, you are always so positive.
Why are you talking about something
negative?
First, it’s not negative to understand why
you didn’t get a job because it will free your
mind of all that monkey-mind chatter that
happens when you fi nd out you didn’t get
it. Second, and this is the important part so
pay attention, it doesn't matter. By the end
of this article, I hope you understand that.
Since this is one of the most frequently
asked questions I receive and the one that
hangs you up the most and twists you into
knots as an actor and a creative being, let’s
get into it.
Based on my years and years of experience
as a casting director in fi lm and television,
these are some of the reasons you didn’t
get the part.
1. you’re too tall.
2. you’re too short.
3. you’re too pretty.
4. you’re not pretty enough.
Spring 2013
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5. you’re too fat.
6. you’re too thin.
7. you’re too blonde.
8. you’re not blonde enough.
9. you’re too old.
10. you’re too young.
11. you’re too serious.
12. you’re too funny.
13. you look too much like the lead.
14. you don’t look enough like the
lead.
15. you’re taller than the lead.
16. you’re shorter than the lead.
17. you remind the producer of his
sister, and he hates his sister.
18. you are too ethnic.
19. you are not ethnic enough.
20. you were the first one to read
that day.
21. you were the last one to read
that day.
22. you’re more like the best friend
than the lead.
23. you’re more of a lead than the
best friend.
24. you’re too character-y.
25. you’re not character-y enough.
26. you look like the director’s wife
and he had a fight with his wife
right before he left the house this
morning.
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Okay, this is a small sample of the some of
the reasons you didn’t get the part. Have
you heard any of these after one of your
non-bookings? Can you tell what the one
common thread is among this small sampling
of reasons?
None of these are within your control.
NONE.
Yes, of course there are many other things
that are within your control and we will defi -
nitely get into those in a future article. But
these are the ones that drive you crazy.
Right?
What you must understand is that your only
job in an audition is to do your best work.
Everything else is not up to you. The role
you are reading for is one piece of an entire
jigsaw puzzle. It must fi t with the rest
of the puzzle or the puzzle won’t work. The
casting director, producer, and director are
fi tting pieces of the puzzle together all day
long. Your only job is to be the best “piece”
you can be. Whether your edges fi t in the
slot for that piece is not up to you.
Just go to your audition. Do your best and
let it go. If you’re good, they will remember
you. And the next time you hear one of
those things, remember these words, let a
knowing smile creep over your face, and go
enjoy your day!
Amy Jo Berman is former Vice President of
Casting at HBO and for 14 years has overseen
the casting of over 150 fi lms, mini-series,
and series. She is the founder of Audition
Polish, a membership-based audition
coaching program that has helped actors
around the globe nail their auditions on the
fi rst take. Using her 18+ years of technical
audition experience in the casting room,
Amy has helped thousands of actors with
her tele-classes, private coaching, workshops,
and seminars. Amy loves staying in
touch with actors on social media. Watch
her video acting tips on Youtube, join her
Tips On Acting community on Facebook
and get her VIP event updates there.
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