What's It Like When A Professional Actor Does A High-Stakes TV Audition?

Camera

People in this country are raised watching actors on TV and in movies and lose sight of one fact: for every actor you see on TV, there were hundreds (or thousands) who sought the same part. To get a party it requires, yes, some luck but massive quantities of focus, concentration, and application of theatrical arts which are not simply intuitive.

Actor Wil Wheaton whose many credits include a still-haunting role in Stand By Me and his role as teen cast member of Start Trek: The Next Generation is also one of the Internet's top bloggers (and an author: I just got two of his books from Amazon yesterday and I'm going to read them and review them on Amazon). His blog, by the way, is an essential....and he does it all without generally indulging in politics and the usual predictable political blog cliches.

In a post today Wheaton writes about his most recent audition — you can see for yourself all of the prepartion it took for him to do it. Note that he had to prepare before he went in. Note his focus. And note that since he has done this enough times, on this one he was serene and cool.

PERSONAL NOTE: In my everyday incarnation I've done many auditions. The one I finally got was to be on NBC'S Spy TV in an oft-rerun stunt where I left the room and my dummy (then controlled by a guy hiding in back of a specially designed couch) came "alive" and asked a four year old to run away from me. It was one of the few of that cutting-edge series' sentimental pieces. They re-ran it here and abroad and I still get an occasional residual check (and prospective clients who've seen it wind up booking me).

Continued on the next page Page 1 — Page 2

Article tags

Spread the word
Bookmark and Share
Read comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own
  • No image found
  • No image found
  • No image found
  • No image found

Article comments

Add your comment, speak your mind

Personal attacks are NOT allowed.
Please read our comment policy.
Please preview your comment.

blogcritics lists for May 29, 2012

fresh articles Most recent articles site-wide

fresh comments Most recent comments site-wide

most comments Most comments in 24hrs

top writers Most prolific Blogcritics for April

top commenters Most prolific Commenters in 24 hrs