DANCE 10, LOOKS 3

I read an opinion in a paper the other day. You should read it to: http://www.sunherald.com/opinion/story/639413.html

I totally understand the frustration the author of the opinion is stating. Our culture does respond to beauty first and there are many examples of casting that seem like they went for looks over the acting ability. I have sat in many auditions and have seen it first hand, but I have also cast many films with the caveat that the director had the sensibility to look for the best actor.

I always say, “Go for the best actor,” but sometimes there has to be a compromise. Recently on a film I was casting, the director said, “I don’t want this film to look ugly, I want the actors (who were college age) to look good, I want the audience to not be distracted by their looks either way, too hot or not too hot.” I understood the mandate: not ugly people, but no super-models. Directors can get fixated on hair length, hair color, eye color, boobs, butts, whatever, part of my job to steer them away from this thinking and “go for the best actor.”

In regards to the article, I have heard myself say many times to young actors who come to L.A., “You are a good actor, now go to the gym, lose ten pounds, take care of your teeth and skin.” I say this only because part of acting in Los Angeles is the way you look. It’s not always, but it will give you an upper hand and make one more available to more audition opportunities. If an actor chooses not to be “that kind of an actor,” well then the actor has to “own” that he is going to be pegged as a character actor, (e.g. overweight, quirky, funny, villain, etc…) and they are going to have to work hard to make the people they are auditioning for see how talented they really are.

Its just part of the process, it is not a bad or good thing and I don’t think it means that the culture of the industry is totally biased toward beauty. Because, although it may seem like it is, I can give you many examples of films that I have cast where the looks of an actor did not determine all of the reasons why that actor was cast.

Acting is the most difficult profession that anybody could want to get into. An actor is judged the minute they step into the audition room. There is no way around that. The only things an actor can do to get hired are be prepared and hope that luck, talent and timing are working for him or her on that day.