I recently sat down with my friend and casting director Julie Tucker, who currently casts “The Equalizer” with her colleague Ross Meyerson, to get her vibe and her take on the current state of the business. She is kind, passionate, and loves actors. 1.  Where did you grow up? I grew up in Tallahassee, Florida but moved to Westfield, NJ when I was 16. I went to the Boston Conservatory of Music and then transferred to Bennington my junior year, after graduating I moved to New York. I would say I grew up somewhere between Tallahassee, NJ, Boston, and NY.    2. What brought you to ..read more

Now that summer is here, and the world is (somewhat) opening up, you finally booked a flight to go see your Aunt Susie and her parakeet. And the second you get on that plane, you get a self tape audition for “Sketchy Person #4” on the new “Blue Bloods” spinoff. And oh shit, it’s due by EOD, and can you really get away with doing a self tape in front of those shiny wood paneled walls in her basement? Here is everything you need to make sure you have a surefire way for your self-tapes to ALWAYS look incredible when you are traveling. Your phone and a good table top tripod with adaptor. I like ..read more

There you are in the virtual waiting room, staring at your computer, at your own sweaty face (should I powder? Can I go pee real quick?), waiting to be brought in to for that Zoom audition you’ve been waiting to get for like 2 years. Did you prepare enough? How do you look? Is your internet ok? Are they going to see your roommate dancing naked behind you? The countdown begins, and suddenly you have been teleported into a virtual room with 10 producers and a casting director (with their dog), and they are all staring at you. Totally normal. Here is what matters in a Zoom audition: It should fe ..read more

You know that thing where you send in a beautiful self-tape shot in 4k, with amazing lighting and sound, and then you get a live Zoom callback and you suddenly look like you just stepped out of the Blair Witch Project? If you, like me, are 13 months deep in the Black Hole of Zoom, you have undoubtedly noticed just how unflattering it can be. How do we make it look as good as our initial self-tape? Here are some quick, dirty, and affordable tips to level up your Zoom game. CAMERA. Your laptop camera sucks, and isn’t nearly as good as your cell phone camera (4k), or a good dslr (1080p). The i ..read more

1. Be early!!! Especially if you are being tested. It’s always slow and there can be lines with other cast members and crew. 2. Ask questions!!! Find out who the covid officer is. You need to feel safe, it’s the only way to give a good performance. It you don’t feel safe, talked to the AD, COVID officer, Producer/Director. Every show is different. If you see something say something.  3. If you are feeling sick “STAY HOME” . Constantly wash or disinfect your hands at all times.  4. Always wear your mask, even in-between takes or at least have a shield to not screw up make-up. Have ..read more

1. You must have a quality home set-up. That includes a tripod and flattering lighting. For once you get to control the environment and how you look in all auditions, be inspired by that. Invest in your future.  2. We have all adjusted to what is acceptable and successful for a self tape. Prior to the pandemic, a virtual reader was often distracting from a performance. Now it’s the norm and the decision makers have fully adjusted. Trust in that. Your job is to not only deliver the best quality tape, but more importantly a stellar and stand out performance. That fact remains ..read more

You get what you pay (submit) for. A cold submission will likely be met with the same temperature. Seek out referrals and a chance to actually meet the person.  There must be a personal connection. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable having this person over for a dinner party, then walk away. Know who you are submitting to you and what they actually cover. My company doesn’t cover commercials, and I’ll immediately stop reading/listening when you bring them up. Don’t lie about your referral. We will check. We will also ask that person that referred you why they didn’t reach out to us ..read more

1. Keep it as natural and authentic as possible for the scene to work best. It’s not about trying to show your range in a few lines. The audition will actually pop more if you make it seem as effortless as possible - NOT when you try too hard to do something special in the scene.  2. Be professional in the room. I know that sounds obvious, but we need to know that you will act professionally and be easy to work with… that you will support the lead actors (sometimes celebrities) in the scene and on set in general.  3.  As with any size role, come into the audition room, be pleasa ..read more

Here is a recent article I wrote for Backstage, offering actor's some very easy resolutions for 2016 to bring their career to the next level.   Here we go with the New Year’s resolutions: lose weight, read more books, run five miles a day, take up online dating, buy a French Bulldog, get more Instagram followers, stop being crazy. Once we get past the awkward holiday conversations—(“When will I see you on TV?” “Why don’t you just get a part on ‘Blue Bloods’?”)—we turn our attention to the new year, and how to push our career forward.  What can you do to move your career forward in 2 ..read more

Here is an article I wrote for Backstage.    As actors breaking into this business, it’s essential to work on student films, to build confidence, on-the-job training, obtain footage for demo reels (which is pretty much mandatory these days), and to build a résumé. It’s a great way for newer actors to work with up-and-coming directors and film students, to network and start at the ground level with a new batch of filmmakers (who may go on to do bigger and better things when they graduate). As an acting coach, I always recommend my students get involved with as many student films as th ..read more