Acting auditions are not just a necessity for the professional actor. They're a way of life.
Auditioning is highly competitive and can even be somewhat nerve-wracking, but when things go well, the rewards are well worth the efforts.
Let’s take a look at the concept of acting auditions, from finding work, through how to conduct yourself during the process with an eye on how best to increase your chances for landing a role.
Believe it or not, you don’t need any experience whatsoever to audition for a role. Literally, anyone can take a shot at a part.
This isn’t highly recommended, though. Acting is both a profession and a craft and to really get good at it takes thorough study and tireless work.
Here are some ways to boost your chances of landing an audition…
Before you start auditioning for acting roles, you’ll want to become an expert in the profession. This means studying your favorite performances and gaining a true understanding of the components of acting.
Learn as much as you can about the craft itself, actors who excel, agents, managers and the performance industry itself.
This is arguably the best way to sharpen your skillset.
Taking classes affords you the opportunity to fine-tune your strengths and work through any limitations you may have.
Diversifying is key here. Take a variety of classes. This will broaden your base and expand your talents. Find different instructors to learn from and study under. You want to give yourself as much variety as possible.
Acting classes are also a terrific way to network with other actors.
This means acting in student films for free (film students are always looking to cast fresh faces, and while lower budget work isn’t always glamorous, the experience can be invaluable).
Join up with a local theater group, and play as many varying roles as possible. Don’t be afraid to fail. Often, you’ll learn far more from your mistakes than your successes.
And again, as you amass more work and grow your resume, your network will expand along with it. The more people you connect with in your field, the better.
Ideally, the way to get casted in an acting role starts with an agent submitting you for a part. A casting agent then sees your headshot and resume and is impressed enough to call you in for an audition.
The day of the audition arrives, you crush it and get along swimmingly with the casting agent, director, and producers. You then win the role, which you go on to play with great success.
Now, this is obviously the obstacle-free, pie-in-the-sky scenario, but the mechanics are very much authentic. In reality, getting cast in a role requires dedicated work and great persistence in the face of high industry standards and wildly fierce competition.
And while having an agent is an enormous facilitator in the process, it’s not necessarily an essential component to landing an acting role.
As an actor, you should not only constantly sharpen your skillset, you should also expand your other abilities and talents.
Learn a new language, study a type of dance or martial art, familiarize yourself with a different culture. Take the time to truly learn and train yourself in something you’re unfamiliar with.
You never know what skill or piece of knowledge could come in handy when it’s time to audition for a role.
Start this by asking yourself some questions. Who are my favorite actors?
Now ask yourself, why am I drawn to these talents?
Write down those answers. Then scrutinize the work of everyone on your list.
Watch it. Rewatch it. Pick it apart. Try to gain an understanding as to why they make certain choices and don’t make others.
You may see patterns (refer back to that list of answers you wrote). Are there types of roles your favorites are often doing variations of? Are these the types of roles you’d like to play?
When you start to see patterns and recurrent themes, you can start to build a clear, strong brand for yourself as a performer.
There are so many great resources to find acting auditions.
Here are a few:
And as you continue to build that brand, focus on the roles you think you’d be the right fit for.
It’s always best to enter an audition with a clear idea of not just what the role requires but what you personally can bring to it.
Twitter and Facebook can both be terrific places to find acting auditions.
Casting agents often post audition information on their social media pages. Follow them, and attend as many events as you can.
Once you become a familiar face, you can try making an actual connection. Networking is the key to both the acting profession and the industry as a whole.
The world of acting auditions is evolving faster than ever. If you’ve been out of the game for a minute, you might be surprised at how much has changed. From self-taped video auditions shot in your living room to casting calls happening entirely online, today’s acting auditions look pretty different from the traditional cattle-call of the past. Let’s dive into some of the biggest emerging trends – and how you can make the most of them.
Gone are the days of driving across town just to read two lines in a cramped audition room. Self-tape auditions (where you film your own audition and send it in) have become the dominant way to try out for roles. Especially since 2020, casting directors often prefer watching dozens of video submissions on their own schedule. The upside? You get to control the process – pick your best take, use your own lighting, and do it all from home. The downside? You’ve got to be your own camera crew, lighting tech, and reader! It can be a lot, and not everyone loves it.
Actress Javicia Leslie (whose career took off in the last decade) isn’t alone in feeling the self-tape struggle. It’s weirdly easy to psych yourself out when you can do unlimited retakes. But self-taping is here to stay, so it’s worth getting comfortable with it. Set up a simple home studio – a neutral backdrop, a ring light or sunny window, and your smartphone on a tripod are really all you need.
Many successful actors book jobs from self-tapes filmed on iPhones. Focus on performance and authenticity over flashy production. And remember: once you hit “send” on that audition, let it go! Obsessing over perfection can drive you crazy. Embrace the freedom self-tapes give you to audition for any project anywhere, and chalk each one up as practice (even if you’re overthinking like the rest of us!).
Another big trend in auditioning is that location matters a lot less now. You can be in Kansas and submit a self-tape for a film shooting in London. If the Casting Director likes you, your callback might happen over Zoom or a live video chat. Remote auditions blew up in recent years – for obvious reasons – but they’ve stayed popular because they open the talent pool. Directors can see actors from all over the world without flying anyone in. For actors, this means more opportunities if you’re proactive.
You might wake up to an email invite for a “virtual open call” where you log into a Zoom waiting room, or you get asked to upload a monologue to a casting platform from your phone. It can feel strange performing to a camera lens or a laptop instead of a person, but treat it like any other audition: be prepared, dress the part (at least from the waist up!), and bring the energy.
The great part about remote casting calls is you don’t have to uproot your life for a shot at a role. Got an indie film audition in another state? No problem – submit a tape or hop on a video call. Major studios have even done worldwide searches this way. (Fun fact: Steven Spielberg’s team found Rachel Zegler – who landed the lead in West Side Story – through an online open call on Twitter, where thousands of actors submitted videos.)
The key is to stay plugged in: regularly check casting websites and social media for open calls or contests, and be ready to record on short notice. Make sure your tech is reliable (nothing worse than a shaky Wi-Fi signal in the middle of a heartfelt Zoom audition). While virtual auditions will never perfectly mimic the vibe of being in the room, they’re now an everyday part of casting. Mastering the art of connecting through the camera will give you a serious edge.
It’s 2025, and yes – your TikTok or Instagram might just land you an acting gig. Social media has become the new frontier for casting discovery. Casting directors and agents do scout platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and even Twitter (or X, as it’s now called) to find fresh faces and unique talent. If you can build a following or at least showcase your personality and skills in short videos, you’re essentially creating your own mini-auditions for the world to see. We’ve seen actors get cast in major projects because a director liked their viral skit or heartfelt monologue on TikTok.
For example, TikTok star Addison Rae landed a Netflix film after amassing a huge following, and Irish actress Ruth Codd was discovered on TikTok and then cast in Netflix’s The Midnight Club without any prior experience!
As casting director Theo Park notes, industry pros often end up keeping tabs on actors who create cool content online. This means your funny 60-second sketch or dramatic scene reenactment on social media could get viewed by someone in a position to hire you. How cool (and wild) is that? Of course, this doesn’t mean you should abandon traditional auditions or spam every producer’s DMs – but it does mean that maintaining a smart, creative presence online can only help.
A few tips: use your social profiles to showcase your range (pin a short clip of you acting your heart out), participate in trending challenges or hashtag contests for actors (many casting agents launch hashtag challenges to spot talent), and network in a genuine way (comment on industry posts, join actor groups on platforms). You never know who’s watching.
The bottom line is, casting is no longer confined to studio lots and agencies – it might be happening as someone scrolls through their For You Page at midnight. Stay authentic and professional on social media, but don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It could be your shortcut to an audition or even a direct booking.
Beyond the big social media apps and casting websites, there’s a whole ecosystem of online communities where auditions and casting info are shared. Smart actors (especially up-and-comers) hang out in these digital spaces to sniff out opportunities and make connections. We’re talking about forums, groups, and niche platforms that may not have mainstream fame but are respected in the industry. For example, the networking site Stage 32 has sections for filmmakers and actors to collaborate and occasionally posts casting calls for indie projects.
Mandy.com (formerly Casting Call Pro) lists indie film and theater gigs worldwide and is a favorite among those in the know. There are also private Facebook and WhatsApp groups run by casting directors for talent pools, and increasingly, Discord servers where indie filmmakers post casting notices for short films or web series. Even Reddit has subreddits like r/acting or r/VoiceActing where people swap audition opportunities and advice.
The great thing about these communities is the sense of camaraderie – you’re not just blindly submitting into the void, you’re engaging with fellow creatives. On some Discord servers, for instance, you might find a channel where casting calls are posted, and right next to it a channel where actors help each other with self-tape setups or share experiences about a casting director. It’s like a virtual green room. Just be sure to stay professional in these spaces.
Treat every interaction as networking (because it is). If you see a casting call on a Discord or forum, follow the instructions to a tee – just as you would on Backstage or Actors Access. These “lesser-known” platforms can be gold mines for beginners looking to get footage and credits, or for anyone seeking interesting projects off the beaten path. While your agent (if you have one) is submitting you for the big stuff, you can quietly grind in these communities and possibly snag roles that build your reel.
Pro tip: When you join an online community, don’t lurk silently – introduce yourself, contribute to discussions, and let people know you’re an actor. Being active and helpful (say, reading lines for someone’s self-tape via Zoom, or sharing a useful resource) can put you on the radar when someone has a role to cast.
In this era, everyone has a mini film studio in their pocket. Casting has fully embraced the mobile-first mindset. In fact, many casting platforms have smartphone apps, and some auditions are designed to be done on your phone from the get-go. You might receive an audition invite through a mobile app notification and be asked to film a quick clip right then and there.
Don’t be surprised if a casting director says, “Just shoot a 30-second selfie video of you saying why you’d be great for this role” as part of the process. This isn’t because they want a low-quality tape, but because they know spontaneity can bring out your natural charisma – and let’s face it, phones these days shoot HD video anyway.
Make sure you’re ready to capitalize on mobile casting opportunities. Always keep your headshot and resume accessible on your phone (a PDF or Google Drive link works) so you can fire them off when needed. Keep your phone’s camera roll tidy with a few self-tape clips or slate shots that you can quickly edit or send if a last-minute opportunity pops up. Also, practice recording yourself with your phone so you know your best angles and lighting spots (you’ll thank yourself when you need to film an audition in your car or hotel room at a moment’s notice).
The idea of “mobile-first” also means casting directors assume you can respond quickly. So, turn on those notifications and treat your inbox like a hawk. If a cool casting call goes out on an app or via text, being one of the first to submit can sometimes get you seen before the flood.
Overall, the audition process has become more flexible and fast-paced. It might feel unconventional to do an audition from your bedroom or to network in a Discord chat, but this is the new normal for actors. Adaptability is the name of the game. Embrace these emerging trends, because they ultimately give you, the actor, more power and more paths to success.
Whether you’re self-taping for a Netflix show from your hometown, catching wind of a student film role in a Discord server, or building a fanbase on TikTok that doubles as your portfolio – you’re charting multiple routes toward that next big break. And the best part? You don’t have to wait in a line of 300 people at 5 AM just to be seen anymore. Welcome to auditioning in the 21st century, where hustle and creativity (plus a decent Wi-Fi connection) can open doors in the most unexpected ways.
Preparing for an acting audition involves several key steps to help you feel confident and perform at your best. Here are a few…
The phrase “off book” should come to mind here. This means you don’t need to refer to any script during your audition. You’ve got it memorized.
Being off book shows a dedication to the craft and respect for the material. It also enables you to make adjustments to your performance should a director, producer or casting director ask that of you.
Altering performance while trying to read from a script comes across as amateurish, and sometimes downright lazy.
Memorizing your lines is essential, but it’s just as important to understand the emotional beats and intentions behind them. Practice your delivery with a friend, coach, or by recording yourself.
Research the director, casting team, or production company to get a sense of what they typically look for. Not only will you be able to give the team what they need, but you’ll go in feeling much more confident.
This involves a lot more than just memorizing the material. Deep-dive into the script, and study it from both the character and story level. This will allow you to add great depth and nuances to your performance.
Here are some tips for the day of the audition and for when you’re in the auditioning room…
Prepare your body and voice with warm-ups so that you’re physically and vocally ready to perform, and wear an outfit that subtly suggests the character without being a full costume.
This feels like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many actors blow their shot at doing the actual audition because they arrive a few minutes after their designated time.
It’d be a shame (and an embarrassing one, at that) to lose out on an opportunity because you were late.
Be at your audition location a solid fifteen minutes early. This will give you a few extra minutes to focus, take another look at your lines, and center yourself before your timeslot arises.
Analyzing your character and really gaining an understanding of the motivations behind their words and actions can give you a leg-up on some of the competition.
Constantly ask yourself why the character you’re reading for is doing the things they’re doing. Implement those answers into your performance.
Even the slightest changes to your physicality in service of the script you’re working off can get noticed.
Let’s face it. Auditioning can be a daunting, stressful experience. It’s ok (and even quite normal) to feel overwhelmed by the process.
If you’re starting to feel like it’s all getting too much, take a minute. Calm yourself. Some wise advice is to breathe, practice and listen.
Hopefully, this will calm things and set your mind back on track.
This also feels like a no-brainer, but it never hurts to be nice — to everybody.
If your audition’s a smash but your personality is brash or off-putting, your chances of getting a role could easily decrease. No one wants to hire someone they don’t like or isn’t pleasant to be around.
So be personable. And don’t forget to smile, both before and after you’ve auditioned.
So let’s say you got the role — congrats! Now what?
It’s easy to get swept up in times of victory and success. These moments should be celebrated. Just be careful they don’t go to your head. People love confidence, but arrogance can be off-putting.
Once you’ve booked an audition, be readily available. Call times for rehearsals, wardrobe, makeup and shoots are constantly shifting. Do everything you can to be a team player throughout the rollercoaster of production.
Don’t stop taking classes or building your network. Hopefully one job will lead to the next. And the best way to make that happen is to constantly be honing your brand and craft. Most likely you’ll learn from every job you get (even the less-than-great experiences), and the key will be how you can implement those lessons on the next gig.
Hey! You just booked an acting role! Maybe it was your first. Maybe it was your twentieth. It doesn’t matter, every booking is a reason to boost your confidence. Your craft and talents shined through and you’ve become the top choice for the part. Let that notion fuel your performance as you step into the role.
Acting auditions are the key method filmmakers use for determining the best fit for a role.
The process can be tense but also exciting. Every audition should be a learning experience, whether you book the job or not.
Always be on the lookout for your next opportunity, so stay on top of your networks and the people you follow on social media.
Acting auditions will separate the actors who’ve studied and worked hard from those just going through the motions. Make sure you’re well-prepared before going in.
