Actor-coach Aaron Marcus uses figure skater Alyssa Liu's comeback to show why actors book more auditions when they focus on enjoying the moment and learning, not on getting the job. Desperation reads to casting directors. Set three goals per audition: enjoy it, extract a lesson, treat booking as a bonus.
Last week, I watched the Olympic gold medalist skater Alysa Liu, who actually walked away from ice skating at age 16. 4 years later, she comes back. Her technique is still flawless, but her mindset had completely changed, and it showed in every minute of her program. Now, this mindset is the same one that actors should be using going into auditions. It's one that I've been sharing with actors that I've coached for years. So stick around and I'm going to tell you what made her stand out and how it will completely change your audition. Okay, let's get started. Hey, I'm Aaron Marcus, and look, I know nothing about ice skating. I've just been a full-time actor for a long, long time, but I watched a number of the skaters during the Olympics And they're just unbelievable. What they're able to do with their bodies on ice is— it's mind-blowing to me. But I have to say that for quite a few of them, I felt like I was watching a performance that I didn't quite believe. And what I mean by that is people were technically incredible. But I didn't feel the passion. I didn't feel the enjoyment. And then Alyssa Liu steps on the ice, and while I'm watching her, I am seeing someone who is simply loving what she's doing, having the greatest time in the world, sharing her expertise And her skills with the world, and it made her stand out. And that's why when— and look, when I was a lot younger and doing this work, I would go into auditions like I assume most other people, and I'm thinking, boy, this is a great job. I would love to book this job. You know, it's a TV show, it's a movie, it's a high-paying TV commercial. Whatever it was. And I'm thinking, I really want to get it. There's a famous actor in the scene. That would be— this was how I would go into auditions, and I would feel the excitement. I would feel pressure as well because I wanted it so badly. And then I finally learned that the way to go into an audition, just like— and I'll tell you what exactly what Alyssa Liu said during interviews. Is forget about booking the role. Get that out of your mind. First of all, you're probably not going to, and, and I'm not saying that in a nasty way. It's just when you have so many people auditioning and there are so many different factors that go into booking a job and not booking the job, the chances of you getting it, it's very slim. And I'm not trying to discourage you, that, that's just how the industry works. But if you do a slight change of, of thinking, and instead of trying to book the job, enjoy your audition. And what Alyssa was talking about was that she didn't care about meddling. She didn't care about anything but to enjoy herself and to know that she is sharing Her artistry with the world. And so what I have been doing for quite a few years now is I have 3 goals for every single audition, and none of them have to do with booking the job. The first goal for every audition is to enjoy myself, period. I'm thinking, you know what, It's a Monday afternoon. I get a chance to play a character, to play a role. This is fun. It might be 2 minutes, it might be 3 minutes, who knows, you know, how long depending on how long the script is. But that's my goal. That's all I'm thinking about. And I can tell you that casting directors can smell desperation a mile away. And if you go in there thinking, oh, I really want I want this. This could change my life. I could make a lot of money. This will pay for rent. Whatever it is, they can sense that, and that's not what they want. They want to see someone who certainly— look, everybody has to be very skilled who's doing the audition. That's the number one thing. So if you have the skill, what you want to do is enjoy it. Enjoy the process. Enjoy the couple of minutes that you have. And it comes across. It's almost like, yeah, if I book it, great. If I don't, great, that's fine too. Doesn't matter, I'll book something else. But instead of making booking the job your goal, have it be enjoy yourself, because it will come through in your performance. And I can tell you the second thing, I always like to try to learn from the experience. If there's something that I didn't do, and I wish I had done it differently, and I, I've already submitted it, or whatever it is, I want to learn from it. And the third thing is, look, if I happen to book it, which I really don't think I will— and I'm not saying that because I think I'm horrible, I just know how the business works. So anyhow, just like with Alyssa Liu, go into an audition, don't even think about trying to Book it, let that go, and enjoy the process. And not only will it make your performance stronger, it will also show you more as a professional, not someone who is needy and desperate, because that's not what industry professionals want. Now look, if you have ever had any kind of, you know, specific mindset for going into an audition, please share it here so we can learn from you. And, and if you find this helpful, you know, subscribe, click the notification bell. I do upload new quick tip videos every week, so please do that here. And the last thing is you can get onto my email list. Just go to howtoactandmodel.com, and once you sign up to be on my list, you will also get a free video bonus, and it's 6 Secrets to Mastering Home Auditions. It's a great video. Anyhow, Once again, I'm Aaron Marcus. This was great. Love to hear from you and looking forward to talking with you again soon. See ya.
