Earlier this year (this year has FLOWN by!) at the Golden Globes, Tom Hanks received the Cecil B. deMille Award for lifetime achievement in the entertainment industry. Now, it’s not hard for anyone—industry-related or no—to understand why someone like Hanks would win such an award. For decades he has spanned genres and roles and captivated audiences with authentic, often poignant on-screen performances. Ask anyone who’s ever had the privilege to work with him and they’ll tell you he is thoughtful, considerate, kind, and an overall consummate professional. So, what’s the real secret to his success you ask?
In his wonderful and enlightening acceptance speech, Hanks shared an anecdote from his earlier acting days. He recounted how the director, who was frustrated after he and his co-stars had stayed out late partying and showed up underprepared, chided them and screamed,
‘Hey, look! You guys! You actors! You know what your job is? You have got to show up on time and you have to know the text and you have to have a head full of ideas. Otherwise, I can’t do my job.’ That was the greatest lesson a young actor could possibly ever get.”
Let’s break this down a bit further:
-Show up on time - as a general rule and as the mark of a professional, to ‘show up on time’ in the broader sense simply means that you’re prepared and engaged when it’s your call time or your audition appointment. No, not JUST arrived, no not ‘taking 5 minutes to settle into your character.’ You’ve given yourself time to settle in beforehand so that when you hear ‘action!’—whether on set or at an audition—you’re ready. Not driving like a maniac down the 5, or feverishly calling your agent to request a later time or a timeframe, or arriving RIGHT at your appointment time. Show up 10 mins early (especially if you’ve never been in this particular casting office or taping studio), sign in, breathe, review, relax. Energy is neither created nor destroyed so if you’re in an anxious rush, you can bet that energy will come through in your confident lead role audition. The tape will pick it up and casting will pick up on it.
-Know the text - note the wording here. Know the TEXT. Not just your lines. Stage directions, notes from casting, the other character’s lines, and definitely YOUR lines. I know life happens. You’ve just worked a double shift trying to scrounge enough to afford car insurance, car payment, a room in a shared apartment, adding new headshots/slateshots to your AA profile, etc. You’re overworked, underpaid, tired, hungry, and you just got a 12-page audition (of which only 1 page is FYI) from your agent. Is it possible to be off-book for this audition? Yes, it is, I’ve seen it. BUT, at the very least, what Hanks is saying is to be FAMILIAR with the work. Know your beats and actions. Know the gist of the story and what you’re saying. I say all of this to also say this: someone else WILL be off-book. In fact a LOT of someones. Should you beat yourself up if you’re not? Absolutely not. But, as an actor in an industry notorious for competitiveness, keep pushing the bar higher. Find a process that works for you to help you memorize lines. Cheat when you need to, but know that real freedom and playfulness come when you’re not tethered to your lines.
-Have a head full of ideas - this is the meat in this meat and potatoes statement from Tom Hanks. This is where your artistic side shines. Sure, certain genres require specific stylistic knowledge, and knowing your lines is an amiable feat. But having a head full of ideas means you’ve taken what the writers have put out into the world and filtered it through your instrument to create something new. Perhaps something even the writer didn’t expect. THIS is what every producer, director, and casting director seeks. Originality, spontaneity, playfulness. No actor has ever been served by asking the question, ‘what do they want?’, no matter if it’s for an audition or working on set. What do YOU want? Be fluid with your choices. Having a head full of ideas also means that you take direction easily. You’re uncomplicated. You’re malleable enough to take the same set of lines and deliver many different ways.
Remove any one of these three components and you’ve manufactured an obstacle for yourself as an actor. Take some time to really check in with yourself. Are you a procrastinator? Do you find excuses as to why you’re not off-book or at least mostly familiar? Watch your tapes (when you can). Are your takes for the same scene distinct or are you doing the same planned action at the same time and saying certain lines the exact same way every time? Moreover, are you critiquing your tapes for the RIGHT things? Are you a professional or does your ego rule your encounters with other industry professionals? Evaluate yourself and evaluate your instrument objectively and take note of where your craft feels too rigid or too lax. At the end of the day, ask yourself one very important question:
How badly do you want it?
Show up, know the text, and be ready to play. Have a wonderful holiday season :) Shout out any questions about the above in the below and we’ll try to get you some answers!
Brad