We've all had them: The audition horror stories. The auditions that were simply awful experiences due to things out of your control.
That's not the point of this post. We're going to keep things light and laughable.
I want to hear your Audition Dum-Dum Stories. The instances where, due to your own foolishness you totally biffed the audition in a laughably bad way. The auditions where you look back at it and call yourself a dum-dum because you made a bad acting choice or did something that caused yourself to get out of the running for the role for any number of dumb actions you did.
Here is my entry for the Audition Dum-Dum Awards:
I was just starting out in pursuing acting seriously. Scouring BackStage West. Sending out headshots and resumes. This was about thirty years ago...so I've obviously learned a few things to do -- and not do -- since then.
I was able to get an audition for a role for a feature film. Not the lead role, but the lead's best friend. One of those stereotypical happy-go-lucky, best friend types that were all the rage back in the 1990s that would have that third act turn to give the lead the good advice to follow, due to his own inability to take life seriously. I was perfect for the role -- definitely not the leading man type, comedy was my forte, and I had a look that would definitely work for it -- I actually resembled a young Howard Stern, hair and all. I memorized the scene (so I wouldn't be tied to the script) and was ready to crush it!
And here's where my bad choices started.
1. I showed up to the audition in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts. facepalm Because nothing reads better as "fun-loving best friend" than Hawaiian shirt and shorts.
2. I wore sunglasses during the audition face. palm, tossing them across the room at a key moment in the scene to demonstrate my dramatic turn. Face Palm.
3. I actually crossed the room to the reader FacePalm! and patted them on the shoulder at the end of the scene, while I said something to the effect of "There you go!", as the line dictated. FACEPALM!
Yes...I can actually hear you saying something to the effect of, "You dum-dum!" as you're reading this (language definitely cleaned up). Needless to say, I did not get the part (surprise, surprise!). Thankfully, I was able to quickly figure out all my missteps, and ensured I never did them again, chalking it up to me being a major dum-dum.
There's my self-nomination. Can anyone beat that?
hi Doug how are you doing I am an actor and a set designer set design and actors are very essential in a play that want to grow in fame and if you like we can support each other in the community
This is true, Olaoluwa Balogun. Do you have a story to nominate yourself with?