“How many actors does it take to screw in a lightbulb?” “100. One to do it and 99 to say ‘I could have done that better’ “. On more than a few occasions I have heard actors refer to a role as “theirs”. I’ve tried very hard not to be one of those. Having directed from time to time I understand that strong actors just don’t get cast sometimes. The director has a vision. You may think you are perfect for the role but that’s your vision. You may not fit into the vision the director has for the production as a whole. It’s not a reflection of your ability, it’s a reality about casting, which is not only vision, but chemistry. Two great actors won’t get cast if they don’t have chemistry with one another. I remember auditioning for a role I really wanted, in a play I loved, several times over the years. I finally got the role when I read against another actor who “played tennis” with me. I lobbed a line, she lobbed it back. There was something palpable in it. It was exciting as an actor and it was exciting for the audience. We both knew, walking out of the audition, that we had hit it well. So I tell myself, when I think I’m a good fit for something, that there is a larger picture — the director, the other actors, factors I can’t begin to fully appreciate. We treat it like a job interview but it isn’t that personal. It’s about alchemy, which is something you can’t really control.
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