March 2, 2000
This was another tricky audition to get. Let's be honest, I am 31 years old. I don't think I look a full 31, and as I found out this week, I sometimes "look like a baby," (Mysteries of 71st Street) but playing a 23 year-old might be a stretch in the opposite direction.
My character, JEFF, has just graduated college and has returned to his old high school to teach. In his enthusiasm to fit in and be one of the guys, he makes up some rules for his class, the worst of which are: 'No tests." and "Cursing is OK." I went into my audition today and in the 40 minutes I was waiting to read, I ran the scene over and over exactly in the style I wanted. Imagine my surprise when I got into the office and found out it was nothing like the style they wanted. Pretty much all of the beats and rhythms I had worked on were not quite what they were looking for. I found this out before reading, thank God, but as I listened to Joseph's notes, I realized I would need to make a few changes.
The results were both good and bad. I didn't feel like I was dead on
the whole time because I was trying to play beats I had never worked
on. Sometimes they landed and sometimes they didn't. On the plus
side, when I was done Joseph remarked, "Well, you certainly can
take direction." I hope that's enough. It may be all I've got on
this one.