Casting Actors Cast

For years I told actors something that may surprise you. I used to say: "Being completely memorized isn't the most important thing." And for a long time I believed that. Today? My thinking has changed. Not because memorization is the performance. But because memorization may be the thing standing between you and the performance. Let's talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

What if one of the best things you could do for your acting career... was spend less time thinking about acting? Now before anyone drives off the road... hear me out. Because some of the healthiest, happiest, and most successful actors I've known had something surprising in common. Acting wasn't the only thing in their lives. Today we're talking about why becoming a more interesting human being ma...

What if I told you one of the biggest obstacles in your acting career isn't your talent... isn't your training... isn't your agent... and isn't even your auditions? What if the thing holding you back is a grading system that doesn't exist anymore? Today we're talking about something I see every week. Actors who graduated years ago... sometimes decades ago... but are still living like they're waiti...

Every scene is basically: “Please love me… forgive me… hire me… believe me… or text me back.” Congratulations. You now understand human civilization. Today we’re talking about one of the most important acting shifts actors can make. You are not there to present emotion. You are there to get something. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do talented actors sometimes walk into auditions and completely disconnect from themselves? In this episode, casting director and acting teacher Jeffrey Dreisbach explores one of the biggest hidden audition killers: overthinking. From self-monitoring and approval-seeking to trying too hard to “be good,” this episode breaks down the subtle habits that quietly sabotage actors before the scene ev...

Some actors perform every script exactly the same way. Which is fascinating… because sitcoms and crime dramas are not emotionally identical species. In this Episode, we’re talking about musicality, genre, rhythm… and why the script itself may already be telling you how to act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if your obsession with “feeling the emotion”… is actually hurting your acting? Today we’re talking about the difference between feeling something… and doing something. And trust me— this one tends to make actors very uncomfortable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the very thing your acting class praised… is the exact thing hurting your auditions? Today we’re talking about the disconnect between acting training… and actually getting cast. And trust me… this conversation might sting a little. But it may also completely change how you approach your work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever created a 10-page backstory for a 2-page audition… If you’ve ever decided your character had a childhood trauma… that no one asked for… Or if you’ve ever walked into a room feeling very prepared… and still didn’t book it— This episode might save your career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if I told you that most actors don’t lose jobs because they’re not talented… They lose jobs because no one knows where to put them. Today, we fix that—without labels, without limits, and without the word “type.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are talking about something that every actor has… every actor worries about… and almost every actor gets wrong. Your demos. Your video reel. Your voice-over demo. Now, I’m going to say something right up front that might shift your thinking immediately: Your demo is not there to show how talented you are. It’s there to make casting feel confident about where to put you. That’s a very diff...

Did you ever walk out of an audition thinking: “I nailed that.” You felt connected. Prepared. Alive in the scene. And then… You didn’t book it. So the actor brain starts spinning. “Was I bad?” “Did they hate it?” “What did I do wrong?” But here’s the truth most actors never hear: The best actor doesn’t always get the job. The best match does. And once you understand why… Auditions become a lot les...

We’re breaking down why redirects exist, what casting is actually testing, and how learning to adjust with ease can make you unforgettable in the room. Because actors who adjust with confidence are remembered. Actors who freeze… disappear. #taking direction, # Audition strategy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let me tell you something that might sound unfair—but it’s true. Casting starts forming impressions within the first 15 seconds of watching you. And no, it’s not about talent or perfection. It’s about presence. In this episode, we’re unpacking what’s really happening before your first line, why rushing reads as nerves, and how one small shift can instantly make casting lean forward instead of pull...

Actors: here’s casting insights from Casting Actors Cast with casting director Jeff Dreisbach: "Let me tell you something that might sound unfair—but it’s true. Casting starts forming impressions within the first 15 seconds of watching you. And no, it’s not about talent or perfection. It’s about presence. In this episode, we’re unpacking what’s really happening before your first line, why rushing...

Today we’re talking about something every actor experiences but almost no one talks about honestly enough. The slow period. The quiet stretch. The stretch where nothing seems to be happening. Today’s episode is called Your Acting Momentum Plan: Moving Forward When Nothing Seems to Be Happening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking about a subject that sits right at the heart of what makes performances compelling, memorable, and bookable. Today’s episode is called Acting for Humans: Why Authenticity Beats Technique Every Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are diving into one of the most important audition skills in today’s industry. Self-tapes. Specifically, we’re talking about something most actors never realize they’re doing wrong. Today’s episode is called The Self-Tape Trap: Are Your Choices Helping or Hurting You? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are talking about something that quietly sabotages more auditions than lack of talent, lack of training, or lack of experience combined. Overthinking. Yes. The invisible career killer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is called: How to Be the Actor Everyone Wants to Work With. Notice I didn’t say “best actor.” I didn’t say “most talented actor.” I didn’t say “most trained actor.” Find out it you are one of these actors! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is called: “The Best Secrets of Every Successful Actor.” And I want to start by disappointing you — just a little. There is no secret handshake. No magic agent. No single audition that changes everything. But there are patterns. And after decades of watching actors succeed, stall, disappear, return, rebuild, and thrive — I can tell you this: Successful actors don’t do different thi...

Welcome back to Casting Actors Cast — the podcast for actors, from a casting director, who wants to help you stop fighting the word brand and start using it intelligently. Today’s episode is called: “Best Methods to Uncover Your Brand.” And let me start by clearing something up immediately: Your brand is not: A Costume A Headshot Outfit A Personality you perform Your brand is simply this: The clea...

Today’s episode is called: “How to Act with Irony.” And I want to start with a warning: Irony is one of the fastest ways actors sabotage themselves. Not because irony is bad — but because it’s misunderstood. So today we’re going to talk about: *    What irony actually is *    Why casting loves it when it’s done right *    And how to play irony without losing truth   FIRST: WHAT IRONY IS (AND ISN’T...

Hello, fellow actors. Welcome back to Casting Actors Cast — the podcast for actors, from a casting director, who wants you to stop doing weird things in the name of “networking.” Today’s episode is called: “Five Ways to Network with Industry Pros.” And before you tense up — no, this is not an episode about: Because real networking — the kind that actually works — looks nothing like what most actor...

Today’s episode is called: “Getting Fired by Your Agent… What Next?” And if that title made your stomach drop just a little — congratulations. You’re human. Also, you’re not alone. Let me start by saying something right up front, because I want to take the sting out of this immediately: Getting dropped by an agent is not a career-ending event. In fact — and I know this may sound wild — for many ac...