"Tell me about yourself"
The dreaded question. And you can bet it will be asked. (Or a variation - "What've you been doing?", "What's been happening?", etc.) The usual bad reply: "What do you want to know?" (Terrible. Answering a question with a question is obnoxious.) Or the actor responds by becoming the fearsome Incredible Walking Resume, reeling off credits to an increasingly glassy-eyed interviewer. Imagine listening to that litany actor after actor? If the interviewer wants to know your credits, he can read your resume. If you're ever, tempted to "talk business," remember producer William Kayden's statement, "I look for that indefinable quality called 'uniqueness.' I'm not interested in credits." Credit talk only makes you as serious as a tax auditor on a bad day. Director Noel Black: "Don't give your credits. A lot of time you'll look too eager, as if you're distressed merchandise."
So how do you answer the question? Any way you want. Translated, "Tell me about yourself means: "Talk - and please be interesting."
That's why you need "get set" time - to think of something entertaining, interesting, memorable and/or funny. Then, you'll be ready for THAT question. You can talk about your recipe for nut soup, how you spent your childhood in a lighthouse, or even, as theatrical casting director Paul Bengston suggests, "Find something that happened that day." The point? The topic literally doesn't matter as long as it's interesting and leads to conversation. "We're interested in what you're interested in," says commercial casting director Pamela Campus, "And, if we're bored, we'll change the subject, don't worry."
Remember, it's a personality interview. Talk about something you're genuinely interested in and your personality automatically comes shining through. We've seen it. Try to be "businesslike," and you hide your personality. We've seen that too.
One other little bonus. With an interesting enough topic, there's a good chance the interviewer (if a casting director; an agent eventually needs to talk turkey) won't get around to any more of these by-rote questions. If so, you just had a super interview!
"What have you done recently?"
The one time you discuss your career. But it too requires planning. During your "get set" time, pick one or two of your best credits and find something specific and interesting to say about them. (Rambling on about finding motivations for Hamlet is dull; talking about how the technical crew conjured up Hamlet's Ghost could be fascinating.)
Notice we said your best credits - nor your most recent. With no dates on your resume, no one knows if your best credit isn't your most recent unless it's obviously dated {Leave It to Beaver, for example).
Idle times come to all actors - times when recent credits are getting slightly dusty. When (not if) that happens to you, and the interview is with a casting director, producer or director, it's frankly time to bend the truth a little. We hate telling actors to fib, but saying you haven't done anything for six months (or longer) makes you look a little yellow around the gills. "In my opinion," advises director Noel Black, "It's a lot better to say you're in a play at some little theatre than to say 'I did something eight months ago."'
On those occasions, pick a credit that's undated (maybe an out-of-town play) and say you just "recently" finished it. If, however, the interview is with an agent, tell the truth. Never lie to an agent. If you haven't done anything recently, whimper so.
"How old are you?"
Answer the question and drop it. "How old do I look?" or "Well, I can play between ages 20 and 30," or "How old do you want me to be?" etc., all sound like you're embarrassed. Should you lie about your age? Up to you, but pick one realistic number and stick to it. Don't go around giving different ages in order to qualify for particular parts. The age you say will be remembered - we promise.
Two other points. First, if you lie about your age remember (at least as it is now) your employer is going to see the awful truth on your I-9 form. Second, if you're under 18, don't age yourself up. When the truth comes out - and it will - the legal problems will be enormous. Besides, adding numbers to your age is foolish. Eventually it'll haunt you like Amityville.
"What brought you to LA.?"
A good answer: something like "This is where the action/business/work is." A bad answer: "This is where my boyfriend lives."
"Do you have any film on yourself?"
They mean a videotaped record of a film or TV appearance. If you don't, simply say, "Not yet."
"Do you have an agent?"
With a casting director, producer or director: if you've got one, say whom but don't proceed to bad-mouth him if you're unhappy. You may be talking to the agent's best friend, and (supposedly) only non-working actors are unhappy with their agents. Either say something nice or nada.
If you are interviewing with an agent, simply say you have no agent if that's the case. And try to avoid crying hysterically.
Questions about Your Resume
Once again, that "get set" time is invaluable here. Use it to go over your resume. Be prepared to say something positive and interesting about every item on it. And be sure you know who produced, directed and cast every production mentioned. We know one casting director who said she'd never cast any actor who didn't know this. That's extreme, but knowing who you worked for avoids a lot of stammering.
Can you (do a skill: ride a horse, affect an accent)?
Say "yes" only if you can do it. That builds trust. If asked about an accent, however, don't fall into the trap of replying in that accent. Looks too eager, and you'll invariably blow it. Other questions can include:
- "Where are you from originally?"
- "What made you decide to become an actor?"
- "Who have you studied with?"
- "Are you studying with anyone now?"
- "Have you done any theatre in LA.?"
- "Have you worked only on stage?"
Okay, now you're ready. When called, put out the smokes, get rid of the gum, and remember the interview starts when you walk in the door. That first impression is vital. With your hand on the doorknob, take a deep breath, mentally say "Action" - and be ready for anything. For example, most interviews are one-on-one (you and the casting director, director or producer), but be prepared to talk to a roomful of people if that's the case. Or, as theatrical agent Miriam Baum cautions: "Even when you go on a general interview, you'd better be ready to do a cold reading."
