Casting Actors Cast

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 things. They do the same things — consistently. Let’s talk about those things.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 clearest pattern of how others experience you. That’s it. And once you understand that, the fear drops away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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) Irony is not: *    Sarcasm *    Smirking *    Winking at the audience Irony is: Playing the truth of the moment while the audience knows more than you do. The character believes fully. The audience holds the contradiction. That’s the magic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 actors imagine. Let’s begin with a truth that might surprise you: Most industry professionals are not looking to be impressed. They’re looking to feel comfortable. So today, I’m going to walk you through five realistic, humane, repeatable ways to network — without selling your soul or losing your dignity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 actors, it turns out to be a career-clarifying moment. Now, before you throw your phone across the room, stay with me. Because today we’re going to talk about: This is not a “rah-rah, everything happens for a reason” episode. This is a practical, calm, grown-up conversation — the kind I would have wanted when I was starting out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people can’t even commit to a gym membership for four weeks — and you and I have been meeting here since 2020. Through lockdowns, through self-tape explosions, through new technology disrupting our industry faster than we can say “AI voice clone,” we have been learning together, laughing together, and building the kind of creative courage that keeps actors moving forward. So today isn’t about a new technique or a tough-love lecture. Today is a celebration. Today is a reflection. Today is a thank you to YOU — for being the kind of artist who keeps showing up. Because this podcast exists because of you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-tapes are where careers happen today. They’re the front door of the business. And like any front door — there’s a welcome mat… and there are also banana peels hidden right under the surface waiting to trip you up. Today, we are shining a big bright spotlight on The Self-Tape Trap. Those choices actors make with good intentions — really good intentions — that accidentally sabotage the performance. These traps are sneaky. They can feel like “extra effort” or “smart choices” or “making it real” — but casting directors are watching self-tapes with a totally different lens. Find out much more on this episode of Casting Actors Cast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re talking about overthinking. That mental spiral where suddenly your brain is narrating your audition like it’s doing play-by-play commentary during the Super Bowl. “Here comes the second line — careful, careful — don’t mess this up — oof, eyebrow twitch — bad eyebrow! Reset! Reset!” Overthinking is the enemy of presence. The enemy of impulse. The enemy of surprise. It’s like having a backseat driver take over your brain while you’re trying to actually drive the car. So let me ask you a question: When you’re really living a moment — like REALLY living it — do you think about it while you’re in it? No! You just live it. You notice the other person. You feel the emotion. You react like a human — not like a student trying to pass a finalexam. That’s the shift we’re going to make today: from thinking the moment… to owning the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey my amazing, wonderful actor friends! Welcome back to Casting Actors Cast — where you and I get to hang out, learn a little, laugh a little, and uncover the real tools that help you prepare smarter, act better, and book more. I’m your host, Jeff Dreisbach — casting director, teacher, actor, and your industry friend who is in your corner, rooting for you every step of the way. Today’s episode is one I wish I could just loop on a monitor in every waiting room at every audition everywhere. You know, like a public service announcement but with less fear and fewer warnings about shampoo recalls. It’s called: How to Be the Actor Everyone Wants to Work With — and I promise, this is the episode that will change your career faster than any new headshot or acting class ever could. Because the truth is this: the actor everyone wants to work with is the actor who gets opportunities again and again and again. They get recommended. They get remembered. They get rehired. They don’t just book… they build. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever walked into an audition and thought, “Okay… I’m confident. I’m confident. I’m confident,” while your body is screaming, “We’re absolutely not confident!” Meanwhile, casting directors are looking at you like, “Are they… are they okay?” Confidence is one of those weird acting ingredients you can’t fake, can’t force, but absolutely need— even though most actors have no idea what real confidence looks like. Well, today we’re pulling back the curtain. Because what you think confidence is…and what casting directors actually see as confidence… are two completely different things. Let’s fix the gap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You ever notice that actors can make anything stressful? Audition? Stressful. Callback? Stressful. Self-tape? Stressful. Meeting someone who might know someone in the industry? Oh, that’s a full-blown cardio event. Actors are the only people who can turn reading two pages of dialogue in their own living room into a scene from “Mission Impossible.” Meanwhile, your acting career just left you a voicemail: “Hi… yeah, it’s me… could you just… relax?” Let’s talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is part pep-talk, part reality check, and part comedic intervention. Actors obsess over getting it right — especially on self-tapes. You know this. You’ve lived this. But here’s the kicker: Casting directors aren’t looking for perfect. We’re looking for alive. So today, we’re going to shatter the myth of the perfect take, unpack how perfectionism sabotages your work, and give you a step-by-step guide to capturing the kind of take that makes us go, “Oh! I didn’t expect that. Yes. Callback.” Let’s get started with the truth bomb at the center of this whole episode.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First Impressions in a Digital World When your self-tape hits my inbox, it’s your first — and sometimes only — chance to make an impression. Before I even hit play, I’ve already learned something about you from your file name, your slate, your frame, your lighting. That’s right — your tape speaks volumes before you do. Find out how in this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Casting Actors Cast, where we turn good intentions into great auditions. I’m Jeffrey Dreisbach — casting director, teacher, and today, your guide through one of my favorite acting truths: stop trying to be good. Be specific. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Do Casting Directors REALLY Remember about You  “Hey there, actor friends! Welcome back to Casting Actors Cast, the podcast that helps you prepare smarter, act better, and book more. I’m your host, Jeffrey Dreisbach — casting director, teacher, and your friendly guide through the wonderful, weird, and sometimes wobbly world of show business.” “Today’s episode is one I think you’ll really appreciate, because it answers a question I get all the time: What do casting directors actually remember about you? Spoiler alert — it’s not your hair color, your wardrobe, or how you pronounced ‘cheeseburger’ in your slate. It’s something way more interesting — and understanding it could literally change how you walk into every audition from now on.”   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Okay, let’s be honest. We’ve all seen those New Year posts from actors that sound something like —“This is my year! Manifesting series regular energy!”Or “Big bookings only in 2025!” And listen — I love the optimism. But sometimes, our acting goals start to sound… a little cringe. Why? Because they’re about results— not process. In today’s episode, we’re going to fix that. We’ll talk about how to create acting goals that actually move your career forward — without the fake hustle, without the toxic positivity, and without the pressure to “book or bust.” Let’s make your goals smarter, saner, and actually achievable.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know that moment in an audition when your scene partner says their line… and you feel pressure to do something? You nod. You blink. You shift your face. You give a tiny “actor reaction” — because silence feels dangerous. Here’s a little secret: sometimes, the best reaction… is no reaction at all. Today, we’re going to uncover one of the most overlooked audition skills — the ability to listen without performing your listening.This is the subtle art that separates actors who look authentic from actors who look like they’re trying to look authentic. Let’s talk about it.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You finally get the message: “We’d love to offer you the part. Congratulations!” And you freeze. Do you take it? Do you need to ask your agent? Do you even want it? Here’s the thing — actors are told from day one, “Say yes to everything.” But what if saying yes too quickly is the one thing that keeps you from leveling up? Today, we’re diving into a topic every actor wrestles with: Should you take that role? Because sometimes the smartest career move you can make… is learning when to say no. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices