Casting Director Stuart Aikins: Advice for Actors Part 8 (Look)


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Stuart Aikins is a Vancouver-based casting director with 35 years of experience casting across Canada, including Vancouver casting for the hugely popular Twilight series (New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn). He is the recipient of an Emmy Nomination and a Casting Society of America (CSA) Award for Best Mini-Series Casting. In July 2011 he sat down with students at Biz Studio’s Summer Intensive.

PART EIGHT CONTENTS:

Q: How important is look in casting?

A: It’s always going to come up. We have to believe you as the character. I believe that a good actor is very much a chameleon. The director makes three decisions in the room — can you act, can you take direction, and *then* are you right for the role. The only thing you can do for the 3rd criteria is preparing yourself visually for the role.

Q: What comes across visually as trying too hard?

A: If you go there with the wardrobe but not the acting, it will come across as trying too hard. If you go there with the acting, then it won’t matter. Where you can get in serious trouble is in using a lot of props. We’re not looking for the final product. We’re looking for a work in progress.