Questions to Ask Actors in an Audition
For directors, casting directors, drama teachers and student filmmakers who are running auditions and want to know what to ask the actors in the room. The list follows the order of an audition slot: a few openers before the read, the actor's take on the character, how they respond to direction once they have read, then training and past work, what the part requires of them, and dates, pay and the other logistics.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Openers
Tell us a little about yourself. What is not on your resume?
Why ask it
The second sentence keeps the answer from turning into a recital of the credits already in front of you. Notice how the person talks when they are not performing, since that is who would turn up to rehearsal. Once it runs past a minute, thank them and go to the read.
What drew you to this role?
Why ask it
Someone who has read the script will point at something in it: a scene, a line, a problem the character has. 'I just love acting' or 'my agent sent it' should not count against anyone, but it suggests the preparation began in the waiting room. Ask it before the read, while it can still settle nerves.
How do you see this character?
Why ask it
Write the answer down before the first read, then see whether the read matched it. A description of a person with wants and habits means the work has been done, and the casting breakdown recited back to you means it has not started. A take that differs from yours is not wrong, and now and then it shows you a way of playing the part you had not considered.
How much of the script have you read, and what did you make of it?
Why ask it
If the full script was available and they read only their own pages, you have learned how they prepare. If you sent nothing but the sides, say so and ask only for the opinion. A view of the piece, even a critical one, is a better sign than polite praise that could be about any script.
Do you have any questions about the scene before you start?
Why ask it
Good questions are short and playable: who am I talking to, where does this sit in the story, how do you say this name. No questions at all is fine too. A long discussion of backstory before a two-page read is usually nerves, so answer one question kindly and begin.
What have you prepared for us today, and how long have you had the material?
Why ask it
This sets the bar fairly: a read from someone who got the sides last night should not be measured against one from someone who has had them for two weeks. At a general audition it is also the natural last thing to say before 'whenever you are ready', and it catches the actor who prepared the wrong scene before they are halfway through it.
Character
What does this character want in this scene?
Why ask it
The strongest answers are a verb aimed at the other person: to get her to stay, to make him admit it. An answer that is all feeling, such as 'she is sad', tends to produce a read that sits still. If the actor has not thought about it, give them thirty seconds and ask again, because how fast they find one tells you a lot.
What has just happened to them when the scene begins?
Why ask it
Scenes that start from nothing sound like auditions. An actor who can tell you where the character has come from, even if they made it up, will walk in already in the middle of something. If their invention contradicts the script, correct it and see whether the next read changes.
Who is the other person in this scene to your character?
Why ask it
Listen for history: how long the two have known each other, who owes whom, what has gone unsaid. Reads go flat when the scene partner is treated as a stranger feeding cues. With a reader in the room, watch whether the next read is played to that person or past them.
What do you think this scene is doing in the story?
Why ask it
It separates an actor who thinks about the piece from one who thinks only about the part. A thoughtful answer notices what the audience learns here or what is different by the end of the page. Skip it at an open call where nobody has seen more than the sides.
How do you think this character changes between the first scene and the last?
Why ask it
Only fair if the whole script was sent out. Hope for a start and a finish that are not the same person, and some idea of where the turn comes. For a long run or a series, ask what they would hold back in the early scenes.
What do you have in common with this character, and what would be a stretch?
Why ask it
Whatever they name as the stretch, the age, the temper, the stillness, shows how accurately they know their own range. Be wary of 'nothing, really', and equally of hearing that the part is exactly them, since a part that seems to need no work rarely gets any.
Which line in these pages gave you the most trouble?
Why ask it
Almost every scene has a line that will not sit right, and actors who prepared know which one it is. Ask what they tried with it. If several actors name the same line over the day, the trouble may be in the writing.
What choice did you make in that read that is not written on the page?
Why ask it
One for straight after the first read. A specific answer, such as deciding the character already knows the bad news, shows the read was built and can be rebuilt. 'I just went with it' can still come with a lovely read, but it is harder to direct, so follow with an adjustment and see what moves.
Direction
Would you try it again with one change?
Why ask it
Give a single clear adjustment, such as 'this time you already know she is lying', and make it different from what they did even if you liked the first read. What you want is a different read, not a better one. Two identical performances in the room suggest that is the one you would get all through rehearsals.
How did that read feel to you, and what would you change?
Why ask it
Actors who can judge their own work accurately are quicker to direct. The answer you want is small and exact: they rushed the turn in the middle, they never looked up from the page. Worry a little about an apology for the whole read, and a little more about someone who thought a muddled read went perfectly.
Can you play the same scene at half the size?
Why ask it
On camera, this shows whether the thought survives when the voice and face do less. In a theater audition, turn it around and ask for the back row. A performer with only one volume limits where you can put them and how you can shoot them.
Are you willing to improvise what happens just after the scene ends?
Why ask it
Thirty seconds is plenty. It shows whether the actor knows the character or only the lines, and it is a kind way to loosen someone who is stiff with the text. If improvisation is not part of the job, say clearly that this is optional, because some very good actors dislike it.
Would you read a page you have not seen before?
Why ask it
A cold read strips out coaching and weeks of preparation and shows instinct, sight-reading and nerve. Give a minute to look it over and say that stumbles do not count. If an actor tells you they read slowly from the page, offer more time or leave it out, because it would be measuring the wrong thing.
Would you read the scene again with a different partner?
Why ask it
For any role that plays mostly against one other person, pair your finalists before you decide. Watch who listens and who waits for a cue. Two strong actors who do not affect each other make a weaker scene than two decent ones who do.
How do you like to be given notes?
Why ask it
Some actors want an image, some want a task, some want to be shown the blocking and left alone. None of those is wrong, but one of them may not be how you direct. If the answer is 'any way is fine', ask about the best note they ever got and you will hear the real preference.
What do you do when you disagree with a note?
Why ask it
Best case, they try the note properly first and raise the doubt afterward, in private. 'I have never disagreed with a director' is either inexperience or tact. If the story they tell ends with the director looking foolish, remember that you would be the director in the next one.
How quickly could you be off book for a part this size?
Why ask it
Compare the answer with your schedule, not with an ideal. 'A week' for a lead may be optimism, so ask what the longest thing they have memorized was and how long it took. On a short film with new pages arriving each night, ask how they cope with late changes.
Experience
What training have you had, and what do you still use from it?
Why ask it
What they still use counts for more than the name of the school. Someone who can point to a thing they took from a class, a breathing habit, a way of marking a script, has turned training into practice. Untrained actors can be excellent, especially on camera, so a short answer here is information, not a verdict.
Have you worked more on stage or on camera, and what would be new for you here?
Why ask it
A stage actor facing a lens for the first time may need marks, eyelines and repeating a moment for each angle explained, and a screen actor new to a theater has to reach the back row and carry a whole evening without stopping. Neither gap rules anyone out. It tells you what to explain on day one and how much rehearsal to allow.
Which role you have played is closest to this one?
Why ask it
Then ask what was hard about it and what they would change if they played it again. Having nothing close on the resume rules nobody out. Ask instead what makes them think they can do this one, which often gets the most honest answer of the audition.
What is the biggest part you have carried, and how long did the run or the shoot last?
Why ask it
Talent shows in ten minutes and stamina does not. A lead across a three-week run or a twelve-day shoot asks for consistency, a voice that holds and lines that stay learned. If the biggest thing so far is a scene in a class, weigh that against the size of what you are casting.
Tell me about the last production you worked on. What was it like?
Why ask it
Pay attention to how the other people in it are described. Warmth about a cast and crew, including a difficult one, suggests someone good to have in a company, and a list of who let them down is roughly how your production will be described next year. You also learn how recently they have worked.
If we cast you, what would you do with the script before the first rehearsal?
Why ask it
You are asking about habits, so any real method counts: reading the whole thing twice, marking where the character lies, looking up the job the character does. 'I like to stay fresh' can be a true account of how someone works, but put it beside the size of the part. With a first-timer, use the question to say what you will expect them to arrive with.
What did you do the last time something went wrong in a rehearsal or on a shoot?
Why ask it
The anecdote matters less than the actor's place in it. Did they keep the scene going, help find the fix, or stand back and wait for someone else? If the story is mainly about whose fault it was, note that.
Is there a director or teacher we could contact about working with you?
Why ask it
Ask everyone you are seriously considering, and then make the call. The questions for the reference are plain ones: did they turn up on time, know their lines and treat the crew well. Hesitation over naming anyone proves nothing by itself, but for a lead, ask once more before you offer the part.
If this would be your first production, what made you want to audition?
Why ask it
For school plays, community theater and student films, where half the room may be new. A real reason, such as loving the story or wanting to try something that scares them, is worth as much as a resume at this level. Explain what rehearsals involve before a beginner answers anything about scheduling, because they cannot yet know what they are agreeing to.
Requirements
Which of the special skills on your resume could you show us right now?
Why ask it
The skills line is where a resume is most optimistic. Ask for ten seconds of the accent, the juggling or the song the part needs. Most actors enjoy it, and one who backs away from a skill your script depends on has saved you a problem in week three.
Do you sing, dance or play an instrument, and to what level?
Why ask it
'I can move' and 'I trained for ten years' are both a yes, so pin the level down: what they have performed in front of an audience, whether they read music, where their range sits. For a musical, hear it and see it in the room.
Which accents or languages can you perform in without a coach?
Why ask it
Hear a few lines of the scene in the accent, not a party piece, because holding it through real dialogue is the test. If the character speaks a language the actor does not, ask how they would learn the lines and who would check them. Decide beforehand whether you have the time or money for coaching.
This part includes a fight, a fall or a lift. What physical work have you done, and who taught you?
Why ask it
Named training and a step-by-step account of how a past fight was rehearsed are the reassuring answers, once you have said exactly what the script calls for. Eagerness with no experience is not a no, but it means someone qualified has to stage the moment. Who that should be and how the work is supervised is a matter for your venue, school, union or insurer, so check with them before you promise the actor anything.
The script includes a kiss and close physical contact. Are you comfortable with that, and how would you want it rehearsed?
Why ask it
Ask away from the other hopefuls, after saying precisely what is on the page and what the audience will see. Nobody should act it out at an audition, and a no or a 'not like that' is an answer to respect. Many productions bring in an intimacy coordinator or agree written terms for scenes like this, and schools and unions have rules of their own, so learn which apply to yours before auditions begin.
Is there anything in this script you would not be willing to do or say?
Why ask it
This only works if the full script, or a plain list of what the role involves, went out beforehand. Strong language, smoking, a religious or political speech, playing someone cruel: where the line falls is personal. A clear no at this stage helps you, and it should not count against the actor when you cast the other parts.
Would you be willing to change your hair or appearance for the part?
Why ask it
A haircut for a weekend student film is a bigger request than it sounds when the actor has another job that needs the current look, so give the details: what changes, how long it must stay that way, who pays. If someone hesitates, find out whether a wig or a costume would solve it before you rule them out.
Some scenes involve water, heights or working with an animal. Is any of that a difficulty for you?
Why ask it
Allergies and fears come out here, provided you name the real conditions: a cold lake in October, a ladder, a large dog. Hearing about them now costs far less than on the day. Do not push for a reluctant yes. Ask what would make it workable, or plan the scene another way.
Is there anything we can arrange that would make rehearsals or the set work better for you?
Why ask it
An open invitation lets an actor tell you about access, diet, prayer times or anything else, without you asking about any of them directly. Put it to everyone in the same words. What you may ask a performer about health, age or disability differs between countries and states, so look up the rules where you are and keep your own questions on what the role requires.
Are you comfortable with this audition being recorded, and with photos and footage of you promoting the production?
Why ask it
There are two permissions in this question, so take them one at a time. For the audition tape, tell the actor who will see it and how long you will keep it. For publicity, get the agreement in writing, with a parent or guardian signing for anyone under 18, and have someone who knows your local and union requirements look at the release before you rely on a form found online.
Logistics
Are you free for every date on this schedule?
Why ask it
Hand over the dates in writing and have conflicts listed on the audition form, with the actor's initials beside them. A conflict you know about can be planned around. The one that appears in tech week is the one that hurts, and a written list makes a cousin's wedding much harder to forget.
What else are you committed to between now and closing night or wrap?
Why ask it
The schedule question catches dates. This one catches load: a second show, exams, a sports season, a job with shifting hours. Ask which would win if two clashed. With students the decision often belongs to a parent or a coach, so find out who actually makes it.
How would you get to rehearsals or to set, and how long would it take you?
Why ask it
On a small production, lateness can be a transport problem as much as an attitude problem. If the answer depends on a ride from someone else or the last bus, you can set call times around it or arrange shared travel. Say now whether travel costs are covered, so nobody finds out after they are cast.
Do you have an agent, and are you a member of a union?
Why ask it
You need to know where to send an offer and whether your production can hire this person at all. Whether a union member may work on a non-union or student project, and on what terms, depends on the union and the country. Ask the actor how they understand their position, then check with the union itself.
Here is what the part pays and what it covers. Does that work for you?
Why ask it
State the fee, or that there is none, along with meals, travel, a copy of the film and credit. Saying it aloud at the audition heads off an offer that falls apart over money a week later. Watch for a yes that sounds like a maybe, and give the actor an easy way to tell you afterward if it does not work.
If we could not offer you this role, would you take a smaller one, the ensemble or an understudy place?
Why ask it
Put this on the form as well, since some people find a form easier to be honest with than a panel. Respect a no. An actor who only wants the lead is telling you something true, and casting them in the chorus anyway gives you an unhappy chorus member. For a school show, explain what the ensemble actually does before asking.
If you are under 18, has a parent or guardian seen the schedule and agreed to it?
Why ask it
A young actor will often say yes to everything and learn at home that Thursdays are impossible. Send the schedule to the adult directly and get a signature. Rules on working hours, chaperones and permits for young performers vary a great deal between countries and states, and your school, venue or local authority can tell you which apply before you cast.
When do you need an answer from us, and are you waiting to hear about anything else?
Why ask it
Good actors are often up for more than one thing, and knowing their deadline lets you decide first on the people you might lose. Tell them in return when and how you will be in touch, including if the answer is no, and then do it.
What would you like to ask us before you go?
Why ask it
What an actor asks shows what they care about: the rehearsal process, the tone, who else is cast, or only the size of the part. Answer honestly, including about anything hard, such as night shoots or a cold venue. It is also your last chance to leave a good impression on someone you may want to cast next time.
How to use these questions in an audition
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before audition day
Decide what each slot is for
A first-round slot is short, often only a few minutes, and most of it should be the read. Choose one opener, one question about the character and one adjustment for everybody, and keep the Experience and Logistics groups for callbacks or for the form. A callback has room for more, and that is where the rest of the Direction and Requirements questions belong.
Put the facts on a form
Dates, conflicts, contact details, which roles they would accept and, for young actors, a parent's contact can all be collected on paper before anyone walks in. That keeps the minutes in the room for what only a conversation can show. Read the form before the actor enters so you do not ask what they have already written.
Say what the part involves in the notice
Put anything demanding in the casting notice: a fight, a kiss, strong language, a haircut, night shoots, no pay. Actors who would say no can decide not to come, and the ones who do come can answer the Requirements questions properly instead of being surprised by them.
Give every actor the same three or four
Pick three or four questions and put them to every actor in the same words, so that your notes can be laid side by side that evening. It is also fairer. If only some of them are asked about availability or about taking a smaller part, you end up deciding on uneven information.
Find out which rules apply to you
A school, a union production, a student film and a community theater each come with different requirements on pay, hours, young performers, recording and physical or intimate scenes. This page cannot tell you which apply. Ask your school, venue, union or insurer before the auditions, not after you have cast.
In the room
Settle the actor first
One easy opener, asked with your eyes up from the table, gets a better read than silence and a nod toward the mark. Nervous actors are the norm. The first minute is there to show what they can do once the nerves drop, since that is closer to what you would have by the second week of rehearsal.
Read first, talk after
Apart from an opener and the offer to answer questions about the scene, hold the conversation until after the first read. The Character questions land better when there is a read to talk about, and you will not have spent four minutes chatting with someone the read rules out.
Always give one adjustment
Even when the first read was what you wanted, ask for a change. How an actor takes a note cannot be read off a resume or a showreel, and finding out takes under two minutes.
Keep the hard questions private and plain
Questions about physical contact, what an actor will not do, pay and access should be asked with only the audition panel present, never in front of a line of other actors. State the requirement, ask the question, and take the first answer without pressing.
Write notes while the next actor is outside
After twenty people the reads blur. Thirty seconds of notes after each slot, with a line on the read, a line on the adjustment and a line on anything from the conversation, is enough to keep the decision meeting short. If you are recording, have each actor say their name and the part to the camera first, so the clips can be told apart later.
Reading the answers
Weigh the read above the talk
Some fine actors interview badly and some charming talkers cannot hold a scene. Treat the answers as a guide to what the person would be like in rehearsals and the read as the evidence of what they can do. When the two disagree about ability, believe the read.
Trust the exact detail over the smooth answer
An actor who says one exact thing about the character, even haltingly, has usually prepared more than one who talks easily in generalities. Experience works the same way: one production described in detail is better evidence than a column of titles.
The second read answers the Direction questions
What an actor says about taking notes matters less than what happened when you gave one. If the read moved the way you asked, the rest is detail. If it did not move, a good speech about loving direction does not count for much.
Tell 'cannot yet' from 'will not'
An actor who lacks a skill and is honest about it can sometimes be coached, if your schedule allows. An actor who does not want to do something the role requires should be taken at their word. Confusing the two leads to trouble that tends to arrive late, when recasting is hardest.
Confirm before you offer
Availability, references and special skills can all be confirmed, so do it for the people you intend to cast, before the offer goes out. A short call to a past director is ordinary practice and no slight on the actor.
Mistakes to avoid
Turning the audition into an interview
Ten questions and one rushed read tell you about the wrong skill. If time is short, cut the questions and keep the second read.
Asking about the person when you mean the role
Health, relationships, religion and family plans are not casting questions, and what the law lets you ask, about those or about age, differs from place to place. Describe what the part needs, the dates, the lift, the late nights, and ask whether the actor can do that.
Asking anyone to demonstrate contact or risk
Nobody should be asked to kiss a stranger or attempt an unrehearsed fall or fight at an audition. Talk about what the role involves and leave the doing for a rehearsal that has been set up for it properly.
Hinting at an offer
'You were wonderful, we will definitely be in touch' is kind in the moment and unkind a week later. Thank every actor in the same words and tell them when they will hear.
Promising what you have not checked
Do not agree to a fee, a credit, a schedule exception or a union arrangement at the table unless you know you can deliver it. Say you will confirm, and then confirm in writing.