Casting Actors Cast

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 reads as nerves, and how one small shift can instantly make casting lean forward instead of pull back. If you’ve ever wondered why some actors feel watchable the moment they appear—this is the conversation you’ve been missing." For more acting and audition advice, subscribe to the channel. Full podcast episodes available weekly. #acting #actors #auditions #selftape #castingdirector Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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