Second Midnight

Photo courtesy of Alex Laughlin

The next step in the casting process is callbacks.  This is the director's chance to hear more than just a snippet of what an actor is capable of. Often times it also allows them to see how two actors interact with each other, which is more important than you think.

Have you ever seen a movie where the two main characters are supposed to be madly in love (or hate each other but end up together anyway) but the actors have absolutely no chemistry? Callbacks are the director's chance to make sure that doesn't happen. When it does happen, it is usually because the actors have big names (meaning they are super popular and will bring lots of people to see the movie), there are scheduling conflicts with a performer more suited to the role, or financial reasons.

Callbacks, from an actors standpoint, can be very stressful. If you get a callback, it could mean that you were good enough that the director wants to see if you could handle a larger role, or it could mean that you were not as impressive as the director hoped so they want to give you a second chance. It could also just mean that he wants to see how well you work with another actor.

On the flip side, not getting a callback either means you were super fantastic and the director already knows which role he wants you for, or it means that you were awful (or just not what the director was looking for) and your on-stage involvement with the show is over.