Marketability is probably the most crucial in this town. Because I don't care how amazing you are as an actor, the way those in casting see it, you have to make people watch. If you can't draw the eye to the screen then you mostly likely won't help the rest of the cast bring viewers and thus IF you were cast you'd be the weakest link. Think about Inglourious Basterds. Brad Pitt was the main draw commercially yet he wasn't in the film all that much. Now think about the amazing supporting cast, especially Christoph Waltz, now there is someone who drew us in yet no one really knew him. It doesn't matter if you're gorgeous, or young or tall or what your breast size is. It matters that you make people notice you when you are on that screen. If you don't...well anyway. Think about some of the popular young adult shows out there right now. Watch the "Amazing" acting (being sarcastic there). Of course the acting isn't amazing. It doesn't need to be. All we need for those shows to work is a basic blah blah story and some playboy lighting on our gorgeous hunks and barbies. They might even throw in a little socially conscious dialogue or even a subtly racially ambiguous undertone just to get a little more attention. If you are seriously wanting to try acting I would first take a course in marketing (especially in entertainment). I was a creative director in Entertainment Marketing for about 10 years and saw how choices were made. Especially in TV your face needs to attract people so they'll see our sponsors goods and possibly buy them. As well as help me build my Network's Brand.
Pro Active ability. I put this second on the list because if you have Marketability you probably attract those who'll do this one for you, ie agents, managers, assistants. But until then you do need to be able to get out of bed in the morning and get around. You have to be able to market yourself until you have CAA doing it for you. It probably helps to be a little ADD. A little, not a lot. I add to this section Attitude, since it's your attitude that gets you going. Here's where Prima Donna comes into play, or not. I hear that one reason many less than talented stars work so much is because they are Easy to work with. They take direction. They show up and on time. They know their lines. They are cool to be around. I know, crazy right? But that's all you have to do sometimes to get people to work with you...
Here's a story that happened to me recently. An actress submitted to my Non Union, Indie short film through LA casting.com On that site I had let everyone know what the parameters of the production were. But most obvious was that it was Non Union and a Short film. I had over 400 submissions from SAG, Aftra, and Non Union actresses. All of them should have been very aware that they were submitting for NON union work. So this actress was my choice and I began the ever difficult task of trying to meet with her at a coffeeshop so we could go over the script and period styled wardrobe and makeup etc. Never happened. She couldn't get her head around a simple text exchange where location was clearly noted. At least that was her excuse for not being there. So from there we skip to dealing with script exchange by email. I sent it to her 4 times because she kept misplacing it. I would follow up with "did you get it" and she'd respond hours later with "yes." Then 3 days later she'd ask for it again. Fast forward to the day of the shoot. 2 and half hours after her call time she is no where to found and won't answer her phone. I have a strict 12 hour time frame at a big studio location and am now forced to rearrange my shot list to fill time while waiting for her. My producer advises me to recast the role with an actress friend of mine who is helping out that day as production manager. Inside I know she's right but for some reason I'm holding out for this other actress. Finally she calls. Says she's been in an fender bender but is still coming. Hmmm couldn't have called 2 and half hours earlier? Guess not. So she finally gets to the set and is about sit in the makeup chair when our producer finds out that this actress now has a problem with the release form. That it gives the production company too much control over the final use of her images. It's a Standard Release form. I come to the makeup room. She says, "What if you take it and use the footage to defame me?" and "You could sell this and I'd get nothing." I said, "This is a short film" I'm not aware of shorts being a huge moneymaker. Most people make shorts as a calling card or to get financing to make it into a feature film in which there would be money for everyone. And why would I defame my main characters? She was one of my Heroes. So for some extreme lapse of judgement on my part I said, "Think about it and we'll talk when your makeup is done." Waste of time. Makeup was done and she is still griping. Not only that but she was just now reading the script and it was very clear that she hadn't read it ever before. Wow! Really?!! So she now wanted to add an addendum to the release that stated that she could stop anything that she felt was going to defame her. I said, "Neither one of us is an attorney so that won't happen." My producer, Amy, said, "What constitutes defamation in your eyes?" We could've ended up with her in the editing room dicing the project to her liking for months or never been able to release it if she didn't like it. She came back with, "Well this is a non union film so I don't have the union to protect me." I said, "You knew you were submitting to a Non Union project from day one." She came back to her first argument. I said, "Well, I am 2 and half hours behind because of you and I don't have time for anymore. Goodbye." Amy went and asked Caitlyn Carradine if she'd like to take the role which she did. And by the way, it all turned out amazingly. Caitlyn saved the film and I can't imagine the role with anyone else. The other actress was stunned that I just dumped her but what else could I do? I couldn't endanger the project and our collective work for one person. I am sure that even a well known actor would have had his or her needs and contracts dealt with long before they showed up. And a good actor would have been there on time and off book (knowing the script) I take responsibility for ignoring the red flags in her case. I was hoping that her TV resume and screen presence would have been worth the many issues along the way but in the end I was wrong.
On the flip side I have found over the past 6 years a great set of actors who give their all for a production. I suppose that this is why you see so many directors working with the same set of actors and crew. Because they trust them. They know they can get the job done and that they are easy to work with. Filmmaking is very demanding. Easily the toughest job I've ever had. So when you have people to work with who make that job go smoothly, or at least fun during the tough parts, you definitely keep them close by.
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