Brien Scott is a former child actor-turned-casting director. He brings a sense of “been there, done that” to his sessions, having a pretty good idea of how the actor facing him feels.
What Made You Decide to Become a Casting Director?
Scott began, “I started acting at age 11 in New York. I did commercials, episodic television, and films. I went to the Professional Children’s School in New York and went to college for film. Highway to Heaven was a major influence on me. It really changed my direction, getting to work with Michael Landen and being shown so much of what was going on, besides the acting,” he said, of the man who taught him to look beyond the on-camera business.
Pet Peeves
Actors who forget that casting directors are people, just like they are. “We all have good and bad days.”
Another peeve, for Scott, “Actors who change something from their audition when they come in for the callback. If it worked the first time, don’t change it. Come in wearing the same clothes and do the same thing you did at the first audition.”
Advice for Actors
For this, Scott had very simple advice. “Be yourself. There is only one you!”
This interview originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.