Michael Donovan knows the “every day is different” routine of an actor’s life. This actor-turned-casting director continues to work as a director, teacher, board member for West Coast Ensemble, and liaison between the Casting Society of America and the Commercial Casting Director Association. With over ten years as a commercial acting teacher under his belt, Donovan also offers ongoing private coaching, kids’ classes, and occasionally conducts theatrical acting classes. With all the charisma of a performer, in the new offices of Michael Donovan Casting, Donovan admitted to having further plans as a Hollywood Hyphanite. “I’m gonna write the book at some point because I have so much to say.”
First Casting Job
Over 11 years ago with Beth Holmes, who was casting a spot for Payless Shoes. “I was directing a play at West Coast Ensemble and Beth came back stage and asked me to direct some casting sessions. I was an actor and someone was offering me money so I said yes,” Donovan recalled. “I ended up totally winging it. The first session was totally hellacious where we had a full family group to look at every five minutes,” he said.
Road to This Position
A few months later, in the same busy office, Megan Foley brought him on as an assistant. With Foley, he went through the ranks from assistant to associate to partner and was with her until 1997, when he partnered up with Jeff Hardwick, who was an agent at the time. “November 2001 marked the end of Donovan Hardwick Casting in an amicable split,” said Donovan. “It was time to part ways.”
In addition to casting and teaching, on some indie films, Donovan has moved into producing. “Often when casting directors come on board, there is no money and no cast. Our work is what gets the film financed. I want producer credits. It’s a natural progression, especially with independent films.”
On Being a Former Actor
“I understand. I’ll be your best friend, and I’ll be your worst enemy, because I know. When you’re unprepared, I’m thinking of the stack of photos over there of people we didn’t bring in.”
Donovan continued working as an actor until 1995. “[Casting] was my survival job for the first five years I was doing it. I was doing tons of freelance work but when I partnered with Megan, I dropped the acting. I found myself thinking about what was on my desk while I’d taken off at lunch for an audition,” he explained.
“As an actor, I’d gotten to the point where I decided that every penny I earned was going to come from this industry. That meant, come hell or high water, I was earning money from the industry; taking PA jobs, whatever. You have to decide to do that, or else you’ll just become really good at being a waiter and you’ll really care about it. And that’s fine, if that’s what you want to do.”
“So, really, I stumbled into casting,” he summarized. “Years ago, if you’d told me this is what I’d be doing every day, I would’ve said, ‘No way!'”
Key Things He Looks for in an Actor
“In an audition, be prepared. Make specific choices. Specific choices though are not enough,” Donovan clarified. “You must commit to those choices. And I’m not talking about being outrageous.”
“When actors are nervous, they tend to ‘bland it out.’ That’s when you’ll hear the casting director say, ‘That was fine.’ That’s an awful word; fine. If you’ve come to Los Angeles as an actor, you are expected, at the very bottom of the talent pool, to be good. That’s not enough.”
Donovan also looks for, you guessed it, professionalism. “Treat it like a business. Actors forget that they’re running a small business, really. Treat your audition like a job interview.”
Commercial Casting Vocabulary – Avail
“If you are put on avail for a job, check that shoot date for conflicts. Only commit if you are, in fact, available. In this office, if I put you on avail, it’s serious. Other casting directors may put everyone on avail. I know those casting directors will be pissed that I’m saying that, but it’s just ludicrous. The most I’ll do is three [actors]. We put out avails because things happen to make an actor unavailable between the time you leave my office and the time the commercial shoots.”
Commercial Casting Vocabulary – Conflicts
“If your agent inadvertently submitted you, with a McDonald’s spot, on a Wendy’s campaign, it is your job to remind the agent that this would be a conflict. May everybody get to the point where they can’t remember how many conflicts they have running! Until then, you should know and make sure your representative knows before you even go in. If you don’t check to be sure it’s a conflict and then book the job, you are the one breaking a contract; not your agent.” Telecommunications companies have created a major grey area, according to Donovan. “If you have Nextel cell phones and are offered AT&T cable, you’d better check to see if that’s a conflict.”
Acting in Commercials vs. Theatrical Performances
“Acting is acting. Good acting is good acting. The application is different, based on whether you’re doing theatre, commercials, episodics, sitcoms, films. Good acting is good acting, period. And I have no problem crossing someone over from one to the other. If you’re a good actor. I’ll remember you.”
“Just remember, with commercials, you must be trained and ready to go with strong choices – but not outrageous choices.”
His Opinion on Casting Director Workshops
“The debate over workshops is outrageous. If you don’t want to go, don’t go. I recently hired a series regular from a workshop. It’s a great opportunity. The general is a waste of time. I’d much rather see you audition for me, and not for a specific role as much as for the future. What does a mass mailing cost? $300? That’s ten workshops. I would think you’d be better off getting your work in front of people instead of an ice cold envelope that may or may not get opened.”
Advice for Actors
“Study, study, study, study, study. You’re not going to respond to every teacher,” Donovan acknowledged. “When it gets a little tougher, hang in there,” he advised. “Maybe that’s when you’re about to have a breakthrough or make a really wonderful discovery. When you’re studying, sift through what works and what doesn’t work for you. Everybody will have some sort of gem to share with you, some will have many.”
Donovan’s advice on the business end of acting included accurate recordkeeping. “Know who is in the casting office. I still get mail for people who haven’t been here in years. Get the most recent guides from Samuel French. I personally think Samuel French is like a toy store for actors. Spend time there! The more information you have, the better. Read everything you can.”
According to Donovan, if acting is your life’s ambition, you must be dedicated to it. “I had a student in class who, with six auditions, we determined, spent 18 minutes acting that week. That’s unacceptable. Six auditions is a lot, but that’s still only 18 minutes spent on what you say is your passion. If you’re working on acting every day, doing even small theatre, you alleviate the pressure that goes with having only one audition a week. You must understand that most of what you do, as an actor, is process. Once you understand that, you become a better actor.”
“Check in with where you are. You’re not always going to use the same bag of tricks. The bag you used as the hot babe at 25 is just not attractive at 40.”
“If you change representation, update us. We’re often like detectives trying to find you. Make sure we, the buyers, can get to you, the product. Call SAG’s Actor Location line at 323.549.6737 and see if you can find yourself. If you can’t find you, neither can we.”
“Remember you are one of the few people in the world lucky enough to do what he or she wants to do. An audition is a chance to do your thing. We love what you do. We love watching you do what you love doing. If you’re jaded and bitter, we smell that when you walk in the room.”
“Walking in with one picture is crazy. Have a stack with you at all times. But don’t make me choose between two different styles of headshots.”
Pet Peeves
“Being late. I am very understanding if you’ve had your representative call to let me know you’re running late. But if you’re 20 minutes late and it’s the last session of the day, or you had the last appointment of your category, there’s a problem. There’s no excuse to not have a cell phone any more. Get the basic cell phone and only use it when you’re stuck on the 405 and on the way to an audition. This is a 24/7/365 job, so you must be reachable. I have booked people on New Year’s Eve, on Thanksgiving Day, you name it. My first acting job in Los Angeles was one for which I was called at midnight to be on set at 6am. They couldn’t reach their first choice. I was glad to be second choice — and reachable — because it meant that I got the job.”
Another pet peeve for Donovan is hearing, “I haven’t had a chance to look at this,” from the actor entering the session. “Material is available way ahead of the audition. I put the script in the lobby, I put the sides up on the fax services. There’s no excuse. We know how many people want this job, so it’s awful when someone who has booked an audition isn’t prepared for the opportunity.”
“Get all the sides for all the characters. If you’re up for a lead role, you can bet you’ll learn about your character from reading all the sides.”
“Don’t ask what we want you to do. We want to see what you do with the material. Show me why you’re the one for the role.”
Further pet peeves include responsibility. “Actors say they don’t watch commercials. Then how do you know what a mom in a commercial wears? Well, it’s a blue chambray and khakis. You need to know what the trends are. It’s a business. Treat it as such.”
“If you have no interest in taking the role, please don’t come in for the audition. Regarding nudity, be honest with yourself. Remember you’re not naked for five minutes, but for days.”
Best Way to Get Seen by Him
“Postcards are great,” Donovan said, adding that theatre invitations are always encouraged. “I see a ton of theatre; a minimum of three shows a month,” he continued. Donovan is the resident casting director for the International City Theatre in Long Beach, for which he casts five shows per year. “Theatre is by far still the best [acting] teacher. It is so valuable,” he said.
As for mailing unsolicited headshots and resumes to Donovan, “I can tell when it’s a mass mailing. We open every envelope, and I only don’t respond to the ones with no notes. Handwritten is fine and it should be short, but there should always be some kind of note that personalizes this experience.”
“A submission needs a letter inside it. Postcards are great, but if they’re not sent for a particular reason, it bothers me. Invite me to something. I see tons of theatre. There are 1200 productions in town a year, so you should be doing something.”
Donovan will look at your demo reel. “The reel should be no longer than five minutes and not include work where you were an extra.”
Non-union actors are welcome to submit to Donovan. “It’s no problem, but don’t lie about your union status. We can Taft-Hartley you by your skills, so don’t lie on your resume’s special skills section. List your skill level for what you do.”
“If you have no credits, you must at least be trained. There’s certain training I respect more than others. Audit classes, ask friends which coaches are respected.”
An Average Day
There is no such thing, but Donovan starts his day as most casting directors do: with Breakdowns. “Breakdowns are useful for me. I’ll sort the photos into yes, no, and maybe piles. I’ll hear agent and manager pitches, set up audition times, and start seeing people.”
“For commercials, we’ll see 75 to 100 people a day and 20% will get callbacks. It all depends on the budget and how many days we have to cast.”
His Opinion on Alternative Submission Methods
“I was a beta tester for an online service. It seemed to make sense ecologically and economically, but it’s not going that way. There’s something cool about holding headshots and resumes. But, if it’s $60 a year to get in an online service, it’s worth it; especially the Academy Players Directory online. Grab every possible opportunity to be seen.”
His Biggest Casting Challenge
“Casting Fudge. We saw 2400 kids.”
Beyond that is the challenge of working in casting “We’re one step above actors in the food chain. Trying to find the next gig is sometimes the greatest challenge,” Donovan remarked.
Trends He Has Observed in the Casting Process
“We’re more and more open for all ethnicities in Breakdowns. Most of my breakdowns now go out with ‘all ethnicities,’ especially commercials. We’re looking for all kinds of mixes, depending on the market and the product.”
One caveat: “I love when an agent calls and asks if I’ll consider [going another way] but I don’t want them to just dump it in the submission.”
What He Would Change About the Casting Process
Lack of autonomy. “We’ll need an actress to say one word and the producers will want to see eight people. It’s frustrating. I want to say [to the producers], ‘Why? You trust me. Why can’t I just bring in someone for those tiny roles based on what I know the actors can do?'”
Most Gratifying Part of His Job
“Finding an actor I believe in, and having the producer go, ‘Yeah!’ I honestly get just as excited as back when I would book a job myself. It’s incredibly exciting.”
This interview was conducted on November 9, 2001, and it originally appeared in Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews by Bonnie Gillespie, available at Amazon.