How to Calm Your Nerves Before an Acting Audition!

If you’re an actor, then auditions are bound to come your way and you don’t have room on the journey to success for freezing up with nerves. You are there to show the casting directors your skills, so make sure those skills are seen! 

There’s no good reason to have audition anxiety, and it can lower your chances at getting the part, so we want to share with you some simple ways to calm your nerves before embarking on an acting audition.

Remember it’s normal. Getting up in front of people to perform is a vulnerable place to be, and you are also at the mercy of their judgement and choices. A little bit of stress here, is normal, so don’t beat yourself up for going through the experience. In the meantime, here are 5 helpful tips to keep calm and ease the pressure out of acting auditions:

Take a deep breath. Breathing deeply brings more oxygen to your nerves and helps to calm you down. Be sure to take a long deep breath in through your nose and out your mouth as soon as anxiety hits, with an inhale for 4 counts and an exhale for 7 counts. You will be pleasantly surprised at how fast this works.

Forget your lines and keep going. If you do forget your lines, don't stop. Finish the rest of the scene and do your best, with natural improvisation. If the casting director needs you to do the scene again, you will be told.  Additionally, choosing to move on and past the mistake, shows your ability to recover under pressure and your talent for improvisation. Of course, don't do it on purpose, but don't be afraid to do your best with what you've got. The worst thing you can do is to stop. Keep going and do your best.

Lines in hand. It's totally fine, and in fact, expected for you to hold your highlighted line cards in your hand during the audition. Many actors put theirs away, thinking they'll impress everyone, but then they end up forgetting their lines and slow the flow; which makes a poor impression. Keep your lines in hand. If you forget a line, all you have to do is glance down and grab it.

Be independent of those cards. Use your cards to remind yourself where you are and what's next, but don't just stare at the cards or read off of them. Watch the other actors when they are talking, and when it is your turn, know your first line and glance down quickly to grab the next one. Do not simply read from the page - that's not acting and it's not what will get you hired.  

The next time you find yourself sweating under pressure, remember there are simple ways to get you through it. At the New York Acting School for Film and Television, we know that auditions place a lot of stress on the actors shoulders. But with classes and coaching, these weaknesses can be overcome. Please call us today and see what would be best for you.