rejection (and why it’s not as bad as you think)

If you’re an actor or entertainer of any kind, chances are you’re already well aware that rejection is a big part of the business. You’ve probably heard that you must learn to get used to rejection if you want to be a successful actor.

No one is immune from rejection, even well-known and highly successful people (yes, that includes all the established actors you look up to!) That being said, being aware that rejection is common doesn’t necessarily mean dealing with it is any easier.

How does one define “rejection” in an acting context?

In the acting business, the concept of rejection often refers to auditioning but not being chosen for a role. Many newer actors tend to equate repeated “rejections” to failure, and feel that if they continue to audition but rarely book, it means their career was virtually over before it began.

However, the first thing you need to do is reframe how you think about the concept of “rejection”.

Most of the time, rejection isn’t actually “rejection”…it’s about SELECTION.

Let’s say a casting director receives 100 auditions for a single role (and by the way, it’s actually quite common to receive even more than that!) Obviously only one actor can be chosen to play this role…meaning the other 99 actors are “rejected”. Does that mean they’re all bad actors? Of course not! It simply means that the casting director had to choose one out of those 100 people to play the part, and they chose the one that best fit their or the client’s vision. Not getting picked doesn’t mean anyone is “rejecting” you; it simply means that someone else was picked instead.

Not being selected for a role you want does not automatically mean you are a bad actor.

After all, casting is subjective. There are plenty of situations where you could have turned in a great performance, made all the “right” choices, but another actor ended up being naturally better suited to that role in the minds of the people casting. It’s easy to think “if only I had just done xyz”, but often times there is realistically nothing you could have done to magically fit yourself into that box moreso than whoever ended up being cast. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it your best shot and work to refine your skills as an actor, but it does mean you should try not to beat yourself up over it or assume you did something “wrong”.

Rejection usually isn’t personal.

If you’re feeling insecure about not booking, you might worry that a studio or client or casting director “hates you” or clearly has something against you because they’re not bringing you in. You might stress about whether some external forces is at play causing you to not book auditions from a particular source.

But unless you did something really egregious that caused you to actually burn a bridge with them (and chances are you’d know about it in that case), chances are the reason you’re not booking with them is simply because among the auditions you sent, other people happened to suit those particular roles better. And sure, some studios end up bringing in the same people often because they know them and like working with them and know they can work well in the booth, but that’s simply part of the business, and you’ve got to just do your best work and trust that “your turn” will come.

Now it is entirely possible that your auditions aren’t competitive enough and that’s why you’re not booking, but we’ll get to that later.

Note that as you level up, so does the competition around you.

Perhaps you have experienced being a “big fish in a small pond”—for instance, you book a ton of roles in the indie scene, you end up signing with an agency, but then all of a sudden feel like you’re floundering. No, your skills didn’t somehow get worse overnight…it’s just that now, you’re also competing with very established actors with much more experience who are also up for the same projects!

It’s common to stress during “transitional periods”, such as when deciding to move to paid work only after previously booking a lot in the unpaid/hobby scene, or when auditioning for union projects after being in the non-union pool for years. While there are extraordinarily talented actors at all levels and statuses, the odds are that once you get into bigger agencies and prestigious talent pools, you will be competing against some of the “best of the best” for work.

Don’t let the fear of rejection negatively affect your performance.

If you’re lacking self-confidence due to not having been booked in a while or you’re anxious about what will happen if you don’t get cast, this insecurity can come through in your auditions and make you not fully committed to the read. Tell yourself as often as you need to that not getting selected does not mean failure.

Chances are that what you consider a “bad” booking ratio is actually pretty normal.

There’s a reason people describe the daily auditioning grind as “throwing spaghetti at the wall”—you’re constantly throwing things out there and seeing what sticks. Most actors do not actually book the majority of the things they audition for. They simply keep auditioning, do their best to forget about the audition afterwards, and then it’s a nice surprise to receive a booking email or even better, an auto-cast email. It might seem like an actor you know is booking a ton of stuff, but you’re also not seeing all the things they don’t book.

There’s no magic number for what constitutes a “good” booking ratio, because so many factors are at play. Some actors like to track these metrics for their own analysis, but it’s better to avoid doing it if it causes you to compare yourself to others too much or otherwise negatively affects your mental health

Remember, the industry is extremely competitive. There are thousands of people already working as voice actors, thousands more people trying to become voice actors, and realistically only so many gigs to go around at any given moment. It is completely normal and expected that you will not book the majority of the projects you audition for, and that’s okay!

However, if you’re auditioning constantly and yet barely working at all, it may be time to evaluate your current skill level.

Let’s be real here and admit that sometimes the reason people almost never book anything they read for is because their acting skills aren’t up to par yet. It’s important to be able to be honest with oneself about areas where improvement might be needed. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some constructive things you can do:

• Consider factors that go beyond just your acting. For example, if you are submitting for jobs that require you to record from home, how is the quality of your home studio? Even a great actor probably won’t get cast for many remote recording parts if they have a low-quality microphone in a big echoey space or they don’t know how to properly edit their audition files. Also, are you being unreasonably picky about the types of roles or jobs you want to a point where it’s disproportionate to your current skill level?
• Post your recordings for feedback on our Discord server (under #feedback-wanted) or a similar online community.
• Consider putting together an accountability group with your friends to read copy together and give each other feedback (always be mindful of your NDAs, of course – you could use scripts that are freely available online, something from a play, etc)
• Ask a trusted peer or mentor for an honest evaluation of an audition (if they have the time, of course!) You may even be able to hire someone to direct you on an audition or review a previous audition of yours. If you’re represented by an agency, some agencies even have “booth directors” you can make an appointment with free of charge to go over your reads!
• Get back in class. Look for an acting workshop online or in your area that targets things you need to work on. Getting feedback from an instructor can be a good source of guidance for areas that need improvement.
• Listen to what’s booking. It’s good to have a handle on the types of choices and read styles that are booking in the current market. Observing performances from actors who are working in the genres you’d like to be may help inspire your own reads.
• Consider working with a voice coach if you can afford one. Even if you can’t financially commit to long-term coaching sessions, just working a couple of times with a coach whose style meshes with yours can give you a lot of good feedback to take away.

Remember that being “rejected” from an opportunity is better than not having an opportunity at all.

Even if you don’t book an audition, there is always a silver lining…and that silver lining is that you actually had an opportunity to read for the project. If the audition was through an agent or a closed talent pool, it means you’re considered good enough to be on that roster in the first place and receive audition opportunities that not everyone gets. Chances are there are others out there who would have loved the chance to even read for the part, so consider yourself lucky that you got a chance to be heard.