Synopsis by Tracy Weisert
Casting Network’s November Industry Seminar Synopsis with Commercial Casting Director Megan Foley
Our November 17 Industry Seminar started out like no other with Megan Foley handing out business cards to all attendees that read:
REGARDLESS
of
time
anger
despair
doubt
fear
guilt
turmoil
discomfort
inconvenience
discouragement
LIVE YOUR DREAM.
NOW.
In my opinion, for the 10 years I have known her, Megan Foley has been one of our best “actors’ advocates” in Los Angeles. She is warm, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable and happens to be married to a professional actor!
A former professional actor herself, Megan told us that her very first commercial was at the age of nineteen. Laughing she told us, “I had really great hair and it was a shampoo commercial!” Regarding her own acting career and agent she added, “Don’t have pictures you don’t like. You are the owner of your business. And I let them run my business.” Megan encouraged the actors in the room to take charge of their careers. Megan also said that any on set experience is invaluable no matter the capacity.
Megan told us a great story about how her husband Chuck was Johnny Depp’s stand-in on a film for a family friend, Ted Demme, who was also working along side Depp, Ray Liotta, Rachel Weisz and Penelope Cruz:
“You can either be on the set as an extra that sits there going ‘Whoa! Now I’m in 15 minutes overtime… I get my extra bumps… (Audience laughs) …Now I get sock bumps and shoe bumps… or you can be the kind of extra that is there and watching and beingactive. If you want to be that kind of extra, I say any opportunity you get to do is fabulous! It’s FABULOUS!”
Megan also said, “Your acting doesn’t get ‘cheaper’ if you’re an extra or a principal. You’re an actor.” Megan added “I am a big believer in the field or business you want to work in.”
ON SUBMISSIONS and AUDITIONING: “My job is to look at your resume and figure out if you can do that” [the role].
- “I look at training a lot”
- “You need to concentrate on what you can bring to the party”
- “LISTEN” As the actor, I can’t hear direction when I’m talking to myself”
- “Don’t go with your first choice. Everybody else will do that”
- “Slating is so vitally important to your character. These days we’re watching everything on DVD’s now, so we don’t fast forward on tape anymore”
- “Improv is vital for every actor”
About SELF-SABOTAGE & BOOKING THE JOB:
“You will win the race not by miles but by tenths of a second, just like the Olympics, you know? People are not way out behind. It’s about who is still standing at the end of the day who books the job. Do you know what I mean? It’s all the little stuff. It’s giving up your power. It’s not believing in yourself. It’s not making a choice.”
Thank you Megan Foley!
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Seminar Recap