The ‘80’s Icon

For the most part I get to meet actors when they’re on their best behavior, however, occasionally I get someone on a bad day or someone that just doesn’t have manners, or doesn’t know better. These are some of my friends' favorite stories so I thought I’d share a few with you. And then I will leave you to speculate who the actor might be. I’ll never tell!

On one of my first jobs in casting, an ‘80’s icon came in to audition. He was one of the most famous people I had ever met at that point. I was a little star struck. He decided to take advantage of my naivety by asking for special treatment. How was I supposed to know that I wasn’t there to cater to a former star’s every whim?

First he asked to be seated in a separate waiting area because he didn’t feel like he should have to wait in a room full of actors (there were maybe five other actors). I did my best to accommodate him by seating him in the office of a colleague. 

Then that wasn’t enough and he asked to jump the line. I told him I’d see what I could do. He’s famous so he should get special treatment, right? I poked my head into the casting room and told the casting director about the ‘80’s star requesting to go next. She was annoyed with him for taking advantage of my niceness and told me to tell him that they’d be with him just as soon as they could. I did.

After about three more actors read (ten minutes, tops), he came out of his special waiting place and asked me why he hadn’t been called in yet. He was not happy. 

The casting director saw him talking to me when she came out to get the next actor and chose to intervene. This casting director is one of the nicest people in the business and couldn’t have been more polite to him. She introduced herself, thanked him for coming in, told him she was a fan. But he rudely held up a finger to her and refused to so much as look at her as he informed her that he was talking to me. Then he told me that I should let the producers know that if they want him for the role, they will have to offer it to him, then he stormed out.

I was sure I had done something wrong and I was totally convinced that I would be fired, but the casting director turned to me and said, that’s why he doesn’t work anymore. And he doesn’t.

LESSON: Don’t be a diva if you want to continue to work. No matter how famous you might have been once upon a time.

Oh, and did I mention that he didn't take his sunglasses off for the entire interaction? Yeah...