Hugh Laurie Teaches you How to Audition Well

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Non-actors might be surprised to learn that even established “name” actors need to audition.

Below is Hugh Laurie auditioning for the lead on “House MD.” He’s doing what’s called a “reading,” i.e., reading a short scene, i.e., “sides” (that last under two minutes, if that), probably taken from a script that’s either been written by the writers or is under development.

Two Minutes

Because the read is so short, this may be Laurie’s first time auditioning for the role. This is how always is when you’re first called into an audition, and this is literally all the time you get.

The goal of any audition is not really to book the role. The goal is to audition well enough to get a callback that can lead to booking a job — and two minutes, at most, is all you get to do that.

Because casting directors have so many actors to see and a such a short time to see everyone, first time auditions tend to be fast and furious: you’re in and out in under two minutes, and those two minutes, you will either open the door to an eventual possible booking or that door will be slammed forever in your face. Two minutes.

No pressure.

Watch how Hugh Laurie handles the pressure — by being exquisitely prepared:

When I first saw this, I thought “Holy cow!!! This is great!!!”

I’m almost obsessed now with audition technique, and to see how a professional does it is, for me at least, extremely helpful: this not only sets the bar but forms the basis for visualizing myself doing that well.

If I can see myself doing something, I’m almost always OK. If I can’t quite see myself doing something (not out of lack of motivation but out of just not being able to find the best path), then I flail about, using a lot of energy to move sideways rather than forward.

Being a bit lost, at times, is normal and even good for you, but sooner or later, you gotta find your footing and get on the path. Seeing someone do what I want to do makes it seem, to me, more possible, and then I can start to find my way.

A couple of things to notice about Laurie. He dressed and appeared like the character (Dr. Gregory House). He wasn’t in full costume, but he indicated Dr. House by being unshaven, the dark, winkled shirt — in fact, the scene starts with Dr. House apologizing for his appearance. That’s one critical way Hugh Laurie prepared.

Second, while he didn’t have the lines memorized, you can see that he’s holding the script in his hand, and he’s definitely very familiar with it. You can see the actor’s art and craft playing out right before your eyes: everything he says his written down for me; he knows what the reader is going to say and what he’s going say in response. Yet — it all looks natural and spontaneous.

He demonstrates great sight reading skills, i.e., when the reader talks to him, most of Laurie’s attention is on the reader. When he talks, 90% of the time, he’s looking at the reader, not at the script that in his lap. He looks down more to remind himself of the upcoming exact words so he doesn’t have to fumble for them — usually in an audition, especially for comedy, the actor has to be word perfect or the comedy will not work.

Laurie obviously knows the “sides” and most likely had them a few days before the audition given that Dr. House is the lead role. With smaller roles, sometimes you don’t get the sides until you arrive at the audition.

In short, this is what a professional working actor will do in a professional audition. For most working actors, auditioning well (and often) is the job . . .