Film Courage: When you’re given a script do you read the entire screenplay or only the parts that you’re playing?
Michael Laskin, Actor, Acting Coach, Author: Interesting question. Depends on the time. If you have a very rapid turnaround for the audition you may not be able to read the whole screenplay. There’s an old actor’s expression where they go (I won’t say the swear word) BS, BS, BS my line. BS, BS, BS, my line.
Film Courage: De Niro?
Michael: I don’t know who said that but I like to read the script if I have time. Sometimes they don’t send you the script by the way, sometimes the script’s embargoed you don’t have a chance to read. If it’s a show that’s on the air you can watch an episode or two and get a feel for it for the world and the tone and the genre of the show but ideally if you could read the script, yeah. I coached somebody yesterday who…it’s the most weird audition. She comes to me to help explain this stuff and I said I’m lost with you. They didn’t send her the script. I said So we just have to do a little educated guessing because I don’t really know what this scene here means exactly in the larger tapestry of the story.
But in an ideal world if you have the time and they give you the script. If it’s a movie they usually give you the script. If it’s an episodic television show you generally get just your sides, your scenes and you have the opportunity to watch an episode or two if you have time to do that. That definitely helps a lot because then you know what the world is that you’re entering…I did a thing, this is such an embarrassing story, but I’ll tell it because I was a snob at one point. I booked a guest star on Melrose Place (the original Melrose Place). I’d never watched the show. I shot the show. I never watched my episode because…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
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BIO:
Michael Laskin has been a working professional actor for over 40 years in film, television, and the theatre – from SEINFELD to BIG LITTLE LIES and a great deal in between. He has worked extensively off-Broadway, and at some of America’s leading regional theatres, including The Guthrie Theatre, The Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Geffen Playhouse, The Seattle Repertory Theatre, and The Mixed Blood Theatre Company.
Additionally, he was awarded a Fringe First Award at The Edinburgh Festival for playing “Richard Nixon” in TEA WITH DICK AND GERRY, which went on to a successful run at London’s Roundhouse Theatre. Michael also starred in the Canadian premier of the Pulitzer Prize winning drama “Talley’s Folly” and his most recent stage work was the American premiere of the one-person play, ALTMAN’S LAST STAND in Los Angeles. A recipient of a Bush Fellowship with The Guthrie Theatre, he was also awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award from The University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts.
A graduate of Northwestern University’s theatre department where he received his bachelor’s degree, Michael also has a masters degree in theatre management from The University of Minnesota. Additionally he’s taught acting at USC, UCLA, Queen’s College-Cambridge (UK), The Actors Centre (London), Art Center College of Design, Kennesaw University, the University of Minnesota, the Hawaii International Film Festival, and South Coast Repertory Co. He’s had the privilege of working with some of the great artists in film and theatre, including Barry Levinson, Stephen Frears, Walter Matthau, John Sayles, Paul Mazursky, Bob Rafelson, Michael Langham, Robert Duvall, Roy Dotrice, and many others.
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