5 Comedy Tips for Actors
I love comedy! It’s one of my favorite things in the whole world. Honestly, wouldn’t the world be better off if we all just laughed a little more? So let’s talk comedy. Lots of people come to me to help with their comic “schtick” (funny business bits). I do lots of Disney audition tapes. I had tons of fun doing Debby Ryan’s (“Jessie”) tape that got her into her first Disney show. She has natural gifts, but she learned to be funnier. And you can, too
Being good at comedy will afford you a ton of benefits. First, it’s just plain fun. Second, you’ll get more work. My philosophy is: A pretty girl in Hollywood is a dime a dozen, but a pretty girl that can do comedy... now you got a job! This obviously applies to men and kids as well. If you can do good comedy, you can get lots more work! As an extra bonus, commercial timing is basic comic timing, so you'll improve your commercial auditioning skills.
But before you can be funny, you must be natural. Everything in acting starts with being natural and real. When I ask Nickelodeon and Disney casting directors what they are looking for in auditions, they always say, “natural, real kids.” So create your reality and character, be spontaneous, and connect to the other actor. Right! Just like when you are doing drama—make all the same choices and backstories, and break down the scene just like you would if it weren’t comedy. Nothing is funny if it looks fake. It's funny if we think your character is really just like that. Read More…