The Dreaded Question: “Tell Me About Yourself”

Written by Amy Lyndon

Actors take meetings; it’s just a part of what we do. Whether it’s meeting an agent or manager, auditioning for producers, or just networking at a bar, you’re out there connecting with people and talking about your career. And, of course, the infamous question always arises:  “Tell me a little bit about yourself?”

This Is In The Order Of Importance:

Interesting Fact or Story – Actors are storytellers, and the people we’re meeting are usually people who hire those that tell the best story possible. Imagine your interviewer as a 5-yr-old who needs to be entertained and the goal is to tell an interesting and funny story that also relates to your castability to let the buyer know how much money they can make on you. For example, I play a gentle nerd a lot, and so one story I use is how as a kid I would ask my parents to buy me Star Wars toys, but you see, I would never take them out of the box. So even at 8 I thought of myself as a collector! What a cute little successful nerd! Get it? Or you might tell them an interesting story about your parents and that they’re missionaries who work for the Red Cross. You’ve got to have a hook so that they remember you distinctly.
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