Episodes

  • The Self-tape Trap-Are Your Choices Helping or Hurting You

    The Self-tape Trap-Are Your Choices Helping or Hurting You
    Jan 8 2026
    Self-tapes are where careers happen today. They’re the front door of the business. And like any front door — there’s a welcome mat… and there are also banana peels hidden right under the surface waiting to trip you up. Today, we are shining a big bright spotlight on The Self-Tape Trap. Those choices actors make with good intentions — really good intentions — that accidentally sabotage the performance. These traps are sneaky. They can feel like “extra effort” or “smart choices” or “making it real” — but casting directors are watching self-tapes with a totally different lens. Find out much more on this episode of Casting Actors Cast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 mins
  • Stop Overthinking the Moment-Start Owning it

    Stop Overthinking the Moment-Start Owning it
    Jan 1 2026
    We’re talking about overthinking. That mental spiral where suddenly your brain is narrating your audition like it’s doing play-by-play commentary during the Super Bowl. “Here comes the second line — careful, careful — don’t mess this up — oof, eyebrow twitch — bad eyebrow! Reset! Reset!” Overthinking is the enemy of presence. The enemy of impulse. The enemy of surprise. It’s like having a backseat driver take over your brain while you’re trying to actually drive the car. So let me ask you a question: When you’re really living a moment — like REALLY living it — do you think about it while you’re in it? No! You just live it. You notice the other person. You feel the emotion. You react like a human — not like a student trying to pass a finalexam. That’s the shift we’re going to make today: from thinking the moment… to owning the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 mins
  • How to be the Actor Everyone Wants to Work With

    How to be the Actor Everyone Wants to Work With
    Dec 25 2025
    Hey my amazing, wonderful actor friends! Welcome back to Casting Actors Cast — where you and I get to hang out, learn a little, laugh a little, and uncover the real tools that help you prepare smarter, act better, and book more. I’m your host, Jeff Dreisbach — casting director, teacher, actor, and your industry friend who is in your corner, rooting for you every step of the way. Today’s episode is one I wish I could just loop on a monitor in every waiting room at every audition everywhere. You know, like a public service announcement but with less fear and fewer warnings about shampoo recalls. It’s called: How to Be the Actor Everyone Wants to Work With — and I promise, this is the episode that will change your career faster than any new headshot or acting class ever could. Because the truth is this: the actor everyone wants to work with is the actor who gets opportunities again and again and again. They get recommended. They get remembered. They get rehired. They don’t just book… they build. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    15 mins
  • The Confidence Gap: What Casting Directors Wish You Knew

    The Confidence Gap: What Casting Directors Wish You Knew
    Dec 18 2025
    Have you ever walked into an audition and thought, “Okay… I’m confident. I’m confident. I’m confident,” while your body is screaming, “We’re absolutely not confident!” Meanwhile, casting directors are looking at you like, “Are they… are they okay?” Confidence is one of those weird acting ingredients you can’t fake, can’t force, but absolutely need— even though most actors have no idea what real confidence looks like. Well, today we’re pulling back the curtain. Because what you think confidence is…and what casting directors actually see as confidence… are two completely different things. Let’s fix the gap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 mins
  • Your Acting Career Called...It Wants You to Relax

    Your Acting Career Called...It Wants You to Relax
    Dec 11 2025
    You ever notice that actors can make anything stressful? Audition? Stressful. Callback? Stressful. Self-tape? Stressful. Meeting someone who might know someone in the industry? Oh, that’s a full-blown cardio event. Actors are the only people who can turn reading two pages of dialogue in their own living room into a scene from “Mission Impossible.” Meanwhile, your acting career just left you a voicemail: “Hi… yeah, it’s me… could you just… relax?” Let’s talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 mins
  • The Myth of the Perfect Take-(and Other Fairy Tales)

    The Myth of the Perfect Take-(and Other Fairy Tales)
    Dec 4 2025
    Today’s episode is part pep-talk, part reality check, and part comedic intervention. Actors obsess over getting it right — especially on self-tapes. You know this. You’ve lived this. But here’s the kicker: Casting directors aren’t looking for perfect. We’re looking for alive. So today, we’re going to shatter the myth of the perfect take, unpack how perfectionism sabotages your work, and give you a step-by-step guide to capturing the kind of take that makes us go, “Oh! I didn’t expect that. Yes. Callback.” Let’s get started with the truth bomb at the center of this whole episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    19 mins
  • What Your Self-Tape Says About You

    What Your Self-Tape Says About You
    Nov 27 2025
    First Impressions in a Digital World When your self-tape hits my inbox, it’s your first — and sometimes only — chance to make an impression. Before I even hit play, I’ve already learned something about you from your file name, your slate, your frame, your lighting. That’s right — your tape speaks volumes before you do. Find out how in this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    14 mins
  • Stop Trying to be Good-Be Specific

    Stop Trying to be Good-Be Specific
    Nov 20 2025
    Welcome to Casting Actors Cast, where we turn good intentions into great auditions. I’m Jeffrey Dreisbach — casting director, teacher, and today, your guide through one of my favorite acting truths: stop trying to be good. Be specific. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins