About two months ago I decided to accept an audition that I knew would scare me. Even though I have been booked 1,197 times (so far), still, there are certain jobs that make me nervous.
This audition was for a medical school that is having its 200th anniversary. The main speaker for the event will be the comedian, Dennis Miller. There will be hundreds and hundreds of doctors and civic leaders attending this event. Three actors were hired to portray famous graduates from the institution. There was a lot of medical terminology in this 3 minute monologue.
I decided to go to the audition for no other reason than because I knew it would scare, and challenge me. The audition would take me out of my comfort zone, and it would be an interesting experience. As it turns out, I booked the job, and on the performance day, I was a very nervous guy portraying Dr. James Carrol. This man figured out that yellow fever was spread by mosquitoes, and his discoveries helped save millions of lives.
I always tell people at my acting/commercial modeling workshops, that not only is it not bad to be nervous, but, I actually think it helps me when I am nervous. When I am scared, there is a lot of energy flowing through my body. It helps me become alive. The trick is learning how to harness that energy so that others can see and feel the energy, but not notice the nervousness.
Let me know if you have ever dealt with nervousness. Leave your comment below.