Should You Memorize Your Lines For an Audition

Whenever I have auditioned for a film/TV or a commercial, I am always very familiar with the words, but only on rare occasions will I have them memorized. In most situations, I will have the words memorized for a call back, and certainly have them committed to memory for the job.

I just had a chance to sit and talk with a manager and a casting director who are based in L.A. The manager works with some really successful actors and the casting director is currently casting a kids, TV show. They both said the same thing to me. If the actor is given the script a few days prior to the audition, they are expected to have it memorized. I was really surprised.

And, I also talked with another manager who said just the opposite. He always wants his talent to be very familiar with the words, but never memorize them for an audition. He believes that when the lines are memorized, the casting director will think that the read will be the best the actor can do. If the lines are not memorized, and the audition is great, they will think that the performance will be even better once the actor is off book.

So, when I am auditioning for a project, if I can easily memorize the lines I will, but typically, I make sure I am extremely familiar with the lines, and will occasionally refer to the sides during the audition. I try and mix both of what was told to me. If you are ever auditioning for a role online, I would recommend you ask your agent to see if the lines need to be memorized for the audition.

After 27 plus years in the business, I am still learning new things all the time.

Let me know about your experiences with memorization. Leave a comment below.

About the Author: Aaron Marcus

Aaron Marcus has been a full-time actor and commercial model for over 33 years. His new book, How to Become a Successful Actor and Model is an Amazon Best Seller. Aaron has given his seminar: "Book the Job" over 700 times spanning 3 continents. He also offers online workshops. Aaron saves 5 days each month to give private on-line coaching sessions.