When You're Told "No" as an Actor

• Breann Nicholson

The feeling that I had when I received my first big "no" after an audition was so crushing I can remember it as if it were yesterday. Maybe you have had the same feeling. Most actors have.

I had an audition to attend a residential high school for acting and theatre. It was my goal and a goal that I had set pretty high on my list to achieve. I auditioned and I had a good feeling after the big audition. I felt like I was for sure going to have a place at the residential high school. You can imagine how disappointed I was when I opened the letter stating that I, in fact, did not receive a spot in the program. This was the first big "no" that I had received in the theater world. The feeling that I had crushed my heart and I questioned which direction I would go in the theater world because I'd set my eyes on this goal and this goal only. Being told "no" was a tough experience but it was a tough experience that I had to have in order to grow not only as an actor but also, as a person. 

I learned so much from the experience and I have carried it with me since I was a young 15-year-old girl...

1. Being told "no" encourages you to step into other opportunities.

After the initial disappointment of my experience, I turned my disappointment into an opportunity to grow and learn. Thankfully, from the experience, I was offered an internship in a theater over the summer with one of the professors from the residential high school. I can honestly say that summer was one of the best in my acting career. The professor and his wife poured so much into me and I learned more about theatre than I ever had before that summer working beside them as their intern. That summer helped me decide that theatre was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. 

Without being told, "no", I would not have experienced the "yes" that changed my life. 

2. Being told "no" encourages you to grow your skills. 

I decided to take the critique given in the audition feedback and allow it to help me grow rather than feel discouraged. I took those points and zoned in on each category. Then I took the time to research and learn techniques that could make my future auditions better. From that, I learned to accept the "no" and allow it to mold me into a better actor. 

3. Being told "no" teaches you that there are many doors to be opened, not just one. 

Previously, I mentioned that the program I was auditioning for was the one goal I was depending on succeeding in. I learned that having only one goal as an actor is not always the best choice. Not every director is going to see you as the perfect fit for the character you dream of playing. It is all part of the world of theatre. We must leave our options and paths open to many different avenues to take rather than just one because that one may not work out. Be in the ensemble. Be the understudy. Be the character with only one line. Those roles, no matter how prominent they are, help you grow as an actor. 

With all of this being said, it still will hurt every time you are told "no". Unfortunately, I can't take that away but I can encourage you to take the steps to turn your "no" into a "yes". 

A YES you can audition for something else. 

A YES you can still continue growing your skills.

A YES you can succeed and will have other awesome opportunities. 

You can rise from the valley of the "no" and travel the mountain back up as a better actor to the "yes" of the future. 

Photo: @ Vincenzo Photography