“actor”
By
Joshua Beattie
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cut TO: SCENE 1
Audition scene – INT. DAY (auditioning room)
We cut straight in to a montage scene of auditions, Charlie
walks in to frame from the right. The producer is off screen but still
diegetic.
Producer
Can you stand on the line please?
charlie
Yeah Sure.
Producer
Name?
charlie
Charlie Enfield
Producer
Age?
charlie
21
producer
Okay, whenever you’re ready Charlie.
Charlie takes a cigar out of his pocket and Takes a deep
breath as if to calm himself.
Charlie
(Imitating Goodfellas)
Ever since I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster.
Clothing change.
charlie
(Imitating Marlon Brando)
You don’t understand, I coulda had class, I coulda been a
contender.
Clothing change.
charlie
(Imitating James Dean)
YOUR TEARING ME APART!
Clothing change.
charlie
(Imitating Samuel L Jackson)
And I will strike down upon the with great vengeance…
Clothing change.
charlie
(Imitating Robert Deniro)
You talkin to me? you talkin to me?
Clothing change.
charlie
(Imitating Tyler Durden)
The first rule about fight club is…
Clothing change
charlie
(Imitating Hannibal Lecter)
I ate his liver with some fava beans and nice Chianti.
Clothing change. (Fake moustache)
charlie
(Imitating Charlie Chaplin)
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my
business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help
everyone if possible. Jew, gentile, black man, white.
We now get a quick montage of different producers rejecting
him.
Producer
Thank you for coming. thank you for your time. we’ll call
you. Thanks for coming in. We’ll let you know.
Charlie walks out of the audition room with his head still
held high, through a hallway of guys who a dressed in similar clothes and into a
lift. He takes the small fake moustache off and the lift door closes on his
smiling face.
CUT TO: SCENE 2
PREP FOR THE AUDITION – INT. NEXT DAY (BEDROOM)
During this scene we follow Charlie as he gets ready for his
audition styled in a montage like sequence. The Scene starts from black with an
alarm clock going off. We see the alarm clock on the side table next to Charlie’s
bed. He turns it off and gets up.
He pieces of script stuck all around his bedroom, on the
mirror, on the wall, in the bathroom on his wardrobe. While he brushes his
teeth, gets dressed and makes himself look presentable he is constantly reading
the script and going over his lines and practicing how he is going to play the
part. He has a clear drive and passion for his craft and its clear during this scene.
CUT TO: SCENE 3
INT/EXT. AUDITION ROOM/HALLWAY
We see Charlie sat in a cluttered hallway anxiously waiting
to be called in to the audition room. He gets up from his chair and goes to a
water fountain across the hall. A gentle comes and greets him.
Robert
You here for the auditions?
charlie
(Not realizing who he is, until the end of the sentence)
Yeah, you--
robert
(Almost chuckling at the misunderstanding)
Actually no
charlie
(Now realising it’s the producer her is going to audition
for)
I’m sorry sir, I didn’t realise who it was. Nice to meet you,
I’m Charlie.
ROBERT
Please, call me Robert. You been doing this long?
charlie
What acting? – I’ve wanted to be an actor since I was little
but I’ve been auditioning for roles for the past 2/3 years.
Robert
Ahh so your used to this kind of thing then.
charlie
Yeah, I love it though, even if it does normally end in being
turned down.
Robert
Well, you know how Meryl Streep became Meryl Streep.
Charlie
No?
robert
Well in the 70’s she went to audition for the role of ann in
King Kong. The producers told her she was to ugly to audition so she left. It
broke her down but she had the choice to quite or continue to chase her dreams.
She knew that if she could get up from that she could get up from anything and
she carried on. Now she has 18 academy awards. Now some may consider that the
worst audition of their life --- but I bet you she doesn’t.
CHARLIE
Wow--
robert
Now imagine if no one had said that to her, if no one pushed
her to the edge.
charlie
Yeah, I guess but what if that guy discouraged her from ever
becoming Meryl Streep.
Robert
Exactly, Meryl Streep would never be discouraged – oh I gotta
head off, maybe I’ll catch you later
charlie
Yeah —- okay –-
Charlie goes back and takes his seat. A few seconds later he
gets called in to the audition room. He walks in.
Lucy
Hi, Charlie I’m Lucy, this is Robert Lune the producer. He
put together the script you will be reading today.
Robert is sat behind a desk, he is on
his phone not really paying attention to what is going on.
charlie
Yeah we met outside.
Charlie goes to shake Roberts hand and he takes no notice.
He just carries on with his phone in hand.
Robert
Yeah we will just go from the top, I will play the part of
Harry for you.
cHARLIE
Okay
There is a long pause of silence.
robert
(Stone Cold)
Well speak…
Charlie
(Stumbling over his words)
Oh --- sorry --- I am what you made me! It’s your fault I’m
this way!
Robert
Fucking Christ
Charlie, looks at Robert and back at
the script confused.
Charlie
Uh --- w --- What?
robert
Sorry, that was unfair. I know it’s only your first take. Just
take a deep breath, look at the line and really think about it --- okay.
charlie
Okay
Charlie looks at the script, takes a deep breath and begins
again.
Charlie
I am what you made me! It’s your fault I’m this way!
Robert
Well that was your second attempt and that was just
shitty.
Charlie
I’m sorry?
Robert
It was shit
charlie
I --- only did the first line?
robert
Yeah but if you can’t do that line, how can I expect you to
do any of the others?
charlie
--- right ---
robert
You want to know a secret?
charlie
Okay
Robert brings him closer to whisper in his ear.
Robert
No one like you has ever made it as an actor, now get your
ugly mug out of my fucking office.
Charlie pulls back in shock and
slowly walks out of the office in disbelief. Similar to before we see him walk
down a hallway but with his head hung low and in to an elevator where the doors
close on his face.
Scene 4
INT. BEDROOM – DAY
Charlie is laying on his bed thinking about the mistakes he
made at the audition, it constantly going through his head. He has the sudden
flash back to the story Robert had told him about Meryl Streep and to what he
said in the audition room.
He simply smiles as he realises what Robert has done.
FAde Out:
The End
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