Sometimes the best time to follow your dreams is during challenging times. For Celine Milien, the quiet of 2021 wasn’t just downtime — it was a launchpad into the dazzling, unpredictable world of acting.
With her heart set on entertaining and a knack for turning everyday moments into performances, Milien dove headfirst into auditions, self tapes and even hand modeling gigs. Through trial and error, she learned how the biggest breaks come when you least expect them.
Celine shares her journey into acting, offering an insider’s glimpse into the highs, the lessons and the moments that keep her passion alive.
Insights From Celine Milien
- Actors should respond quickly to media requests and notifications to stay competitive and secure roles.
- Use Casting Networks’ features like Role Tracker and Alerts to monitor submissions and follow up effectively.
- For auditions, focus on giving your best performance without overthinking, and limit self tapes to about five takes to maintain authenticity.
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How did you decide to become an actor?
In 2021, everyone’s “favorite” year, I was in the house. The world had paused a little bit, and I thought to myself, “What is something that you’ve always wanted to do? You should just do that!”
I knew in my heart that I wanted to be an actor, because I literally just could not stop watching cast videos. Any time I saw an article come out about my favorite actor on a show, I’d watch a video about the cast. Watching Hannah Montana, That’s So Raven, just anything you can imagine, I was like, “That’s something that I can do.”
I felt like I was born to entertain. I love making people laugh. I love being silly. My mom would always say that everyone I met was my friend because I love talking to people, so I was like, “Why don’t we try to pursue acting?” 2021 came and I was like, “This is scary,” but I wanted to take that chance.
How did you discover Casting Networks?
I knew nothing about it, so I [searched for], “How to be an actor in New York City,” and I found casting sites [online] immediately. I found Casting Networks and a few others, and I was like, “Hmm … What’s this one?”
By the way, always check your emails, because I signed up for Casting Networks, not knowing [how the] website [worked]. I just knew that you can submit for roles, and I didn’t realize that you can get responses. I would submit to things and get media requests, not really knowing what they were.
What I know now: production moves fast. There are so many people who are probably on Casting Networks right now who are waiting for their requests. Send it in as soon as you get it. I learned that the hard way.
I don’t miss a notification now. If I get a media request, I jump for joy because I’m going to be on that.
I’ve been grateful for that experience, and acting is something that I just love so much. [It’s] awesome that I get to be these different characters and dress up and be in period pieces through Casting Networks.
I have been on so many sets: [The] Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Raising Kanan, [plus] other sets that have code names that I didn’t know were code names until I went to set. For example, I was like, “What does ‘Bad Witch’ mean?” Come to find out that means Gossip Girl.
Casting Networks is the only casting site that I really like. It helps you find different jobs, and honestly, that’s why we’re here, because I booked a job that was really cool, and it landed me my SAG card. Casting Networks is the reason why I was able to join SAG.
How did that happen?
What I love about Casting Networks is that you can submit for anything. I thought that because I was non-union, I could only submit for non-union things, but I found out the way to get your SAG card is through submitting yourself for SAG jobs, or if you’re on set and you get a waiver. If you get three, that’s how you can join SAG.
Knowing that I can submit to SAG jobs, I submitted for this commercial. That was the first time I’ve ever been on a commercial set as background. I was like, “Okay, this commercial is asking for SAG people. I’m not SAG, but if they like me, they’ll take me.” And they did. It was perfect.
Then [the production company] emailed me and said, “Hey Celine, we have a hold on your account right now. You should call SAG and figure that out.” I called SAG to find out what was going on. They were like, “You know you need to join, right?”
I probably had like 10 SAG waivers and didn’t know. Sometimes they come at you quickly. You’re just doing the work, and you really don’t know. They usually send a letter, but I didn’t get one.
The call solved it all. They were like, “No worries, girl. You’re right on time, but for this next project that you just did, you have to join.”
That job got me into SAG, and honestly, it was the best thing that could have ever happened until the strike happened. Luckily, I joined SAG during the strike on Halloween, and it ended a week later.
Now I had a whole new world of things to submit for. Being in SAG, I can no longer submit for non-union projects, but that’s okay because being in the union is amazing, and I’m covered.
Every time I’m on a set, I get to see my SAG reps. It’s smooth sailing, and I love my union. By doing that, I was like, “Okay, I’ve done everything that I wanted to do.”
You booked a hand modeling gig for Cafe Bustelo/Folgers. Tell me about that experience.
I always knew I could be a hand model and thought, “What if I find a hand modeling gig on Casting Networks?” I’d seen some, but never submitted because I was like, “Should I?” That turned into “Why shouldn’t you? You’re paying for a yearly subscription. Might as well make the most of it.”
I started looking for hand model roles, and I found one, and I submitted for it. Every actor should have some hand digitals because you never know when you’re submitting to jobs. You can always check off the boxes that you want to have on the profile when you’re submitting.
I had some hand digitals — front and back on a flat surface; not up. You’re not supposed to have your hands up in the air. They want to see it on a flat surface. I submit that, and I get a media request almost immediately.
I turned those bell notifications on, and I have text notifications and email notifications on. I don’t play. I’ve never missed a media notification again in my life. [The message] was basically to check to see if I was available for the shoot date. I said, “Yes, I’m available. I’m in New York City, a local hire. Here’s my phone number and anything else you need.” Then I booked the gig, and then I was on set doing my thing.
How does somebody become a hand model?
There are hand modeling agencies. I’m actually going to submit to one. I need to push through the fear because it’s a thing. I’ve looked on TikTok to find out how to do it. They’ve shown things like making sure that you have your hands massaged and moisturized, taking nice pictures and having pictures of your hands on your profiles.
I’ve submitted for so many hand modeling gigs, a lot of which have been under consideration.
Here’s another tip for people on Casting Networks: There’s a great feature [Role Tracker] where you can check to see if [casting is] looking at the submission that you submitted. Sometimes they don’t, but sometimes you can see the little activity tab where they’ve opened it, and you’ll know from there.
You just have to have some pictures of your hands on your profile, find jobs and then just submit for that.
Here’s another thing: when I submit for these jobs, I don’t put my profile picture as the first photo. I’ll make my primary pictures my hands, because I feel like that’s what they’re looking for.
That was my other question. What does a hand modeling audition look like?
I think it’s just sending casting directors the pictures of your hands on a flat surface. I also have a picture of my hands just doing random things, too, because I feel like the more they can see, the better. I want to make their job easier when they’re looking, because sometimes it’s that quick, the casting process.
What happened when you got on set for the Cafe Bustelo spot? What did they ask you to do?
I got to set so happy. They actually paid us to get gel manicures done so that we could have them ready for the set, which I thought was genius. After that, we got to set, nails ready.
They also had a wardrobe for us. Even though they couldn’t see our faces, they could see our bodies [and didn’t want anything to distract from the coffee]. They picked out neutral color shirts for us to wear.
For the Cafe Bustelo part, they had an animation drawn, so I had something to follow. They brought me the same color shirt that the person in the graphic design was wearing. The shot is of me holding the coffee and then pouring it into a cup. We did that maybe like four or five times because it was real coffee, and the mug kept getting dirty.
Everyone probably thinks hand modeling is so easy. It’s not. Your hand is shaking. You’re tensed up. You’re like, “My God, am I holding this right?” Luckily, they were so kind to me on set. They were just directing me, “Hold it like you’re excited to pour.” I’m like, “How am I ‘excited to pour?’”
You’re acting as well, because you wouldn’t pour like you normally pour at home. At home, you’re like, “I don’t care about this cup of coffee,” but these people are recording you, so you want to make sure that you’re in tip-top shape. I’m pouring it and making sure the camera can see the different angles, trying it a little lower.
The second part of the shoot was for Folgers. I’m pouring, and then it turns into the animation. That one was a little bit easier because I had the coffee, and it was just pouring the coffee into the cup.
The Folgers scene was a split screen. I’m doing it with this other guy on the side, and we had to mix this iced coffee [at the same time]. It’s fake ice with real coffee, so you can mix it, and the ice won’t melt.
I had a real frother that I had to pour the coffee powder mix into and then put the frother in and mix it, but the frother was bumping the fake ice in the glass. I was stressed, and they could tell.
They were like, “Celine, don’t worry about it,” because they wanted to get it like one take. It all turned out fine. The end product looks great, but I was shaky a couple of times.
What successes have you had since joining SAG?
Your girl booked her first SAG principal commercial on Casting Networks for the Maryland Lottery.
What did you have to do? What did the casting call ask for, and what happened on set?
When I saw this particular role, I was like, “This is mine.” I felt it in my spirit. I saw it in my head. It was for the role, “Sunflower.”
Casting Networks does a great job of knowing your profile and [sending you a list of] roles that might be geared toward you. I found out after there were five other roles, but I only saw the Sunflower one.
The role type was principal, and the rate was also there. It said the age range and the description was for a “Black female, ages 25 to 40. She’ll be dressed in a sunflower costume. The face will not be covered. Should have excellent improv and comedy chops, strong actress, bubbly personality and cheery disposition, an expressive face and a bright, clear voice.”
I submitted, and maybe the next day, I got a media request. I responded immediately.
In the media request, it asked for a self tape audition. There were sides included and instructions. It was really just one line saying, “Yes. One, please.” [The idea is that] you’re buying a lottery ticket, and they wanted to see three different versions of that.
Even with seeing this role and knowing that this is possibly for me, I was still in my head. One thing about an actor, they’re going to be in their head. I filmed it, and thought, “Maybe I’m not being cheery enough. Maybe I’m not being bright enough.” Things that you don’t need to be thinking about. As long as you put your all into it, you’re going to be fine, and you’re overthinking for no reason.
The best thing about Casting Networks is the “Alerts” tab, because you get to see everything that you’re doing. The next day, I’m on my Alerts tab. I’m looking through, and I see the media requests and the callback requests.
This was my first time ever seeing a callback request on Casting Networks. I’ve been on the platform for about three years now. I was like, “What does this mean? It was inviting me to a Zoom call. I get into Zoom, the producers are there, the casting director is there, and there are six other faceless names. I just see boxes and I know they’re all looking [at me] and I’m like, “My gosh, there are so many people in here.”
It was so interesting because this is also for actors with self tape setups. I had to shift gears during the callback. I was mortified because I’m switching, and they’re like, “Can you lower the camera a little bit?” They didn’t know that I had my iPad balanced on my fan.
They wanted to see everything. They’re like, “Don’t worry about the background.” I was like, “It’s not the background that I’m worried about. It’s what my phone is leaning on!” Crisis averted, because I handled it well.
They saw me, and it was great. I kept it upbeat. I do the performance, they give me a note, I do it again, they give me another note, I do it again, they give me another note. I’m on my fourth time, and it wasn’t clicking to me that this means they like you. I’m still in my head saying, “No! I’m probably ruining this.”
It was all fine. After I did it for the fourth time, they were like, “Thank you so much for doing that. We’ll get back to you.” I was like, “Thank you so much. This is exciting. I am so happy to have met everyone here.”
They immediately end the call, and I have been staring at the wall for [what feels like] three hours thinking, “I don’t know what just happened here, but I hope that it was good.”
Two days later, I get an email saying, “You’re booked!” Next thing I know, I’m in Maryland for three days in a really cute hotel with awesome cast members, eating food and acting.
What was the on-set experience? Did you go into a studio, or did they just have a store that they rented out for the day?
I think they had a store that they rented out for the day. We were in Maryland, and we were at a gas station, and they switched up the interior a little bit. They had a car for us. They drove us from the hotel to the filming location. We had our trailer, got our hair and makeup done, put on our costumes, and then went to set.
Acting [involves] a lot of waiting. We were in costume, and we were waiting for everyone’s part. I was first up. I ran through the side door and came in. They were catching me running from different angles to the cashier.
There were more shots like the close-up of me coming in, saying the line, doing some improv to show that either I’m paying for this ticket, or getting the ticket and running out with it like a crazy person. There were no scenes of us interacting with each other until the very end. We were all filming our parts and then [waiting for the end when] we did the selfie.
I saw your TikTok — you have a billboard ad in Times Square for Rizos Curls. What does it feel like to go into the city for a normal day out, only to see your face on one of the most famous billboard displays in the world?
I’m about to tear up because it’s indescribable. It’s something you dream about. You literally work toward it and manifest. I’m getting emotional. It’s a great feeling. I built such an amazing relationship with that brand.
They’re like, “Celine, we really want you to be a part of it because you’ve shown so much love to our community, and we love having you. And we know you’re a New Yorker, so we want to see you and your city shining bright.” Wow.
Sometimes I forget. With the hustle and bustle of being a New Yorker and doing this, it’s really sometimes you need to take a step back and really celebrate these moments.
What’s the best way to approach a self tape or in-person audition? Can you share some audition tips and advice for your peers?
Don’t worry too much about your background. Don’t worry too much about where you are. They genuinely just want to see you in your element. Submit with the heart of knowing that, “I did my best, and I’m going to continue doing my best, and if they love that and they see that, they’ll always see me at my best.”
I think approaching it with an open mind and not stressing too much, and keeping it at five takes. Anything over five, just stop, because you’ve already got it and now you’re just doing a lot [for no reason].
Final Takeaways
Celine Milien’s acting journey began during the quiet of 2021, turning downtime into opportunity. From discovering Casting Networks to booking her first SAG principal role, she shares honest insights and lessons learned along the way. Her story highlights the importance of persistence, adapting to new experiences, and celebrating the wins big and small.
- Celine started acting by embracing her love for entertaining during the pandemic and diving into auditions and self tapes.
- She learned to navigate Casting Networks quickly, responding fast to media requests and tracking submissions to book roles.
- Joining SAG came through persistence and snagging waivers on union projects, opening new doors for her career.
- Hand modeling gigs taught her that every role requires focus and professionalism, even when it seems simple.
- Her first principal commercial booking led to an exciting on-set experience and a billboard ad, marking milestones worth celebrating.
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