Plenty of people in the entertainment industry talk about helping others, but not nearly enough of them put their money where their mouths are. Jesse Griffiths is not one of those people. The former actor has established himself as one of Canada’s most reliable casting directors, especially for up-and-coming filmmakers.
He also dedicates a large part of his time to guiding underserved communities as they try to break into the film business. That push for inclusion and diversity has become a hallmark of Jesse Griffiths Casting and sets him apart from others who like to talk a good game but don’t come through when it counts. He spoke to us from his home office in Toronto.
Insights: Advice from Jesse Griffiths
- Actors should trust their instincts and bring a part of themselves to every role they audition for. Avoid trying to guess what the casting director wants to see and instead present a performance that is true to you.
- Take the time to research and understand the project, its tone, and the people involved, such as the showrunner. This preparation shows dedication and helps inform your performance during auditions.
- Participate in workshops and panels, especially those aimed at underrepresented communities, to network and gain insights from industry professionals like casting directors.
- Recognize that casting directors are not adversaries but collaborators who are eager to find talented individuals who can make them look good. Building a positive relationship with casting directors can create a more comfortable audition environment.
- Consider the broader impact you can have in the industry beyond acting. Just as Jesse Griffiths found a new passion and influence in casting, be open to other roles within the industry that can allow you to contribute to and shape the community.
How did you get into casting?
I was an actor, so I trained and worked in Toronto for about 10 years. There was a casting director that brought me in to be the reader from time to time for auditions, back in the day when we did in-person auditions.
Over time, their assistant gave notice, and they asked me if I wanted to be an assistant. And I said, “sure,” but I was still kind of acting on the side. That became my “Joe job.” It was three or four years of bouncing between acting and casting when I took a break from casting.
There was another casting director in Toronto who reached out and asked me to be her associate, so I did that for a couple of years, then people started to come to me with low-budget short films or music videos or commercials that I was casting on the side while working for this other casting director. Eventually, I just couldn’t do both, so I gave my notice, and she was very supportive and set me up for success. I’ve been doing it ever since.
What was it that made you walk away from acting?
In my final year of auditioning, I felt I couldn’t do it anymore. I would seize up. I didn’t feel comfortable in the room. I didn’t feel like I was giving my best work. It was like my body physically telling me, “You need to try something different. You need to take a break from it, physically and mentally.”
I think part of why I stuck around is because I love actors. I love spending time with them. I was a theater actor, so, you know, you go off, you do a contract for three, four or five months, those people become your family. I loved that idea.
I think I thought the idea of moving past that would be hard, and I also think it was a bit of my own created stigma that people would think that I was a failure, that I couldn’t hack it, that type of thing. When I did decide to pivot and announced I was launching my own company, the outpouring of support was just overwhelming. No negative thoughts whatsoever.
Why do you think you seized up so much?
I realized that there were actors out there who wanted it more than I did and were willing to sacrifice more than I was willing to sacrifice. If you don’t have to do it, it can be a really hard career, and I think that other things excited me.
Okay, so then what was it about casting that had you so excited?
It combined the creative element, still working in the industry, still working with actors, along with my obsession with Excel spreadsheets and organization and that type of thing. (Laughs) I do love the practical and logistical side of the industry, so it seemed like the blending of two great worlds the creative and the organizational.
The idea of working for myself seemed appealing. I saw some opportunities where I could make a difference, specifically in Toronto, in terms of what the landscape for casting looked like. Also, the idea of discovering someone, or seeing someone as their career develops, giving someone their first booking or getting them their first union job, there’s always these fun moments that you’re involved in. And (there’s also) the opportunity to work with really exciting creators that might not have huge budgets, but are working on great pieces, I always try to make time for those projects as well.
You mentioned making a difference to the film community of Toronto. How successful do you feel that you’ve been in that?
My philosophy has been to focus on serving underrepresented communities, both from the acting perspective as well as creators. I run a monthly workshop for Toronto’s BIPOC community, where we set up panels, workshops and classes. We’re trying to make ourselves available to projects that might not have large budgets but need casting services.
I also do a lot of work with the Canadian Film Centre which is equivalent to the AFI, an educational institution where emerging writers, directors and producers can hone their skills and make connections. It’s looking at the next generation of talent and seeing how we can support them.
It sounds like you have found a way to expand your reach and bring more to the community than you might have been able to just by showing up and performing in this play that short film or that feature.
I certainly wouldn’t take away from actors and their ability to impact people, but I think what I realized pretty quickly is that this is a bit of a position of power. With that, there should be a level of responsibility as well. I do devote time to education and workshops and meeting with actors and trying to tear down that barrier between casting and acting, that it’s not an us versus them, and we do need each other. I want to create a warm and inviting space of familiarity between actors and casting so that hopefully everyone can do their best work.
It is interesting to me how many actors still mistakenly believe that there’s an adversarial relationship between them and casting directors.
People often call casting the gatekeepers, and in a way, we are, because we do choose who we bring in. But people sometimes misconstrue that as an adversarial system. At the end of the day, when I’m watching self tapes, all I’m looking for is good people who I can present that I feel good about that make me look good, and that make the actors look good. So I think that dispelling that myth will help everyone do a better job.
Do you think that there are common mistakes that actors make in auditions?
Yeah, for sure. My biggest comment is that actors don’t trust themselves enough to make a choice that is inherently part of who they are. They don’t want to show me what they’re capable of. They want to show me what they think I want to see, and then I have 20 people doing the same audition, versus someone who can bring even a small sliver of themselves to every part, and that will inherently bring a different performance. I’d rather see someone take a swing and fail, but then I know what they’re capable of and how they think as actors and artists. It’s being confident in yourself to make a choice that is bringing yourself to the screen.
With that in mind, is there a piece of advice or wisdom you would give to an actor coming in to audition for you?
Show me who you are. Show me you’ve taken the time to work on these sides and hopefully research the showrunner, or past work, or get a sense of the tone of the world. Show me something you’re proud of. Show me something that you’re excited to show me.
Looking for more industry knowledge? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Audition Advice from Casting Directors!
You may also like: