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How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” & Make a Lasting Impression

Misc

You’re prepared and eager to perform as you enter the virtual audition room, but you’re surprised by a question from the casting office you were not expecting. A common audition question actors get asked by casting directors such as myself is, “Tell me about yourself.”
You may find this difficult to answer, possibly because of its open-endedness or that it may seem like a personal question, however, it’s a fantastic opportunity to sell yourself to the casting directors and really highlight your strengths. But first, why do we ask this question to you?

Why Casting Directors Ask

Many things can be learned about someone by simply posing a personal question, and being able to go with the flow demonstrates to us that you have an ability to have a presence of mind during unpredictable situations. Other reasons this question may be asked are:

  • We want to get a sense of who you are, your personality and what you’d be like to work with on a set.
  • We want to see how your personality translates to the camera.
  • We want to see how you tell a story and entertain them.

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How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

Now that we’ve covered why this question is asked, it’s time to move on to how to answer ‘tell me about yourself’. It’s good to prepare a few different responses ahead of time and allow yourself some time to practice. You want to exude confidence and be sure to make eye contact with the camera lens. Here are some ways you can practice answering this question.

Talk about something you are passionate about. Enthusiasm leaks out of you by nature when you talk about things you truly love, and the casting directors will pick up on that. Casting sees a lot of auditions, so don’t just try to tell them what you think they want to hear, tell them what you want to tell them.

Introducing yourself through a hobby is a great way to let the casting team get to know you. Instead of starting the conversation by rattling off your resume credits, your acting career and your background, introduce yourself by the hobby you enjoy, such as sculpting, painting, dancing etc. Talk about a talent or experience you’ve had (one that is related to what you’re auditioning for is a plus, but not necessary).

When answering this question, make sure to keep your story short and sweet; a beginning, middle and end. Typically actors are given about 25 seconds to share their story, so make sure you don’t get too bogged down in the details of it. Get to the good part and keep their attention.

how to answer tell me about yourself

How NOT to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

However you decide to approach this question, there are some things you should avoid saying. This includes:
  • Replying with “What do you want to know?” This could immediately suggest you are not prepared, and could even give off the wrong idea or sound defensive.
  • Bringing up politics or religion. Topics that are political, religious, controversial, potentially inflammatory or provocative are not good options, as it almost certainly will cost you the job.
  • Talking about topics involving acting. Everyone there already knows you’re an actor, they’ve already seen your resume. Let them see what kind of person you are in real life outside of acting.
  • Talking about how you’re the right person for the job. Stay away from telling people how much you need the job, begging or pleading your case or saying things like “I’m perfect for this role.” it’s just not going to instill the confidence in people that they are looking for, and it’s not what they want to hear when this question is asked. It comes off as needy or desperate.

Conclusion

Hopefully these tips help you shed some light on the “tell me about yourself” question that actors get so often. Take these tips into your next self tape or live zoom room audition and I’m sure you’ll find success. It’s a tough business and we could all use a little extra help.

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Answering interview and audition questions is just part of the process. Uplevel your self-tapes and get proven strategies and tips to master your auditions with my Killer Self-Tape 101 freebie.

Claim Freebie