Page 74 of Lucky 22

After sitting in a lobby, waiting to audition with all thetop voice-over actresses in LA, it’s finally my turn. I get settled in thestudio and say my first line, “You don't have to carry a sword to be powerful.Some leaders’ strength is inspiring greatness in others.”

“Okay, that’s good, Ella. But we need more of an accent. Canyou try something different?”

“What kind of accent?”

“We’d like an Icelandic accent,” the casting director says.

So, I try to say the line with an Icelandic accent, and Iknow immediately that he doesn’t like it. The audition is taking place in astudio. I’m in a small recording booth with padded walls for sound, amicrophone, and a large panel of glass. On the other side of that window areten people, all gathered in the studio just watching and listening to me.Intimidating much? Yes, very! After I say my line, I see a collective frown.

“We’re going to give you some new lines. Can you try itagain?”

“Of course,” Internally, I’m panicking because I have noidea what an Icelandic accent even sounds like, and I’m just guessing. I don’teven have time to practice the new lines. I have to read them cold, in anIcelandic accent, for a group of strangers I really want to impress. Thisaudition is not going well, and I can feel myself spiraling. I try mybest.

“Welcome to the Galactic Wars.”

I see all their heads drop and shake again. I don’t think Ihave ever bombed an audition so badly.

“Try it one more time. This time with more of an Icelandicaccent,” says the casting director.

I don’t even know what accent comes out of my mouth, but itdefinitely isn’t Icelandic. It seems to be a mix of Russian and Irish. Now, I’mcompletely sweating, my heart is pounding, and I’m beyond frustrated because Ican feel this opportunity being ripped away. And I want it so badly! Idon’t know what comes over me, but all of a sudden, I raise my hand on theother side of the glass in the recording studio, and the words fly out of mymouth. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you want. However, I do know thatI really want this role, and if you give me the chance, I promise I won’t letyou down.”

“Oh, my gosh…that’s it,” the casting director says. “Whatyou just said? That tone? That’s the voice.”

I hold my breath, waiting to see if everyone agrees.

I don’t want to point out that I started with my own voice,and they kept directing me away from it.

“You had a little more of a snippy tone, and it works,” saysthe casting director. “It’s perfect. Can you read the rest of the scene?”

So, I do, and while I don’t fully understand the world thischaracter is set in, I do my best to focus on my voice and not on anythingelse. By the time I’m done, I’m left facing ten sets of eyes, all of which arestaring at me in awe.

I nailed it.

I know I nailed it.

I only need them to tell me I nailed it.

They all exchange looks before the casting director speaks.“Ella, that was perfect. It’s exactly what we were hoping for. You trulyembodied the character. Of course, we do have a few more actors to meet with.Thank you so much for your time. We’ll be in touch.”

I tell everyone thanks before leaving, and I have to admit,I am wildly curious about who this character is and which part of the franchisethey’ll be added to.

I leave feeling confident, but it’s not like I know the partis mine. Now, I wait and hope and pray that I get a callback.

I call Tracy as soon as I get in the car.

“But they loved you, right? They sounded positive?” she asksafter I tell her how it went.

“They seemed interested, but they have more actors toaudition, so…”

“Typical, but I wish these casting people would just go withtheir gut for once. From everything you just described, you tried multipleaccents until you found the one they liked. Why wait? Why go through theprocess of other interviews when they found the voice?”

I love how outraged she is on my behalf.

“Okay, now that that’s done, are you ready for moreauditions? I have a few single-episode roles, four commercials, anotherensemble sketch comedy…”

The groan is out before I can stop it.

“Ella, don’t let what went down on Workin’for Laughs make you jaded. Besides, they got canceled. So, if you ask me,they got what they deserved for being so closed-minded.”