Podcast
90% of the Job: Surviving Auditions as a Working Actor
Most of the life of an actor is not spent on stage or in front of a camera. It's spent scrolling through casting notices, memorizing lines, uploading self-tapes, juggling day jobs, and waiting for something to click.
It's hard out here! But you don't have to go it alone. Join us for conversations with professional actors, stories, questions, advice, insight, and much more.
Every episode we work to demystify the grind, and make each audition a little bit easier.
Hosted by fellow working actor Avery Whitted.
- Episodes
- 8
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 48 min
- On air since
- 2026
- Latest episode
- 4 days ago
Episodes
8 episodes, newest first
-
58 min
Ruffin Prentiss: Guard Your Heart
Season 1, Episode 8
Show notes
Ruffin Prentiss (Watch Dogs 2, SEAL Team, Power, Insecure, and a whole lot more) talks about making your own work, carrying your emotional prep into the audition room, and guarding your heart without closing it off. Plus, the time his first scene on Power called for a...questionable skill.
Hosted by Avery Whitted.
Follow Ruffin on Instagram: @rprentissiii
Follow Avery on Instagram: @avery_whitted
Links:
For more on the show and to book private audition coaching, visit averywhitted.com
-
1 hr 4 min
Zak Stevens: You Can't Plan for Everything
Season 1, Episode 7
Show notes
Zak Stevens (Stick, Wiretap, Avenue Q, and a whole lot more) talks about treating a commercial audition like a pitch instead of a test, why them having no idea what they want is freeing, and how to make the waiting part of the job. Plus, the disastrous first audition in Vancouver that a musical director remembered years later...for the strangest reason.
Hosted by Avery Whitted.
Follow Zak on Instagram: @thezakstevens
Follow Avery on Instagram: @avery_whitted
Links:
Avenue Q at Metro Theatre in Vancouver, BC
For more on the show and to book private audition coaching, visit averywhitted.com
-
46 min
Elijah Coleman: The Weather's Going to Change
Season 1, Episode 6
Show notes
Elijah Coleman (10 Minutes, The Founder's Keeper, To Us, and a whole lot more) talks about giving yourself an engine in an audition, bringing more than one choice, and always remembering... it's not that deep. Plus, the time he learned the wrong character for an audition and committed to it completely.
Hosted by Avery Whitted.
Follow Elijah on Instagram: @elijahj.coleman
Follow Avery on Instagram: @avery_whitted
Links:
For more on the show and to book private audition coaching, visit averywhitted.com
-
1 hr 7 min
Tyler Fauntleroy: Catching the Loose Ball
Season 1, Episode 5
Show notes
Tyler Fauntleroy (Hamilton national tour, Tambo & Bones, Succession, and a whole lot more) talks about auditioning for Hamilton 20+ times over seven years, what kept him going back, and what happens when you finally catch the loose ball. Plus, the worst audition he ever had, featuring a plate of very, very thin roast beef.
Hosted by Avery Whitted.
Follow Tyler on Instagram: @earthwindandtyler_Follow Avery on Instagram: @avery_whitted
For more on the show and to book private audition coaching, visit averywhitted.com
-
45 min
Mike Donovan: Own the Room
Season 1, Episode 4
Show notes
Actor and writer Mike Donovan (Cloak & Dagger, This is the Night, The Noel Diary) talks about stepping back, breathing, and relaxing into the daily practice of being an actor. He breaks down how to "do less" on camera, the pressure of being a leading man type, and tells the story of a particularly messy commercial audition.
Hosted by Avery Whitted
Follow Mike on Instagram: @michaelvincentdonovan
Follow Avery on Instagram:@avery_whitted
Links:
For more on the show and to book private audition coaching, visit
averywhitted.com
-
49 min
Eli Pauley: You Are Who You Are
Season 1, Episode 3
Show notes
Director, actor and teacher Eli Pauley joins to talk about what auditioning is like from both sides of the casting table. She shares stories of auditioning for an ASL version of Hamlet, a disastrous Crest commercial, and how to let go of the pressure to perform.
Hosted by Avery Whitted.
Follow Eli on Instagram: @theeelest
Follow Avery on Instagram: @avery_whitted
Links:
The House of Bernarda Alba at Mason Gross School of the Arts
More information about 90% of the Job at
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33 min
Devon Meddock: They Asked You to be There
Season 1, Episode 2
Show notes
Actor, singer, trumpet player, and NYU educator Devon Meddock talks about tough auditions, learning to trust herself, and how to stay present when things don’t go as planned. She shares stories about a disastrous French audition, performing off-Broadway in The Imbible, and the simple mindset shift that helped her most.
Hosted by Avery Whitted.
Follow Devon on Instagram: @devmeddockFollow Avery on Instagram: @avery_whitted
More information about 90% of the Job at
averywhitted.com
-
47 min
Erik Gratton: Falling Flat on Your Face
Season 1, Episode 1
Show notes
25 year veteran Erik Gratton (Elf national tour, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and a million other things) talks about the worst audition he ever had, how he fell flat on his face, and how he picked himself back up and tried again.
Hosted by Avery Whitted.
Follow Erik on Instagram: @erikfallsdown
Follow Avery on Instagram: @avery_whitted
Links:
More information about 90% of the Job at
averywhitted.com
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