Don’t Reject Yourself
The ideas, lessons, and mindset shifts that can help actors move their careers forward.
This article is part of the free tier of Cast Forward — created to help actors build smarter, more sustainable careers. My paid subscribers get full deep-dive articles (every other Saturday), career strategies, and occasional casting notices. If you’re looking for more in-depth insights, personalized strategies, and industry tips, consider joining us!
A quick welcome to everyone who has joined Cast Forward recently.
I’m delighted to have you here.
Whether you’re just beginning your acting journey or you’ve been in the industry for years, my goal is to provide acting techniques, industry perspectives, and strategic career guidance to help you navigate the business of acting and build a stronger career.
As always, if you have questions, challenges you’re navigating, or topics you’d like me to cover in future issues, feel free to send me a message through Substack.
On another note, I had the pleasure of sitting down this week with producer Jean-Marc St-Pierre, best known for producing the internationally successful series How It’s Made.
We spent several hours discussing how he got started, how he successfully sold the show, the obstacles he faced along the way, and how he learned to turn rejection into opportunity throughout his career.
One of my favorite stories from our conversation was about the moment Oprah Winfrey personally told him how much she loved his show.
I’m excited to share that Jean-Marc will be joining Cast Forward for an exclusive interview for Premium subscribers. We’ll dive deeper into the lessons he’s learned building an internationally recognized television series and the mindset that helped him navigate the many challenges along the way.
I think you’re going to enjoy this one.
Now, onto today’s article.
I came across these clips and felt they were worth sharing with the Cast Forward community. Each video highlights an idea that I believe actors can learn from and reflect on as they continue building their careers.
More than anything, I hope these videos inspire you.
Whether it’s taking a chance on an audition, trusting your instincts, investing in your craft, embracing the unknown, or creating opportunities for yourself, I hope something in these videos encourages you to keep moving forward.
Before we dive in, I want to acknowledge the creators featured below. Their social media handles appear within the videos, and full credit remains with the original creators.
One of the most interesting things about this industry is that everyone seems to have an opinion on how a career should be built.
You’ll hear people say, “Never do this.” “Always do that.” “This is the only way.” “That will never work.”
Yet when you look closely at successful careers, you’ll notice something interesting:
Many of the people who succeed are often the ones who refuse to let conventional wisdom dictate every decision they make.
They listen to advice.
They learn from others.
They study the industry.
But they don’t automatically assume that every opinion applies to their unique situation.
The truth is that much of the advice in this industry comes from personal experience. People share what worked for them, what they’ve witnessed, and what they’ve learned along the way. There is value in that. I do the same thing. Many of the strategies I share through Cast Forward come from my own experiences, observations, industry conversations, and the positive results I’ve seen from applying these approaches with my clients.
But no one has all the answers.
That’s why I believe actors must learn to think critically, trust their instincts, and make informed decisions for their own careers.
For example, some people will tell you never to send a cold email to a casting director. Yet I’ve seen strategic outreach open doors. Others will tell you not to approach certain people, attend certain events, or take certain risks. Sometimes they’re right. Sometimes they’re not.
The key is understanding the difference between taking action strategically and acting without preparation.
If your materials aren’t ready, improve them. If your pitch is weak, strengthen it. If your self-tape isn’t your best work, keep working until it is. But don’t automatically talk yourself out of opportunities because someone else decided something couldn’t be done.
Do you know how many times throughout my career people told me something was impossible?
Take my O-1 visa and green card journey, for example.
People told me they were almost impossible to obtain.
That they were too difficult.
That I would never qualify.
That I was wasting my time.
Many of those comments came from people within the industry.
Did I listen? No.
Not because I was arrogant. Not because I thought I knew better than everyone else.
I didn’t listen because I knew my own journey. I knew what I had accomplished. I knew the value of my experience. And most importantly, I knew how to position my work strategically.
If I had accepted other people’s opinions as fact, I would have talked myself out of opportunities that ultimately became reality.
Sometimes advice is valuable.
Sometimes it’s simply a reflection of someone else’s limitations.
Another example that always stayed with me is a story I read years ago in a magazine about Riz Ahmed while he was pursuing a role in Star Wars.
After director Gareth Edwards gave him his email, Riz reportedly ended up sending over 10 different takes and interpretations of the character.
Now, for those outside the industry, that may not sound particularly unusual.
For actors, it certainly is.
Normally, you audition, submit your tape through the appropriate channels, whether that’s through your representative or a self-submission. That’s the process.
What made this story stand out was that Riz Ahmed didn’t stop after that first submission. He kept exploring the character, trying different approaches, and sending new interpretations.
When I first read about it, I remember being surprised because it went against so much of what actors are taught in this industry.
That was one of those moments that reminded me: no one knows everything.
Many actors would worry about overstepping. Many would fear annoying the creative team. Some industry professionals would strongly advise against it.
Yet in this particular case, it worked.
Now, am I suggesting actors start sending dozens of unsolicited tapes to directors? Absolutely not.
That’s not the lesson.
The lesson is that there are very few universal formulas in this business.
There are best practices. There are industry norms. There are approaches that generally serve actors well.
But every career is different.
Sometimes people succeed by following conventional wisdom. Sometimes they succeed because they trusted an instinct that others would have talked them out of.
The goal isn’t to ignore professional standards.
The goal is to avoid letting fear, assumptions, or other people’s limitations dictate every decision you make.
Learn the business. Respect the process. Listen to advice.
But don’t forget to think for yourself.
What’s interesting is that I’ve seen this same principle play out outside of acting as well.
Years ago, a photographer friend of mine had his heart set on working with a well-known Canadian photographer. He didn’t simply want a job. He wanted a mentor.
He wanted to learn from him, travel with him, assist him on shoots, and understand how he operated at the highest level.
So he reached out by phone.
Nothing.
He left another message.
Still nothing.
Then another.
And another.
Most people would have stopped.
Most people would have assumed the lack of response was the answer.
But something in him told him to try one more time.
On the fourth attempt, the photographer finally answered.
What happened next surprised him.
Instead of being annoyed, the photographer told him that if he hadn’t called again, he never would have been given the opportunity.
Why?
Because he was looking for someone with perseverance. Someone who wouldn’t give up at the first obstacle. Someone with determination and initiative. Someone who truly wanted to work with him.
That conversation changed everything.
My friend ended up working with him, learning from him, traveling with him, and building a successful career of his own.
Now, does this mean everyone should call people four times?
Of course not.
That’s not the lesson.
The lesson is that sometimes we reject ourselves before the other person has even made a decision.
Sometimes we assume we’re being annoying when we’re actually demonstrating commitment.
Sometimes we assume a door is closed when in reality it simply hasn’t opened yet.
And maybe that’s the biggest lesson in all of this:
No one knows everything.
People can guide you. People can share their experiences. People can give you valuable advice.
But at the end of the day, no one knows exactly how your story will unfold.
You have to use judgment. You have to be respectful. You have to understand context.
But you also have to trust yourself enough to take chances, follow your instincts, and stop allowing fear to make decisions for you.
Because some of the opportunities that shape our careers exist on the other side of one more email, one more phone call, one more audition, or one more attempt.
The videos below resonated with me because they challenge assumptions and encourage actors to think differently. Many of the ideas shared reflect lessons, perspectives, and reminders that I’ve witnessed firsthand throughout my own journey.
As you watch them, don’t focus on whether every piece of advice is universally true. Instead, ask yourself a different question:
What can I learn from this perspective, and how can I apply it to my own career?
Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen when we stop rejecting ourselves before the industry has the chance to decide.
I love this perspective from Laz Alonso.
As an Afro-Latino actor, he raises a point that I think many actors wrestle with throughout their careers: Should I even audition if I’m not exactly what they originally had in mind?
He shared a story about encouraging his representatives to submit him for Latino roles. He talked about walking into auditions, speaking with a Latino accent, and bringing that part of himself into the room.
What I found fascinating was how quickly perception can change.
Watching the video, I understood exactly what he meant. The moment he started speaking with the accent, my perception shifted. Suddenly, I wasn’t looking at him the same way I had been moments earlier.
That’s something actors sometimes forget.
People often form opinions about what they think casting directors, producers, or audiences will see. But acting has a way of changing perception.
We’ve seen it happen countless times with British and Australian actors who audition for American roles. Audiences are often shocked to discover later that the actor isn’t American at all because the performance was so convincing.
I remember feeling something similar while watching The Two Popes. Jonathan Pryce is Welsh. He was born in Wales and is ethnically Welsh/British. Yet in The Two Popes, he portrayed Pope Francis, who is Argentine and of primarily Italian heritage.
What fascinated me was how the performance affected my perception of him. At one point, I found myself wondering whether he might actually have Latin roots because he seemed so natural in the role. I even looked it up afterward. To my surprise, he wasn’t Argentine, he wasn’t Latino, and Spanish wasn’t a language he already spoke.
That’s the power of performance.
And that’s why I think it’s dangerous when actors decide they aren’t right for something before they’ve even had the chance to audition.
Too many actors talk themselves out of opportunities by saying:
“This isn’t my background.”
“I’m probably not what they’re looking for.”
“I don’t sound like someone from that world.”
“There are people who fit this role better than I do.”
“I’ll never get it anyway.”
If casting brings you in, they’ve already decided you’re worth seeing.
For those who aren’t familiar with how the casting process works, getting an audition through representation is not as simple as your agent pressing a button and sending you in.
For many roles, hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of submissions come in from agents and managers. Casting directors then have to go through those submissions and decide who they actually want to see.
So when an audition lands in your inbox, someone has already looked at your headshot, resume, reel, or profile and decided you’re worth bringing into the process.
That’s why I never understand actors who immediately talk themselves out of an opportunity.
If casting wants to see you, stop worrying about whether you’re the perfect fit.
Do the work.
Prepare.
Make strong choices.
And let them decide.
Your job isn’t to decide whether you’re right for the role. Your job is to prepare, do the work, and give them your best audition.
I’ve always approached auditions this way. Recently, I auditioned for a Russian character, a Mexican character, and a South Asian character. My agent submitted me, the casting teams reviewed my materials, and they decided they wanted to see me. Why would I say no?
That’s when the work begins.
Learn the accent. Research the culture. Understand the character. Bring your best work to the self-tape.
As actors, we’re not only auditioning for a role. We’re auditioning for casting directors, producers, and directors who may remember us for future projects.
Of course, performing an entire scene in a language you don’t speak is a different challenge altogether. That’s not what I’m talking about here.
I’m talking about English-language roles that require an accent, a specific cultural background, nationality, or heritage different from your own. Sometimes those roles may also require you to speak a few words or short phrases in another language, which is very different from carrying an entire scene in that language.
If casting wants to see you, don’t reject yourself.
Do the work.
Prepare as thoroughly as you can.
Then let them decide.
I loved this video because it perfectly illustrates something I’ve been talking about for a long time: the importance of the first few moments of an audition.
In fact, I wrote an entire article about mastering the first 10 seconds of an audition before I ever came across this clip. When I later watched this interview, I found it fascinating because the casting director was describing exactly what I had been trying to communicate.
What stood out to me wasn’t simply that the first 10 seconds matter.
It’s why they matter.
Many actors hear that phrase and immediately assume casting directors are judging them based on a line of dialogue, a smile, or a specific acting choice.
But that’s not what she’s saying.
She’s talking about your presence.
Your essence.
Your understanding of the character.
The moments before you speak.
The way you carry yourself.
The story you’re already telling before the first line leaves your mouth.
One of the things I found most refreshing was her honesty when she explained her process. She admits that she’ll often identify a tape as “the one to beat,” compare other auditions against it, and sometimes discover she was wrong.
That’s important for actors to hear.
Casting directors are highly skilled professionals, but they are also human beings. They are evaluating performances, making judgments, reassessing those judgments, and occasionally changing their minds.
Which means actors should be careful not to eliminate themselves before the casting team has had the opportunity to make that decision.
You may think you’re not right for the role.
You may think someone else is a better fit.
You may assume your audition isn’t strong enough.
And yet, the very people making the decision may see something you don’t.
That’s why your job isn’t to predict the outcome.
Your job is to prepare, make strong choices, and trust your work.
Let them decide what happens next.
I loved this video because it highlights something I believe every actor should remember:
Never stop getting better.
Not because success is guaranteed.
Not because talent alone is enough.
But because growth matters.
Building a professional acting career is both an art and a business.
The craft of acting matters.
Understanding the business matters.
And neglecting either one can limit your growth.
Over the years, I’ve seen actors focus exclusively on acting training and performance skills while paying very little attention to the business side of their careers. I’ve also seen actors focus heavily on visibility, networking, marketing, and self-promotion while neglecting their development as performers.
Neither approach is ideal.
Today’s actors are often expected to understand far more than acting technique alone. They need to understand industry terminology, how to take direction, and the practical realities of the medium they work in.
For stage actors, that may include rehearsal processes, stage directions, blocking, and working with an audience.
For actors working on camera, that may also include concepts such as framing, continuity from shot to shot, eyelines, set etiquette, how to take direction from a director, coverage, and camera awareness.
One resource I often recommend to actors interested in film and television is Michael Caine’s film acting masterclass. Not only does he discuss acting, but he also explores important on-camera concepts such as framing, eyelines, and working with the camera.
I first discovered it while I was in theatre school after finding it in the college library. I watched it, took notes, and learned a tremendous amount from it.
But technical knowledge is only one part of the equation.
Actors also need to understand branding, relationships, positioning, communication, and the business side of the industry.
After all, it’s called “show business” for a reason.
I’ve seen actors spend countless hours worrying about who to contact, which event to attend, or how to get in front of the right people. Those things are important. But if the work isn’t there, if the performances aren’t there, if the self-tapes aren’t showcasing your strongest abilities, then all the visibility in the world won’t create long-term momentum.
Now, does that mean the most talented actors always succeed the fastest?
Of course not.
We’ve all seen actors with extraordinary talent struggle while other actors who appear less naturally gifted create more opportunities for themselves.
That doesn’t necessarily mean those actors are doing nothing right. Many are actively training, improving their craft, and developing strengths in other areas of the business.
Maybe they understand visibility better.
Maybe they’re exceptional networkers.
Maybe they have stronger relationships.
Maybe they know how to position themselves.
Maybe they’re highly confident, resilient, and refuse to quit.
Maybe their timing simply aligned with an opportunity.
One of my theatre school professors, Steven Lecky, used to say something that has stayed with me throughout my career: acting is a skill.
Some people may begin with more natural talent than others, but acting is still something that can be developed through study, practice, experience, and repetition.
Just as acting can be learned and improved through practice, many of the business-related skills actors need can also be learned and improved.
Confidence can be developed. Communication can be developed. Networking can be developed. Marketing can be developed. Relationship-building can be developed. Career strategy can be developed. Understanding how the industry works can be developed.
That’s one of the reasons I often say a professional acting career is built from a cocktail of ingredients.
Every actor’s mix will look different, but rarely is one ingredient alone enough.
One thing I always try to remember is this:
No matter how talented you are, no matter how talented someone else is, and no matter how gifted or less gifted you believe yourself to be, always remember one thing:
You have the right to be here as much as anyone else.
This became my personal mantra when I was younger and fresh out of theatre school, and it’s something I still tell myself today.
I remember arriving at auditions and looking around the room at all the other actors. Some were more experienced. Some were more skilled. Some were more confident. Some were better looking. Some seemed to have everything going for them.
It’s easy to look around and feel intimidated.
But one thing I eventually realized is that there will always be someone who is better than you at something.
There will always be someone more experienced.
Someone more skilled.
Someone more connected.
Someone more attractive.
That doesn’t negate the fact that you have every right to be there too.
You have every right to pursue the opportunity.
And you have every right to pursue the career you want to build.
What resonated with me most in this video was the idea that people who once said no can later become your biggest supporters.
Why?
Because growth is visible.
The agent who wasn’t interested three years ago may feel differently today.
The casting director who passed on you before may see something entirely new in your work.
The producer who overlooked you may eventually come back around.
Not because you chased them harder.
Because you got better.
Better as an actor.
Better at understanding the business.
And better at creating opportunities for yourself.
This may be one of the more controversial videos in this collection, but I love hearing actors discuss their process because it reminds us that there is no single “correct” way to work.
What stood out to me in this clip was when James Spader spoke about sustaining the exploration of a character throughout the course of filming.
That idea resonates deeply with me because I think many actors, especially early in their careers, feel pressure to have every answer before they step on set.
Of course we should prepare.
We should read the script, analyze the material, make choices, do our research, and arrive ready to work.
But preparation and discovery are not opposites.
In many cases, discovery continues throughout the entire process.
I’ve experienced this myself, particularly in television. Scripts change. Scenes change. New information about a character emerges. Directors bring new ideas. Writers adjust storylines. Sometimes you learn something about your character on set that wasn’t available to you during your initial preparation.
I’ve experienced something similar on stage as well. Sometimes you can perform a scene or a play dozens of times and suddenly discover something new about the character, the relationships, or the meaning of a moment that hadn’t fully clicked before. The work continues to evolve even after opening night.
That’s why I think it’s dangerous when actors become overly attached to a single interpretation.
“My character would never do that.”
“My character wouldn’t say that.”
“My character wouldn’t think that way.”
But human beings are often contradictory.
People surprise themselves every day.
Characters can surprise us too.
One of the reasons I find acting so fascinating is that it is both preparation and exploration at the same time.
Some actors, like Anne Hathaway, are known for asking extensive questions before filming so they can arrive with a very clear understanding of the character and story. They want answers before stepping on set.
Others discover more through rehearsal and the filming process itself.
James Spader’s comments about his work on White Palace (which, by the way, is a superb film that I highly recommend) reflect a similar philosophy.
In the clip above, he speaks about not fully understanding the character at the outset and allowing that understanding to develop throughout the filming process. Rather than feeling pressured to have every answer on day one, he left room for exploration and discovery as the project unfolded.
Neither approach is inherently right or wrong.
The goal isn’t to blindly copy another actor’s process.
The goal is to find the process that allows you to do your best work.
And sometimes that process includes techniques, exercises, or ideas you’ve learned from other actors, teachers, directors, or coaches.
Many actors spend years experimenting with different approaches before discovering what works best for them.
Some methods will resonate with you. Others won’t.
Some you’ll adopt exactly as they are. Others you’ll adapt and make your own.
What matters is not where the technique came from.
What matters is whether it helps you do truthful, compelling work.
What also matters is remaining curious enough to keep exploring, even after the cameras start rolling.
The more actors I study, the more I realize that the most successful performers are not necessarily the ones who have all the answers immediately. They are the ones who remain open enough to keep discovering new ones.
I wanted to end this collection with a clip from John Lithgow because I think it contains one of the most important lessons an actor can learn.
Create a creative life that doesn’t depend entirely on someone else’s permission.
One of the biggest challenges actors face is that so much of the profession is outside of our control.
We can’t control who gets the audition.
We can’t control who gets the callback.
We can’t control who gets cast.
What we can control is what we choose to create.
That’s why I love what Lithgow says about giving yourself a goal, a project, or a creative pursuit that belongs entirely to you.
Something that doesn’t depend on someone calling you and offering you a job.
Throughout my own career, I’ve tried to follow that philosophy.
I’ve written children’s books.
I’ve produced my own show, Catching Up with Christine Solomon.
I’ve created, produced, and performed in my own live shows.
I’ve built consulting services for actors.
I’ve launched Cast Forward.
But creative growth doesn’t always have to take the form of a project.
During quieter periods, I’ve also invested in learning. I’ve studied new accents. I’ve read books on acting, art, psychology, personal development, philosophy, marketing, public relations, business, and storytelling. I’ve explored subjects that, at first glance, may seem unrelated to acting but have ultimately helped me become a better artist, entrepreneur, and communicator.
Not every season of your career will be about performing.
Some seasons are about learning.
Some are about creating.
Some are about building.
Some are about preparing for opportunities you can’t yet see.
The important thing is to keep moving forward.
And more importantly, none of those projects required someone else to hire me first.
They required initiative.
They required creativity.
Most importantly, they allowed me to continue growing even during periods when acting opportunities were quieter.
I often tell actors that waiting is one of the most dangerous habits in this business.
Waiting for an agent.
Waiting for an audition.
Waiting for permission.
Waiting for someone else to decide you’re ready.
What if, instead, you spent that time creating?
What if you wrote something?
Produced something?
Learned a new skill?
Started a project?
Collaborated with other artists?
The goal isn’t simply to stay busy.
The goal is to build a creative life that remains fulfilling regardless of what happens with the next audition.
Ironically, that’s often when opportunities begin to appear.
Because you’re no longer sitting on the sidelines waiting for your career to happen.
You’re actively building it.
And perhaps my favorite part of Lithgow’s advice is when he says to make life exciting for yourself.
Not because it’s trendy.
Not because it looks good on social media.
But because curiosity, creativity, and momentum are often the very things that keep artists moving forward during the inevitable ups and downs of this profession.
Your acting career is important.
But your creative life is bigger than any single role.
Don’t wait for someone else to give you something to do.
Create something of your own.
From the Cast Forward Archive
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