“Omaha” lead John Magaro was 28 when he bombed on his audition for David Chase’s “Not Fade Away,” the actor stated throughout a hearth chat on the IndieWire Studio, introduced by Dropbox. Nicely, really, his authentic tryout went very nicely — it was the callback that was a catastrophe. Why? Magaro says he failed by doing “the worst factor you are able to do” as an auditioning actor.
“I used to be persevering with to do the identical factor. I used to be doing what I assumed you have been alleged to do as an actor — what different individuals have been doing,” Magaro stated. “And on the time, there was a factor — and I don’t know in the event that they do that anymore — however I bear in mind getting casting notices, like— you’ll get an audition from the casting director and [it would read]: ‘Jesse Eisenberg-type.’ ‘Michael Cera-type.’ And I’d be like, nicely simply solid them.” Don’t say that. It’s the worst factor you may inform an actor as a result of then all you’re gonna do is go in there and try to do that. It’s simply shit.”
However Magaro wasn’t simply doing impressions of different particular actors — those they actually wished — he utilized the misguided method to style auditions as nicely.
“It’s a spy film, or no matter. And also you’re like, nicely, that is how they act in spy films, so I’m gonna do it this manner,” he stated. “It’s the worst factor you are able to do. You’re not providing something new, you’re not providing your self, you’re not being sincere. That’s once I realized that honesty was my focus, and I didn’t give a shit anymore. I wasn’t working anyway, so I’d as nicely change the system as a result of what I used to be doing wasn’t working.”
Nicely, OK, so he nonetheless gave a shit.
“It’s so glib to say ‘don’t give a shit,’ as a result of that’s not what it’s,” Magaro self-corrected. “It’s mainly: Do what you might want to do. Take a look at the phrases and make them your individual. Don’t do what you suppose you might want to do. Let your self be stunned.”
“On the coronary heart of it it’s about being open,” he continued. “That’s what it’s actually about.”
A lot time had handed between his first (good!) audition and second (horrible!) for “Not Fade Away” {that a} new casting director satisfied Chase to provide Magaro one final likelihood. Fortuitously, that six-month hole was the identical span by which Magaro stopped giving a shit began being open with himself.
Not solely did Magaro get the function of Douglas within the 2012 movie, he was later solid as Younger Silvio in Chase’s “The Soprano’s” prequel film “That Many Saints of Newark.”
After getting the nod from Chase, Magaro gained the approval of Celine Track (“Previous Lives”), Kelly Reichardt (“First Cow”), Adam McKay (“The Massive Brief”), Todd Haynes (“Carol”), and others. Within the dialog with IndieWire’s Chris O’Falt, Magaro acknowledged his profession “momentum.” However he hasn’t forgotten in regards to the struggles.
“There’s many instances I’m considered calling it quits. That point specifically I used to be turning into a cab driver,” Magaro recalled. “That’s when cabs have been nonetheless round in New York Metropolis, I suppose now you’d be an Uber driver. However I used to be how can I get taxi-cab coaching, and get a medallion and all that type of stuff. As a result of I used to be like, I’m not creating wealth [acting], this isn’t working.”
Nowadays, it’s working and he’s creating wealth. Simply, you understand, indie cash.
Watch the complete interview with Magaro above.
“Omaha,” written by Robert Machoian and directed by Cole Webley, premiered on the Sundance Movie Pageant. It’s looking for U.S. distribution.
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