Working actors face mounting pressure as self-taping auditions become the norm, even for live theatrical performances. Once a necessity under the oppression of COVID-19, presenting high-quality, self-produced videos is now an assumed part of the casting process. Agents and actors also report they rarely hear back from casting directors in a timely fashion, which impacts actors’ mental health.
The trend has sparked outrage internationally, and many Hollywood heavyweights have criticised it, including Olivia Colman and Andrew Scott. ‘It’s horrific,’ Andrew Scott told Interview magazine. Colman and Scott are lucky to have established a foothold in the industry before the trend became ubiquitous. ‘I wouldn’t have gotten where I am if I’d had to do self-tapes,’ Colman added.
