Play. Use Your Power. Create With Gusto: An Appeal To Your Creative Spirit by Robin Carus, Casting Director

Actors — let’s pause for a moment.

In a world full of self-tapes, callbacks, endless waiting rooms (virtual or otherwise), and the constant wondering of “did they or didn’t they see my tape/see me/see what I bring to the table”, it’s easy to forget why we do this work in the first place.

But here’s your reminder: this work is about play. It always has been.

Remember the feeling of stepping into a character for the first time  — not to impress, not to perfect, but just to be. That childlike joy of pretending. Of building a world from a line, a breath, a feeling. Play is not a frivolous luxury. It’s your birthright as an artist. It’s where discovery lives. Where magic starts.

But play doesn’t mean you’re powerless.This is also about power — your power. The ability to walk into a room and shift energy. To tell the truth boldly. To take a story, shape it, and make it breathe. Every time you walk into a room (or press record), you’re not asking for permission to exist. You’re bringing you — your perspective, your energy, your lived experience, your art — and that is your greatest strength.Your power isn’t something to earn — it’s something to remember. To own.

And finally, let’s talk about gusto — that vibrant, unapologetic enthusiasm that cuts through doubt and says: “I am here. I love this. Let’s go.”

Show up with that.

Not to prove yourself. But to claim your space. To remember that acting is not about being picked. It’s about picking yourself — again and again — even when it’s hard, even when you’re tired, even when the world tells you to be smaller.

So here’s your call to action:

Introduce yourself to the person you admire or you wonder if you should connect to. Send the email. Say yes to the scene that scares you. Let yourself be seen — not in perfection, but in truth. You don’t need to wait for someone to open a door. You are the door.This industry needs what you bring — but first, you have to believe you have a right to bring it.

You do.

So get out there. Play. Lead with power. And show up with gusto.

We’re watching. We’re rooting. And we can’t wait to see you shine.

Written by: Robin Carus (Casting Director) has cast everything from iconic commercials to groundbreaking theatre to independent film and television.