Stop Trying to Be Good. Be Specific!

Welcome to Casting Actors Cast, where we turn good intentions into great

auditions. I’m Jeffrey Dreisbach — casting director, teacher, and today, your guide through one of my favorite acting truths: stop trying to be good. Be specific.”

Segment 1: The Trap of “Being Good”

“Let’s face it. Actors are perfectionists. You want to be good. You want validation. You want to walk out thinking, ‘That was solid. I nailed it.’ But here’s the thing: ‘Good’ is boring. It’s vague. It’s safe. You can be good and still forgettable. Specific, on the other hand, is what makes you pop.

Think of it this way: good is like vanilla ice cream. Specific is like vanilla ice cream with sea salt, caramel, and just a dash of chili flakes. You don’t forget that.”

Segment 2: Why Specificity Wins Every Time

“When you make specific choices — about who you’re talking to, what you want, what’s in your way, and what you’re feeling — you invite the audience into your world.

As a casting director, I’ve seen hundreds of readings where the actor delivered every line correctly, hit every beat — and it still left me cold. Then someone comes in, makes a strong, oddly personal choice — and suddenly the scene lives.

That’s the magic of specificity. It’s the difference between acting that’s impressive and acting that’s alive.”

Segment 3: Examples and Insights

“Let’s say you have the line, ‘I don’t care anymore.’

If you’re trying to be ‘good,’ you’ll probably play it evenly — maybe sad, maybe detached. But if you’re specific — if you know you’re saying that to your brother who’s betrayed you for the third time — now it’s full of complexity. Maybe it’s anger hiding heartbreak. Maybe it’s relief.

That’s what draws us in. Specificity reveals story.”

Segment 4: Practical Tips for Being Specific

1. Name the relationship.

   
   

   “Who are you talking to? ‘My partner’ isn’t enough. ‘The person who once knew every secret about me and now barely looks at me’ — that’s specific.”

2. Define the want.

   
   

   “What do you need from the other person right now? Not ‘I want to win.’ Try: ‘I want them to admit I matter.’”

3. Play the opposites.

   
   

   “If the scene seems angry, find the tenderness underneath. Real people hold contradictions.”

4. Anchor your choices in truth.

   
   

   “Specific doesn’t mean invented. It means rooted. Use your imagination to illuminate reality, not to decorate it.”

Segment 5: My Favorite Example from Casting

“There was a young actor who auditioned for a role in a TV pilot — a son confronting his father. Everyone played it angry. This one actor? He played it quietly, almost tenderly. He listened. He smiled in the middle of the pain. The director leaned over to me and whispered, ‘That’s the one.’ Why? Because the performance wasn’t just good — it was specific. And specific feels like truth.”

Closing Thoughts

“So, if you take one thing from today’s episode, let it be this: Don’t chase approval. Chase truth.

Specificity isn’t about showing off your ‘acting choices’ — it’s about giving us a reason to believe you. Because when you’re specific, you’re not performing anymore… you’re living.”

“Thanks for spending time with me today on Casting Actors Cast. If this episode sparked something, share it with your fellow actors or drop me a message — I love hearing how these ideas show up in your auditions.”

“Until next time, remember: stop trying to be good. Be specific. The audience — and casting directors — will thank you.”