When The Script is Bad

Episode #384

September 15, 2025

Welcome back to Casting Actors Cast! Every actor has been there—you get a script with dialogue so flat it sounds like it was written by a robot, or jokes that don’t land, or lines that just feel painfully cliché. And yet… you still have to make it work. This is one of the greatest tests for an actor: how to deliver weak writing with strength, authenticity, and commitment.

Here’s the secret: casting directors know when the material isn’t great. They’re not waiting for you to magically “fix” it. What they are waiting for is to see if you can rise above it—to make the material playable, believable, and watchable. That’s what we’re going to tackle today.

🔑 Expanded Bullet Points

1. Your Job Isn’t to Fix the Script—it’s to Make It Playable

• You’re not a script doctor. Don’t rewrite, don’t comment, don’t apologize.

• Your job is to bring the words to life as written, even if they’re clunky.

• Casting directors think: if this actor can make bad writing work, imagine what they’ll do with a good script.

2. Find the Humanity

• Every line, no matter how weak, can come from a real human being.

• Search for intention, subtext, or a natural tone to lift flat words.

• Example: Instead of saying “I love you” like it’s pasted in, find what your character is really doing—are they convincing, reassuring, confessing?

3. Lean Into Connection

• If the words feel thin, double down on your scene partner.

• Authentic eye contact and listening elevate even clumsy dialogue.

• Example: Soap operas—often ridiculed for their writing—still connect with audiences because actors commit fully to the relationship, not the words.

4. Clarity Wins

• Don’t layer in unnecessary subtext or clever tricks to “hide” the bad writing.

• Keep your delivery clean, simple, and clear.

• The goal is: make it easy for the audience to follow the story, no matter how weak the script is.

5. Practice Tool

• Grab a script from a Hallmark holiday movie, a daytime soap, or even a high school play.

• Perform it two ways:

1.    As written, but leaning into honesty and connection.

2.    Overcomplicating with “actor tricks.”

• Compare the two. The honest version always feels stronger.

 Closing / Call-to-ActionSo, the next time you’re handed a bad script, don’t roll your eyes—see it as your chance to shine. If you can play truthfully with weak material, you’ll prove you’re a reliable, bookable actor.

 Homework: Find a “bad” script this week—cheesy, predictable, even cringe-worthy. Record yourself performing it with total sincerity and focus on connection. Then watch it back. If you believe yourself, casting directors will too.