Many casting directors talk about how the lack of time in the audition room keeps them from coaching actors through common mistakes. There are stumbling blocks they often don’t have the opportunity to address. But what if casting directors had the chance to share advice with actors that would allow them to walk into every audition with confidence? That chance has arrived.

Dea Vise, whose casting credits include “God’s Not Dead,” “Making a Killing” and “Reach,” tackles the questions that actors need to know.

Is there some essential advice that you think all actors should hear?

“I think actors should know that if casting directors call them in, they want them to get the job. We don’t call people in because we want them to fail and be miserable. We really do want them to do their best and get the job. The other basic audition secret is training. You have to get good training. You wouldn’t put ‘brain surgeon’ on your business card because you decided to be a brain surgeon one day. The same idea applies to acting. Calling yourself an actor before you’ve done the training is doing yourself a disservice because we will remember if you’re terrible, and you don’t want that.”

What are some positive ways an actor can stand out in an audition?

“The best thing an actor can do is to come in prepared, so being off book is important. You will compete at a much higher level if you know the script inside and out. Make strong choices. Even if they’re wrong, we’ll redirect you. Anyone can deliver the lines. Well, that’s not true. Most people can deliver the lines. If you bring a whole world behind your eyes from decisions you’ve made, though, you are more interesting to watch. Everyone will tell you it’s the entertainment business, but don’t ever forget the entertainment part. It’s an art, and actors need to have fun with it because they get the chance to play.”

Do you have a favorite casting story?

“I had an actor named Laurence Fuller come in to audition for a small role in a movie I was casting called ‘Apostle Peter and the Last Supper.’ The director fell in love with his audition and had him read for a bigger part. Laurence ended up booking the bigger role of a guard, but it still was relatively small. He did such a great job and made the guard so interesting, though, that the director rewrote the script and made the story about the apostle Peter’s relationship with this guard. So, Laurence started out reading for a small role and ended up with his name above the movie title.”

As a casting director, is there anything else you’d like actors to know?

“My favorite thing to say to actors is that without them, I don’t have a job. They’re a big part of the equation, and I really want them to know that because they’ve given me my whole life.”

With Vise’s advice in mind, actors can go into future auditions feeling prepared and valued. They will have trained to audition at a high level and can feel reassured with the knowledge that the casting director wants them to succeed. Lines will have been memorized, creative and inventive choices made. And with a little luck, the role they audition for will become even more prominent in the project. As Vise’s own experience proves, one never knows where a really great audition could lead.