is it too much to ask for a little professional courtesy?
This is entirely unrelated to my last post. As far as I know, the show I auditioned for a week and a half ago hasn’t done callbacks or finalized a cast.
Okay. So.
Casting for a TV show asked me to keep some dates open, because they said they wanted to cast me in their show.
Neat! I kept the days open, including rescheduling on other work that conflicted.
So they call us a few times to ensure I’m available … and then they just fucking disappear. They drop off the face of the Earth, and don’t make any effort to return our calls or get in touch.
A few days before the days I kept open arrive, I call the other job, which I had rescheduled, and tell them I’m available after all.
I start work on the other job. It’s really fun and I’m enjoying the process.
My manager and I are talking about something unrelated, and I ask him what the status of the TV show is. Like, did they push production by a week or two? Did they change their mind? What’s should I plan for the next few weeks? He hasn’t heard from them in a week, and since it’s two days into the week they asked me to keep open, we correctly presume the job isn’t happening this week. He calls them, and they tell him, “oh we cast the role with someone else,” and that’s it.
These motherfuckers repeatedly asked me to keep this week open, because they said they wanted to work with me, and then when they decide to cast someone else, they don’t even have the fucking courtesy and professionalism to get in touch with us and let us know that they don’t want to work with me after all. What if I had passed on this job this week? What if I lost the paycheck and the ephemeral, theoretical boost to my career that
It’s so fucking rude, so fucking inconsiderate, so fucking CONTEMPTUOUS of me and my team, I will *never* work for this show. I am nobody’s Plan B, and I have too much self-respect to give these fucking people the time of day if they ever deign to reach out to us again.
You know, Casting, it takes literally one minute to get on the phone or send an email and let us know what you’re doing. Roles go to other people all the time, and it isn’t a big deal. What IS a big deal is giving me and my team the impression that we’re going to work together, and then just fucking ghosting us when you changed your mind.
Actors are people, too, and we deserve the bare minimum of respect when YOU reach out to US about working on YOUR show. Sure, we don’t expect feedback on auditions (it would be nice, but we know you’re seeing 20 actors for each role, and maybe you don’t have time to deal with all of them AND make the deal with the person you cast) BUT! When YOU call ME and ask me to clear my calendar so I’m available for you, and then you just fucking ghost me, you are an unprofessional ass, and I don’t like you very much.
I used to take this shit personally, but I don’t any more. This isn’t about me. This is about an industry that is so far up its own ass, the people who cast actors have stopped caring about us as human beings, and treat us like disposable, interchangeable widgets they can pick up and throw away whenever they feel like it. It’s bullshit, and my heart goes out to all the actors who are starting out right now, and have to deal with this shit every day.
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Welcome to the real world. As one of the western world's 'older displaced workers', I would say that out of the last 100 resumés and/or interviews I've done, I've gotten exactly... hang on, let me count them up... ZERO feedback. The only people that seem to do that anymore are those that put up signs in the window and at least then you get a 'yes' or 'no' while you stand there!
Trust me, it's not just acting. The entire employment aspect of life has changed to a cold and unprofessional entity. We have grown to a society of cooperate and business dictators that strike down who they choose and stomp on whats left. Businesses have known when people are desperate for work, they can approach it however they like. I can't imagine being twenty years younger and having to start again. It's frightening how people have so little respect and compassion for others.
Wow, that is really inconsiderate. I'm sorry that happened to you. I find that people are inherently lacking in any sort of common courtesy today, which is disheartening.
My kids are in the same boat as you. The world's becoming a very sad place. I feel for all of your generation and younger.
That blows dude, sorry they did that. Those A-holes
If I find out what show treated you so poorly, I won't watch it. Sorry they acted like that (or didn't act at all, as the case may be). You deserve better.
As you say, "Actors are people, too, and we deserve the bare minimum of respect when YOU reach out to US about working on YOUR show." I can see why you are Irate over their Callous treatment of you. Their obtusity in cultivating a professional relationship by simply informing you of the change of circumstance was extremely short sighted. I enjoyed reading your rant and I hope that it helped to relieve you of some of your ire regarding this situation. Blessed be.
I feel weird using the "like" button on this, but this is a ridiculous situation. I'm about as far away to that world as I can be, but that kind of unprofessional asshats are everywhere, and that's sad.
Not acting, a different profession. I've interviewed twice with a particular company. Both times recruited by headhunters, both times had to take time off of my job to go to this interview. And both times zero response. No "thanks but no thanks", no "Sorry, not a good fit", not even a "go to hell". Nothing. Zilch. Nada.I am sorry this happened to you, but I have to agree with some other commenters that this behavior seems to be the norm now.
Unfortunately, I think that most of us encounter this kind of thing every day, when dealing with our large appliances, and contractor visits, and various other school and business meetings - it happens everywhere. It even happens when acknowledging or replying to text, emails, and phone calls from FRIENDS!! We've even had this happen with potential jobs for our 17-year-old - potential job, then no word, and no returned phone calls. Our society in general has been heading down the increased rudeness path for a while now, and we're kind of getting sick of it as well. Everyone is busy, everyone has stuff to do, and when you have someone reserve time and then blow them off, it really says "my time is more important than yours, and you don't matter". I'll bet that Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke never envisioned this behavior almost 20 years into the 21st century.
Courtesy is a lost art! That's why I try to treat everyone I help at the library is if they were royalty - we all put up with so much crap every day that when someone goes the extra mile to make your life easier or more enriched you feel ebullient. I am truly sorry that someone treated you in such a shabby manner.
Total BS Wil. You’re right though and it’s not about you at all. This and all the other crap going on is why the more people I meet, the more I like my pets... I just don’t have the time for folks outside of my circle of support and love and don’t feel guilty for feeling like that at all.
Don’t worry man, you’re a damn site more than just an actor. You’re an author as well, which means you belong to us too. Wait till the day those assholes’ are bidding to televise one of your novels and crush the bastards. Power to you!
It sounds like the rest of the world. Rude. Inconsiderate. Unkind.
On one hand, it's nice to see that it's not just my lowly, bottom- to middle-class world that experiences this. On the other much more significant hand, it is a terrible way to treat people no matter WHO they are. It's easy to mis-stereotype actors and actresses, especially ones with successful careers such as yourself, with the social and political elite, and I think the level of identity in social media that has surfaced over the last decade or so just exacerbates the dehumanizing effect. I've always enjoyed your work, Wil, and it sucks that someone would take the coward's way out in avoiding giving a negative answer (or an answer period). For me personally, I could explain no phone call with a severe case of social anxiety involving talking on the phone...but as you said, email, telegram, strip-o-gram, skywriter airplane, or even the traditional mob "sending a message" would be perfectly acceptable. Of course, additions after email are mine.When all else fails, hit the wallets. It seems that's what most of the upper Hollywood types seem to care most about anyways. Good luck!
I'd love to know which show this is. What happened to you was terrible. I will say that I've had similar experiences with jobs I've interviewed for. The company only calls back if they want a follow-up interview or to extend an offer. I think this is how it is. If I wanted to know my status, I called them to inquire. I've always thought it was rude to leave candidates wondering, but I assume companies are too swamped with work to bother. Calling back every candidate they interviewed to tell them, "Sorry, we're hiring someone else" is the last thing they'd carve out time for. :[ It's a really nice courtesy, but sadly, companies don't care about potential employees, only the future employee.
Caroline wrote: "II've always thought it was rude to leave candidates wondering, but I assume companies are too swamped with work to bother. Calling back every candidate they interviewed to tell them, "Sorry, we're hiring someone else" is the last thing they'd carve out time for. :[ It's a really nice courtesy, but sadly, companies don't care about potential employees, only the future employee."A group email would not be time consuming to send and even though impersonal would at least provide helpful information!
That sounds so frustrating!! I’m glad my job doesn’t have to deal with that bullshit. I wonder if it’s related to the practice of ghosting dates? I’ve had so many of those in the last year, it’s crazy. Not that hard to text or pick up the phone! For dates or jobs 😒
There's a lot of people who do this socially too. Maybe, tell them you wont keep the date free without a definite appointment as you have other commitments to schedule? It would certainly weed out the serious gigs from the speculative.
Reminds me of my FIRST interview ever. I did some sort of programming test, answered some questions, and the guy seemed to be very satisfied. When I was leaving, he said: "Hold on". Left for a sec, and came back with his business card!!! A business card, with phone, email and everything!!! And said: "Call me if you have any questions". So after a week, when no one called to congratulate me that I got the job, I did. He told me: "Oh, I don't know anything, they just asked me to do an interview"... So, why did he give me his business card?They LOVE to lead you on, and dangle jobs in front of you, and then just forget you ever existed. I did get "Sorry, you did not get a job" letter once, but it was from a government agency, and it came like 9 months after the interview. And one of the banks I applied to had a nice agent, who answered all my calls... but that's it..
In Software development, at least, assume you didn't get the job, until you've been working on that job for more than 6 months.
Agree 100%! I work in local theatres, and the level of professionalism expected from actors, and the level given back is rarely equal. Frustrating.
I used to do a lot of casting and I cannot tell you how many actors were shocked when I called them back to tell them they didn't get the job. I think it is worse NOT hearing, then hearing No, thank you. I wish the word professionalism was understood. But, alas, it isn't. In ANY business that I have worked. I am sorry this happened to you. It will again (unfortunately).
So sorry this has happened to you Wil. This is not unique. Nowadays, we as a society are us humane. I think that’s why people prefer to spend time with their pets. It’s disgusting how people treat one another these days. Like the other posters encourage you to do forget about it..move on, but never treat other people this way. Thanks for reminding us about that. 100% of the world’s problems would just disappear if people turned to The Bible for answers.
I hate this - Similar things have happened to me in job applications. Like others I dont understand how you could be so rude to not just send a courteous e-mail, its so easy in the modern world. You dont have to look anyone in the eye and 'be nice' you just need a polite 'on this occasion....' it makes me mad and sad and other words that may rhyme...the cads (?) Stay strong F* those guys, what goes around comes around. Be the change you want to see in the world and keep being positive.
Not to make this about me...just showing some solidarity. I once had an employer deliberately wait until Christmas Eve to tell me that I didn't get a job (I interviewed in October and turned down other offers to wait on these guys). I'm not in the performance industry, but assholes are ubiquitous.
Sorry that happened to you, brother. It's their loss; and, for the crew with which you did get to work, their gain. We appreciate you, Wil, and all the hard work you invest in your craft(s). Can't wait to see the development of your next project. Break a leg!
Hi Will - same all over - Im in UK - kind of nice to know we're not alone and it happens to 'famous' people too. People basically have no manners and no concept of respect.Happenef to various family members alot - most recent - My daughter who has got 1st Degree from Oxford went through long interview process 4 weeks ago shed reached final phase - told her shed done great - then nothing totally ghosted...she finally contacted them to ask for feedback ....."we'll get back."...did they fuck !!!happened to me too...welcome to real world😡 we love your work by the way👍😀 and dont let the bastards get u down - Anniei
I'm sorry this happened to you. It's very inconsiderate. I work in HR. Unfortunately it also happens on the other side. We interview applicants and in the middle of the hiring process they ghost us. Or they don't show up to the interview, or even the first scheduled day of work. What has happened to this world? At what point did it become okay to treat others this way? It makes me sad that this is the new norm.
Heidi wrote: "We interview applicants and in the middle of the hiring process they ghost us. Or they don't show up to the interview, or even the first scheduled day of work."WOW! That's terrible.
