For better or worse, these celebrity audition tapes have left their mark on pop culture. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most entertaining audition tapes actors submitted in hopes of landing a part.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Don't make me laugh! Don't make me laugh!
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most entertaining audition tapes actors submitted in hopes of landing a part.
00:10Like, totally.
00:13Number 20, Lea Michele, Glee.
00:15Few TV characters have been as perfectly cast as Rachel Berry on Glee.
00:19You might laugh because every time I sign my name I put a gold star after it, but it's a metaphor.
00:24And metaphors are important. My gold stars are a metaphor for me being a star.
00:29But funnily enough, actress Lea Michele almost missed her shot at the role, as she got in a car accident on her way to the audition.
00:35Still, she arrived just in time, and basically channeled Rachel throughout.
00:39First, the piano player flubbed a part of the routine, so in classic Rachel fashion, Michele stopped mid-performance to correct him.
00:45My own, pretending he's beside me.
00:52Hooray!
00:54We have to go back to the second part.
00:57Then, during what she thought was a serious scene, the casting crew started laughing, prompting Michele to break character and scold them.
01:03That wasn't supposed to be funny, that was my serious scene.
01:06She initially believed she had blown it, but that was the most Rachel thing she could have done.
01:10It's no wonder she pretty much landed the role on the spot.
01:12Number 19, Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana.
01:15Miley Cyrus became a global sensation thanks to Hannah Montana, but it's amusing to think she nearly missed out on the part.
01:21I need two incredible seats for tomorrow night.
01:23Sorry, I'm sold out.
01:25Aged 11 at the time of her first audition, Cyrus was deemed too young, but she kept auditioning, and her persistence paid off.
01:31Watching these tapes now is clear to see why.
01:33I can't help it, it's Jackson's birthday, and we're having a party, and I'm being-
01:36Wait a minute.
01:38He had a birthday like six weeks ago.
01:40Okay, oh yeah, I do want to have to tell you this.
01:43It's not his birthday.
01:45It's his puppy's birthday!
01:48The fresh-faced Cyrus recites the lines with an adorable charm and a distinctive southern accent that already seemed tailor-made for the character.
01:55In one scene, she even teams up with her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, to create a signature handshake that leaves the casting crew in stitches.
02:01Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo!
02:03Ha, hoo!
02:05It's hard to picture anyone else in the role, and thankfully, the producers felt the same.
02:09Number 18, Chris Pratt, Parks and Recreation.
02:12Chris Pratt might be a Hollywood heavyweight now, but he was once just another actor hustling for his big break.
02:17This audition tape for the role of Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation marked the beginning of his rise.
02:22Oh, hey, baby, if you're going to the kitchen, could you make me pancakes real quick?
02:25In the clip, which Amy Poehler called the best audition she'd ever seen,
02:29Pratt brings Andy to life with that unmistakable, I-literally-just-rolled-out-of-bed energy we all came to love.
02:34Okay, I'm going to the meeting.
02:36Wait, what meeting?
02:38The thing, the meeting with the city government.
02:41Oh my god, are you actually doing that?
02:45This is so embarrassing.
02:46His low, raspy voice and perfectly timed pauses between his sentences make the whole thing an absolute joy to watch.
02:53I just feel lame. It's like my girlfriend is fighting my battles for me.
02:57Well, I'm just going to talk to these government guys and tell them they have to fill in this stupid pit.
03:02Do you not want me to go?
03:03No. Go.
03:07And judging by the laughter in the background, the casting crew was hooked right from the start.
03:11Number 17, Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl, Knocked Up.
03:14One of the main reasons why the 2007 comedy Knocked Up works is the electric chemistry between the unexpected,
03:20but perfect pairing of Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen.
03:23I'm pregnant.
03:25With emotion?
03:26With a baby.
03:28You're the father.
03:30I'm the father?
03:31Yes.
03:32You can see it clearly in this audition clip.
03:34Their banter seems completely effortless as the tension ramps up with every line.
03:38What was he playing with his little friends?
03:40That was so selfish. It's so unbelievably selfish.
03:43It's so selfish. I totally agree with that.
03:45Even though they're both seated, their explosive argument plays out like they're shouting from opposite sides of the room,
03:50which makes it even funnier. The most impressive part?
03:53They managed to hold it together until the very end.
03:55Are you sure? Before I get out of the car, are you sure you want me to get out of the car?
04:01Get out of the car. Oh my God, get out of the car.
04:05It's a shame things turned out the way they did because we could have used more Heigl and Rogen movies in our lives.
04:10Number 16, Matthew McConaughey, Dazed and Confused.
04:13Richard Linklater's second film, Dazed and Confused, introduced a crop of fresh-faced actors who would go on to become Hollywood A-listers.
04:20One of them was Matthew McConaughey.
04:22All right, all right, all right.
04:25In his audition for David Wooderson, the role that would ultimately become his breakthrough.
04:29Say, man, you got to join us and be a lot cooler if you did.
04:37McConaughey oozed laid-back cool from the gecko.
04:40It's a vibe so strong, you want to hop in a car with him, windows down, with the wind running through your hair.
04:46I've been thinking about getting back to school.
04:47Yeah, back in J.C.
04:49Mate, that's right, girl.
04:52Whether he's on the hunt for a good time or workshopping one of the quotable lines that would define him for years,
04:57McConaughey makes it abundantly clear he was born to play this role.
05:00Number 15, Rose Byrne, Get Him to the Greek.
05:04Before the 2010s, Rose Byrne was mostly known as a dramatic actress, thanks in large part to her work on Damages.
05:10So when she decided to try out for the raunchy comedy Get Him to the Greek, even director Nicholas Stoller was shocked she was interested.
05:16He is, he's really passionate.
05:19He's never been to Africa, but he's really passionate about it and about potentially going there.
05:25But Byrne floored them with her audition, going from wasted to hostile to aggressive,
05:29then somehow affectionate, all in less than three minutes.
05:32Are you drunk?
05:33Yes.
05:35Well, I had this party on the condition that you wouldn't be getting in the evening.
05:38No, I know that, but I thought to myself, I just turned 25.
05:42Byrne didn't just play the scandalous Jackie Q, she was Jackie Q.
05:46Her frizzy hair and Aussie accent only added extra flair to the madness.
05:50You have green around you, do you know that?
05:52I have green around me?
05:53Yeah, your aura.
05:54What's that mean?
05:55It's beautiful, it means you're part of the sea.
05:57Honestly, if there was any justice in the world, we'd already have a standalone Jackie Q movie.
06:02Will Ferrell, Saturday Night Live
06:04Will Ferrell's career took off after he joined Saturday Night Live in 1995.
06:08Hey Brandon, Michael, I need you guys to do me a favor and get off the shed.
06:14Fun fact, some of his most iconic characters and sketches came straight from his audition.
06:18He kicked things off with a spot-on impression of legendary sportscaster Harry Caray auditioning for a dramatic play.
06:24Richard, I hate to interrupt you because you're doing such a beautiful job here.
06:28And correct me if I'm wrong,
06:32but my character, Jack Scanty, is the type of guy that could be a neighbor or a work buddy.
06:37Next, he transitioned to Ted Kennedy, peppering his routine with jokes about the senator's rocky political career.
06:43Then, Ferrell introduced his get-off-the-shed character,
06:46a dad at a neighborhood barbecue who gets increasingly annoyed at his rowdy kids.
06:50Anybody want a burger?
06:51Who wants a burger?
06:52These are just about, just about done here.
06:54Get off the goddamn shed!
06:56This sketch eventually became a fan favorite.
07:00Ferrell showcased a breadth of skills that proved why he needed to be one of the SNL cast members.
07:09As the self-proclaimed mayor of Flavortown,
07:11Guy Fieri has spread his culinary tentacles far and wide.
07:14But he might not be where he is today without Food Network star.
07:17I thought I was dead.
07:19Dead.
07:20That pomegranate.
07:21Molasses.
07:22Gnarly.
07:24It all started with this nearly three-minute audition tape, which Fieri reportedly didn't even want to make.
07:29Throughout the clip, Fieri showcased his ability to grab anyone's attention without even trying.
07:33He fired off multiple jokes, laughed at his own wit, and even threw in some colorful language.
07:37He says, you can't put that into rice.
07:39You can't make sushi out of barbecue.
07:41What are you doing, you jackass?
07:43And that's what this dish is called.
07:44It's actually called the jackass roll.
07:46Fieri did a great job introducing himself
07:48before walking through the creation of his signature barbecue-sushi fusion dish.
07:52The idea about cooking is not just about great food.
07:55It's about putting all the pieces.
07:58Do you have a sharp knife? Do you understand sanitation?
08:00From that moment, it was clear Fieri was destined for stardom.
08:03A fact he confirmed by ultimately winning the show's second season.
08:06Number 12, Jim Carrey, Saturday Night Live.
08:09It's hard to believe now, but before he got on In Living Color,
08:12Jim Carrey actually tried out for SNL three times and was rejected every time.
08:16People of New York, I mean you no harm.
08:22Do not fear me.
08:25I come not to destroy,
08:27but to brighten your lives through laughter and merriment.
08:31After watching his second audition tape,
08:33that fact feels even more surprising.
08:35At 23, Carrey performed for the show's producers and senior writers,
08:38but not in front of the big boss, Lorne Michaels.
08:40Then known mostly for his impressions,
08:42Carrey kicked off with his quirky post-nuclear Elvis,
08:45complete with a t-shirt gag and wildly flailing tiny arms.
08:48I said I want more than money.
08:57I'll do you for the show.
08:59He followed that with a more obscure impression of Henry Fonda's character
09:02from the film on Golden Pond.
09:04You want me to pick strawberries?
09:11I'm not sure how to pick strawberries.
09:14Carrey may not have made the cut,
09:17but luckily, he didn't need the job anyway.
09:21Back in 2007, Chris Klein decided to throw his hat in the ring
09:24for a part in the musical Mamma Mia.
09:26After going on a random tangent about Mandy Moore,
09:28Klein proceeds with his audition
09:30before he embarrasses himself further.
09:32But that's exactly what he does
09:34as he delivers a painfully awkward rendition
09:36of ABBA's Lay All Your Love On Me.
09:39So jealous before we met
09:41Now every man that I see
09:43Is a potential threat
09:45It's hard to say which is worse,
09:47the off-key singing,
09:49the frenzied eyebrows,
09:51or the intense eye contact with the camera.
09:53Don't go wasting your emotion
09:59Needless to say, Klein got none of that love
10:01as the role ultimately went to Dominic Cooper.
10:03At least he was able to poke fun at himself
10:05filming a parody of the audition for Funny or Die.
10:07My name's Chris Klein, reading for Twilight.
10:13Bella, I only said it would be better if we weren't friends,
10:15not that I didn't wanna be.
10:19Elliot Page, Juno
10:21Elliot Page definitely brings his own style to acting
10:23and really shows in this screen test
10:25for the independent cult classic Juno.
10:27I'm pregnant.
10:29What? On this blog?
10:31Yeah, yeah, it's bleakers.
10:33Here, we find Page and Olivia Thurlby
10:36auditioning for the roles of Juno and Leah respectively.
10:38While Thurlby's definitely special in her own right,
10:40Page's description of going to the doctor's office
10:42is spot on.
10:44It was like a dentist's office or something
10:46and there were those bad magazines
10:48lying around everywhere, the ones with those
10:50horrible spritz cookie recipes
10:52and bad fiction.
10:54Not to mention, the nonchalant convo about what to do
10:56if they decide to keep the baby.
10:58Well, maybe you could
11:00look at one of those adoption ads.
11:02I see them all the time in the penny saver.
11:05What? You gotta be kidding me.
11:07People put ads in the penny saver
11:09for babies?
11:11Adorable and hilarious.
11:13The undeniable proof that Page was meant for the role
11:15is right on the screen.
11:17Number 9, Scarlett Johansson, Jumanji
11:19Fun fact, Kirsten Dunst wasn't the only future celeb
11:21to audition for this 1995 hit movie.
11:23A young Scarlett Johansson gave her a run
11:25for her money. Kind of.
11:27Well, she turned up anyway.
11:29I've got $67.08.
11:31That'll get you to New York.
11:34Some place where I don't have to go anymore
11:36on school.
11:38We don't know if little Scarlett was just having a bad day,
11:40but eyeball rolls and a lack of enthusiasm
11:42show she clearly didn't want to be there.
11:44Would you forget about this stupid game?
11:46Now close it up and put it away.
11:48She is a kid though,
11:50so maybe her nerves just got to her?
11:52At first she will, but
11:54everybody will be better off this way.
11:56Even though she missed her chance to work alongside Robin Williams,
11:58she ended up building a career of her own,
12:00including fighting bears, aliens,
12:02and everything in between.
12:06Russell Brand's reputation has taken
12:08a pretty big hit in recent years,
12:10but we can't deny the talent he displayed here.
12:22In a completely improvised scene
12:24for his audition for 2008's Forgetting Sarah Marshall,
12:26Brand passive-aggressively argues
12:28with his audition partner about wanting
12:31to go horseback riding,
12:33while she wants to stay at the imaginary hotel
12:35and order room service.
12:49Staying in character,
12:51Brand manages to keep the jokes coming,
12:53leaving the crew laughing throughout.
12:56In fact,
12:58he keeps it up for 4 minutes
13:00of solid entertainment.
13:02No wonder Brand was the best choice
13:04for the role of Aldous,
13:06Marshall's charismatic British rockstar BF.
13:12Caitlin Olsen had only had minor appearances
13:14on screen before her Always Sunny breakthrough,
13:20but here, in what should be a fairly grim scene,
13:22with Charlie revealing that he has cancer,
13:24Olsen's mannerisms and comedic timing
13:26keep us laughing throughout.
13:34In a twist,
13:36the character was so underdeveloped at that point
13:38that the lines she read actually weren't written
13:40for Sweet D.
13:42In fact, the entire scene was not only just between Charlie and Dennis,
13:44but it also was already shot.
13:54They made the right choice casting her though,
13:56and Deandra has since become one of the most liked parts
13:58of the popular show.
14:02Before Seth Rogen started appearing in Judd Apatow movies,
14:04he was on one of his early TV shows.
14:18As Ken Miller, one of the freaks on Freaks and Geeks,
14:20he met other future stars like James Franco
14:23and Jason Segel, who he'd later go on to do other projects with.
14:25This deadpan yet humorous audition
14:27led to him being cast on the show
14:29and catching his big break.
14:37While he doesn't appear to be his
14:39usual self in the tape,
14:41he does drop some of his patented stoner comedy.
14:44The corn and cows will just be there to distract
14:46the heat from my main crop.
14:48The finest reefer the Midwest has ever grown.
14:54This audition has Emma Stone channeling
14:56her inner teen in a webcam confessional.
15:06Trying for the part of Olive Pendergast,
15:08a well-spoken high school student in the movie Easy A,
15:10Stone's comedic timing and facial expressions
15:12make it obvious why she got the part.
15:20Her character confesses that rumors about her
15:22might be her fault, but that there are always
15:24two sides to a story.
15:34Her performance in this tape netted the actress
15:36her first starring role in a movie,
15:38and all without even leaving her bed.
15:42In this 8-minute long audition for Saturday Night Live,
15:44Jimmy Fallon shows off his best comedic skills
15:46doing jaw-dropping impressions of celebs
15:48including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock,
15:50and Adam Sandler.
16:02After showing the casting directors
16:04a few original characters,
16:06he takes his guitar to imitate popular musicians of the time.
16:12He successfully won over the producers
16:14and made his debut on the show in 1998,
16:16reprising some of his impressions
16:18and musical humor.
16:20Love him or hate him, this audition is proof
16:22that even pre-SNL Fallon was on top of his game.
16:25Despite the fact that Yogi Bear and Boo Boo
16:27were animated in the film,
16:29TJ Miller decided to do a screen test
16:31with an actual, real-life bear.
16:33The footage was shot in the studio,
16:35and the actor was able to recreate the character
16:37in real-life conditions.
16:39The actor's voice was recorded
16:41in a real-life audio file,
16:43and the voice actor was able to
16:45voice his character in the video.
16:47The actor's voice was recorded
16:49in a real-life audio file,
16:51and the voice actor was able to
16:54You've seen what I can do in the room,
16:56but now I'd like to give you
16:58more of an idea of
17:00what I'm like interacting with a real bear.
17:02To not be scared out of your
17:04ranger pants is one thing,
17:06but to actually interact with a bear like Miller does
17:08and keep the audition entertaining
17:10takes some serious skill.
17:12Hey Yogi, what are you doing?
17:14Yeah, that's what I thought.
17:16Have you been stealing picnic baskets?
17:18Though Miller has gone through some legal
17:20and personal issues since the film,
17:23there's no denying that someone willing to bounce some lines
17:25off a live bear for the sake of comedy
17:27has got guts.
17:292. Various Actors, The Office
17:31Bonus laughter for this one.
17:33I guess the atmosphere that I've created here
17:35is that I'm a friend first
17:37and a boss second.
17:39Probably an entertainer third.
17:41Auditions for The Office
17:43attracted a lot of current celebs.
17:45Among the lucky are Seth Rogen,
17:47who auditioned for the role of Dwight,
17:49and Bob Odenkirk, who was a contender for Michael Scott
17:51Steve Carell agreed to take the role.
17:53We play hard, and we work hard.
17:55Sometimes we probably play hard
17:57when we should be working hard.
17:59Other celebs make appearances in these auditions too,
18:01like Eric Stonestreet, Katherine Hahn,
18:03and John Cho.
18:05I'm a sales rep, which means that my job
18:07is to speak to clients
18:09on the phone.
18:11However, what actually makes these great
18:13is that the camera shots make it feel like you're
18:15watching an actual, albeit weird,
18:17and underproduced episode of the show.
18:19Before we continue, be sure to subscribe
18:21to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
18:23about our latest videos.
18:25You have the option to be notified for occasional
18:27videos or all of them.
18:29If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
18:31and switch on notifications.
18:35Number 1. Steve Carell
18:37Anchorman, The Legend of Ron Burgundy
18:39Steve Carell's audition for the part of
18:41Brick Tamlin provides us with the most laughs.
18:43Brick, where'd you get a hand grenade?
18:45I don't know.
18:47In his scene, Brick mistakenly takes falafel
18:49from a garbage can, which he thinks is a
18:51food basket. Brick, what are you eating?
18:53Oh, it's one of those delicious
18:55falafel hot dogs with cinnamon
18:57and bacon on top.
18:59What do you mean one of those?
19:01Those don't exist.
19:03That's a used coffee filter
19:05with cigarette butts on it.
19:07The script is already top-notch, but Carell's take
19:09on it makes it even better, leaving the crew
19:11in stitches.
19:13It's terrible!
19:15In fact, he gets so
19:17into it that his face ends up a completely different
19:19color than when he started. We love
19:21Anchorman, but without Carell as our favorite San
19:23Diego weatherman, it definitely would have been lacking.
19:25Are there any of these audition tapes you
19:27thought were better than the actual performance
19:29in the respective film or TV show? Let us know
19:31in the comments below.
19:45you
19:47you
19:49you
19:51you
19:53you