8 Celebs Who Share Their Shocking And Craziest Audition Stories

Auditions can either discover a true talent or sprout some of Hollywood's most embarrassing incidents. When it comes to auditioning stories, the most memorable frequently involve the unexpected; a serendipitous discovery or an unmitigated tragedy. If the tryout tapes are published, they can emphasize the performers' incredible talents and demonstrate how far they've progressed.
There are stories about performers swinging hard, directors throwing curveballs, and so on.
Most actors go on a slew of auditions before they break through, and even the biggest celebs have some truly terrible audition experiences to share from their days as failing hopefuls. Many of these experiences contain amusing misunderstandings, excessive conduct, or a truly embarrassing experience, but they are all among the most bizarre auditions we've ever heard. If there's one thing these stories have in common, it's that these events have stayed with the actors' minds all these years (and many successes) later—some for good, some for terrible.

#1 Riz Ahmed

Source: @rizahmed

Riz Ahmed, who plays Bodhi Rook in Rogue One, was another actor who went all out for a job. Director Gareth Edwards may have regretted handing Ahmed his email address as they waited for the film's brass to determine whether or not to cast him. In the meantime, Ahmed began bombarding Edwards with audition tapes. "I started dressing up and doing odd accents," Ahmed explained. According to Vanity Fair, when the director was ultimately contacted, he mistook it for a restraining order.

#2 Dakota Johnson

Source: @dakotajohnson

You'd think celebrities would be embarrassed to remove their clothing at an audition, but Dakota Johnson got so into character while auditioning for an undisclosed film that she removed her top without being asked. "It's still embarrassing, and I'm more embarrassed that I just told that tale," Johnson admitted to The Hollywood Reporter.

#3 Damon Wayans Jr.

Source: @mrdamon2

It goes without saying that auditioning while drunk is a horrible idea, and Wayans' experience of auditioning for a role after a night of partying exemplifies why: "I stumbled through the blue curtain." 'Guys, this room is insane,' I said. 'Is this a movable room?' I attempted to spin it as if it were their responsibility."

#4 Emilia Clarke

Source: @emilia_clarke

Clarke appears to have been more than a bit eager to land the role of Daenerys Targaryen in HBO's Game of Thrones. The British actress volunteered to make tea for the executives before admitting, "[Co-creator and showrunner] David Benioff recommended I do a dance...and so I did." "I'm not sure how I did it, but I did the crazy chicken." And I sort of mutated into the robot."

#5 Lea Michele

Source: @leamichele

She was probably too rattled up from her automobile accident to be nervous about her Glee audition. According to E News, the actress recalls "a major automobile crash outside of the Fox lot..." Michele, on the other hand, proved to be a true trooper. She made it to the audition later that day, and while picking glass out of her hair, she assured everyone that she was alright.

#6 Drew Barrymore

Source: @drewbarrymore

Barrymore recalls thinking, "This is a low point," when she found herself in a basement with a casting assistant doing a scene that required her to act out an erotic encounter on her own, telling The Sun: "I have to do this oral thing with this guy's hand, and no one was there so I had to do it to myself." It was, without a doubt, the most embarrassing experience."

#7 Shia LaBeouf

Source: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP

Given LaBeouf's outrageous reputation, it's hard to know when to take him seriously, but journalists assumed he was joking when he described auditioning for the 2013 drama Nymphomaniac, saying he sent writer/director Lars von Trier "...videotapes of me and my girlfriend having sex and that's how I got the job."

#8 Felicity Huffman

Source: AP: Michael Dwyer, File

The American Crime star recalls an "awful" audition for an ingenue part. The reading may have been flat, but Huffman's chest was not, thanks to all the toilet tissue she packed in her bra. When she reached down to pick up her bag, the toilet paper flew out of her dress, further humiliating her. She stated to Hollywood.com "...I had to pick up my ego and walk out of the room with my toilet paper."