Zoom auditions were the norm when film and television production was allowed to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone has been on a Zoom call where someone didn’t realize they left their microphone on, but that was taken to a whole new level in a Zoom audition that actor Lukas Gage posted to his Twitter in November 2020.
In the video, the director on the call left himself unmuted and began commenting on what he perceived to be Gage’s less-than-ideal living conditions. “These poor people live in these tiny apartments,” he regarded without realizing his microphone was on. “Like I’m looking at his background and he’s got his TV and you know…” The actor’s knowing grimace let the director know he had made a grave mistake. Quick as a whip, Gage responds, “I know it’s a s****y apartment, that’s why give me this job so I can get a better one.” Nice save!
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Although the actor didn’t expose the director’s name in the video, British director Tristram Shapeero unveiled himself to publically apologize for his “offensive words” and “unprofessional behavior.” In an essay Shapeero wrote for Deadline, he directly apologized to the actor and promised to move forward as a “more empathetic man.” “My words were being spoken from a genuine place of appreciation for what the actors were having to endure,” he clarified. “Stuck in confined spaces, finding it within themselves to give a role-winning performance under these conditions.”
