Auditioning for any role is tough. You have to battle other hopefuls for the part, you may not look or act like whatever the casting directors may be seeking, your talent may not be up to skill (regardless if you know it or not), and even if you hit all the checkmarks, your nerves could cause you to blow the whole thing. You're going to need some moral support in the form of a relative or a friend.
However, this can backfire. Perhaps this person may have that "it" factor that you lack, be it the directors like their persona/charisma, their own acting skills (although they usually aren't even considering auditioning), or just the way they look, and they get the part instead. Obviously, this is a bummer for the would-be actor and they may view this as a betrayal that could either cause a plot-mandated argument which might resolve within 30 minutes or something that irrevocably breaks the relationship up. Perhaps this was their friend's plan all along.
Occasionally, the shafted actor may be happy for their friend and encourage their opportunity, or may be genuinely upset at first, but quickly get over it for whatever reason. Also, this trope pertains to someone unwillingly gaining a role over another; if both end up auditioning together, then it doesn't count.
Related to the Failed Audition Plot. This may or may not develop into becoming a Green-Eyed Monster or a Feud Episode, depending on how the failed auditionee reacts to their rejection. See also Friendship-Straining Competition.
Examples:
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Comic Books
- Baker Street 1999: Holmes' client Clipton needs to perform a clown act in front of the Queen in order to obtain his inheritance. Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade go with him to the audition but Lestrade being The Klutz creates an impromptu number with a gorilla, and the circusmaster immediately hires Lestrade. However, Clipton's act being decent enough, he's convinced to hire both to great success (the Queen's appreciation being assured by Holmes discreetly dropping euphoric drugs in her tea).
Literature
- A subversion happens in The Disaster Artist. During the beginning stages of the making of The Room (2003), the original actor for the role of Mark, a man named Don, brought his roommate, Dan, with him while filming. The end result has Dan, at 6'3" and full of muscles, landing the Ensemble Dark Horse role of Chris-R and Don being fired (but not for this reason, but rather director Tommy Wiseau wanted his best friend Greg Sestero to get the role of Mark and let him go for vague reasons).
- The Girls Series: In "Girls Under Pressure", Nadine sneaks out for a professional shoot with a photographer that saw her at the modelling audition. She gets caught by her mother, who insists on going along and bringing her spoiled and bratty sister Natasha. Nadine gets her pictures, but it turns out to be an awkward failure — and then the photographer wants to do a shoot with Natasha, who is much more enthusiastic. Natasha then ends up completely overshadowing Nadine and it ends with the possibility that she'll become a child model.
- Looming Gaia: This is the backstory of Janella Vokz, the "prettiest troll on Gaia". As a teenager, she went to support her elven friend auditioning for a commercial, not wanting to audition herself because trolls are widely seen as ugly and she believed she didn't have the face for television. But the director saw her unusually humanlike and pretty looks and urged her to try, and she ended up getting the part. This launched her long career as one of Gaia's most famous actresses, and she had a bad fallout with her friend soon after.
Live-Action TV
- Big Time Rush: In the pilot, James is eager to audition in front of famous music producer Gustavo Roque to have a shot at becoming a musician. His friends tag along. Despite being an obvious talent, Gustavo harshly rejects him, just as he's done to everyone else all night. In retaliation, Kendall stands up for James by getting onto Gustavo's desk, kicking his stuff off, and singing about how much of a "turd" he is. Gustavo attempts to then offer the deal to Kendall... but luckily for James, Kendall isn't having any of it, and demands that Gustavo will take all four of the boys if he wants Kendall. Gustavo is angry but agrees.
- California Dreams: In the "Babewatch" episode, Tony auditions for a role on the show "Babewatch", only for his girlfriend Sam, who was singing back-up on his song "Next Big Thing", to gain the role instead, to his disappointment and jealousy.
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: In "There's No Business Like Show Business", Will accompanies a comic friend to an open mike audition at a comedy club and wins the spot himself due to wowing the recruiter. However, since Will is neither a professional comedian nor has any actual material, he bombs with the audience and said friend saves the day by delivering a funny and well-received set.
- A Full House episode has D.J. jealous that Stephanie won an audition for a cereal commercial that she wanted after she tagged along which led to the girls arguing and ripping a bag of cereal open during a fight.
- Played with in the "High Anxiety" episode of The Golden Girls. A nationwide pizza chain is filming a commercial with Dorothy and Sophia as its stars. While both women were originally the lead characters for it, Dorothy's lousy acting and second-guessing the script caused the director to cast the young actress playing the server to be Sophia's granddaughter while Dorothy plays the server. It ends up being all for naught when Sophia dislikes the pizza itself and walks off the set.
- Deconstructed in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "The Unblinking Eye". Two aspiring actors and best friends go on auditions when one, on his own, is hired as an extra in a Matt Damon film. The night before he begins shooting, his friend ends up violently ill in the ER and he remains at his side, where he eventually admits to the staff that he intentionally made himself sick with ipecac, all in an effort to sabotage his "friend" out of jealousy. The end result has him unable to deliver his lines on the set, walking off in embarrassment, and his role being cut from the film.
- In the Son of a Critch episode "Acting Normal", Mark intends to try out for the school play, and Ritchie accompanies him in hopes of getting recruited for backstage work. Unfortunately for both of them, Sister Margaret is determined not to give Mark the lead role, and thus casts Ritchie in the lead, even after Ritchie insists that he doesn't want it. This ends up being a disaster, as Ritchie is a really wooden performer and gets stage fright when he actually sees the audience.
Video Games
- In Mega Man Star Force, Sonia invites Geo and his friends to the studio where she's filming a movie with her friend and co-star Belle. Partway through the visit, an incident forces Geo to intervene as Mega Man. The director is so starstruck by the sight of the hero in action that he insists that Mega Man replace Belle in the movie. Although everyone is stunned, Belle willingly steps aside, much to her Wizard Ice's horror. Ice's frustration and anger on behalf of Belle makes Ice a prime target for Dealer, who transforms Ice into Diamond Ice with a Noise Card by promising to give her the power to make Sonia and Mega Man disappear.
Western Animation
- 6teen: In "The Girls in the Band," Caitlin and Jen audition to be dancers in a music video for their favorite band, DawgToy. Jen is about to be chosen, but Nikki—who hates DawgToy and is only there to support them—accidentally sneezes out her nose ring and walks onstage to retrieve it. When Jen tells the manager that Nikki could never handle the dance moves, Nikki gives a spontaneous, flawless dance performance and is immediately chosen. Jen spends the rest of the episode mad at Nikki until the latter accidentally reveals that she's a closet DawgToy fan, which helps them reach an understanding. In the end, Nikki dances in the video and brings Jen and Caitlin backstage to meet DawgToy in person.
- In the Adventures in Odyssey episode "Star Quest", Dylan and Sal's favorite show, a Classic Trek expy, decides to film an episode in Odyssey. Both boys are interested in getting a part, but Sal gets one over Dylan (by complete accident, to boot). It causes friction between the boys that takes a robot rampage to sort out.
- Angelina Ballerina: In "Angelina in the Wings", this happens when Angelina auditions to be a sunbeam in an upcoming production with the famed performer Madame Zizi. She brings her cousin Henry to the audition and he is chosen to be the sunbeam by Madame Zizi over Angelina. At first upset, Angelina promptly helps her cousin prepare for his sunbeam role after overhearing that Henry will be cut from the performance.
- Arthur: In one episode, D.W.'s preschool class does a play of Little Red Riding Hood. D.W. wants to play the title character but is instead cast as a tree, while her friend Emily is cast as Red Riding Hood. She keeps wishing they could swap roles, but feels guilty when it does happen since it happens due to Emily getting laryngitis.
- CatDog: In "All About Cat", Cat auditions for the lead in a musical based on Abraham Lincoln's life called "Abe", only for Dog to be given the part while Cat is cast as Abe's donkey. Cat then causes Dog to get sick so he can play the lead role instead.
- The "From Method to Madness" episode of Family Guy has Brian auditioning for an acting school, only for the casting director to immediately dismiss him before he gets a chance to show off his talent. When an angered Stewie then goes to bat for his friend and scolds them for not considering him, they're impressed by his skills and offer him the spot. Unlike many of the examples, however, Brian holds no animosity for him.
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: In "Green Isn't Your Color," Rarity holds a fashion shoot with famous photographer Photo Finish and convinces Fluttershy to model the outfits she's designing. Photo Finish, however, is only interested in using Fluttershy as a model for her natural cuteness, and forgets all about Rarity's outfits.
- The Loud House: In "Flying Solo", Clyde practices singing since he wants to sing a solo in the School Play. When his best friend, Lincoln, is chosen instead, he gets jealous and tries to make Lincoln lose his voice. When it works, however, Clyde feels guilty, so he works to get Lincoln's voice back and then they both sing the solo.
- The Simpsons:
- The backstory of Cecil Terwilliger, younger brother of Sideshow Bob, in "Brother From Another Series" has him trying out for the role of Krusty's sidekick, only for the Clown to express disgust at the lack of dignity he has after being pied in the face. He then throws it at an unsuspecting Bob (who wasn't considered for the role and only accompanied his brother), whose shocked reaction garnered him the role, to Cecil's lasting bitterness and jealousy.
- Defied in "Radioactive Man". In auditions for Fallout Boy, the director spots Martin Prince and cites how he'd be perfect for the role. However, since his assistant is unable to identify him since he didn't register, he immediately dismisses him and says choosing him would be unfair to the other boys who did fill out audition forms.
- Totally Spies!: In "Abduction", Clover tries to audition for a school play of Les Misérables with support of her friends but fails. Then the director accidentally overhears Sam when she, in an attempt to cheer up Clover, imitates the auditionees and is so impressed he promptly gives her the part. It leads to Clover and Sam being on bad terms with each other for the entire episode, until at the end Sam also loses the part to Mandy, leading to both Sam and Clover to angrily chase Mandy off the stage.
Real Life
- When Pixar was auditioning children to play Russell in Up, one of the boys brought his little brother along for his audition. The casting director gave the little brother the role instead of the older boy.
- When Juice was in pre-production, Naughty By Nature frontman Anthony "Treach" Criss auditioned for the role of Bishop. Tupac Shakur, who accompanied Criss to the audition, asked to read for the part of Q, but was cast as Bishop after the film's director personally asked him to audition for it. Shakur would help get Criss into the film as a member of Radames' crew.
