Here is a good one. I was working a session this week where the job shot in Argentina. That sounds awesome, right? Hell yeah it does. So, in this world of added security, you NEED TO HAVE A VALID PASSPORT!
On top of the fact this job shoots out of the country, they are booking right off the first casting and it travels just after Thanksgiving. So, needless to say, but I will anyway, if you book this job on Monday @ 5:30 p.m. and you fly out on Wednesday morning and you don’t have a passport, you are not getting the job.
When casting asks if you have a passport, this means you actually have one in your possession. This does not mean that you can go and get one last minute. I know I am sounding a bit obvious, but you have no idea how many actors when push comes to shove will LIE and say they have a passport. And when it gets down to booking that person, they don’t have one and think they can just get one in 24 hours, here is what happens.
If you really don’t have a passport, you are not getting the job. No one in production, wants to risk that you won’t get your passport on time, they would rather go with the actor who has a valid passport in hand. (even if you could get one in 24 hours, they won’t take the risk and will go with another actor.)
And to make thing worse for you, here are some possible consequences:
1. You make the casting director look bad.
2. You risk not being called in for auditions in the future for that casting director.
3. You risk being dropped by your agent.
4. You look like an idiot, to put it lightly. As well as not looking like a PROFESSIONAL ACTOR.
Here is a link to applying/renewing for a passport:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html