Multi-Facial 1995

Mike, a struggling actor with a tattooed arm, lands an audition for an Italian-American role and delivers an explicit anecdote in a New York Italian accent. He explains a story about getting into a fight with a man who looked at his girlfriend, only to discover the man was gay, which sends his rage toward his own girlfriend. He’s surprised when she stops calling, and the casting director responds with interest, asking him to speak Italian and promising they’ll be in touch. When asked where the monologue came from, Mike claims it’s a true story that happened to a friend. Later, he phones his manager to complain that the monologue wasn’t real and could jeopardize the role, wipes off the fake tattoo, and moves on to his next audition.

In the waiting room of another audition, a black actor shares his own news and congratulates Mike on landing a role in an international commercial, which Mike dismisses, insisting that great actors don’t do commercials. Before Mike can audition, the director notes that his skin is “a little too light” and suggests he try for a Spanish role in a soap opera instead.

At a subsequent audition, Mike reads with a Cuban accent opposite a Hispanic actress. They volley an argument, but when the actress switches to Spanish, Mike cannot continue. As they walk out, she calls him out for pretending to speak Spanish, yet she still suggests he try for the soap opera that’s seeking Hispanic actors; Mike repeats his stance against soap operas, insisting he won’t do them because no great actors ever did.

Another audition follows, where a scene partner tells him she believes he could do well. Mike performs with a heavy urban accent, but the casting directors cut the reading short, seeking more of a “Wesley type.” The next audition hinges on a résumé note: Mike can rap. He launches into a hip-hop routine, then sits and delivers a thoughtful monologue about watching his father perform in Raisin in the Sun. He explains that his father once seemed to want him to become a great black actor, but after his father’s death, he realizes his father wanted him to be a great actor regardless of his skin color. The casting director is impressed but notes they need someone with dreadlocks, and Mike leaves with the understanding that they’ll contact him if they can cast him.

Later, Mike sits in a diner, visibly angry, while he overhears an actress venting about being typecast as a blonde bimbo. When the waitress arrives, the actress orders coffee that’s “not too light, not too dark.”

not too light, not too dark