Casting Director Renee Godbout lets you in the 4 qualities every great talk show host has
By Renee Godbout
Who watches Oprah every day and says, “I want to be her”? Or maybe you’re a Jon Stewart fan and think it would be great to just read off the prompter and do a ten minute interview at the end of the show. If only it was that easy!
Successful hosts are hard to find. That part of the industry is filled with failures. For every Ellen DeGeneres, there are hundreds of Caroline Rheas. Anybody remember how she was supposed to easily fill Rosie O’Donnell’s footsteps? Never happened.
A host is responsible for not only entertaining the audience, but making sure their guests are entertaining too. That’s not hard if you’re talking about a charismatic actor like Will Smith, but daytime talk shows often feature guests who aren’t celebrities or who aren’t used to speaking in front of an audience. A guest has to feel comfortable with the host and forget about the live audience watching them.
To be a good host, you must…
1. Have a good reel. It’s the incredibly difficult situation where you can’t get work without having experience and you can’t get the experience without the job. But most legitimate hosting gigs require you to send in a reel of your work. When you’re starting out, that can include public access shows, college TV shows, or roving reporter type footage shot professionally. Casting directors don’t want to waste their time auditioning someone they’ve never seen in action.
2. Be articulate and easy to understand. If we don’t know what you’re saying then you’re not a very good host. Accents can be endearing but if you have a thick one, you have to learn to tone it down.
3. Be warm and personable. The most successful hosts are those that people genuinely like. Rosie O’Donnell was known as the “Queen of Nice” during her hosting heyday and Oprah is known for her ability to connect with guests and audiences alike.
4. Be able to really listen and think of follow-up questions on the fly. Once the teleprompter is turned off, your mouth and brain have to stay turned on. The conversation has to flow naturally and shouldn’t feel like a debate.
A few years ago, I was the host of a public access show and it was both a nerve-wracking and energizing experience. I met so many interesting people and had the ultimate dream of being a host on Entertainment Tonight!
My dreams eventually changed, but I understand the desire to pursue that career choice. It’s a difficult road, and you’ll need an agent who focuses solely on those types of jobs. But if you’re just starting out, get out in front of a camera talking and interview as many people as you can. It’s good experience and the start of your first reel!
Renee Godbout - Freelance Casting Director. Renee Godbout recently worked on the first season of The CW's popular teen show Gossip Girl at Grant Wilfey Casting. Some past projects include 2 seasons of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, the pilot for Dirty Sexy Money, and the Jonathan Demme-directed Rachel Getting Married.
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