Jean-Luc Bilodeau
I started auditioning at the age of 8 in 1998. For nearly two years, I didn’t book a single job. My agent at the time invited me over to rehearse some audition material, and she immediately noticed several red flags that explained my lack of success: I couldn’t maintain eye contact, I wasn’t memorized, and I lacked confidence in my choices. Together, we worked on ironing out those wrinkles. I put in the work, improved, and in 2000, I booked my first commercial.
That year, I went on to book a dozen commercials.
All it took was someone who believed in me—someone who provided me with new tools, pushed me to grow, and helped me unlock my potential.
Fast-forward through two decades of auditioning, hundreds of hours of acting classes, and countless private coaching sessions, I now have 174 episodes of television under my belt. Of those, 125 are in the single- and multi-camera sitcom space. I owe so much to the mentors and coaches who guided me along the way, and now I’d like to be that person for you.
I approach coaching not as a teacher, but as a collaborator. I’m not here to teach you how to act—I’m here to help you expand your toolbox, sharpen your skills, share what I’ve learned from experience, and most importantly, inspire you to trust and explore the instincts that make you unique.
Let’s get to work.
Within 48 hours prior to class, I’ll email you your audition material. Please memorize it to the best of your ability. No stress—I won’t bite if you’re not completely off-book.
When class begins, we’ll take a moment to chat and get comfortable, after which I’ll organize the order of performances. My goal is to provide each student with 10–15 minutes of individual attention. For your first take, you’ll perform the entire scene uninterrupted. From there, we’ll dive into feedback and notes, so keep a pen handy. During subsequent takes, I’ll provide notes as you perform, starting and stopping as needed. We’ll continue working through the scene until it feels natural. Your final take will be uninterrupted.
Once everyone has performed, I’ll wrap up with a discussion of the foundational techniques and key takeaways covered in class. I strongly encourage you to ask questions—I bring a wealth of knowledge about auditioning, casting preferences, studio and network testing, booking roles, and working on set.
Students are welcome to bring in their own real audition material to perform in lieu of the class-provided material. However, if the audition sides exceed two scenes or are particularly lengthy, I may need to trim them to keep the class on schedule. If additional time is needed, I’m happy to arrange a private session after class.