You're in an acting class or at an audition and someone says, "Make bold choices!" You nod like you understand. But inside you're thinking, "What the hell does that even mean?"

You're not alone. This is the most overused phrase in acting and the least explained. So let me tell you exactly what it means with real examples you can use.

Bold Doesn't Mean Big or Loud #

First, let's clear up the biggest misunderstanding. Bold doesn't mean loud.

No. Instead it means precise, thoughtful, and committed. A lot of actors hear "bold choices" and think they need to yell or cry or do something dramatic. That's not it at all.

Silence can be bold. Stillness can be bold. Restraint can be just as powerful as action. Sometimes the boldest thing you can do is be very quiet when everyone expects you to shout.

Think about it like this. Safe acting is when you do what's obvious. What any actor would do. What's expected. Bold acting is when you do something specific that makes people think, "Oh, I didn't see it that way, but that's interesting."

What Bold Choices Actually Are #

According to casting director Erica Hart, every choice you make is your opinion on the work. Each line, each phrase, each scene shouldn't go by without your opinion or point of view. That's what bold means. You have a specific opinion about how this moment should be played.

Let me give you a concrete example. Let's say your line is: "I can't believe you came back." Here are different ways to play it:

• Safe choice: You say it with general surprise. Happy-ish. That's what the words suggest, so that's what you do.
• Bold choice option 1: You say it with anger. You're not happy they came back. You wanted them gone. Now you have a problem.
• Bold choice option 2: You say it while laughing. You literally cannot believe it. It's so absurd that they showed up that you're laughing at the situation.
• Bold choice option 3: You say it very quietly, almost to yourself. You're in shock. Your body goes still. You can barely process what's happening.

See the difference?

The safe choice is just reacting to the words on the page. The bold choices come from you asking, "Why is my character saying this? What do they really feel? What's actually happening in this moment?"

Bold Means Specific Not Random #

Sometimes actors make bold choices just to stand out. They'll add wild physicality, an unexpected accent, or shift the tone of a scene just to be memorable. But if your character wouldn't do that, don't.

Being bold is not about being weird or different for no reason. Bold choices are about specificity, not novelty. You're not trying to surprise people. You're trying to have a clear point of view based on what you understand about the character and story.

Here's how to think about it. Before you make any choice, ask yourself, "Why would my character do this?" If you have a good answer, it's probably a bold choice. If your answer is, "Because it would be cool," or, "To stand out," then it's probably just a weird choice that won't work.

How to Actually Make Bold Choices #

Casting director Hart says the first step in bringing boldness to your work is figuring out what makes you unique. She suggests asking friends or your partner what characteristics they love about you; odds are those are the same qualities that will shine through in your audition.

Are you charming? Smart? Witty? Catty? Whatever it is, we need to see that. Because if a stranger who turned into your friend loves you for it, a casting director will love you for it.

So bold choices aren't about being someone you're not. They're about bringing your real personality and point of view into the work.

Let me show you what that looks like.

Let's say you're naturally a sarcastic person. You have a dry sense of humor. Don't hide that! If there's a moment in the script where your character is frustrated, you might play it with that sarcastic edge. Someone else might play it with anger. Someone else might play it with sadness. Your sarcasm is what makes your version bold and specific to you.

The Difference Between Safe and Bold #

What often stands out as bold acting is when the actor fully listens and responds to the other person. This means focusing your energy on the other person, rather than on how you are acting.

Safe acting is thinking about your lines and how you look. Bold acting is actually listening and reacting honestly to what's happening in the scene.

Let me give you another example. Your scene partner says, "I never loved you."

• Safe response: You look sad. Maybe a tear. You say your next line about being hurt.
• Bold response: You actually listen to them say those words. You let it hit you. Maybe you freeze for a second. Maybe you laugh because you can't believe they'd say something so cruel. Maybe you don't believe them and you smile because you think they're lying. Whatever you do comes from really hearing those words and responding honestly, not from acting "sad."

The phrase bold choices might seem overwhelming, but what often stands out as bold is when the actor fully listens and responds to the other person.

Bold Choices Can Still Be Wrong #

Here's something important that nobody tells you. Being bold and standing out aren't mutually exclusive, and sometimes your bold choice might not be right for the specific requirements of the project.

You can make a bold, committed choice that doesn't match what they want. That's okay. As long as you are being true to you, the rest of the work is subjective. When you make distinct, truthful choices, you are more likely to be remembered and considered for future work.

I once knew an actor who auditioned for a serious drama scene. She made the bold choice to find humor in a dark moment. The directors didn't laugh. They wanted it serious. But she was memorable. They called her back for a different project six months later that needed exactly her sense of humor.

Playing it safe means nobody remembers you. Making bold choices means even if you don't book this job, they remember you for the next one.

Practice Making Different Choices #

To make bold choices, you need to be comfortable making lots of different choices. Free yourself from the idea that any way of playing a scene is right or wrong.

Here's an exercise. Take one scene. Record yourself doing it three completely different ways. Not just small changes. Completely different interpretations.

Run the scene three different ways: whisper only, eyes only where you say the lines in your head but focus on communicating everything with your eyes and breath, and contrast pass where you choose one line to shift your energy from calm to urgent or soft to firm.

This trains your brain to stop looking for the "right" way and start exploring different possibilities. That's where bold choices come from. Not from trying to be bold, but from exploring honestly and committing to what you find.

What Casting Directors Really Want #

Acting coach Ivana Chubbuck says your job is not to show them what a great actor you are. Your job is to show them how dynamic and bold your choices are.

And Hart stresses that creators—writers, directors, producers—are looking for actors to show them what they want. Sometimes the breakdown will be very specific, but it's up to the actor to bring something that the creative team hadn't considered before.

They don't want you to do what's obvious. They can imagine that already. They want you to show them something they didn't think of. Something specific to you and your understanding of the character.

The Simple Truth #

Actors who book don't make big choices—they make strong ones. A strong choice is clear, specific, and grounded in the truth of the story.

Bold doesn't mean crazy. It doesn't mean yelling or crying or doing something shocking. It means having a specific point of view. It means really listening instead of just waiting for your line. It means bringing your actual personality into the work instead of trying to be generic.

Too often an actor will be working to make something right, instead of making it truthful. That's the key right there. Stop trying to get it "right." Start trying to make it truthful and specific to you.

Next time you prepare for an audition, ask yourself these questions. Why is my character saying this line? What do they really want? What would I do in this situation if I were really this person? Your honest answers to those questions will lead you to bold choices.

And remember, once you make a choice, own it fully. A half-committed choice often feels awkward, confusing, or unmotivated. But a fully committed choice—even if it surprises the viewer—comes off as intentional and specific.

That's what bold really means. Not loud. Not big. Not weird. Just specific, committed, and true to you.

Key Takeaway #

Bold choices aren't about being dramatic or different. They're about having a specific point of view, really listening, bringing your real personality to the work, and committing fully to what you choose.

Stop trying to do what's "right" and start doing what's truthful and specific to you. That's what makes you memorable.