What A Director Looks for in an Audition (And on Set).

She didn’t just play fear — she lived it. Her read had such depth, honesty, and presence that I stopped watching her as an actress and started watching her as Katie. That’s the moment you hope for in casting.

Amiah wasn’t just great on tape — she was even better on set. She made one of the film’s most pivotal scenes work because she showed up completely. Present. Open. Unafraid of the emotional weight.

And Sophia Bush, who plays Ali, brought such intelligence and nuance to her performance. She was a creative partner the entire way through, helping build a layered, haunted woman whose secrets unravel slowly — and sometimes explosively. These two women elevated the material, and that started long before the cameras rolled.

As a director, sometimes you're trying to spot the difference between “playing the part” and being it.

“It All Starts on the Page”

This was the second film I’ve gotten to make with screenwriter Chris Sivertson, and it was awesome to get to collaborate with him again — especially on material like this. The Stranger in My Home is adapted from Adele Parks’ international bestseller, and Chris really found a take that made the story cinematic and emotionally grounded.

The first ten pages of a script are everything. That’s when the audience either leans in or checks out. And in this movie, we drop you into a situation that feels just familiar enough to be real… until it doesn’t. That slow-burn tension you feel as the story starts twisting? That’s the result of a lot of precise writing decisions made early.

When I work with emerging screenwriters through my Screenwriting Rescue: The First Ten Pages service, we focus on exactly this: pulling the reader in, giving just enough mystery, and making sure the tone and pacing set the hook. Chris did it beautifully here — and if your script doesn’t grab people by page ten, unfortunately the chances are it won’t get read beyond that.

“Advice for Parents of Young Performers”

If your kid has the acting bug — and I mean really loves it, not just “wants to be famous” — the best gift you can give them is to nurture that passion.

That doesn’t mean shoving them into cattle-call auditions or turning their childhood into a résumé. It means giving them experiences: high school theater, local productions, and if you can swing it, even letting them observe a professional set. Those moments build real perspective. They get to see how the sausage is made — and whether they still love it when the glamour fades and the work starts.

I’ve had the chance to work with so many young actors over the years — from Amiah on The Stranger in My Home to Kaley Cuoco and Leighton Meester back when their careers were just beginning. They all felt like they had someone behind them who said: “I believe in you, and I’ll help you do the work.”

“Take the Swing—That’s What Gets You Noticed”

There were moments during casting of "The Stranger In My Home" and on set where an actor made a choice that completely changed how I saw the character. One of those moments came from Austin Woods, who plays Jordan.

In his audition, he brought this unexpected sense of vulnerability. It was subtle but real — not overplayed, just honest. And it made the character so much more layered. That’s the kind of choice that not only gets you noticed — it gets you hired.

Aspiring actors often ask me what directors are looking for. The truth? We’re looking for someone to show us something we didn’t know we needed. That’s where preparation meets instinct.