'If you want to strip or do something else..': Jamie Lever recalls harrowing casting video call experience

Comedian and actress Jamie Lever recently opened up about a disturbing incident she faced during her early days in the entertainment industry. Without a professional team to manage her back then, Jamie found herself vulnerable to unsolicited casting calls. One such experience left a lasting impact on her and raised serious concerns about safety in the audition process.

In an interview with Zoom, Jamie revealed that her personal contact was shared with casting agents so they could reach her directly. During that time, she received a call from a man who claimed to be casting for a major international project. He informed her that the audition would take place over a video call with the director and that the scene would be completely improvised.

"They said we won’t be sharing a script because we want some improvisation in the audition," Jamie recalled.

She joined the video link expecting a standard audition process. However, she quickly noticed something unusual. The person posing as the director kept his video turned off. When she asked about it, he claimed he was in transit and unable to switch it on. Soon, the nature of the audition was revealed to be very different from what she had expected.

"They said that you imagine there is a 50 year old man in front of you and you are trying to woo this man, and eventually, there is an intimate scene," Jamie shared. She immediately made it clear that she was uncomfortable and needed a script.

"They said, ‘There is no script, it is improvised so if you want to strip or if you want to say something or if you want to do something else, feel free to do that’," she said.

They said, ‘There is no script, it is improvised so if you want to strip or if you want to say something or if you want to do something else, feel free to do that

- Jamie Lever

Refusing to participate, Jamie responded firmly. "I said, ‘But sir, if you are expecting me to strip on this video call, I am not comfortable doing this and I wasn’t informed about it’. Then I said, ‘I don’t even feel comfortable talking to you right now’ and then I quickly switched off the video," she recounted.

Jamie later reflected that it could have been a scam. She feared that if she had complied, they might have recorded the call and used her identity as Johnny Lever's daughter to exploit her.

"I was petrified because something like that had never happened with me. Even thinking about it is scary,” she said.

Her experience serves as a cautionary tale and highlights the importance of transparency and security for aspiring artists entering the entertainment world.