20 Movie Auditions For Famous Roles You Need To See

18. Henry Thomas As Elliot - ET

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA5giyG8E7g This is without a doubt, the single greatest child audition we've ever seen. Henry Thomas gets his instructions from an offscreen voice (Steven Spielberg) and nods his understanding of what he's being asked to do like a professional three times his age. Then he starts to read with Ron Howard, and what happens next is a revelation. He performs the scene where Elliot is pleading with the FBI agent not to take ET away from him, and it's a full on emotional barrage. Normally kids need to be coached into that head space, but he just goes right for it. You know you were amazing when as soon as you finish talking, Steven Spielberg immediately says, "OK kid, you've got the job."

17. Natalie Portman As Mathilda - Leon: The Professional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhRW8J3gTuo As a child, Natalie Portman was brimming with potential. She had huge, soulful eyes and a sense of maturity far beyond her years. There aren't too many little girls who could play the nuanced and complex role of Mathilda in Leon: The Professional, but Natalie Portman happened to be one of them. Truth be told, her line reading in this audition isn't stellar, but that's not really important. You can teach a child actor to parrot lines with the proper intonation, but what you can't teach is the haunted look in her eyes. She seems like a girl who has already seen too much in her lifetime, which is invaluable for a role like this. When you audition children, you're not looking for a finished product, but a certain quality that can be molded into something extraordinary. That's what Natalie Portman brought to the table.