'Mistress America' Star Greta Gerwig Says She's 'Dreadful' at Auditions

Admittedly, Greta Gerwig is lousy at auditions.

"I’m s**t. I’m dreadful. I always have been," she confesses in an interview with Empire.

Not that you would know it. The 32-year-old received a 2013 Golden Globe Best Actress nod for "Frances Ha" and has a successful indie film career as a writer and actress.

Still, she laments that her lack of ability to impress casting directors once caused her to lose out on a TV series, of which its guest star list reads like a "Who's Who" in showbiz.

"I have always wanted to be on 'Law & Order,' she explains. "I’m the only New York actor who has never done a 'Law & Order.'"

"Law & Order," which began in 1990, has come to be a rite of passage for budding actors in the Big Apple. In fact, a guest spot on the drama is listed as Philip Seymour Hoffman's first IMDB.com credit--that was in 1991--and it was also "Modern Family" star Ty Burrell's first onscreen gig. It's also one of the earliest roles for Jennifer Garner, Rooney Mara and Matthew Morrison.

Even after finding mainstream fame, big Hollywood players still take on guest roles to show off their dramatic acting chops, including Martin Short, Rita Wilson, Robin Williams, Elizabeth Banks and more.

There's little to wonder why Gerwig wanted to be in the company of such a mouthwatering roster. Plus, she's a fan of the series.

Of course, that made it all the more "disheartening," she says, when her audition didn't turn out how she intended.

"I remember auditioning for an episode and the casting director said it sounded like I was making fun of the material," Gerwig says. "And I said, 'NO-ONE is taking this material more seriously than me.' I know the names of all the detectives in all the iterations. I watched every re-run when Chris Noth and Jerry Orbach did it in the beginning. I love 'Law & Order' and I can’t believe this doesn’t sound right because I’m so into it."

For Gerwig, landing the part as Brooke in her new film "Mistress America" likely had fewer hurdles, considering she wrote the comedy's script. It certainly didn't hurt that she has a creative and romantic partner in the film's director, Noah Baumbach.

The story follows the relationship between a college freshman (Lola Kirke) whose life is turned upside down by her adventurous prospective stepsister Brooke (Gerwig).

"Mistress America" hits theaters on Friday. Watch the trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z8MCW16uZY