Beyoncé's director reveals she was 'shaking' during her first audition

Beyoncé’s director, Robert Townsend, revealed what the superstar was like during her very first acting audition.

In an exclusive interview on Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe on Tuesday, August 26, the 68-year-old filmmaker recalled the moment Beyoncé flew to New York to audition for the lead role in MTV’s 2001 Carmen: A Hip Hopera.

Townsend said that while he was already impressed by her striking presence as a member of Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé was visibly nervous during the audition.

He told the outlet, “She’s with the head of A&R, there to protect her client. She’s got security with her.

"I can see she’s nervous — like, really nervous — shaking and everything. And so then I said, ‘Oh, there it is. Oh, there it is.’

"And then she was like, ‘Can we do it again? Can we do it again? And can I do the death scene?’ I said, ‘Let’s do the death scene!’”

For the unversed, Carmen: A Hip Hopera marked Beyoncé’s acting debut. She later made her film debut as Foxxy Cleopatra in Jay Roach’s 2002 comedy Austin Powers in Goldmember.