actresses get their roles?

Question:

How do horrible actors/actresses get their roles?

Let's face it. You have seen some really awful actors/actresses. How did they get their parts?

For example, what about Miley Cyrus? I like her songs, but she's an awful actress who doesn't seem to be able to get rid of her heavy Tennessee accent.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: SEEN awful actors? I've WORKED with some doozies!

Long before I joined Actors Equity, I did many shows which featured usually three Equity Guest Artists. Not "stars," just members of Equity. Well, most of the time the rest of us were completely underwhelmed. With very few exceptions, it wasn't a matter of the GA's being badly cast. Rather, it's that they were just terrible -- bad line readings, bad work ethics, lackluster performances, or a combination of all three.

A notable example was when I did Jud Fry in "Oklahoma." The guy cast as Curly looked the part -- he was tall, he was masculine, and he was drop-dead gorgeous/handsome. But he was completely unconnected to anyone else onstage -- not engaged in the scene, and not interested in fostering anything resembling chemistry or interpersonal dynamics. It wasn't that he was overtly egomaniacal -- it was more like he just wanted to sing a few songs and be charming to the audience. During bows, he made the final entrance, and the audience's applause dipped noticeably.

Anyway, I discussed this phenomena with many colleagues on various shows. The consensus was generally that these people must give auditions that are genuinely astounding, but then don't have the skills to actually perform.