A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/or in a particular role.
The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable. The developed film is later played back for the relevant production personnel for evaluation.
Screen tests can also be used to judge the suitability of costume, make-up and other details, but these are generally called costume or make-up tests.
Different types of actors can have different tasks for each individual test. For example, a lead for a musical could be requested to sing and dance to demonstrate their skill. International actors like Bruce Lee were given screen tests to demonstrate that they were sufficiently articulate in the relevant language. In Lee's case, for the role of Kato in The Green Hornet, he was asked to converse about Chinese culture in English to judge his grasp of the language, then to demonstrate some martial art moves to show off his physical skills.
