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.