How To Write An Actors Resume
The headshot expresses the look and feel of the actor at a glance, but the actors resume sells the versatility, skillfullness, and success of an actor before he or she ever shows up to the audition. In this article we will quickly review the central purpose of an acting resume and from there discuss what should and should not go in it and why.
An acting resume is exactly one side of one page, and you will typically have it stapled to the back of your head shot. This single page should represent you as an artist, as an entertainer, as an employee, and as a colleague. So the main thing is to understand what auditioners want from you. Think about the specific show they going to be doing and try to compare it to their previous work. What sorts of actors do they like to use, and what kinds of people do they usually use for the type of part you’re trying out for? Once you’ve considered what they’re looking for, the next step is to try and give them what they want. You’re an actor, so this will come pretty naturally to you.
The main thing to have in mind is that your acting resume is not an extension of you as an actor, it is an extension of the part you want to play. Don’t be afraid to shape your resume to meet the needs of the character. I would never tell you to lie; just take a look at this sample actor’s resume to get a better understanding of what I mean. This is a little bit of an extra investment in terms of time and energy, but it’s not that big an investment. The fifteen minutes that you spend for each audition could very well spell the difference between getting a part or not getting it.