The Ultimate Guide to Acting Resumes: What to Include and Avoid

An acting resume is a crucial accessory for any performer and it is important that it’s to the standard it needs to be for getting the roles that you want. It's often your first point of contact with casting directors, so it’s always important to ensure it's clear, professional, and showcases your best work.

How do I pick the best headshots?
Quality is paramount, and this is the main way for casting directors to see what you look like. So professional headshots are an essential investment to be made, making sure to work with a recommended and reliable photographer to provide you with the best possible result. A headshot needs to capture your essence, you will need several photos, showcasing a range of different looks and moods. These need to be natural, not overly edited, they need to capture you authentically. This will come from different clothes, lighting, compositions and expressions. Displaying your ability and giving casting directors a variety of options of the different roles you can pull off. 

What personal information should I include on my Spotlight CV?
Casting directors need to know more about you. You need the basics, your name; or stage name, your age and nationality. But it’s just as important for casting directors to know about your height, eye and hair colour, playing age and any other notable physical attributes. It’s also good practice to provide, not only your main location, but where you’re from, where you live and where else you can base yourself. This helps booking roles that might require travelling. And if you’re already represented, it’s important to provide the details of your casting agency.

What credits should I put on my Spotlight CV?
It doesn’t matter if it was a lead role or an supporting, your credits are important in showing your current experience. A few things are vital when listing credits; make sure they’re accurate, spelt correctly, and organised in the correct, chronological order. Make sure they are categorised depending on the type of project; all the credits for film, television, commercials should be in their own sections. This makes it easier to search through your projects. Provide details; what year, the role, the production company and the director are all key details to include. This identifies who you have worked for and in what capacity. 

Is it best to have as many skills as possible on a Spotlight profile? 
Casting directors need to know if you’re going to be right for the role. Listing your skillset is very important in showing what you’re capable of. You should provide details like your native language and accent, as well as what other languages and accents you can perform. As well as things like a driving license. You should also provide what else is in your skillset, like dance or music or horse riding for some examples. These should just be saying something about you, it doesn’t need to be every little trick you know; oversaturating your information can make your profile quite overwhelming, and the more you have listed, the less casting directors are going to read.

How important is a Showreel?
There’s no better way of showing yourself performatively than letting casting directors actually see you. Providing showreels, as well as voice clips, scenes, or even a showcase of some of your skills is a great way to show yourself and your abilities. It's vital that these show your best work, and that you are very clear within each scene, so that the casting directors eyes are drawn to you. Your best work should not only be you performing the best you can, but presentation is key; the videos and audio need to be of good quality, this is not only clear but it is professional.

How to best sell yourself, utilising the About Me
Beyond your credits and skills, casting directors want to understand the person behind the performer. Your 'About Me' section is your opportunity to go beyond listed information and show your personality, passion, and what drives you as an actor. It's where you create a connection and leave a lasting impression. It’s important to note; this isn’t a full description of you as a person, avoid oversharing or being overly personal, be concise and always maintain professionalism. 

What More Can I Do? How can I best standout as an actor?!
It’s important to be quite proactive as an actor, working towards getting the auditions you want and actually getting some roles. In the modern day there are many ways to give yourself more exposure alongside your resume.
Social Media Branding
Actors can boost their careers by using social media to show off their skills more publicly. Mainly everyone in the industry has social media, not only is this a great way for people to see your profile and your work over multiple platforms, it’s also an opportunity for you to reach out and connect with industry professionals. Posting engaging content like showreels and behind-the-scenes glimpses, while actively networking helps them reach a wider audience and build a strong online presence.
Nudging Roles
If you know of a role you’re particularly interested in, or you think you have a good shot at playing it, nudging for the role on Spotlight is an option. Not only that, but open and consistent communication about roles or projects that interest you in general is a great way to throw your name out there, ensuring you're top of mind for relevant opportunities. 
Stay up to Date
You’re going to want to maintain relevance, it is important to update your profiles where you can, regularly refreshing your information ensures casting directors see your most current skills, credits, and headshots. Demonstrating your growth as an artist through new training and performances, adapting to industry trends, and showcasing your professionalism through a well-maintained profile. This helps for staying proactive and maximising your opportunities.

Just like any CV, your acting resume is your calling card, it is a showcase of your talent and experience. Make it your most effective tool for landing work and advancing your acting journey. Keep it current, keep it professional, and keep it working for you.

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Author

Hayden Simpson