Some would argue that an actors resume is even more important than his or her headshot. In this article we will go back over the reasons for creating 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 staple it to the back of your head shot. This small amount of space is all you have to represent yourself as a multifaceted potential working actor. In order to do that, you will have to do a little thinking about what the auditioners seem to be looking for. Think about the specific show they going to be doing and try to compare it to their previous work. What types of shows do these people typically produce, and what kinds of people do they usually use for the type of part you’re trying out for? After you’ve thought about and understood these things, the next step is to try and give them what they want. Since you’re a professional actor, this will come pretty naturally to you.
The only thing you need to realize 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. So, you should twist and pull at the facts of your professional life until they fit, as closely as possible, the specific audition. Don’t lie; just take a look at this sample actor’s resume to get a better understanding of what I mean. This will hardly take you any time at all to do before each show. Five or ten minutes per audition could be the difference between your next big break and your next season of waiting tables.
