Some would argue that an actors resume is even more important than his or her headshot. In this article we will quickly review the central purpose of an acting resume and also what to think about when you are putting one together.
An acting resume should take up precisely 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 who do they usually cast for the role you want? Once you’ve considered what they’re looking for, 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 main thing to have in mind is that your acting resume should represent the part you want to play more than you as an independent entity. So, you should twist and pull at the facts of your professional life until they fit, as closely as possible, the specific audition. 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 be the difference between your next big break and your next season of waiting tables.