Never lie on a polygraph. The needles get all bent, and then they ask you even more questions.Acting résumés, however, are more of a gray area. We’ll get to that and more, as I cover each section of the all-important document stapled to the back of your headshot:
HEADER: Name big and bold at the top. Union affiliation. Height/weight/hair/eye color. Your agents’ logos and phone numbers. Agents don’t want you to list your phone number, fearing you’ll book something directly and rob them of a commission. List your number anyway – a casting director may have an older headshot of yours with a former agent’s info, or will need to reach you late at night. Also, it was once commonplace to list your home address, but that was until pervs began dumpster-diving outside casting offices, grabbing actresses’ headshots and plotting to live disturbingly ever after with them in their moms’ basements.
TELEVISION/FILM: Separate theses two sections. List name of the project, type of role and director’s name. I don’t advise any bullshitting here. Casting directors’ careers regenerate perpetually like Robert Patrick in Terminator 2, and you run the risk of them having cast a film or TV show you claim to have been in. And if they catch you, pack your shit and enjoy your new career folding rompers at Forever 21.
COMMERCIALS: It’s customary to simply say “List upon request.” Silly, but one more way you can distinguish yourself as a pro.
THEATER: Here’s where some of the most creative writing in all of Hollywood is taking place. And much like PEDs in Major League Baseball in the mid-90’s, if you ain’t doing it, you ain’t competing. Try to keep it mostly factual, but beef it up until you get more TV and movie credits.
TRAINING: Pretty self-explanatory. Try to show your range of training, with all types of acting classes, especially improv. You may have to take some douchey famous teacher’s class for a couple weeks just to be able to list it here. Or lie that you did. You didn’t hear that from me.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: This is a great place to show how you stand out. What instrument do you play? Proficient at languages? You can embellish a tiny bit, because often TV shows and movies just want the essence of your skills. Horseback riding, however seems to be a problem with actors having no experience, showing up on set and getting in big trouble, so make sure if you list that as a skill you know your shit. Your horse shit.
SOME MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS: Headshots are 8 x 10, paper is 8 ½ x 11. It’s best to trim your résumés (I use a straight-edge and X-acto)… Staple it in only two places: top and bottom center, so that casting directors flipping through a pile of headshots don’t cut their thumbs… A super high for an actor: as you’re nailing an audition, out of the corner of your eye you’ll see the casting director flipping over your headshot to learn more about you… Proof your spelling. Typos only belong on Toyota billboards.
