how to write a resume for an actor

Actor Resume Example for 2024 [W/ Detailed Guide & Free Templates]

Whether it’s on the stage or in front of the camera, you feel great in the spotlight.

You’re an actor looking for your next starring role, and you know you’ve got what it takes.

There are just a few lines you can’t seem to nail.

Try as you might, your resume just doesn’t convey your talent and devotion to the craft. You spend hours pacing and wondering if you’ll ever get past it.

But there’s no need to get dramatic just yet.

This article is here to teach you how to transform your actor resume into a role-winning calling card.

We’re going to cover:

What a Blockbuster Actor Resume Example Looks Like
11 Steps to Writing a Flawless Actor Resume
What Your Actor Resume Should Include

…and so much more!

And enter, stage right.

Actor Resume Example

This is a shining example of an actor resume.

So let’s look at what it does right:

Fits on one page. This actor resume uses every bit of space available to fit all the sections into one page.
Uses the reverse-chronological resume format. The candidate uses the resume format that shows their most recent roles first, so the casting directors have a clear view of their career progression.
Includes all the necessary contact details. The contact information here includes the candidate’s full name, phone number, email address, and a link to their Instagram.
Features an eye-catching resume summary. This great resume summary captures the hiring manager’s attention by mentioning the candidate’s years of experience, top achievements, and notable skills.
Quantifies achievements. Highlighting measurable successes like boosted ticket sales or nominations shows the true impact of this actor's previous performances.
Keeps the education section brief. A short education section makes sure that the candidate's roles and achievements are center stage, which is exactly what casting directors are interested in.
Adds other sections. This actor resume uses acting workshops, awards, and hobbies to give depth to their application.

11 Steps for a Stellar Actor Resume

You’ve seen what an actor’s resume is supposed to look like, so now it’s your turn to play the part.

Here’s how to fill in every section of your actor resume:

#1. Decide on the Format (and Layout)

Scene lighting directs the audience's attention to what matters most.

The format you choose for your actor resume plays the same role.

There are three primary resume formats you can pick from:

Reverse-chronological (also called chronological)
Functional (also known as the skill-based format)
Combination (which merges elements of both)

For 99% of cases, the reverse-chronological format is your best choice.

This resume format puts the spotlight on your latest roles and achievements, which is what casting directors want to see first.

Plus, it's the go-to format for hiring managers worldwide.

Here’s how it looks:

actor reverse-chronological resume format

Now that the lights are on, it’s time to set the stage. Enter, the resume layout .

Looks matter, and before a hiring manager reads your resume, they’re going to look at it.

Follow these tips to make sure your actor resume leaves a good first impression:

Set the font size. Your resume’s font determines its readability. Stick to 10-12 pt for the body of your text and use 14-16 pt for headings, so the hiring manager doesn’t have to squint.
Use bullet points. Avoid long paragraphs and organize the information on your resume into bullet points. It will make your resume more visually appealing and reader-friendly.
Adjust the line spacing. The line spacing on your actor resume should be set to 1.0 between text and 1.15 after subheadings and section titles. Anything outside these limits can make your resume look too cluttered or too empty.
Stick to one page. The best length for your actor resume is one page unless you have decades of relevant experience to list.
Save it as a PDF. The best format for your actor resume is always PDF, since it stays the same across any device or OS a hiring manager might use to open it. Only use a different format, such as a Word resume , if the job ad specifically requests it.

Or Use a Resume Template

Creating the perfect actor resume from scratch takes away valuable time that you could be using to learn your next lines.

You have to set the margins, fix the line spacing, try different font styles and sizes to see what works best, and keep everything from spilling over to a second page.

What if you could skip all of that?

Give any of our free, tried-and-tested resume templates a shot and save valuable time.

Our templates are designed in close collaboration with leading HR professionals from around the world to guarantee that your resume blends professionalism with style.

Take a look at how our resume templates compare to a standard text editor resume template:

#2. Provide the Right Contact Information

The contact information is probably the easiest section to fill out on your actor resume.

All this section needs is to be factual - no matter how talented you are, you’re not getting an audition if your phone number has a typo in it.

Here’s what you need to include in this section:

Full Name. ( E.g. Constantine Dancy )
Title. ( E.g. Actor )
Phone Number. If you’re applying for a role abroad, be sure to include your country’s dial code in front of your phone number.
Email Address. Keep your email address professional and preferably related to your name. ( E.g. [email protected] , not [email protected] )
Location. Your city and state/country are usually enough, but if you’re looking to relocate for a role, be sure to specify that somewhere in your resume.
Social media (optional). You could include a link to a relevant social media profile, such as a dedicated Instagram or Facebook page.

When To Include Your Agent’s Contact Information

If you’re represented by an agent, that’s who casting directors should be talking to first.

Your agent is the first point of contact for anyone interested in you, so your contact information should reflect this.

Instead of adding your own phone number and email address, list your agent’s.

Here’s how this can look on your actor resume:

Contact information

Constantine Dancy

Represented by Todd Hughes

+44 7700 900907

[email protected]

Should You Include A Picture?

As a general rule, yes , your actor resume should include a clear picture of you.

You might choose to add a small headshot at the top of your resume, next to your contact information. This gives any casting director an immediate idea of what you look like, but you’ll likely be asked to submit a larger photo as an attachment.

Talent agencies advise that you attach a separate, high-quality headshot along with your resume. Contact a professional photographer and get a few great pictures you can choose from before sending in your application.

If you have to leave your application in person, make sure the photo is attached firmly to your resume so it doesn’t get lost.

#3. Write a Convincing Resume Summary (or Objective)

Stepping onto the stage, every actor dreams of captivating the audience from the start as they get lost in the character's world.

And you want your resume to invoke that “wow” factor from the start, too. This is why you should add a small paragraph at the top of your actor resume to grab casting directors’ attention from the get-go.

Think of this brief 3-4 sentence segment as a trailer for the rest of your resume. It should offer a sneak peek that makes the hiring manager want to explore the entire story of your professional journey.

You have two options to choose from:

Resume summary. If you’re an actor who already has some significant roles to their name, the resume summary is the perfect tool to highlight your years of experience, previous roles, and any significant achievements.
Resume objective. If you’re new to life on the set, like a recent drama school graduate, or are switching from a different field, go for a resume objective instead. It shines a light on your passion, professional aspirations, and qualifications, rather than acting credits.

Let’s look at some practical examples.

First, an experienced actor's resume summary:

Versatile stage actor with 4+ years of experience, eager to bring depth and nuance to roles at Shakespeare Theater Company. Notable performances in "Hamlet" and "Othello," receiving acclaim for embodying complex characters. Collaborative and dedicated, with a talent for both drama and comedy. Trained in Stanislavski and Meisner techniques.

Any casting director would think this resume is worth reading from the get-go.

But even a student with no experience can make an impression. So, let’s see a less experienced actor’s resume objective:

Drama school graduate, passionate about joining the ensemble at Broadway Beginnings. Keen to bring fresh perspectives to classical roles and collaborate on innovative productions. Trained in physical theater, voice modulation, and improvisation. Grounded in theatrical history and performance theory.

#4. Describe Your Work Experience

The work experience section is the heart of an actor's resume.

It’s the section every casting director is going to read first, so you should be very careful when writing it.

Here's how to format the work experience section the right way:

Organize it in reverse chronological order. Always begin with your most recent roles and then move back to earlier ones. Skip anything that’s too dated or irrelevant - your summer gig in a community play when you were 12 won’t hold much weight.
State your exact role. Whether you played the lead, a supporting role, or even a background character, state it clearly. Avoid jazzing it up or downplaying it (e.g. "Lead Role" is straightforward and professional, while "Star of the Show" might come off as exaggerated and arrogant).
Give the production details. Say what the title of the production and its location are. If the show or movie isn’t well-known, you can give a brief description for context.
Note the performance period. Using the mm/yyyy format keeps things clean and consistent throughout your resume.
Detail your role and accomplishments. This is where you should dive into the essence of your character, the acting methods you used, and your role in the production’s success. Use bullet points to outline significant scenes, skills you portrayed, or achievements you contributed to.

Actors’ work experience is usually called “Acting Credits” and focuses on the roles they’ve held. If your acting experience includes coaching and other production work beyond acting, then writing “work experience” is more appropriate.

That’s all there is to formatting your actor resume’s work experience.

But if you want this section to shine, you have to push beyond the basics.

Follow these tips to rise above all other actors auditioning for the same role:

Tailor your work experience to the casting call. Carefully read the casting brief and find out exactly what they’re looking for. If the role needs a Shakespearean-trained actor with experience in improv comedy, your actor resume should center on your performances and training that highlight those skills the most.
Focus on achievements over small-time gigs. The casting director knows the standard responsibilities of a background actor or theater performer, and they won’t be impressed by them. So instead, highlight all roles or projects where you brought something unique to the table and the support your performance received.
Quantify your achievements. Be as specific as possible whenever you can. Mention the size of the audience, the run of the show, or the percentage of ticket sales. This provides a clear picture of the scale and impact your work has.
Use powerful verbs. Drop the boring “participated in” or “performed in" and choose more dynamic action words. For example, 'Led a cast of 20+ in a critically acclaimed rendition of “Hamlet”' packs a bigger punch than 'Acted in “Hamlet”'.

Let’s look at an example of an actor’s work experience section:

Supporting Actor

Flux Theater Troupe

Summerville, CT

03/2022 - Present

Played a pivotal role in 3 major theater productions, receiving praise for versatility and character depth.
Collaborated closely with directors and fellow actors, improving scene dynamics and overall flow.
Attended 10+ workshops for skill enhancement, focusing on method acting and improvisation techniques.
Took on the challenge of portraying a complex character in a modern adaptation of a classic play, leading to sold-out shows for two weeks straight.

What if I don’t have work experience?

If you're stepping onto the stage or set for the first time, not having a lengthy acting resume can seem daunting.

But your actor resume can still show your acting abilities and devotion to the craft!

All you have to do is list acting credits that aren’t contracted, such as school plays or club productions.

Here are some examples you can consider:

Drama school or acting classes
School or college theater roles
Volunteering for community theater
Personal or independent film projects
Relevant workshops and seminars

For example, if you volunteered for a role in your local community theater's production, that’s a valuable experience that can boost your actor resume.

Here’s how that might look in practice:

Lead Actor & Assistant Director

Mapleton Community Theater

03/2021 - 10/2021

Volunteered as the lead for a community production, receiving commendations for powerful performances.
Assisted the director in scene setups and scheduling, ensuring smooth rehearsal sessions.
Took charge of organizing a workshop for the cast, honing everyone's skills in voice modulation and body language.
Interacted with the audience post-shows to gather feedback, leading to better performances and tighter scenes.
Collaborated with local schools to host theater days, exposing students to the magic of stage acting.

#5. Mention Your Education

Actors do need formal training or workshops to refine their craft.

But if you've already landed significant roles, you don’t need to put too much emphasis on your education section .

Casting directors are more interested in your acting credits and specific skills. So, keep your education section brief and start with your most recent degree or course.

Here’s what you need to add:

Degree Name. E.g., Bachelor in Dramatic Arts, Workshop in Method Acting
Institution Name. E.g., The New York Acting Studio
Location (optional). E.g., New York, NY
Dates Attended. Stick to the mm/yyyy format for consistency (e.g. 08/2019 - 05/2022)

If you’re fresh out of acting school, you might want to delve deeper into your training. Describe specific courses or a standout performance to show off your acting prowess.

Here’s how this section would look on an actor’s resume:

Bachelor in Dramatic Arts, Specialization in Classical Theatre

The London Drama Academy

09/2019 - 07/2023

Courses: Shakespearean Performances, Voice and Movement Techniques, Improvisational Theatre, Character Development, Modern Drama Interpretation

#6. Mention Acting Workshops and Training Camps

In the acting world, honing your craft is the key to success. This is where acting workshops and training camps come in.

These acting classes are usually taught by big names in the industry, so you get to learn from the best of the best and show it off on your actor resume.

Casting directors will be interested in seeing your skills, experience, and who you’ve learned from. Acting workshops and training camps show you’re always looking to improve.

Plus, you never know when a workshop you attended might catch a casting director’s eye or match a role they’re looking to fill.

Let’s take a look at an example of acting workshops on a resume:

Workshops & Training Camps

Shakespearean Acting Intensive - June 2023 London Theatre Workshop, London, UK Instructor: Dame Judith Harrow
Scene Study & Character Development - February 2023 New York Acting Studio, New York, NY Instructor: Michael Lorne

#7. List Your Relevant Skills

Another important section of your actor resume is dedicated to your skills.

Your talent and acting skills are your ticket to impressing directors and casting agents. Your skills as an actor can range from your ability to emote on cue to your knack for accents and dialects.

So, it's essential to highlight the right acting skills on your resume. You don’t need to jot down every single skill you have—just focus on the ones required by the role you’re after.

For example, if you're after a role in a historical drama, your singing skills might not be as crucial as your understanding of the era's language and mannerisms.

Here are some tips to create a standout skills section for your actor resume:

Cater to the role. Read the casting call or role description carefully. If it mentions any specific skills, add the ones you have to your actor resume.
Research the right skills and practice them. The world of acting is ever-evolving and diverse, and you never know what skills you’ll need for a role. Attend regular acting workshops to keep your acting skills sharp and stay updated on developments in the exact field you’re interested in. (E.g., if you’re looking to get into musical theater, practice your singing and dancing skills more than sword-fighting.)
Separate your hard skills from your soft skills. Organize your soft skills (like communication) separately from your hard skills (like dancing or martial arts). This way, it's easier for casting directors to find exactly what they're looking for on your actor resume.

So you know how to list your acting skills.

Now here’s a list of the 65 most in-demand skills for actors to help inspire you!

65 Most In-Demand Acting Skills

17 acting soft skills.

Active listening
Collaboration
Adaptability
Emotional intelligence
Observational skills
Self-discipline
Time management
Reliability
Problem-solving
Cultural awareness
Memory retention
Public speaking
Feedback receptivity

48 Acting Hard Skills

Stanislavski Method
Meisner Technique
Lee Strasberg's Method
Michael Chekhov Technique
Uta Hagen's Technique
Diction and pronunciation
Voice modulation
Breath control
Script analysis
Sight reading
Cold reading
Improvisation
Physical characterization
Vocal projection
Accent acquisition
Movement techniques
Stage fighting
Film acting techniques
TV acting techniques
Theatrical stage presence
Singing and vocal training
Comedic timing
Dramatic interpretation
Character development
Audition techniques
Monologue mastery
Classical training
Alexander Technique
Camera awareness
Voice-over technique
Motion capture technique
Dialect coaching
Period-specific training (e.g., Renaissance, Victorian, etc.)
Stage makeup application
Casting Networks
Commercial acting techniques
Scene study
Vocal warm-up routines
Memorization techniques
Self-taping and recording
Use of props and set elements
Ensemble work

You don’t need to be an Oscar enthusiast to know that awards make a difference.

As an actor, your awards show casting directors how endorsed your talents are and what you can bring to the table—applause, recognition, and sales.

Just to give you an idea, casting directors and audiences alike want some of the most nominated actors .

Whether it’s a prestigious international honor or a local theater award, dedicating a section to these accomplishments in your actor resume helps set you apart from other candidates for the same role.

Here’s what your awards can look like on your resume:

Awards & Honors

Best Supporting Actor - 2023 International Film Festival for "Whispers in the Wind"
Outstanding Theater Performance - 2021 National Theater Awards for "Midnight's Lullaby"
Emerging Talent of the Year - 2019 Global Acting Guild Awards

#9. References

Unlike many fields, where references on your resume are optional and rarely checked, the acting world thrives on trust and reputation.

A director or casting agent might recognize a reference’s name, such as an actor who mentored you or a reviewer who’s written about you.

References on your actor resume don’t have to be limited to the names and contact details of someone you know. You can include links to your past work, testimonials, reviews, and more.

Casting directors or agents will likely recognize the name of your reference or the publication you’re mentioned in, and that can give you instant credibility.

References from respected industry professionals can also back up your work ethic and reliability, which means no one will have to worry about you being unreliable.

Here’s an example of what references can look like on your actor resume:

James Langley Family friend and retired Broadway actor [email protected] (555) 123-4567
Theater Performance Review Stellar Performance in 'Moonlit Dreams' by Candice Terry Link: www.theatertimes.com/moonlitdreams-review

#10. Consider Adding Optional Sections

If you have any room left on your actor resume, you can fill it up using optional sections.

These sections are like powdering your nose one last time before jumping onto the stage - they aren’t essential, but they can be a nice touch that helps your resume stand out.

Here are some optional sections you can include:

Memberships. Being a member of an acting guild or other organization can show dedication to your field, which might sway a hiring manager.
Certifications. Any certifications that might be useful for the job are a great addition, such as teaching qualifications if you want to be an acting coach.
Languages. Knowing a foreign language can help you land international roles.
Hobbies and interests. How you spend your free time can show casting directors that you’re perfect for a certain role. For example, if you play the guitar and you’re auditioning for the role of a rock star, that puts you ahead of actors who can’t.

#11. Create a Matching Cover Letter

When you’re auditioning for a job as an actor, you might wonder— do I even need a cover letter ?

In short, yes. Yes, you do.

Hiring managers don’t just like cover letters; they expect them. So skipping this final step could have consequences.

Writing a cover letter shows that you’re a dedicated candidate and that you truly want this specific role in this specific production.

Here’s an example of a great cover letter for an actor:

Now that you know what a perfect cover letter looks like, it’s time to write your own!

Just follow these cover letter tips , and you’re sure to impress the director:

Match your contact information. Your cover letter should have a header with the same contact information as your resume. Add the contact information of the hiring manager or place you’re applying to, and keep an eye out for any typos .
Greet the hiring manager. If you can, find out who’s casting and address them by name. Personalizing your application gives a good impression.
Open with the highlights. You should always start with a paragraph to pique the hiring manager’s interest. Mention what role you’re writing for and an achievement or qualification that makes you perfect for the role
Get into the details. The main part of your cover letter should get into the nitty-gritty details of your career so far and elaborate on anything you think your actor resume didn’t give you enough space for. This is the place where your way with words should convince the hiring manager that you’re perfect for the role.
Wrap it up professionally. Always finish your cover letter with a call to action that invites the hiring manager to do something, like arrange an audition or contact you. And don’t forget to use an appropriate closing line before signing off with your name.

Key Takeaways

And, scene!

That’s everything there is to know about writing your actor resume. Hopefully, now you feel confident about your upcoming audition!

But before you go get that applause, let’s recap what we talked about so far:

The reverse-chronological resume format is usually the best choice for any actor's resume since it’s a favorite across industries.
Your resume should include an interesting resume summary that can impress any casting director or hiring manager for the job you have your sights set on.
Keep your education section brief since your work experience and other achievements carry a lot more weight.
Tailor your acting skills according to the role you’re auditioning for. The more relevant your skills and experience are, the better.
Some sections that are usually optional, like workshops, awards, and references, carry a lot of weight to an actor’s resume, so always add them if possible.
Don’t forget to pair your actor resume with a matching cover letter and increase your odds of impressing the hiring manager.

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Actor/Actress Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

Resume Examples

How To Write an Actor/Actress Resume

Resume Text Examples

Unlike most industries, actors and actresses are assessed for potential casting call opportunities based on their professional portfolios and headshots. The effectiveness of your agent also plays an important factor in securing auditions. Your resume functions as a supplemental document detailing all of your previous roles, theater organizations, studios, and directors.

This gives casting directors a full overview of your acting career, most powerful performances, and most prominent skill sets, from character acting and singing to improvisation techniques. We’ll provide expert tips and insights to help you craft an impactful actor/actress resume.

Entry-Level
Senior-Level

1. Write a compelling profile summarizing your acting qualifications

When you’re looking for an acting job, regardless of the medium, someone seeks the right person to fill that role. To grab the attention of production studios, create an engaging opening summary that highlights your strongest performances and most prestigious roles. Also make a point to feature relevant awards to make a lasting impression on the casting director.

Actor/Actress Professional Profile - Example 1

A dynamic actress with five years of experience performing in high-quality musical theater productions. Adept at utilizing improvisation techniques during high-pressure performances. Achieved recognition from local critics for the role of Laurey Williams in “Oklahoma!” Received vocal training from acclaimed Broadway actress Vera Cosgrove.

Actor/Actress Professional Profile - Example 2

An accomplished actor with over 10 years of experience performing in high-profile theater, film, and television, including “Black Mirror” and a Broadway “Hamlet” production. Achieved two Best Supporting Actor nominations from the Screen Actors Guild for emotionally charged and dynamic performances.

2. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section

To generate auditions for acting roles, feature key performances to grab the attention of studios, theaters, and production companies. Unlike a typical resume, bullet points are unnecessary in most instances. Directors are much more interested in the roles you’ve played and the types of productions you’ve been involved with. Include this detail on your resume if you worked with a particularly prominent director.

Actor/Actress Professional Experience - Example 1

“The Cocktail Party”	Lavinia Chamberlain	Thunderbolt Stage
“Children of a Lesser God”	Sarah Norman	Stage East
“A Man for All Seasons”	Margaret	Midwest Theater
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”	Ginny Potter	Talbots Regional Theater
“Lady Windermere’s Fan”	Lady Windermere	Loyola Marymount University

Actor/Actress Professional Experience - Example 2

“Hamlet”	Hamlet	Lyric Theater
“Les Misérables”	Javert	Gershwin Theater

“Black Mirror”	Simon	Netflix Studios
“Between Truth and Lies”	Curtis	New Edge Productions
“The Twilight Zone”	Adam	Paramount Studios

3. Include relevant education, training, and awards

It’s important to list your formal education and training on your resume. Casting directors may be impressed by the program you attended. They might also be familiar with the person who provided you with vocal or acting training. Also, feature your awards prominently on your resume. Audience and critic reviews are one of the most reliable indicators of the success of your performances.

[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
SAG Awards, Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, “Black Mirror,” 2017
Tony Awards, Best Supporting Actor, Judas, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” 2016
[Degree Name]
[School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] [Dates Enrolled]
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Drama
Columbia University, New York, NY September 2014 – June 2018

4. List relevant key skills and proficiencies

Unlike resumes for more traditional jobs, an actor’s resume will not be put through applicant tracking system (ATS) software. It’s almost certainly going to be first handled by a theater director or casting director for a film, TV series, or commercial. They want to see what work the actor has done in the past. It’s still beneficial to highlight key skills that directors will be looking for, including acting techniques and vocal ranges:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Acting	Alto
Baritone	Body language
Character acting	Contralto
Countertenor	Dancing
Drama	Facial expressions
Method acting	Mezzo-soprano
Musical acting	Musical theater
Singing	Soprano
Tap dancing	Team collaboration
Tenor

5. Include a headshot on your resume or separately

Although this can impact the format of your template, it is appropriate to include a headshot on an actor/actress’s resume. This would be inadvisable in standard instances due to the human resources (HR) implications, but this situation is different. Casting directors need to see what you look like to identify the role they want you to audition for.

How To Pick the Best Actor/Actress Resume Template

You have more flexibility when selecting templates for actor/actress roles in comparison to other industries. Because you won’t be featuring long, detailed bullet points, you can choose a template that you find compelling so long as the information is still well-organized on the page. One thing to avoid is the use of graphics, as they won’t add any value to your document and may distract the reader from your performance history.

Actor/Actress Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

Selena Ramirez (123) 456-7890 [email protected] LinkedIn | Portfolio New York, NY 12345

Physical Attributes

Height: 5’7”
Weight: 135
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Blonde
Vocal: Soprano

“Oklahoma!”	Laurey Williams	Asbury Park Theater, Mike Harteis
“Rent”	Mimi	Upside Theater, Laura Paris
“The Sound of Music”	Maria	Grisham Theater
“Avenue Q”	Kate Monster/Lucy	Ithaca College, Nate Gabriel

Tony Awards Best Actress Nomination, Rent, Mimi, 2019
Character acting
Improvisation
Musical theater

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Drama Columbia University, New York, NY September 2014 – June 2018

Allison Rosenberg (123) 456-7890 [email protected] LinkedIn | Portfolio New York, NY 12345

An award-winning actress with seven years of experience performing in high-profile theater productions. Adept at bringing complex, emotionally scarred characters to life for audiences using the Stanislavski method. Achieved a Best Supporting Actress Tony Award for the role of Ginny in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

Height: 5’6
Weight: 130
Hair: Brown

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”	Ginny Potter	Winter Garden Theater
“The Cocktail Party”	Lavinia Chamberlain	Thunderbolt Stage
“Children of a Lesser God”	Sarah Norman	Stage East
“A Man for All Seasons”	Margaret	Midwest Theater
“Lady Windermere’s Fan”	Lady Windermere	Grisham Theater

Best Supporting Actress, Tony Awards, Ginny Potter, 2020
Method acting
Soprano vocal range
Stanislavski method

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Drama Columbia University, New York, NY September 2012 – June 2016

John Bergsen (123) 456-7890 [email protected] LinkedIn | Portfolio Los Angeles, CA 12345

Height: 6’2”
Weight: 210
Eyes: Hazel
Vocal: Baritone

“Hamlet”	Hamlet	Chromolume Theatre
“Les Misérables”	Javert	Pacific Resident Theatre
“Jesus Christ Superstar”	Judas	A Noise Within

SAG Awards, Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Black Mirror, 2017
Tony Awards, Best Supporting Actor, Judas, Jesus Christ Superstar, 2016

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Drama University of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, September 2007 – June 2011

Frequently Asked Questions: Actor/Actress Resume Examples and Advice

How do you align your resume with a job description -.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) , acting jobs will grow 8% from 2021 to 2031. Although this level of growth is encouraging, statistics indicate there are only 7,000 new openings for actors and actresses each year. To maximize your chances of landing auditions, you’ll need to align your resume with the types of roles that casting directors are seeking to fill.

For example, if you’re seeking a part in a musical theater production on Broadway, prioritize those performances in your professional experience section. If you’re seeking an audition for a television or film role, draw attention to that aspect of your acting background in your professional profile. But if you lack the experience the casting director is looking for, emphasize your strongest and most compelling performances throughout your career.

What is the best actor/actress resume format? -

Actors and actresses use a different format style compared to most other industries. A reverse chronological approach is inapplicable here since your work experience doesn’t require a detailed explanation. In some ways, it’s similar to a functional resume, as it lacks detailed bullet points. There are key differences, however, as a functional resume format prioritizes skills, whereas an actor/actress resume is centered around your performances and awards.

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Although a cover letter is unlikely to be required for a casting call, there are rare instances where it might be worth including alongside your resume. One benefit to the cover letter is that it enables you to show your passion for acting using different language and more detail. If you’re familiar with the director’s work, mention something about a previous production and why you’re excited about the opportunity to work with them. For more insights, visit our acting cover letter guide.

Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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Acting Resume

How to make an acting resume.

Every resume has four sections: Personal and General Information, Credits, Training and Education and Special Skills. Below, you’ll see examples of what kind of information is needed in each section and the proper way to format it.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Acting credits, television:, training and education.

Here, you’ll want to list any type of school, colleges classes you’ve taken. Maybe you got an award for a short film or play you were in, add that here. Basically, anything that would have helped in your acting career, let it in this section.

SPECIAL SKILLS

Here’s another example: When I was finishing up my final audition for the film, Gods and Generals, Casting Director Joy Todd and director Ron Maxwell were looking at my resume. They didn’t think I was right for the role I had come in for but they saw that I did an Irish accent and asked if I could read a few lines. I did and got the part.

Download an Acting Resume Template Here

More acting resources.

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What Is An Actor Resume And Why Do You Need It?

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A theatre resume demonstrates the proficiency of a person as an actor.

An actor resume provides the recruiter with detailed knowledge of how skillful you are as an actor.

Are you thinking why does an actor need an acting resume?

The answer is: *It'll help you get your dream role sooner.

According to work.chron.com , on average, an actor earns approximately $39 per hour, whereas actors with extensive prior work experience earn around $100 per hour.

Salaries and theatre resume have a direct connection with each other. The recruiters decide the salaries of the applicants upon seeing the number of years of work mentioned in their acting resume.

Also, you can opt for making your actor resume at Hiration's Online Resume Builder for a smooth resume-making experience.

How To Write a Theatre Resume?

As difficult as it may seem to write an actor resume, it really isn't.

And if you blend our 10 Step Guide On film actor resume with our Online Resume Builder, you'll be done with your theatre resume in no time.

We've written a 'KEY TAKEAWAYS' section for you at the end of this article. Do read it for some film actor resume tricks and hacks to make your actor resume look more professional than ever.

In addition to this, Hiration's Online Resume Builder offers pre-written resume templates which are ready to use. So, go and make your theatre resume at Hiration's Online Resume Builder to crack that next job you're going to apply for. The content templates are professionally made by select industry experts.

Hard to believe?

Make your actor resume on Hiration's Online Resume Builder and experience the resume making process made easy for you.

Acting Resume Format

Reverse chronological format.

In this format of resume writing, you first write the most recent job first and then date back to your previous jobs. This format implies for the professional experience section as well as for other sections like education, certification and awards and recognition sections.

To know more about this format, go and check our article on chronological resume format

Functional Format For Acting Resume

This format of resume making works best in favor of those who have gaps in their employment history or educational history.

It is a skill-based resume which highlights a person's skills and education section the most.

For more detailed information on this format, visit our article on functional resume

Combination Format For Acting Resume

Combination resume format is a blend of the reverse chronological format and the functional resume format. The skills section is written in the functional resume format, whereas the professional experience section is written in the reverse chronological format.

Anyone and everyone can use this format as it does not cater to a specific category of applicants.

To see if this format is suitable for you or not, check out our guide on combination resume

To see which format suits you the best, see our article on choosing the best resume format

Actor Resume Sections

Following are the resume sections of a theatre resume:

Personal Information
Profile Title
Professional Experience
Awards and Recognition
Certification and Training

Writing Your Actor Resume

The acting resume is divided into four stages to make the process simpler:

Compilation Theatre Resume
Master Acting Resume
First Draft Actor Resume
Final Theatre Resume
Compilation Stage For Your Actor Resume : In this first stage of acting resume making, all you have to do is to collect all the information pertaining to the above-mentioned theatre resume sections at one place. By doing so, when making the actor/actress resume further, you'll get all the information in one place.

Master Resume

The second stage of making an actor resume is the master resume.

In this section, you will sort the following information related to your professional experience section.

Company Name
Dates of Joining and Resigning/Completion of Tenure
Designation
Points for every professional experience section listed in terms of importance

Hiration Pro-Tip: Keep a copy of the master resume so that in the future you're able to tweak your theatre resume according to every job description of the jobs you apply for.

First Draft For Your Actor Resume

In this third stage of acting resume making, you will make your first draft of the theatre resume.

In this stage, you will make the rest of your actor/actress resume sections and write the information in these sections in the reverse chronological order. This means writing your most recent information in terms of the date first and then dating back to the previous information.

For a detailed knowledge on the reverse-chronological order visit our guide to reverse-chronological resume format .

Now, the last stage remains.

The Final Resume For An Artist

The first thing out of the three things to do in this section is to make the key skills section.

When writing your key skills section, make sure to scan the job description to look for keywords to add in the actor resume.
But do not write soft skills even if they are mentioned in the job description.

The second thing to do at this stage is to write the summary section .

When making this section, write how you used your skills in your previous engagements.
Do not write what you expect from the offered role to give you.

The third thing to do is to bold and highlight all the important words and phrases in the whole of your theatre resume except the summary and the skills section.

Actor Resume Professional Experience Section

Step 1 will be making the professional experience section.

After the compilation resume comes the master resume. And as mentioned above, in the master resume stage we sort, arrange and write the professional experience section. We make this section first because it takes the longest time to be made out of every other section.

Also, it tends to be the longest section in the whole acting resume as many people have extensive work experiences to include in a theatre resume. So, why is this section so important?

Well, this section provides the recruiter with comprehensive information regarding your work history and the level of work you've done till date. In addition to this, there is a proper format for writing this section.

This section is of prime importance in the acting resumes of those who hold extensive work history in the field of acting. Also, make sure to write the director's name and the name of your character.

The below-given format should ideally be used to write this section.

{Organization Name}

{Designation} | {Location} (city, country pin) | {Dates} (in mm/yy-mm/yy) format

{Movie Title 1} {Director} | {Character}

{Movie Title 2} {Director} | {Character}

It is very important in an actor resume to write the name of the director and the name of your character.

Let us explain this with the help of an acting resume example.

Professional Experience Section with no mention of the director and the character name.

Movie Title: Black Killers Character: Protagonist Father

Movie Title: Running Horses Character: Side Actor

Movie Title: Full Thorns Character: Side Actor

Movie Title: Rating Games Character: Negative Role Actor

Professional Experience Section with the mention of the director and the character name.

Movie Title : Black Killers Director : John Wills | Character : Protagonist Father 'Jony Jones'

Movie Title : Running Horses Director : John Wills | Character : Side Actor 'Kind Leads'

Movie Title : Full Thorns Director : Jones Timberlake | Character : Side Actor 'Kit Larson'

Movie Title : Rating Games Director : Rojer Williams | Character : Negative Role Actor: 'Nom Watts'

From the above given acting resume examples, we can see how mentioning the director's name and the name of the character has added value to the theatre resume. It is also giving in-depth information to the recruiter about the work that you've done.

Also, bolding has played a crucial role in the professional experience section. Bolding will attract the recruiter's attention directly towards what you've written.

When making this section, make sure all the information that you write is true to your knowledge. If you write something that you've never done before, but it seems a good idea to put in the actor resume then you might get in some serious trouble.

The recruiters mostly ask questions around the work that you've mentioned in the acting resume professional experience section. If you write something you haven't done then it will get extremely difficult for you to substantiate in the interview if asked a question upon that particular point.

Take a brief look at the below given acting resume sample to get more clarity on how to make your work experience section.

Acting Resume For Beginners

Now that we've told about which section experienced actors should include in their actor resume, it's time to tell you which section should beginners in this field include in their theatre resumes.

This section is of the internship. Yes. People who don't have professional experience should include the internships which they did in their actor resumes in place of the professional experience section.

The internship section is the utmost important section in the acting resumes of the beginners. The two things to do in this section is to make a bucket of each section and write the points using the cause-effect format.

Cause-Effect Point 1 Cause-Effect Point 2

Now, let us see with the help of an acting resume example how bucketing and cause-effect points add value to your theatre resume.

Internship section with no bucketing and cause-effect points.

Assisted the Production Manager in production tasks Rendered assistance to the Production House

Internship section with bucketing and cause-effect points.

Production & Documentation

Assisted the Production Manager in production tasks like camera setting , make-up, dialogue delivery and lighting Rendered assistance to the Production House to prepare the documentation for artists and vendors

From the above given beginner actor resume template of professional section, you can see how bucketing, bolding and cause-effect points have enhanced your acting resume by a great value. Doing bucketing highlight your skills whereas bolding and cause-effect points enhance and give detailed information about your workings to the recruiter.

As it is the first step in the actor resume making of the beginners, it is also Step 2 in the theatre resume making process of the experienced professionals. Internship section is what you'll make second in the master resume stage.

To get a better understanding of how to write this section, look at the below given acting resume example.

Composing Acting Resume Header

Now, that the master resume stage is over with the above-given steps, let's proceed towards the first draft resume stage. As mentioned in the starting of the article, the first draft stage will focus on the rest of the theatre resume sections except for the summary and key skills section.

So, our Step 3 now would be to compose the header of your acting resume.

You must be thinking: What is it that makes the header an important part of the actor resume?

The answer is that it differentiates your theatre resume from being confused with someone else's actor resume. How? Well, it consists of your name, that's how.

The header is supposed to be the largest text in the whole of the acting resume. The font size of your header should be between 14-16 font size. Decide it whichever suits the best according to your chosen actor resume template.

Also, make sure you give a single space between your first name and your last name. If there are inconsistencies in the name like that of multiple spaces or no space at all, then it gives an impression of being careless to the recruiter.

Hiration Pro-Tip: Do not name the theatre resume as 'Resume'. The recruiters no what kind of document they are reading when they see an actor resume. So, make sure the header is the only thing that you start your acting resume off with.

Further, there is a proper format for people who have a middle name. They should write it in the following format: 'Kylie K. Jenner'.

After writing the first initial of your name, put a full stop. Then give a single space and then write your last name.

Do not write nicknames. Only write your official name that is mentioned in your professional platforms and official documents.

Also, you can go for Hirations Online Resume Builder to make your theatre resume and get that font perfect header. Our Online Resume Builder has a pre-customized font size and font style to give you that professional looking header.

So, what are you waiting for? Go and make your acting resume at Hiration's Online Resume Builder Now!

Look at the acting resume example given below to get an idea of how should an ideal header look like.

Theatre Resume Personal Information Section

Step 4 will involve writing your personal information section. This section includes all your personal information.

In this section you will write your personal phone number , personal e-mail address and your current location of residence . That's it. Not a thing more.

Personal Phone Number

There is a proper manner in which the personal phone number is written. The personal phone number will be written just below the header, on the left side.

Write the ISD code of your country before the personal phone number and then within the personal phone number give a single space after first five digits.

E-mail Address

Make sure your e-mail address is professional looking, for example: '[email protected]'. Having a proper and professional looking e-mail address is very important as the recruiter can judge you on how serious you are about little details based on the e-mail address name you choose.

The e-mail address will be written right next to the personal mobile number, at the center.

Current Location of Residence

In this section mention the city in which you are currently living. Same applies if you are living outside of your home town. You will write your current location of residence and not your home town.

The current location of residence will be written right next to the e-mail address, on the right corner. Do not write the complete address. Just write the city name and the country pin.

Hiration Pro-Tip: If you're applying for the job within the country, then only write the city and state in the current location and if you're applying overseas, then write the city and country pin.

Below given is the format to write the personal information section:

{Personal Mobile Number} | { Personal E-mail Address} | {Current Location of Residence}

See the below-given sample acting resume of the personal information section to get more clarity on how to make this section.

Again, you can opt for Hiration's Resume Reviewing Service where industry experts will review your actor resumes global standards.

Customizing Theatre Resume Title

Step 5 involves customizing the acting resume title.

The title conveys your capability and expertise in your field to the recruiter.

It is supposed to be the second largest text in your actor resume with the font size between 12-14 point size.

Take a brief look at the below given acting resume example to get greater clarity on how to make the profile title section.

You can also opt for a professional review of your theatre resume done by select industry experts of Hiration to check the accuracy of your actor resume design and content.

Theatre Resume: Education Section

Step 6 involves writing one of the most important sections of the acting resume, the education section. The information in this section includes the university/school from which you completed your education, their locations, dates of enrollment and graduating from them, degree pursued and CGPA acquired.

Use the format given below to make this section.

{Name of the school/university} | {Name of the degree} | {CGPA} | {Location} & {Dates} (in mm/yy-mm/yy)

The recruiter decides on the basis of this section whether you are eligible for the job or not.

The acting resume sample below will provide you with a better idea of how to make this section.

In addition to this, you can go for Hiration's Online Resume Builder in which these sections come pre-arranged for a smooth resume making experience.

Acting Resume: Awards And Recognition Section

Step 7 is to write the awards and recognition section.

Recruiters tend to hire those people more who have been awards or recognized for their work. In this section, write all the valuable awards and recognition that you got at work, college or school.

Do not write awards and recognition like that of 'Best Holiday Homework' and 'Best Handwriting'. Awards and recognition like these will not ad any value and at the same time will look kiddish.

Look at the actor resume sample below to get a better understanding of how to write this section.

In addition to this, you can opt for Hiration's Resume Reviewing Service to get a review of your actor resume template to see if it's relevant with the latest theatre resume template trends.

Acting Resume: Certifications Section

Step 8 is to write the certifications section.

Including certifications in your theatre resume adds more value to your acting resume. Certifications can be in fine arts, some language course, certification in psychology, etc.

You need to mention the below-given things when writing this section.

Certification Name
Affiliating Institution
Dates of enrollment and completion of the course

The format to write this section is given below:

{Name of certification} | {Affiliating Institution} | {Location} | {Date} (in mm/yy)

Look at the below-given sample acting resume to get more clarity on how to write this section.

Also, you can opt for an actor resume review done by industry experts at Hiration to check your theatre resume formatting ( font, margins, order of sections, etc.

Actor Resume Key Skills Section

Step 9 includes completing the first draft stage of your theatre resume.

In this step, you will make your key skills section.

Writing the skills section at this stage give you more skills to write in the skills section. How?

Well, you will now be scanning the rest of your actor resume to look for skills that you acquire. Also, when writing your skills, do put a bullet before each skill. For example:

Performing Arts
Advertising Campaigns
Campaign Performance Improvement
Advertising & Promotions

To get a better idea on how to make the skills section, look at the below-given actor resume sample.

Additionally, you can opt for Hiration's Online Resume Builder to make your acting resume.

Our Online Resume Builder offers 20+ resume designs together with the option of modifying your key skills section and personal information section with bar graphs, pie charts, social media icons, and many more such options.

Personalizing Acting Resume Summary Section

Step 10 involves making the summary section.

In this step, you will look all through your actor resume and pick out points that are the highlight of your career. Now, rephrase these sentences and write them in the summary section while also highlighting the requirements of the recruiter.

See the below given acting resume sample to get a clearer idea on how to make this section.

In addition to this, you can opt for Hiration's Resume Reviewing Service to get a review of your professional summary .

Acting Resume Template

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Hiration's Online Resume Builder has numerous resume templates with 20+ resume designs. It also has some stunning features like:

Save Unlimited Resume
Live Resume Editor
Full Rich Text Editor
One-click Design Change

So, make your acting resume at Hiration's Online Resume Builder Today!

Acting Resume Template Word Doc

Hiration's Resume Reviewing Service comes with many benefits. Our select industry experts review your acting resume to meet the below-given parameters.

Actor Resume Length
Relevant Key Skills
STAR Theatre Resume Points (outlining the cause and effect in each resume point)
Compete Consistency
Reliability (achievements and skills backed up with relevant examples)
Cause vs. Effect Relationship
Quantifiable Reliability (achievements/skills backed with quantifiable values)
Readability to Pass the 6-second test

In addition to this, by opting for the Professional Resume Reviewing Service you will be entitled to two offline acting resume template word doc.

So, get going and grab all these benefits right now by opting for Hiration's Resume Reviewing Services Today!

Acting Resume Template With Picture

If you opt for making your theatre resume at Hiration's Online Resume Builder then you will get 9 stunning resume design templates with the option of putting a picture.

So, go and make your acting resume at Hiration's Online Resume Builder Now!

Acting Resume PDF

By choosing to use Hiration's Online Resume Builder to make your theatre resume, you'll get the below-given options related to acting resume PDF.

Sharable Link
Unlimited PDF Downloads

You'll get a sharable link of your acting resume PDF which you can mail to the recruiters while applying for jobs. The recruiters can then directly click on the link to see your acting resume PDF .

Further, you can download your acting resume as many times as you want. As your actor resume stays saved in your account, you can go back and download your acting resume unlimited times in case you lose your previous downloaded PDF.

Key Takeaways

While writing awards mention 'out of how many participants/candidates' you got that award and 'on what all parameters'.

Do not use acronyms anywhere in your theatre resume. Expand and elaborate all the acronyms.

Write dates in mm/yy-mm/yy format throughout your acting resume.

While writing the certifications section, make sure to mention the dates of enrolling and graduation from that course.

When writing the certifications section, mention who was the certifying authority.

Also, when writing your respective training, mention the dates of starting and completing that training.

The font size of your actor resume body should ideally be 10-12 point size.

To make your theatre resume stand out in terms of visual appearance and to lower the risk of getting rejected, use Hiration's Online Resume Builder to make your actor resume.

Hiration's Online Resume Builder has 20+ design templates with different colors and better font style/size combinations which will improve the overall design of your acting resume as our Online Resume Builder applies basic principles of design to integrate color and text.

Our Online Resume Builder also has industry-specific designs to suit your theatre resume along with free examples and guides to help you create your acting resume.

Go to Hiration resume builder and create a professional resume for yourself. Additionally, reach out to us at [email protected] and you can get 24/7 professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

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Acting Resume Template, Example & How to Write Guide 2024
Resume writing /

Experienced actors don’t need an acting resume, right?

Wrong! In fact, very wrong.

You won’t get noticed by casting directors or agencies without an actor’s resume.

The same goes for experienced and new actors.

If you want to be seen as a professional actor, you must look like a pro in person and in print.

The world of acting has moved on from walk-ins.

Auditions are won by applying to casting notices on websites, social media, publications, or an agent.

Your professional acting resume represents you when you’re not there in person. And mostly precedes you, meaning it’s the first impression you make.

In other words, your actor resume shows all you are and have to offer. That’s why you need an awe-inspiring resume if you’re serious about getting acting gigs.

What you don’t need, though, is a standard resume that works for other professions.

An acting resume is radically different, but we’ll get into that later.

This article is crammed with writing tips, a complete acting resume sample and section resume examples.

Let’s get started…

Professional Acting Resume Example

Just as there are many different types of acting roles, there are various resumes for actors.

The industry has very set ideas, and specific expectations regarding actors resume format and content. It differs totally from any other resume format and presentation.

Your acting resume must fit on a single page.

Yes, that’s right; one page and no more.

We’ll drill down on the specifics further on in the article.

Therefore, unless you have limited acting experience, you’ll need a separate resume for each category of acting you’ve done.

For example, film, television, theater or commercials. Commercials should always be on a separate resume because the acting differs vastly from other roles.

Do some research to see what works best for you. Look through theater resume examples and compare them to actor resume examples.

Then decide what sample actor resumes suit your acting experience best?

Here’s one of our sample acting resumes. Taurus has chosen the clean lines of our Berkeley resume template in pale red.

Download This Resume Example

Create your professional resume now

How to Make an Actor Resume: A Full Guide to Writing a Successful Actor Resume in 2024

So back to the issue of a one-page acting resume.

That’s what’s expected in the acting industry, and that’s what you must provide.

Compared to how resumes are usually done, this may sound complicated.

But it’s not! Actually, an actor resume is easier than most others.

Here’s how to make an acting resume a one-page affair.

If you’ve got a long list of experience and played various types of roles, you must either –

Make your actor’s resume category specific to the type of role you’re applying for
List your most successful acting roles only if they relate to the specific role

There’s no detailed job description necessary. All that’s required is the show’s name, your role and the production company and director’s details.

There’s a bit more formatting to be done depending on the category. However, that’s all you include because that’s all that’s expected.

As mentioned, each acting category has a specific format for presenting your acting history. All must be done in three columns, though.

Using an acting resume template Google Docs, or Word makes getting it right plain sailing.

Go to “insert”, select “table”, and choose a 3-columned table in the document.

Then, copy/paste the table to the work experience section of the resume builder acting resume template you’ve chosen.

For category-specific resumes for actors, you can list a dozen or so roles. Stick to each portfolio’s top three or four roles for multiple categories.

There must still be enough space on the page for your contact info, training and special skills.

Remember, this all goes on one page. No matter how tempted you are to add a bit more detail to show you’re right for the role – don’t!

There’s another reason why resumes for acting are single pagers.

The resume gets attached to the back of your headshot.

Casting directors want to see the whole caboodle representing you back to back on one page.

Yip, that’s how it works.

Your contact details, acting history, special skills and training on one side and how you look on the other.

Next up, how you achieve this…

Contact Information, Union and Personal Description

All that’s needed on an acting resume is your name and contact information.

Even your real name isn’t necessary; go ahead and use your stage name if it works.

Your phone number and email address will suffice for contacts. No address or current location is required.

If you have an agent, use their contact information instead.

Now add your union affiliations, such as SAG-AFTRA , AEA or AGVA. List the unions under your name if you’re affiliated. Otherwise, leave it out.

Most important is your personal information, or rather, your look.

This is your eye color, hair color, height and weight. Obviously, these details must match your photo.

Accordingly, your headshot must be a really high-quality image of how you look at your best right now.

Contact Information, Union and Personal Description Example

This actor resume template uses only the basics expected within the acting industry.

How to Format this Section

Only your name or stage name, phone number and email or agent’s, union affiliation and personal details belong in this section.

Avoid including anything else.

If the casting director wants to arrange an audition, your details must be at the top of your resume page.

Make your entire actor resume scannable and easy to read. No one’s going to hunt for info when there’s a pile of other acting resumes screaming to be seen.

You want your actor’s resume to stand out for all the right reasons.

Acting Credits

This is your professional or amateur acting history.

Whether you’re a professional actor or a newbie, here’s where you list your past roles and gigs.

Chronological order doesn’t matter much on an actor resume template.

Where you’re out of high school with only roles in student film or plays, descending chronological order makes better formatting. Otherwise, it has no purpose.

Instead, group your acting credits into categories and choose the most suitable one for each application.

What if all categories are suitable?

Then select only your top one or two roles in each for your resume. Alternatively, only one category, or two, like film and television, might work better.

All information on your acting resume must be relevant to the type of role you’re chasing. Surplus details can see the curtains close on your resume before the show begins.

Here are typical category and subcategory examples –

Feature film
Documentary
Off-Broadway
Regional theater
Solo theater
Shakespeare

Now, define your acting credits further to fully explain your role, but in as few words as possible. No paragraphs on an actors resume.

Describe roles in your acting career this way –

Body double
Stunt double
Stunt performer

You can use the name of the character you played in certain well-known theater roles, such as -

Lady Macbeth
Frank N Furter

Finally, you need the details of the theater, network, production company, director, etc., for each acting credit.

Acting Credits Example

See how clearly acting credits are defined in this acting resume example.

Create an actors resume template in Google Docs or Word first.

Insert a 3-columned table with the number of rows necessary.

The first column has the name of the film, play, documentary or production you were in. in the middle, you put the role you played. Theater, network or other production details fill the last column.

Simply copy/paste the table to the work experience section of your acting resume template.

Professional Headshot

Time to take a closer look at the back of your acting resume.

Your professional headshot matters as much as the info on the flipside.

Casting directors want to see how you look right now. They want to see you at your best today. Nobody wants to see you in past roles or in costume.

Don’t worry about covering up things you think are quirky or even unattractive. It might be just what the casting crew’s looking for. They usually have a particular look in mind when auditioning.

The quality of the headshot is not negotiable.

Avoid trying to save a few dollars by taking selfies or going to a photographer who doesn’t know the acting industry standards.

You’re looking for an acting-savvy photographer who knows what’s necessary to stand out. Get your photos done in New York or Los Angeles, or find a local photographer who’s worked there.

An 8” x 10” borderless headshot is generally the norm, but do some research on trends in your category. If you’re unsure, go 8” x 10”.

Each actor’s resume you write must be securely attached to the back of your headshot.

Secure means using staples or glue that won’t spoil either the photo or the resume paper.

Whatever you use, stay away from paperclips. Yours won’t be the only acting resume casting team will be passing around.

Paperclips are your worst enemy; they fall off, separating resume and headshot. No headshot, no chance.

Another no is reverse printing your headshot on the back of your resume, especially in bulk. Firstly, casting directors don’t like it. Secondly, everything must be fresh and updated, including your photo.

By now, you’ve likely realized hardcopy sample actor resumes are expected. This means it must be printed and delivered to be considered.

A4 is slightly bigger than 8” x 10”. Get around that by neatly trimming your resume to fit your professional headshot.

Education and Training

You don’t need more than a high school education to become a professional actor. If you’ve got talent, you might prefer acting classes and workshops.

Many famous actors couldn’t afford college. They opted for coaching and masterclasses to improve scene study while doing extra work on the side.

Detailing the education and training section is more important for new actors. Experienced actors can touch on it, mentioning only vital info.

If you do well in auditions, there will be plenty of time to expand on your education and training.

Education and Training Example

Note how only the basics are mentioned in this sample actor resume.

Whatever your formal education and training, list it briefly.

No dates are necessary, but the name of the institution, academy or coach matters.

Special Skills

Most actors have at least a few special skills, and many have multiple.

By its nature, acting is a skill that requires a multifaceted approach to fit into each type of role.

Given the diversity of roles, actors can also have many special skills.

Devoting attention to the skills section of your resume is essential. The combo of your look and special skills might be precisely what the casting director wants.

Where the casting notice mentions skills you’ve got, definitely include them. However, you can also add others in your special skills for acting resume.

Anything that you’re an ace at is relevant. Being first-rate, though, means it’s something you can do on the spot if asked. If your special skills don’t meet those criteria, leave them out.

Special skills include -

Being multilingual
Combat training
Martial arts
Musical instruments

Skills Example

Only the facts to get special skills across.

List special skills in a single sentence to save space.

Other Artistic Resume Templates

Maybe our acting resume template doesn’t suit you just yet?

No problem! We’ve got other samples that might work better.

While not performance resume templates, how about these three resume examples?

Art teacher resume example
Preschool teacher resume example
Beginning & new teacher resume example

Teaching the next generation of actors as extra work while waiting for your big break is perfect. Sharing your knowledge and watching them bloom earns as many accolades as a curtain call and applause.

Final Points on Writing Actors’ Resumes

A quick recap on the basics and essentials of an acting resume –

Make it one page only
Use tables to save space
Job descriptions aren’t necessary
Your resume goes on the back of your headshot
Specialized resumes work best if you’ve got a lot of experience
Hardcopy actors resumes are the norm in the industry

Some other pointers –

Don’t include a cover letter
Use business fonts like times new roman or arial
Ensure there’s plenty of white space on your resume
Make it professional; in your absence, you’re as good as your resume

FAQs Related to Acting Resumes

How to list roles on an acting resume.

Do it in a 3-column table format. Start with the name of the film or play, followed by your role and finally, production/director details.

How to list commercials on an acting resume?

Commercials are best done on a separate specialized resume. That's simply because skills differ from stage and film. A commercials actor has about a minute to convey a message. However, use the same 3-columned table formatting. Include the product/client, your role and the agency.

How to make a resume for acting auditions?

A resume for acting auditions is exactly the same as any other acting resume. Include your acting experience and special skills relevant to your auditioning role. Keep it to one page with a professional headshot at the back of your resume.

What should never go on an acting resume?

Your physical address
Your social security number
Your age (unless you’re a child actor)
School roles when you have professional experience
Parts where you said nothing and went unnoticed

What should a beginners acting resume look like?

New actors can find making a beginners acting resume challenges. That’s not necessary, though. Focus on your training. Include workshops, masterclasses and coaching, and don’t forget your special skills. As you win more roles and your acting credits grow, you can replace education and training with acting credits.

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5 Acting Resume Examples (+ Resume Writing Guide)

Posted by Phillip Jewell on Sep 22, 2019

The ultimate guide to writing the perfect acting resume, with 5 great acting resume examples and templates.

From Hollywood to the West End

Whether you’re planning to pursue small acting roles in your local theater or box office movie roles in Los Angeles, you need to know how to write a professional acting resume to land the gig.

As an actor, your resume is your best marketing tool, together with your headshot.

It’s what shows casting directors that you’re serious, professional and capable of fulfilling the role. A professionally written resume will give you a better chance of not losing out on those callbacks for roles in the film industry.

To a degree, writing an acting resume is easier than writing a resume for other professions.

When writing an acting resume - or an acting CV - you don’t have to sell yourself or draw attention to specific achievements like you do for other industries.

However, if you want to be taken seriously as an actor or actress, it is vitally important that you follow the very specific resume writing standards that are expected in Los Angeles and the acting world in general.

In this guide, we provide you with advice on all facets of the resume writing process for the film industry.

What's included in this guide?

- What to include in your resume

- How to present your acting experiences and format your resume

- The standard formatting principles for detailing your acting credits

- Step-by-step advice on including your acting training

- Advice and guidance on the most effective headshot to go with your resume

- How to write an acting resume with no experience

- Advice on which 'special skills' to include

- Tips for distributing your resume to casting directors and acting agencies in LA and across the world

- The best length for acting resumes

- How to include special skills

- And everything in between

We have prepared 5 acting resume samples for you to use. Feel free to use these acting resume templates to provide you with a greater chance of landing acting gigs.

Acting Resume Example 1

Acting Resume Example 2

What should be included on an acting resume?

Personal information.

- Start with your name. Don’t include the word ‘resume’ at the top of the document; your name will suffice as a title. This should be your stage name, not your real name.

- Include the name of the union you are affiliated with below your name. If you are not affiliated with a union, don’t include anything here.

- Below the name of the union, insert your phone number, including the area code. You may also add your email address if you wish.

- Next, move on to your physical details. Ideally, the physical details should be included in one neat line, below your contact information. Physical details extends to height, weight, hair and eye color. You should not include any other physical information.

These details are not optional. It’s important to include all this information at the top of your resume. Some people who are new to acting don’t include physical details, such as hair color. Visual appearance is a key factor in acting.

Leaving out information that is expected on all acting resumes could have a negative impact on your search for acting gigs.

Take a look at the image below to get a visual idea of how the top of your resume should look. Notice that this example resume does not include the candidate’s age or address.

Aside from the actor's name, union title and phone number, it only includes the four pieces of information that are necessary: height, weight, hair color and eye color.

Acting Credits

Now that you have added your contact information and physical details, it’s time to delve into your acting credits.

If you’re an experienced actor, this is where you show off your career highlights, whether it be starring in box office hits in Los Angeles or local theaters shows in your hometown.

Your acting experience should be separated into three parts: film, television and theater. Of course, if you don’t have experience in one or more of these spheres, just focus on the spheres you do have experience in.

Ideally, you should prepare a different resume for each of these three branches of the acting profession. For example, if you have starred in Hollywood movies, sitcoms and West End theater performance, you should create three resumes, focusing on all three respectively.

Write your acting credits in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent role and working backwards.

If you would prefer not to use the reverse-chronological format, that's fine. Some actors prefer to list their credits in order of significance, starting with the most well-known movies or TV shows.

If you've starred in big movies in Los Angeles, but your recent roles are more low-key, it would be beneficial to start with the big Los Angeles movies.

The acting credit section doesn’t necessarily need to include your entire acting history. The amount of acting history you include will depend on your level of experience. If you’ve played multiple movie roles, you won’t need to worry about including high-school plays.

On the other hand, if you haven’t got any acting experience, it would be beneficial to include such experiences.

If your resume seems to have a lot of empty space, don’t be tempted to include other work experiences that are not related to acting. These are not relevant and will negatively impact the effectiveness of your resume.

Try to put yourself in the position of the casting director. With hundreds, or even thousands, of resumes to get through you're going to want to see resumes that are concise and relevant.

How do you present your acting credits?

As previously mentioned, this will vary slightly depending on whether you are pursuing film, television or theater roles.

Film Acting Credits

For roles in film, start by including the name of the film. Then include the type of role that you held (such as a “lead” or “supporting” role). Follow this with the name of the production company and the director’s name.

See an example of an acting resume's film credits in the image below.

Don't be tempted to add descriptions and provide further information about your acting credits, even if you think it could add value to your resume. The only details required are film title, your role, the name of the production company and the name of the director. Follow this format rigidly.

Television Acting Credits

Presenting your television credits should follow a similar format to that of film. Include the name of the television show, followed by your role, the name of the network and the name of the director.

Take a look at the example of an actor's television credits in the image below.

Theater Acting Credits

The format of your credits changes slightly when it comes to your theater experiences.

As with film and television, list the name of the show and your role/character name. Then include the theater company and the production location. It’s not necessary to include the name of the director, unless the director is a recognized leader in the theater world and drawing attention to him/her could add value to your resume.

The image below demonstrates how your theater credits should be presented in your resume.

Follow this process until you have included all of your relevant acting credits. Don’t be tempted to include specific details anything else. It’s not expected or necessary. The information included in the resume example shown on this page contains everything casting directors and acting agencies need to see.

Aside from the film, television and theater credits section, the rest of your resume will follow the same format regardless of the type of acting you are pursuing.

Now let's move onto the next section...

Acting Resume Example 3

Education and Training

Below your acting credits, including your acting training. Detail any acting classes, workshops, courses or even degrees that you have completed. You may also include any seminars you have attended or any private acting sessions you have participated in.

In many cases, agents and casting directors look through resumes for acting teachers and acting schools that they respect. For this reason, it’s a good idea to get high-quality acting training under your belt from respected professionals in the acting industry, if you haven't done so already.

If you don’t have acting experience, it would be very beneficial to complete such training and draw attention to it on your new resume.

How do you present acting training on your resume?

Unlike resumes for other professions, acting resumes have a very specific formula you should follow when listing your training.

Start by including the name of the acting teacher or the organization. Follow this with the type of acting training you completed. These might include vocal, movement, improvisation or classical acting classes. Finally, include the location.

Present the education and training details in reverse-chronological order. As previously stated, this means starting with your most recent training and working backwards. If you’re currently taking acting classes, include them too with the words ‘ongoing’ or ‘in progress’ in brackets.

Don’t feel the need to go into other training that isn’t relevant to acting. Casting directors aren’t interested in health & safety training from your previous career or your high school grades. Ensure acting is the focal point of your resume.

Below is an image that shows how your education and training section should look on your resume.

Special Skills

This section is a good chance to make your resume stand out from the crowd. Here, you can highlight your proficiencies that casting directors might be looking for and that other actors might not possess. The special skills section is the final section to include in your professional acting resume.

This is a fairly simple section, where you list specific acting skills you have acquired.

What are special skills?

Special skills are capabilities you have obtained that could be relevant to acting, in the areas of sport, languages, music and accents. These may include foreign accents, martial arts ability, singing, instrument proficiency, vocal range and languages.

If you’ve mastered an Australian accent, ensure to detail this in the special skills section. Or if you’re trained in ballet dancing, write ballet as a special skill.

These are skills that may be required for certain acting projects; including this information on your acting resume can be the difference between securing the acting gig and getting turned away.

Some special skills are more relevant to others. Accents and dialects are recognized as very useful special skills on your acting resume.

Power lifting, however, would not be.

A knowledge and capability with firearms is also desirable, as is combat training. How often do you see firearms in movies, compared to the amount of times you see characters power lifting? Recognize which special skills in your arsenal are the most relevant and include those ones first.

If you have mastered certain acting techniques, such as the Meisner Technique or the Stanislavski Technique, ensure to draw attention to those.

Other acting techniques and proficiencies that you might want to add to the special skills section include method acting, the Chekhov Acting Technique and the Lee Strasberg’s Method.

As you’re probably aware, you can greatly improve the impact your acting resume has on casting directors and acting agencies by including certain skills. If you’re an inexperienced actor with little to no experience, it’s time to get out there and acquire these skills.

Whichever skills you decide to include here, make sure you are completely proficient at performing them. You should have mastered these skills and be ready to use them at the drop of a hat.

There is a strong chance you will be asked to demonstrate the skill at some point, so if you wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so, don’t include it.

Skills included here should be potentially relevant to acting; don’t include other soft skills, such as ‘communication’ or other skills that you would not need to use in acting. For example, you might be skilled at forestry work, but it is highly unlikely that you will need to employ the skill as an actor.

Here is an example of how a special skills section should look on your resume.

How to write an acting resume if you have no experience?

If you’ve recently decided to become an actor and you have no acting experience, don’t worry. Even the best actors had no experience at some point in their lives.

You’re not signed up to agencies in Los Angeles yet and you haven’t built key connections in the movie industry, but you’ve taken the first step. And sometimes the first step is the most important one.

But how can you prepare an acting resume when you don’t have any experience?

Having no experience isn’t as big of a problem as you might think. Everyone has to start somewhere, and casting directors understand this.

However, having a poorly prepared and presented resume is a big problem.

When you have no experience, the key is to make other areas the focal point of your resume, such as your acting training, special skills or physical details.

Acting training is a fantastic second best to include on your resume. If you’re eager to establish a career in acting, you have likely completed various acting classes and workshops.

These will show casting directors or acting agencies that you're serious about acting and taking active steps to build your capabilities as an actor. The more training you can get under your belt and on your resume, the more effective your resume will be.

There is only one way to do this.

Get yourself out there and complete more training to fill out your acting resume and demonstrate your commitment to acting as a profession.

This is one of the most important aspects of resume writing for actors with no acting experience .

If you want to improve your resume even more, find the best training available. This not only enhances your acting skills, but it also gives you a better chance of impressing casting directors.

When casting directors and agencies scan through actors' resumes, one of the key things that catches their eye is training from respected acting teachers and schools. As such, it’s a great idea to try to train and learn with renowned acting teachers and schools. Having training from these recognized schools on your resume will be sure to impress.

But which acting schools and teachers would be the most impressive on your resume?

It depends on your location and the resources available to you. There are many great acting schools and teachers across the world, who have played key roles in the development of award-wining actors.

If you’re in Los Angeles, The Sanford Meisner Center has had great success throughout its history, teaching actors including Sandra Bullock and Christoph Waltz. Of course, Los Angeles also boasts a long list of other fantastic acting schools and teachers.

It’s up to you to do some research and find the one that would add the most value to you and look best on your resume.

Another way of ensuring your acting resume makes an impact is to include any ‘special skills’ that you have mastered. The ‘special skills’ section, which is explained in more detail above, gives you a chance to demonstrate specific qualities that casting directors might be looking for.

These could include accents, dialects, singing, sports and dancing. There have been many cases of actors with no experience gaining roles in high-profile movies via their special skills.

As an example, acting gigs have been snagged solely as a result of martial arts proficiency.

As a final note on writing acting resumes when you have no acting experience, you should ensure that your resume contains all the information that casting directors or agents need.

If you don't adhere to the standards that are expected when writing a resume for acting gigs, you might be fighting a losing battle.

Formatting, fonts and layout for acting resumes

Weakly formatted and presented resumes don’t generate a great deal of success in the acting industry. They scream 'amateur' and they might cause the casting director to wonder how much time you have invested in preparing your resume.

Are you eager to demonstrate your professionalism? If so, ensure you produce a high-class resume. This way, you’ll show the casting director or agent that getting that gig is important to you.

Keep the layout and presentation of your resume simple. Don’t try to improve it with fancy graphics, colors or images. This won’t have a positive impact on the reader.

Avoid uncommon fonts that make the text appear unprofessional. Instead, use easy to read fonts, such as Calibri, Times New Roman or Arial.

These are standard fonts that are commonly used in various professions. Fonts that are overly elaborate result in your document appearing amateurish, and in some cases unreadable. Additionally, ensure your fonts are always black in color while keeping the font size between 10.5 and 12.

As with colors and graphics, don’t include icons on your resume. Although these are often used in resume writing for other professions, they are not expected or necessary in the acting profession.

Your resume's margins should not be too wide or too narrow. Aim for between 2 cm (0.78 inches) and 2.5 cm (0.98 inches). Of course, the margin sizes may vary depending on the amount of content you have to include, but try to keep them at reasonable dimensions.

Spacing is also important. Use at least a line of space or 4 pt. spacing between sections for ease of reading. Avoid cramming an overload of text onto the page. If there is too much text squeezed into your resume, the key information will be difficult to locate and read.

On the other hand, ensure your document doesn't contain an excess of white space. You don't want a half a page of white space, as this draws attention to the fact that you have little information (experience) to include. The key with white space is not too much and not too little.

Furthermore, ensure the section headings stand out and are clearly defined. To do this, make the fonts larger and use the 'bold' option.

Acting resumes should be one page in length. No matter how much experience you have acquired during your career, never exceed the one-page limit. If necessary, remove content to trim down your resume.

If you already have an acting resume, apply these basic formatting and layout tips to the document and you will instantly enhance the professionalism of the resume.

If you have no acting experience, follow these formatting tips closely to ensure your resume is professional and polished.

Professional Resume Writing Tip: To ensure the three columns of information on your resume remain equally aligned, use invisible tables. To insert a table on Microsoft Word, select ‘Insert’, then click ‘Table’, and then select a table of three columns.

Then make the table invisible by highlighting the table, selecting ‘Table Design’, and then selecting ‘No Borders’. This will ensure the three columns of information on your resume are equally aligned in the neat table columns, while hiding the unattractive outline of the table.

Print your resume

Acting is one of the only professions that still prefer hard copies of resumes. This is especially true in the theater industry.

Print your resume and staple it to the back of your headshot. Don’t use paperclips; if they come off, your headshot and resume will get separated and ultimately end up in the trash.

The headshot

As an actor, your headshot is a representation of your professional brand. It communicates a great deal of information to casting directors about your appearance, age range, professionalism and socioeconomic status. Alongside your new resume, your headshot is a crucial part of your arsenal.

What should a headshot look like?

It's simple, really.

Casting directors want to see a headshot that looks like you. While it should give an impression of the characters you may play, it needs to be a photo of what you look like on your best day, an accurate representation of yourself.

An effective headshot should also give an essence of your personality. You don’t have to look great, you just have to look like you . If that includes wrinkles and grey hairs, then that’s what your headshot needs to show. Don’t retouch the image, wear costumes or change your appearance for the headshot.

Casting directors are inundated with headshots and resumes on a daily basis. As such, your headshot needs to stand out and follow the recognized industry standards. Keep it professional, ensure it is engaging, avoid low-end headshot services and make sure your eyes are the window to the soul.

The recognized industry dimensions for a headshot are 8 x 10 inches. Don’t deviate from these dimensions. As previously mentioned, adhering to established standards speaks about your professionalism and knowledge of the industry.

To make the headshot and resume fit evenly together, trim your resume down to the same dimensions as the headshot.

Distributing your resume

Now that you’ve written your resume, it’s time to get it in front of agents. Identify the agencies you would like to target - whether they be large Hollywood acting agencies or individual agents from out of town - and find out if they are accepting submissions. If they are, send off your resume in line with their submission requirements.

Despite agencies being swamped with submissions, most of them are always on the lookout for quality talent. And they will always need to acquire new actors. If they didn’t, they probably wouldn’t be able to meet the requirements of their clients.

Use your new resume to network with others professionals in the acting industry. Attend events that casting directors and writers will attend and try to engage with them. Additionally, d on’t forget to utilize social media to build your professional network.

Acting Resume Example 4

Acting Resume Example 5

If you want to improve your acting skills and become the best actor you can be, consider reading books written by renowned acting coaches.

Check out our top 10 acting books that enable you to learn from the best.

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Actor Resume Example

If you're looking to land that big role, making sure your resume has what casting directors are looking for is key. This actor resume article will help your resume be ready alongside you for any audition.

Our resumes have been proven to work.

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Lights, camera, action! From the looks of it, you're ready to jump into the deep end of becoming an actor or actress, and luckily for you, the Occupational Outlook Handbook says there are 70,100 acting jobs out there. With the industry projected to grow by 3% each year , there are plenty of opportunities for you to catch your big break. Not to mention, the growth of the internet has helped the industry grow as well. Whether you've already landed a spot in a movie or tv show, looking to land your first role, having a resume that speaks the industry language is crucial. In this article, we will go over 7 steps that can help your resume go from a C-lister to an A-lister. Here's an overview of what we'll go over:

The importance of formatting your resume for a career as an actor or actress
How to write an award-winning resume summary
How to list your work experience, or in this case, acting credits, and what to do if you have no previous acting experience
The importance of a headshot in your resume
Impress casting directors with your special skills
How to list acting awards and recognitions
How to list your education in your resume

1. Format your resume

Actor resumes are differently formatted than, let's say, an accountant resume. In order to impress casting directors, it is necessary for your resume to read like that of someone who is really interested in being an actor or actress and knows the industry language. With that said, it's important for your resume to be formatted in a way that shows casting directors you're serious, even if you're auditioning for a comedic role. Here are the three ways to format your actor resume:

Reverse-chronological , which emphasizes your previous acting credits
Functional , which highlights your special skills
Hybrid , which combines the previous formats to give casting directors a closer look at what you're bringing to the table

As an actor or actress, it is not just important for casting directors to see what your acting credits are, but to know what your special skills are. You can sing or dance? You've starred in a hit tv show? Even if all you said were a few lines, these are things you want to highlight in your resume. Therefore, to truly impress casting directors, the best way to format your actor resume is with a hybrid that emphasizes your acting credits and shows off your skills. ‍

Tip: Including headshots in your resume as an actor or actress are crucial! Select a format for your resume that allows you to show casting directors who you are.

‍ Want to learn more about hybrid-formatted resumes? Check out our guide on how to format your resume.

2. Write an award-winning resume summary

Like shooting stars, the star-filled acting industry is always moving fast. On average, resumes are looked at for less than 6 seconds at a time. To make sure your resume stands out and is ready for the spotlight, it is important to have an award-winning resume summary. A resume summary is a 1-2 sentence blurb you include at the top of your resume that summarizes your entire resume and lets casting directors know what projects you have worked on and what kinds of acting you have experience in. Here are some elements to consider including in your resume summary:

Years of experience
Types of acting you have done
What your focuses are

If you're still not sure of what your resume summary should look like, here's an example: Passionate actress with a BFA and 10+ years experience working in film and television acting with a focus in comedy and voice-overs and a reputation for artistic integrity. ‍

‍ Tip: If you've starred in or won awards for big-name productions, feel free to include this in your resume summary, too! It could read something like this: Accustomed to demanding sets like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and have done award-winning performances in The Stand In and Parental Guidance.

‍ Here's what your resume summary should not look like: Talented actor with extensive experience on sets. Have starred in roles on broadway and tv. ‍

Even if you're the humblest of actors, it's important to show casting directors what you've got, even if you may think it's braggy. Honor your achievements, A-lister! Take a look at our guide for an in-depth look at resume summary examples .

3. List your acting credits and what to do if you have no experience

Hollywood is bringing in the big bucks, but you don't need to necessarily start or end there to make your acting career or add credits to your actor resume. Starring in independent productions or smaller projects can help you get into the larger spotlights, too. When it comes to work experience on an actor resume, the formatting and structure are very different from your typical resume. You're not describing what you did on the job. Instead, you're listing what productions you've worked in . Here's an example of what the acting credits section of your resume can look like: Acting Credits in Television

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, FOX (Dir. Claire Scanlon)

Supporting • Episode 4 — Season 6 (2019)

Shrill, Hulu (Dir. Jesse Peretz) Principal • (2019) ‍ Your acting credits section of your resume should not look like this: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2019)

Played Trish in an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Worked with Andy Samberg

Assisted the cast with various activities

Tip: You don't need to list the name of the character you played with your acting credit.

‍ When writing what role you played in your acting credits, it's important to know the lingo . This shows casting directors that you're familiar with the industry and the different ways of describing what an actor or actress specifically did on set and their role. Here are some types of speaking roles that you can add to the acting credits section of your resume:

Lead: The most important character in the show or movie.
Principal: A character with recurring scenes opposite lead to progress storyline.
Supporting or Day Player: A character limited to no more than a few lines.
Voice-Over Artist: An unseen person who does the voice-over.

Tip: If you're been the voice in an animated tv series or film, you can state you are a voice-over actor for that production.

‍ If your acting experience is more non-speaking roles , here are some examples you can include in your resume:

Featured: Non-speaking character that lends credibility to a scene. This could be a driver, bartender, etc.)
Extra: This character generally livens up a scene. This could be pedestrians, an office worker, an audience member, etc.)
Stunt Performer: This is a specialist actor who performs stunts.
Stand-In: This is an actor that takes the place of another actor with the same physical properties.
Body Double: Body doubles are used for shots of physical fitness or nudity.
Stunt Double: This performer specifically takes the part of another actor for a specific stunt in the movie or tv show.

What to do if you have no previous acting credits

If you have no previous acting credits and don't know what work experience to put on your resume, don't sweat it. Here are some things you can put under the acting credits section of your resume:

Broadway or Off-Broadway
Short Films
Independent Films

Even though you haven't caught your big break just yet, having at least attended workshops, been a Broadway production, or starred in a short film can help you to get noticed by a casting director looking to work with undiscovered talents. You can also check out our guide on how to write a resume with no work experience for more information.

4. Include a headshot in your resume

As an actor or actress, you know you only get one shot at first impressions. So, it's important to make it count. Unless you're strictly working as a voice-over actor, your physical appearance does play a massive role in your ability to get casted. With that said, including a headshot in your resume is crucial because it shows casting directors what you look like and if you meet any physical requirements for the character you are auditioning for. When formatting your resume, a template that allows you to include a headshot may be beneficial -- and of course, when submitting your resume, include some more photos to help casting directors see if your physical characteristics meet those of the character they are wanting to create or create. Typically, the headshots you include with your resume are glossy 8x10 borderless close-ups , but nowadays, this can vary with the specific production market you are trying to work with. Regardless of what kind of headshot the casting director is asking for, it's crucial for it to be of high quality . A low resolution photo will not help you get the part.

Tip: See our resume example at the top of this article to see how you can incorporate a headshot into your actual resume.

5. Impress casting directors with your special skills

Oftentimes, an actor or actress does more than just act, and showcasing to casting directors your special skills on your resume can really help you catch your big break. Unlike in other resumes, here, you're not listing your skills in Microsoft Office of Adobe Creative Suite. Instead, you're listing special skills like singing and dancing that can aid your acting career. Here are some special skills you can include in your resume:

British Accent
Scottish Accent
Spanish-Speaking
Combat Training

If a casting director is looking to cast an up-and-coming actor or actress in her musical, it's going to beneficial for the person casted to know how to sing and dance. Who knows? Maybe being cast as a dancer for a movie will put your acting career on the map. ‍

Tip: Don't list your hobbies as your special skills. Just because you enjoy singing in the shower, unfortunately, does not always mean you can sing and stay on key.

‍ When listing your special skills, try to list at least 5 of them . If you're comfortable doing so, include a skills progress bar to show casting directors just how skilled you are at the talents you are listing.

6. List acting awards and recognitions

If you've received acting awards, including them on your resume may help to impress casting directors and secure the role. Awards show casting directors that you have experience in the industry and have been recognized for your work and the roles you have played. Here are some awards in the U.S. you can include in your resume if you've received them:

Lucille Lortel
Academy Award
Golden Globe
Outer Critics Circle

If you've received a regional acting award, be sure to include those in your resume, too. Here are some regional awards that you may know of and be able to include:

Ovation (Los Angeles)
Carbonell (Florida)
IRNE (New England / Boston)
Kevin Klein (St. Louis)
Joseph Jefferson (Chicago)

Tip: Try not to include social media driven awards where may have won by asking friends and family to vote for them. It will not help to impress casting directors.

‍ And if you haven't received any awards just yet, don't worry. With this resume you're creating, you'll sure land the role and then receive the recognition.

7. List your education in your resume

Some actors and actresses are child stars, took acting in high school or college or have just always dreamed about being a famous actor or actress without having worked for it. Regardless of your history, if you've received a college education, include it in your resume. As an actor or actress, listing your education in your resume shows casting directors what you may have a background in. Especially if you received a BFA, or Bachelor of Fine Arts , for acting, this is something you want to highlight and for casting directors to notice. When including your education, here are the basic components to list:

College Name and Location
Years in School
Grade Point Average (GPA)

The space on your resume is very limited . You don't need to include what you did for those years you were in college. Here's what the education section of your resume can look like: California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA 2003 — 2007 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting GPA: 3.8/4.0 Here's what your education section should not look like:

California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA 2003 — 2007 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting GPA: 3.8/4.0

Received a degree in acting

Attended acting workshops

Starred in a college short film

Take a look at our guide on listing your education for more help.

Key Takeaways

We know we've covered a lot. We also know that with this guide, you're sure to wow casting directors with your impressive resume. Here's a summary of everything we covered:

The importance of formatting your resume for a career as an actor
The importance of a headshot in your actor resume
How to list your education in your actor resume

Now that you've seen the script, it's time for your resume to start acting! Go out there and break a leg!

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Home / Resume Examples / Acting Resume Sample

Acting Resume Sample and Tips from HR Pros

Applying for a new job is never easy. However, landing a coveted role in a movie, ad or music video may be an even more challenging task.

According to money.usnews.com actors made a median salary of $43,760 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made $60,760 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $28,080.

To get the job you want, you will first need an effective resume and cover letter. In this article, we will look into how to write an acting resume that may just get you the role you want.

Here’s what we will look into.

What an acting resume is and why you need it
How to structure an actor resume that highlights all the right points
Tips and examples on how to list your skills and achievements
An acting resume example that you can use as the base for your application and more.

If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to write an effective cover letter, check out our article on Acting Cover Letter Example and Advice from HR Pros .

Let’s get started.

What is an acting resume?

An actor resume, true to its name, is a resume for actors. You will need it if you want to apply for a role in film, television, theater or other acting media.

An acting resume typically needs to fit in a single sheet of paper and must also include a headshot.

You will use your active resume to show casting directors that you are the right person for the job, have the relevant skills and possibly even experience of acting in similar projects.

What to include in an actor resume?

There are several sections that you should typically have on your actor resume. These are:

Your contact details

Your agent’s contact details (if you have one)

Basic information and headshot thumbnail

Resume summary, acting credits.

Formal education (if you have a relevant degree)
Workshops and training you’ve taken

Special skills

References from previous acting work, testimonials, reviews, etc.
Call to action

Now, let’s unpack each of these sections with a bit more detail.

Here everything is pretty much straightforward. Include your full name and the contact information at which you can be reached. There is no need to include your full address. Typically, you will need to just mention your email and phone number.

Your agent’s contact details

If you are working with an agent, you will need to include their contact details next. The casting director may be reaching out to your agent first if they have more questions, to invite you to an audition or more.

Here you will include some basic information about your physical appearance. This includes height and weight (optional). There is typically no need to go into further detail and add details about your hair or eye colors as these will be visible in a headshot.

If you are attaching a headshot to your resume, include a thumbnail at the top of the page. This will help the casting director instantly know whose resume they are looking at.

A resume summary is a brief introduction of who you are. Include a few lines about acting skills, experience and credentials.

In this section of your resume, list your acting credits. This may include theatre credits, film credits, TV credits and more.

It’s best to group and list your credits by project type. They should generally be listed in reverse-chronological order.

But if your acting jobs are not equal in their “value”, start with the biggest, most well-known or otherwise most impressive credits. You don’t have to list your acting credits in chronological order.

For more information on resume formats, check out our article on Top Resume Formats: Tips and Examples of 3 Common Formats .

You can choose what credits you want to add to your resume and what may be best to leave out.

Education and training

Here, add information about your acting education.

This section of your resume shouldn’t take more than a third of your resume page. However, if you end up having some extra space, make sure to add the names of your instructors, especially if they have weight in the industry. Having a well-recognizable name on your resume can add credibility to your application and spike the interest of the hiring director. Plus, you can use your instructors as potential references.

If you’ve taken additional acting classes, attended a workshop or training, put this information here.

Special skills are things that you can do very well that may be useful in your acting career. There are different categories of special skills and you should group and list them accordingly.

Examples of special skills include:

Sports, dance and playing musical instruments Foreign languages you speak and accents you can do Voices you can do and so on

References from previous work, testimonials and reviews

If you have references or reviews from your previous acting work, these can be very helpful in helping you land a new gig. Do not include full texts of your references in your resume. Instead, simply list the references you have available and mention that they are attached as separate documents.

Tips for writing an actor resume

Here are some additional best practices for writing an acting resume that works.

Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a role in a movie, your resume should reflect that you have relevant experience and skills. If you are applying to act in a commercial, make changes in your resume to emphasize that you are a good commercial actor.

Use a clear format. A poorly formatted resume won’t get you far. Casting directors are especially busy people and they have seen it all. Unless your resume is interesting and easy to read, they might not give it a second look and your chances for getting an audition will be very low.

Send your resume in PDF format. Unless otherwise specified, you should send your resume as a PDF document. This is the most popular resume format and is generally compatible with any device. Make sure the casting manager doesn’t have to spend any extra time figuring out how to open your resume file.

Acting resume example: reverse-chronological order

Summing things up

So, let’s sum up what makes a good acting resume.

First, make sure your resume is focused on the position you are applying for. It’s essential that the skills and experience you list on your resume are used as proof that you are the best person for this specific job.
Second, the format does matter. Make sure your resume is clear and easy to read and has all the information the casting director might require.
Use reverse chronological format when listing your acting experience. However, if your biggest acting roles were the earlier ones, it would be best to list them first.
Your acting resume shouldn’t be over a page long.
If you have references, you can send them as separate files together with your resume.

Learn more about how to write a resume .

Acting cover letter

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Resume Preparation

How to Create Your Acting Resume

Last Updated: May 25, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Patricia Chukerman and by wikiHow staff writer, Dan Hickey . Patricia Chukerman is an Image Consultant & Marketing Specialist and the Owner of Paperworks Image Consulting and Stoned on Rocks. With more than 36 years of experience, she specializes in helping companies decide how to market themselves. In addition to her work with businesses, she also has more than four years of acting experience and more than five years of crafting experience. Patricia earned her BA from The University of Illinois Chicago. Patricia is also the President of the Dania Beach Chamber of Commerce and the President of the Hollywood Florida Scholarship Foundation. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 16 testimonials and 100% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 429,775 times.

An acting resume is a snapshot of who you are and the acting experience you have—but what should you include, especially if you’re just starting out? Whether you’re a beginner actor with no experience or a seasoned thespian, a professional-looking resume that showcases your skills and talents can help you land your dream role. We’ve put together a guide with all the information you need to include and how to format it for success. If you’re ready to go out there and break a leg, read on!

What to Include on Your Acting Resume

Step 1 Include your name and contact information at the top of your resume.

Unions you might list include SAG-AFTRA or Equity/AEA.
List your union after your name ( John Smith, SAG-AFTRA) or on a separate line ( Union: SAG-AFTRA).

Step 3 Describe your basic physical attributes.

If you’re auditioning for a singing role, include your voice type (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, or bass) and your vocal range if you know your lowest and highest notes (for example, C3–A4).
Do not list your age or date of birth unless you’re under 18 years old. Keeping your age vague increases the number of roles you could be a good fit for.
List your traits with the attribute bolded ( Height: 5’11” Voice Type: Tenor) in one line beneath your contact information.

Step 4 Include the most notable roles you’ve played.

Leave out the dates of your roles to avoid exposing your age.
Don’t include modeling or extra work—stick with relevant acting experience.

Step 5 List your role experience in a 3-column layout.

Only list the director if they’re very well-known (you can put their name alongside the company’s name or in place of the location if you’re short on space).
Types of roles in TV credits are series regular, recurring, guest star, or co-star.
Types of roles in film credits are lead, supporting, principal, or featured.

Step 6 Mention your acting education and training.

For example: “BFA, Acting — New York University — New York City, NY”
Mention any specialized training or certifications related to acting, like stunt coordination or choreography, and any well-known teachers or coaches you’ve studied with.
Your graduation dates are optional. To keep your age vague, leave them out.
List any training in acting-related fields like music (especially singing), dance, improv, or stunts.

Step 7 Highlight special skills that make you stand out from other applicants.

For example: “ Special Skills: aerial acrobatics, singing (classical and pop), dance (tap and contemporary), guitar, piano, French accent, German accent, juggling.”
Some more special skills casting agents might look for are crying on cue, voiceover acting, improvisation, stage combat or weapons handling experience, clowning, or miming.
The more unique or specialized your skill sets are, the more you’ll stand out. For example, instead of “dance,” you could put “ballet and samba.”

Step 8 Add any awards or accolades you’ve received for your acting.

Save your resume in an easy-to-access location on your computer for fast editing and updating. If you’re submitting electronically, save it as a PDF file so it’s readable on any device.

Acting Resume Format and Presentation

Step 1 Arrange your resume so it fits on one 8x10 inch (20x25 cm) page.

Stick with a clean, professional font like Times New Roman or Arial.
Stick with one font color (black).
Make your resume stand out by keeping it super clean and readable. Bold your headers and leave plenty of white space on the page so it’s easy to skim quickly.

Wear a simple, solid-colored shirt. Dark colors photograph better than light colors, and white should be avoided.
Wear your hair in a simple, everyday style and keep your makeup to a minimum (the photographer can make touch ups during editing if necessary).
Pose in a natural position. Your shot shouldn’t include your hands or any props.
Remember, casting agents want to see the natural you. Wild clothing, makeup, hair, or poses will distract them (and hurt your chances of getting the role).

Stapling ensures your resume and headshot don’t get separated. Avoid using paper clips or tape.
Don’t print your resume on the back of your headshot. It’s costly and inconvenient to print large photos every time you update your resume.

Expert Q&A

Always be honest on your resume. Lies or fabrications will come out when you’re asked to demonstrate a special skill or if a hiring agent tries to speak with a director you listed but haven’t actually worked with. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Only list directors, teachers, or co-stars you’ve worked with if they’re very well-known or relevant to the role you want. Saving space is important, and too many names can make your resume look crowded and hard to skim. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Update your resume as you gain experience. When you’re first starting out, it might only contain college or community theater roles. As you grow into a professional, replace amateur productions with more high-profile or reputable ones. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

↑ Patricia Chukerman. Image Consultant & Marketing Specialist. Expert Interview. 8 February 2022.
↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/dont-dread-it-write-it-a-guide-to-acting-resumes/
↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-ace-your-headshot-session/

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How to Write an Actor's Resume

by David Collins

Your resume speaks volumes about you as an individual and how much you can contribute as an actor.

More by david collins.

The Fastest Road to Hollywood
Understanding the Importance of Casting Calls

Creating the Perfect Acting Resume
Acting Resumes - Honesty Leads to Reward
Actor Resume Examples
Actor Cover Letter Tips
Constructing the Perfect Acting Cover Letter
Actor Cover Letter Examples

Reader Comments

I'm frank adjei from Ghana and i am 20yrs i want to become a famous actor that any film industry would like sign me please me because that is my vision.

Posted by frank adjei (2011-06-14) 3372

Hi am from kenya and have been strugling to get on the acting scene without succes. Am grateful for your advice. I will try it and am sure it will work. You can also give me more advice or help at any time. Be blessed.

Posted by Nancy wangui (2011-02-19) 2887

Hi my name rebecca hernandez. Im 18 and i have a dream or being a actor. I see my family goin threw bad times my dads the only one that works. And we have 11 people in the house. so i wanted to know if you would help me out. I would thank u so much. I dont want 2 become a porn or anythang else. I just i my dream 2 come true so my family can be happy and dont have 2 worry about anythIng. I also would love 2 help the poor. I sing when im sad or when im haPpy. I can act real good if u can give me a change please. il pray everynite 4 ur cAll thank you and god bless you.

Posted by Rebecca (2010-07-19) 2642

oh my, this website helps!sooo much.THANK YOU!!!

Posted by amanda (2009-11-16) 2185

hello my name is sarah i want to be an actore and i need to write a paragraph so i can be chosen what exprince should i have i really want to be plzzzzzzzzz help

Posted by sarah (2009-07-21) 1802

Take acting lessons, private is best, from a person that really acted in a film, TV, or Commercial. Too many 'teachers' at colleges never did anything save stage work. Private is more $ but better training and connections to the industry.

Posted by Joe (2009-06-27) 1680

Hi my Name Is Nadia and i am 11 years old. i have an agent but i havent been going to there classes. I go to John Casablancas.

Posted by nadia (2009-05-10) 1439

Thanks alot for your nice advices and headings.I am posting my comment right from Kenya and am great to get such awonderful moment to share with you people.I can really make a resume but my experience upto now is very low due to problems am facing in my caarer.To start with is that we don't have trainig institution,some upcoming companies based their intake or employement to enthic groups.So in short you people with your willing heart if possiple get me astart and I will promise to deliver at any point. THANKS ALOT.

Posted by Duncan cheruiyot (2009-05-07) 1415

Hey Kristina, are you blind? Right above this is a link to "resume examples". If you would just take the time to actually view a few more pages of this site, you'd find all the answers you are seeking. I know I did.

Posted by Frank (2009-04-11) 1272

Can u please email me an example of a resume.? i need to see what it says and how the categories are supposed to be. i wuld greatly appreciate it if you culd send me this. thank you.

Posted by Kristina (2009-04-10) 1271

I would love to be an actress of such high standards, but I need help to get me into the business...if you could give me some tips, that'd be awesome

Posted by bgirlfan (2008-11-19) 590

I need help writing my resume I never really had to write it so if u could show me what one looks like then I can take it from there

Posted by deshawn (2008-11-14) 564

hello sir i want to be an actor so you give me suggestion. how can i be an actor?

Posted by abhishek (2008-05-08) 85

I was born to become a film star and i am only a tool for people who are interested in me.

Posted by unknown (2008-03-29) 73

No HTML, links, emails, phone numbers, addresses, profanities, or all caps please. (Message Rules)

A Star Is Found

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Acting Resume Example

One might believe that creating an actor resume is more difficult compared to the resume of a lawyer or a sales assistant. Indeed, these professions usually have specific timeframes for each employment, making their resumes more chronological. Actors, however, can be employed by different studios at the same time. It makes it difficult to craft a winning resume.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, pegs the average actor’s salary at $23.48 per hour.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. Professional resume writers enjoy challenges, and writing an acting resume is one of them. Not only it includes interesting career details but also requires specific key skills to get more interviews. Also, such resumes usually have professional jargon and terminology, uncommon for any other resume.

Therefore, we offer a perfect acting resume example for you to check what sections and details should be included in your actor resume. You must approach the process of resume writing creatively to make your document stand out from the crowd. At the same time, never forget about the acting resume’s main mission – to land a job.

It should answer all the questions recruiters can ask while emphasizing your strengths. If you doubt you can write it, don’t ever hesitate to call for professional help or check the provided sample acting resumes.

How to Write An Acting Resume

If your goal is to impress everyone with your actors resume, you have to know how to write a resume. Not just a resume, but a breathtaking and bot-beating resume. It may seem to be an easy task at first; however, it soon becomes obvious that actor resume writing requires certain skills.

Here are a few steps on how to make an actor resume without much effort:

Work on your actor bio. You should always remember that a resume contains condensed information. A recruiter understands whether they want to proceed with the person behind the resume within the first 8 seconds of reading. Thus, cut all the unnecessary details and focus on highlighting your strengths.
Remember about the ATS system. You can’t just take any template and insert your information in it. Actors’ resumes should comply with an applicant tracking system like any other resume.
Show a person behind projects and numbers. Humans hire humans, especially when it comes to acting. So, it is important to demonstrate your people skills and amiable nature in your acting resume. Try not to sound boring and tedious. Add some creativity and storytelling for your resume to appeal to a hiring manager.
Check grammar, style, and vocabulary. You must write your actor resume in a way that makes it easy to understand for people who know little about acting. Also, you should check your formatting before submitting the final version. Recruiters want to read files that are neat and inviting to the eye.

Write an Acting Resume Summary or Summary Objective

Whether you are looking at a sample acting resume for beginners or professionals, you’ll definitely find one thing in common – they share a resume summary or summary objective. It is usually placed in the heading of the resume to be the first thing a recruiter sees.

This summary plays a very important role in making your acting resume stand out. Do not waste your chance to impress and appeal to readers from the very first line. Mention your key skills, previous accomplishments, or – for acting resume sample no experience – employment goals and future endeavors.

A great resume summary and a summary objective would sound as follows :

A professional actor with a series of successful projects looking for a new role to discover the potential, transfer all knowledge and skills, and positively contribute to the movie’s success.
Looking for a project with a well-established production studio to discover the talent depth and learn new acting techniques.

Put Your Education on Resume for an Acting

We always focus your attention on the relevance of the information that is being put in an actor resume. Unlike any other resume, an acting resume should indeed reflect actor bio but never make it too wordy.

Therefore, it is important to mention your education, and every acting bio example proves that. You need to give it much credit if this education is related to acting. For example, if you graduated from an acting school or attended special courses.

However, if your education is barely related to acting, you can still add it to a resume as the acting biography example shows. However, be critical whether this information is helpful in a job search. If it’s not, mention it only in passing.

Education is only attractive to recruiters if it’s relevant or if you try to get a specific part to play. For example, your degree in Physics will be a great asset if you want to play a Physics teacher in a new TV series.

Put Skills on an Acting Resume

Actors resumes should contain a list of skills for them to be compatible with ATS . The system filters candidates who don’t qualify for the role automatically. Thus, for your resume to get through, you need to include as many acting skills as possible.

However, don’t be dishonest. The idea is to describe your unique skill set, not to create a false image. Great actor bios are usually those where skills are used as keywords and are logically incorporated into a text.

For example, you can mention such skills as communication; good screen, stage, and vocal presence; excellent memory; creative insight; the ability to switch characters quickly; and many others in your resume. You can find lots of options online, so you only need to select the ones you need.

Yet, try to insert them throughout the entire resume instead of putting them as a list. Use the skills to prove your competence in a certain project while describing your duties and achievements.

Add Contact Info to Your Resume

An acting resume sample should contain contact details for recruiters to reach out to you easily. You can decide not to add your home address but do mention the city you live in now. If you are open to relocation, add this to your resume as well.

As for your cell number or email address, such details should be added to any resume. You can’t find any sample acting resumes without contact information. You can place your agent’s contact info instead of yours, but a recruiter should have the means to contact you.

Be particularly attentive not to make a mistake in symbols and figures.

Add Other Sections to Your Effective Resume

Every successful sample of acting resume should contain sections other than work experience and education. Hobbies and interests, for example, can really help you get employed as an actor because recruiters are also interested in your passions. Some of them can be really beneficial for the role you intend to get.

As an actor, you need to be able to bring a character in life. You can learn that only by interacting with different people. That is why different volunteering jobs and community engagements should also be mentioned in your actor resume.

Also, you can add references to your sample acting resume. These should be the people who know you and your potential, witnessed your talents, and can vouch for you as a professional. Make sure their contact information, positions, and role in your career are accurate because they will definitely be contacted.

Use Key Action Verbs

Resume keywords and action verbs are not something optional that you can choose to use. These are the requirements that make your acting resume successful in the applicant tracking process. You must insert keywords wherever you see fit as well as replace all passive verbs with their active synonyms.

For example, the verb ‘assisted’ sounds weaker compared to ‘streamlined,’ ‘launched,’ or ‘initiated.’ You can use stronger active verbs but add the names or positions of those who you collaborated with.

Also, ‘was responsible’ doesn’t mean the same as ‘achieved’ or ‘succeeded.’ Modify your sentences to show yourself as an achiever rather than a doer.

Beginner Acting Resume Sample

If you are a beginner, you might be interested in learning the peculiarities of acting resume samples no experience . First of all, you need to acknowledge the fact that a lack of experience does not make you a bad actor. Yes, you can’t be paid equally to well-known acting experts. Nevertheless, the fact that you are a beginner does not make you less worthy of great roles.

To get a job, you need to create an acting resume for beginners. Do not try to showcase skills and competencies that you don’t have. Instead, focus on your strengths and make your resume updated according to all recent requirements.

An ordinary acting resume sample for beginners contains all their acting projects and endeavors even if they are small. At the same time, such resumes list acting goals and skills as if explaining what this newbie can do and how they plan to develop their talent.

Quite often, recruiting firms seek new actors with no experience. Many short films and ads need fresh faces. Therefore, your sample acting resume beginner will definitely find its audience. Having no experience is not a problem in the acting career. Having no talent is an issue, though.

Professional Acting Resume Sample

When it comes to a professional acting resume, the names of successful projects become critical. You need to mention the roles that make you stand out from the crowd. Be sure recruiters and managers will check them to come to the conclusion concerning your professionalism.

Also, a professional acting resume sample usually contains detailed information on each notable project as well as all film and TV awards. Apart from that, there must be an actor bio where you tell a story of your becoming an actor, which is intertwined with your special skills. Yet, you need to be concise in these thoughts.

Should you have lots of projects, do not list them all in detail. Select the most notable ones if you want to talk more about your role. The rest should come in a list with the corresponding dates. Recruiters are interested in the freshest and most relevant information. Do not overload them.

Whether to add references or not is up to you; however, at a certain point in your career, references in your resume can undersell you as an actor. Be cautious.

It is always a good idea to include a cover letter where you can add more information about yourself. It’s less formal than an acting resume itself, so you have better chances to show what kind of person you are.

More Resume Examples

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Relevant experience: Tweak your résumé a bit to match the role you're applying for. Don't lie, but do highlight any relevant experience. Include up to 10 years of your acting experience in ...
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1. Contact details. For example, name, affiliated union, phone number, and email address. 2. Online portfolio. Include your portfolio URL (if you have one) so directors can learn more about your previous work. 3. Physical attributes (also known as a bio) For example, hair color, eye color, weight, and clothing size.
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Organize your credits into three side-by-side columns: Column 1: the name of the project. Column 2: the size of your role (lead/supporting in film; co-star/guest star/recurring in TV) Column 3 ...
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Adding a Headshot to an Acting Resume. Your resume and headshot for acting gigs should be attached, back-to-back. You may do this using staples at all 4 corners or glue, or you may print your resume on the back of your headshot. Don't even think about using a paper clip to attach them, they'll just end up separated.
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Content. Top ↑ Actor Resume Example 11 Steps for a Stellar Actor Resume #1. Decide on the Format (and Layout) #2. Provide the Right Contact Information #3. Write a Convincing Resume Summary (or Objective) #4. Describe Your Work Experience #5. Mention Your Education #6. Mention Acting Workshops and Training Camps #7.
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I suggest putting your logo and name at the top and adding the rest at the bottom. And last but not least, add a small list of your hobbies and interests in a short 'about' section. The key ...
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The Basics. Your resume is always on one (1) sheet of paper. Even if you're emailing it, don't make it go over one page. It must fit on the back of your 8×10 headshot. After you print your resume, you'll size it up to the back of your headshot, staple it in two opposite corners and cut the excess paper. Make it look clean with a lot of ...
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A resume-friendly fontsuch as Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica will make your document look clean and professional. You want to create a font size hierarchyand emphasize important elements, so you should use a 10-12 pt font size for the body and a 14-16 pt font size for section headings.
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The header is supposed to be the largest text in the whole of the acting resume. The font size of your header should be between 14-16 font size. Decide it whichever suits the best according to your chosen actor resume template. Also, make sure you give a single space between your first name and your last name.
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Using an acting resume template Google Docs, or Word makes getting it right plain sailing. Go to "insert", select "table", and choose a 3-columned table in the document. Then, copy/paste the table to the work experience section of the resume builder acting resume template you've chosen.
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Acting resume objective example: Aspiring actor with a passion for the performing arts and a background in community theater. Brings a commitment to character authenticity and a dynamic presence on stage and screen. Eager to leverage skills in a professional setting and contribute to memorable performances. Step 3.
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A beginner acting resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes. How to write a beginner acting resume that will land you more interviews. Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a beginner acting engineer resume. How to describe your experience on a resume for a beginner actress or actor to get any job you want.
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See the summary from our actor resume example below. Adaptable summary example. Passionate, experienced, and formally trained actor. Bringing forth enthusiasm, a strong work ethic, and an unrelenting desire to entertain. Committed to fostering strong relationships with fellow actors, conducive to creating magical performances.
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2. Write an award-winning resume summary. Like shooting stars, the star-filled acting industry is always moving fast. On average, resumes are looked at for less than 6 seconds at a time. To make sure your resume stands out and is ready for the spotlight, it is important to have an award-winning resume summary.
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Tips for writing an actor resume. Here are some additional best practices for writing an acting resume that works. Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a role in a movie, your resume should reflect that you have relevant experience and skills. If you are applying to act in a commercial, make changes in ...
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Download Article. 1. Include your name and contact information at the top of your resume. Use your stage name if it's different from your real name since that's how you will be known. Center and bold your name on its own line at the top of the page, then add your contact information in 1 line beneath it.
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Like other industries, in order to be hired and get jobs in the movie business, you will need to submit a resume. As an aspiring actor, you need to know how to create a properly formatted actors resume which may very well include nearly every acting role or experience that you have had.
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How to write an acting resume. Below are eight steps you may follow to write an acting resume: 1. Choose a format. There are three main types of resume format, including reverse chronological, functional and combination. Choosing a suitable format can help you show potential employers where your strengths lie.
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2. Focus your resume on the role. After deciding on the resume format, ensure your resume applies to the role. For example, if you are auditioning for the role of a film actor, list your experience and skills related to film acting. When you match your resume to the role, it becomes easier to attract the attention of potential employers.
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How to Get an Acting Agent With No Experience
1. Add to your acting résumé. You don't need to have major credits to zhuzh up an acting résumé —and you can get acting experience without an agent. "You need to hustle in Hollywood ...