Actors will need a resume, even those with little experience. But here are a few rules to follow when creating your actors resume.
- Do not pad it with junk – There is nothing wrong with not having a lot of experience.
- Keep it relevant – You do not need to include jobs that have nothing to do with acting unless they somehow relate to a special skill set.
- Do not include work as an extra. Extras are NOT actors – Anyone can be an extra.
- Keep it simple and easy to read.
- Do not get fancy with curvy fonts, color, etc. You want it to look professional. If you do use color, keep it minimal.
- Keep it to one page. If it does not fit, drop smaller roles.
- If you are in a union, then state the affiliation at the top. If you are not, do not mention it at all. Never state “non-union” or “SAG eligible”. If you are not part of the union, then the words SAG or AFTRA should not be anywhere on the page.
- Modeling is NOT acting and should not be on an acting resume. If you model as well, you need to make a separate resume for it.
Here is an example of an actor’s resume from the Cal State University
RON SMITH
ron.smith@email.com – (213)555-1212
Link address to your reel, if you have one
Height: 5’ 11”
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Weight: 145 lbs.
Tenor
Theatre
Death of a Salesman Biff Anita DuPratt Bakersfield Community Theatre
Lend Me a Tenor Max Zoe Saba CSU Bakersfield
Antigone in New York Sasha * Maria-Tania Becerra CSUB
Evita Magaldi Mandy Rees CSUB
Richard III Hastings Peter Brook Empty Space
“Wiley and the Hairy Man” Wiley Kamala Kruszka CSUB and on tour
“Unwrapped” (premiere) John Jessica Boles CSUB
* Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nominee
Education/Training
B.A. in Theatre, California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), expected June 2015
Acting: Mendy McMasters, Zoe Saba
Improvisation: Mandy Rees
Singing: Peggy Sears
Long-form Improvisation, CSU Summer Arts Workshop
Dave Razowsky, James Grace, Irene White, Eric Hunicutt, Jenn Winters
Dance:
Tap: Marilyn Stone (six years)
Ballroom: Shari Fortino (two years)
Ballet: Martha Knight (one year)
Special Skills
Dialects: British, Brooklyn, American Southern
Horseback riding, quick study, saxophone (intermediate), stage managing, some
gymnastics, juggling (four balls), baseball, unicycle rider