Some would argue that an actors resume is even more important than his or her headshot. In this article we will go back over the reasons for creating an acting resume and also what to think about when you are putting one together.

An acting resume should take up precisely one side of one page, and you will typically have it stapled to the back of your head shot. This single page should represent you as an artist, as an entertainer, as an employee, and as a colleague. In order to do that, you will have to do a little thinking about what the auditioners seem to be looking for. Think about the specific show they going to be doing and try to compare it to their previous work. What types of shows do these people typically produce, and what kinds of people do they usually use for the type of part you’re trying out for? Once you’ve considered what they’re looking for, the next step is to try and give them what they want. Since you’re a professional actor, this should be the easy part.

The only thing you need to realize is that your acting resume is not an extension of you as an actor, it is an extension of the part you want to play. So, you should twist and pull at the facts of your professional life until they fit, as closely as possible, the specific audition. I would never tell you to lie; just list the parts of your acting career in an order which suits the demands of the part. This is a little bit of an extra investment in terms of time and energy, but it’s not that big an investment. Five or ten minutes per audition could be the difference between your next big break and your next season of waiting tables.