Actors: Make Your Headshot and Resume Stand Out to a Casting Director

As an actor, there are so many elements that go into being successful. Craft and method, scene study, poise, rehearsal, memorization, building your brand and identity. The list goes on. Yet in the end, getting cast in a project might come down to just two pieces of paper: your headshot and your resume. It’s often the very first impression casting directors or producers have of you and may dictate whether or not you get in the room to audition in the first place. Considering how much can come down to your these two items, it’s critical you make them as effective as possible to put your best foot forward.

There are tons of online resources, articles and videos on the do’s and don’ts of actor headshots and resumes, many of which contradict the next. Acting coaches, agents, managers and industry professionals are quick to define what makes a headshot “pop” and what to include on your resume. But what do casting directors really look for? And what can make your headshot and resume stand out from the stack of others that a casting director receives?

Over her career, casting director Marin Hope has cast hundreds of actors in film, TV, theatre and commercial projects. The winner of the 2020 Artios Award for Casting, Marin works alongside Heidi Levitt, casting film, television, commercial, theatre and New Media projects. Some casting credits include HBO's BESSIE starring Queen Latifah, Mo’Nique, Michael K. Williams and Mike Epps, AMERICAN MADE, starring Tom Cruise and Domhnall Gleeson, HOMELAND, starring Claire Danes, THE LAST WORD, starring Shirley MacLaine and Amanda Seyfried, and most recently MOLLY, starring Javier Bardem, Elle Fanning, Chris Rock, Laura Linney and Salma Hayek, which is currently in post-production. Marin’s deep experience in acting has made her a foremost expert in what it takes for actors to get the job, and she’s back exclusively with Stage 32 to reveal what she knows.

Marin will reveal from a casting director’s perspective what makes an actor’s headshot and resume effective. She will discuss everything from hair and makeup to how much you should spend on headshots to what makes a headshot stand out. She’ll provide details on how to best format your resume and what credits you should and should not include. She’ll also discuss what a casting director looks for when reviewing actor materials and why one actor may be selected to audition over another based solely on their headshot and resume. You’ll learn all of this from an esteemed casting director's perspective, which will give you a unique and valuable understanding of how to best curate your materials.

Praise for Marin's Previous Stage 32 Webinars:

"I thought I was just going to revisit what I already know about self-taping but Marin brought forth valuable new information."

-Michele C.

"I think Marin's webinar is excellent and covered everything that an actor would want or need. I like her no nonsense approach. Takes a lot of the fear factor away."

-Sondra C.

"The information was informative, Marin gave a lot information that is extremely invaluable to me in this industry and I look forward to many more webinars with Stage32 because of this."

-Michael C.

"Well, done. I have made it into several movies and missed getting into others. There are several things I learned which I will incorporate in future auditions."

-Kenneth W.