Top Tips to help you prepare your acting/actor CV

Even if you have an agent I would always recommend that you have something on there which can let the casting industry contact you. Your mobile number, your email address, or just your website address.

I know a lot of agents will tell you to remove your personal contact details but they are operating from fear. Fear that you are going to book work behind their back and cut them out of commissions. This couldn’t be further from the truth, a good client agent relationship is built on trust – tell them your details are on there just as an emergency measure for those times when an agent is unreachable, for whatever reason.

If your agent is not contactable a casting director or director won’t wait until they are, in most cases they will move to the next name on the list.

Remember that a casting director or director may keep your CV on file and when they remember you for a project you might just be with new representation!

I would advise you include it somewhere at the bottom of your CV with a line such as:

This is telling them that you have other photos, that you have credits which aren’t on the CV, and have a showreel or actor clips available, whilst also giving them a direct way to contact you without p*ssing off your agent.

When you are adding your credits I always stick to a three column rule: the project name, then the role or size of the role and finally the director.

Well I am here to start a revolution – if the director’s name is not strong then I say lead with the power and choose what you put it the third column.

If the production company is the best bit of the project stick that in column three, if the channel or studio was the best bit then stick that there, if the director is known and exciting then put his name in there. Pick and choose.

Really consider what will work best for you and put that in the third column, they can always ask for more details on the day.

This is the norm in the States and could be a good way to sort your CV over here in the UK. If it is a theatre job then the character’s name is the most useful thing but if it is TV or Film work then the billing is probably more important than charcter name.

In the US they would only write the billing, over here that might seem too much of a leap – so write both the character and the billing.

Here is how they break it down in the US, these are the standard way of naming roles in the USA and will definitely help casting directors over here know what type of roles you are already being cast in and what you are ready for.

Lead: principal role in the film, in most scenes, on-screen credit is often in the credits that start the film (as well as in the complete end credits).

Supporting: principal role in the film, in one or more scenes but not a lead character although important to the storyline.

Featured: principal role in the film with one or more lines but easily cut from the final version of the film. Unfortunately, many extras have started using the term “featured” to describe their extra work and that means casting directors are less and less convinced that a job listed as “featured” actually was a featured principal role.

Extra: non-speaking role in the film with no on-screen credit. This billing does not belong on an acting CV.

Series Regular: contract role with exclusivity to the series, network, and production company for a term of a year or more; paid for a predetermined number of episodes produced, on contract for all episodes, even those in which the character doesn’t appear.

Recurring: character returns over multiple episodes, either on standing contract or contracted periodically, based on negotiations and number of appearances.

Guest Star: one-episode guest whose character’s storyline may or may not be central to that episode (since co-star billing actually depends more on negotiation than size of the role), anywhere from one line to multiple scenes.

Co-star: non-speaking role in the film with no on-screen credit. This billing does not belong on an acting CV.

Extra: non-speaking role with no on-screen credit. This billing does not belong on an acting resumé.

A CV shouldn’t be a dumping ground of everything and anything you have done, it should act as a marketing tool to get you through the door. Imagine reading a corporate CV and mention the Saturday jobs they did in college – would you call them in?!

The goal with your CV is to show the industry how to cast you and so with that in mind you need to prune away some of the distracting credits – think through your goal and show that on your CV not everything and anything you have ever done.

Listing your credits with the term “(selected credits)” next to the heading is a springboard for conversation. “Your credits are great but it says here they are ‘selected credits’ what else have you done?” – Great – you have struck up conversation and can build a relationship now.

Listing all of your commercials can sometimes be a bit of a turn-off for a lot of advertising agencies. Sometimes you can be seen as the Ambrosia Rice Pudding guy even if you were barely recognisable because you actually were a big teaspoon! (Believe me, I know!!)

Sometimes it is better to write:

This scares off no-one and shows you are taking the business side of the profession seriously. Also this phrase works if you have no commercial credits to list. If asked you can always reply ‘Oh, I have no current conflicts’ – perfect!

I’m talking about short films, music videos, documentary, corporate, events, stand-up, voiceovers, virals, etc, etc. Lose it, and if you can’t bare to lose it then put it in your skills section.

I honestly believe you just need Film/TV and Theatre as the main sections. Anything else is just a distraction from the main event. If you are going for a job as a stand-up then bring your experience to their attention in your covering letter – don’t fill up your acting CV with credits which are of very little help when someone is looking to cast you in an acting job.

If you are currently studying then note that in your training section, just with a simple note:

This shows the casting industry that you are actively working on your profession and keeping your skills up to scratch, it also gives them someone else to contact and get a take on your talent.

In this business you never know who knows who and so this kind of credit could lead to this kind of call: “Hi Bill, Im casting a receptionist role on an ITV drama, I’d like to bring Carol in but on her CV she has only really done theatre, what is her work like in class at the moment?”

Your personality can often shine through on the special skills section of your CV, but don’t write everything and anything you can do on here – it often smacks of desperation. Like before if this is a job which calls for someone who can do ‘flair bartending’ then mention it in your cover letter not on your CV.

Use the skills section to list your dance skills, vocal range, any sports you are really good at (not just hobbies!), and maybe one fun ‘party trick’ you can do which you are happy to do when asked to in the casting room.

Check out my article dedicated to special skills for more of my thoughts on this section of your acting CV.

Share your goodies on your CV. If a role you played in a fringe show was mentioned in a major review then mention it on your CV! If a film you were in won an award then mention it on your CV!

Have it parenthetically after the films credit line.

Or asterix the title and resolve that at the bottom of the page

If it was in the last two years keep the date on this snippet, if it is over two years ago then remove the date.

Don’t go overboard, be selective and choose your best quotes and also don’t include reviews from someone who no-one will have heard of – not everyone thinks that weird blog you read is the bee’s knees!

Have someone proofread your CV when you have finished it. This is the most important tip in this list. Just like you need an outside eye to watch over your audition monologue get an outside eye to look over your CV. You are too close to the work to see the mistakes.

Get them to check spelling, grammar and the layout.

I never want to see someone put ‘Principle Boy’ on a CV again ….. it is PrincipAl …. PrincipAl …!

Be warned …