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16 Free Exquisite Acting Resume Templates

A resume is an important document that should be professionally created whether you are an experienced person or just starting your career in the professional field. The resume is made by an actor looking to get a role in any medium of the entertainment industry, which may include T.V., theatre, film, etc. It mentions all the significant information related to your profession, education, and past role credits.

A suitably formatted acting resume template can enhance your hiring chances and is essential because it will represent all your skills. In addition, an acting resume template is the first thing that will show your seriousness towards getting a particular role and will have a significant impact on the casting director. On the other hand, a non-professional resume will create a wrong impression. So a properly formatted resume is essential for getting a particular role.

A differentiating characteristic of an acting resume is that the actor’s headshot is also combined with it, so all the information needs to be completed on a single page having a standard size of 8″ x 10″. All the unique talents of an actor can be enlisted in the resume, along with past experiences.

Creating an Effective Acting Resume Template

The only way to show your capabilities and previous experiences are to appropriately enlist them on the acting resume template. Your looks are secondary and can only be represented when you are called for the interview, and it is your resume will give you the chance of being interviewed for a particular cast.

Following are some of the essential things that should be a part of your acting resume template and will help you in making it effective:

Things to include

The information mentioned on your resume will help the casting director hire you based on your skills and quickly reach out to you. Some of the primary things about which you should be sure that they are a part of your acting resume template include:

  • Your recent and updated contact information.
  • Full name.
  • Date of birth.
  • Your role.
  • Contact number.
  • Professional email address.
  • Contact information of your agent.
  • Full name.
  • Contact number.
  • Your physical characteristics
  • Height.
  • Weight.
  • Hair color.
  • Eye color.
  • Summary and objectives of acting resume.
  • Acting credits.
  • Education.
  • Training.
  • Workshops.
  • Exceptional skills.
  • Awards and tributes.
  • Experience.
  • Roles performed by you in the past.
  • Your recent headshot.

Pro-Tip

You should ensure that the size of the paper on which you will make your acting resume is according to the size of your headshot, which will be attached with it.

The purpose of providing all the above information is that the director can easily match your resume with the requirements of a particular role for hiring an actor.

Follow the correct format

Every standing organized system follows a set of rules to maintain decorum. Building the ideal resume does not mean presenting an entirely dissimilar and substandard document from the norm to impress casting editors. Unique does not equate to suitable specifically in building an efficient resume. Following the standard format, though with specific tweaks to suit your proficiency, is the best bet. Aiming to be incredible with your resume can be catastrophic.

A compelling acting resume consists of your personal information, experiences, pieces of training, and skills primarily organized into three sections- the top, middle and last sections. These sections individually will contain diverse information about you, structured perfectly for orderliness.

The top section is the first information a prospective employer will see. That implies the need to be as detailed and modest as possible.

The top section of the acting resume contains your personal information as needed, some of which are:

  • First, your name is written boldly at the top in large, professional, and readable fonts.
  • Your contact information. That includes your email addresses, social media, cell phone contact, and your home or current office telephone for additional information. A Google Voice number could be set up and used in place of a cell phone contact if you chose. However, mailing addresses should not be added.
  • Links to your own website if there’s any with details of the actor’s experience so far.
  • The contact information of the actor’s manager if the actor has a manager.
  • Union data if the actor relates to any.

Additional links that give you a higher chance of taking the role you aspire for can be included in this section.

Including a small photo of you in this section may be beneficial, though not necessary to some prospective employers.

Add objective and summary

Objectives and summary is the central and crucial part of your acting resume template. In this part of the acting resume template, you will mention the particular skills you have and how you will use those skills, which can be helpful for that company working in the entertainment industry. A perspective about your abilities will be established in the mind of the director while going through this section. If your resume is impressive, they will continue to read out the rest of the document.

The objective of your acting resume will show that you are passionate and ready to be committed to a professional role. On the other hand, the summary of your resume will help you write about your experiences of performing different roles.

Following is a comparison between a wrong and a suitable resume summary:

Wrong

Theatre actor having many years of performing experience on the stage. Also, having the talent of speaking with good vocals in different plays.

Right

A capable theatre actor with five years of performing experience in different stage dramas and plays. Strong work ethic and collaborative mindset for team working. Awarded for the best performance in Platoon.

Enlist the acting roles

In this section of the acting resume template, you will enlist all the roles performed by you in the past. You should make sure to write about all the roles in reverse chronological order. For this purpose, you will have to mention the most recent role first, and then other roles will be enlisted in the reverse order. The acting roles you perform in your training sessions can also be mentioned along with those performed by you professionally if you have joined the acting industry just a few years back.

It might be possible that you have the experience of working in various media; in this case, you can divide your acting roles into different sections and then mention experience in those fields separately. The first part will mention all the previous experiences related to your recent working field. If you have a long list of experience, you should mention only those related to that particular role for which you are going to apply.

Suppose you have any experiences related to singing, dancing, stunt performing, etc., along with the acting experience. In that case, you can also mention those because it will be a plus point for you, and it will have a good impression on the director.

The information mentioned, along with your experience, should also include:

  • Production title.
  • Director name.
  • The role played by you.

P.S.: You should ensure that all the information can be managed on a single page.

There are two types of roles that you can perform in your previous acting. These include:

  • Speaking roles
  • Lead role.
  • Principle role.
  • Supporting actor/day player.
  • Voice-over artist.
  • Non-speaking roles
  • Featured roles.
  • Extra.
  • Stunt performer.
  • Stand-in.
  • Body double.
  • Stunt double etc.

If you have performed any role from both of these categories, you can also mention it because it will act as a source by which your acting skills can be assessed on screen.

Education and training

The importance of including your educational background and different training sessions attended by you cannot be denied and are equally significant as that of past experiences. The date of your recent qualification should be mentioned, and any certification program done by you should also be enlisted in the template selected for your acting resume template. Any training program completed by you related to a particular niche of entertainment should also be made a part of your resume.

Providing all this information will help you recognize yourself for getting a more significant opportunity. The casting director may prefer to hire an educated actor. Moreover, the part of training sessions in your resume will show your commitment to this field and your seriousness towards performing a particular role. In this section, you will have to write down the starting and completion dates for all the educational qualifications and training sessions.

It is possible that you do not have a formal educational qualification. In that case, you can mention the workshops, seminars, studio classes, master classes, or any other private coaching setting attended by you to polish your acting skills.

You can also mention the name of the training organization and coaches from whom you have got the training. It will help the casting directors assess the possible level of skills you have.

Sample:

Bachelor of Arts, Minnesota Institute of Film Arts.
The vocal training course, Philadelphia School of Music.
Theatre acting course, Mercury Studios.

For an additional intelligent-looking acting resume, This subsection should simply be tagged as ‘Training’ or further split up into two sections- education and training.

Online workshops and conferences to increase precision as an actor do not count in this section.

Mention unique skillsets

Skills are the additional things that can make you distinct from other actors. Therefore, your chances of being hired for a particular role are increased based on your skill sets. However, it is not essential that your skill exactly matches the actor role; rather than this, the skill can be from any other area of the entertainment industry, such as singing, choreography, etc.

You may also have such skills that the acting role can be made more expressive. Different acting roles demand a distinctive set of skills, so you should mention all the skills in your acting resume. It would help if you did not get exaggerated regarding this section of your resume and should be realistic while mentioning your skills because exaggeration can give you trouble in the coming time.

Make sure that those skills are specifically mentioned related to the requirements of that role for which you are applying because, in this way, you will have the opportunity to prove that you are best for performing that particular role. In addition, the skills mentioned in your acting resume template will be beneficial for you if you have no experience working professionally as an actor the previous time.

Remember

You should not merge your hobbies with your skill sets.

You can assess your personality according to the following skills and then mention those skills in your resume which you possess:

  • Teamwork.
  • Time management.
  • Interpersonal skills.
  • Emotional intelligence.
  • Fitness.
  • Singing.
  • Dancing.
  • Playing any musical instrument.
  • Proficiency in another language.
  • Other unique skill sets etc.

Include awards and achievements

The achievements made by you and awards received by you in your professional career or during the training sessions should also be written in the resume. It shows that your talent has been recognized by other people also. In addition, it helps in developing a narrative in front of the director that you are dedicated to your work.

Make sure that you list those awards and achievements recognized by the experienced persons of the acting field and not by the social media activists, or any award won by you while giving good performance in any school event. In this aspect, you should also mention the following things:

  • Name of the person who gave you the award.
  • Name of category for which you won.
  • Year of receiving the award.

You can mention the award along with your experience in that particular field. In this way, it will be more prominent.

Acting Resume Template

Name – written in large bold fonts.

Actor

Personal Information

Phone; 000-000-000
Website: www.[Name].com
Email: [Name]@gmail.com
Facebook.com/ [Name]
Twitter.com/ [Name]
Linkedin.com/ [Name]

Objective

A dedicated and talented actor with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and film arts from Minnesota institute of film arts. Enthusiastic and a zealous professional in theatre and television acting. Exceptionally skilled in singing, playing the piano, speaking Dutch.

Acting Credits
Film

MALEFICIENT- lead role, Disney Studios

TV/Media

HOMELAND- Co-star, developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, Fox 21 Television Studios.

Theatre

Scenes from THE SIMPSONS, Senior Acting Class (Director Sandra Hampton)
Scenes from MACBETH, as Macbeth -Advanced Acting Class (Director Jones Alley)
Scenes from OH, MARY! (A play) Sophomore Class Presentation (Dir. Jeff Diclade)

Education

Bachelor of Arts from Minnesota Institute of Film Arts.

Training

The vocal training course, Philadelphia School of Music.
Theatre acting course, Mercury Studios.

Special Skills

Dancing
Foreign languages
Martial arts
Singing
Screenwriting
Swimming

Additional References

YouTube.com/ [a clip of you acting]
www.[website with your works].com

Acting Resume Template Example

The best way to write your acting resume is to gain help from an acting resume template. It will help you make an effective and impressive resume of your own. Your time will also get saved because you will not have to think about what to include and write all the information. Following is the example of an acting resume by which you can get an idea of how to write it.

Acting resume to apply as a drama actor

Arthur Levis, Actor
California, MA Arts, 123-456-7890, [email protected]

Agent: James Harry, 098-765-4321, [email protected]

Resume Summary: Highly passionate with a keen interest in performing varied characters in different drama series. Performing each role so that a positive and productive message can be delivered to the audience, which can create a dynamic impact on society as a whole.

Received the best actor award three times as decided by the jury members.

Roles and Experience:

T.V. serials:

“Grand Hotel,” Laura Gates.
“The Mechanism,” Harry James.

Theater plays:

“A Raisin in the Sun”, William Productions.
“Long Day Journey into Night,” Shakespeare Productions.

Education:

William Edward School of Arts 2016
Masters in Fine Arts
William Edward School of Arts 2014
Bachelors in fine arts.

Training:

Scene Study and Technique training.
Auditioning training.
Vocal Classes.
Stage development training.
On camera performance training.

Special skills:

Accent
Singing and dancing.
Stunt performing.
Fluent speaking of English, German, and Spanish languages.
Voice over artist.

Awards and accolades:

Best performing actor; three times.
On-screen best performer award, 2017.

References:

John Nick, Producer, [email protected]
Johnson Wage, Director, [email protected]

Acting Resume Templates

The beginner’s acting resume template was developed for beginning actors to lessen the workload of finding an acting job. Owning a winning resume becomes an effortless task with a few changes to the resume order detailed above.

This acting template will assist you in scoring high on your job quest.

It is essentially of note that the attached resume is developed explicitly for a beginner with no experience outside of training locations. For more experienced actors, more acting credits should be added as appropriate.

Following are some free downloadable templates for you:

best-acting-resume-template

printable-acting-resume-sample

acting-resume-template

acting resume template google docs

acting resume 2018

child actor resume template

acting résumé backstage

performance resume template

acting performance resume

special skills for acting resume

theatre resume

acting resume template google docs 01

acting resume 2018 01

child actor resume template

acting résumé backstage 01

performance resume template 01

    #01

    acting resume template word

      Professional Tips

      There is always a space for improvement, so once you have understood how to write an acting resume and what information should be included, you should focus on other essential things. In this regard, some additional tips have been provided below:

      Relate to the role

      It would be best not to go with a single resume to apply for any new job. Instead, it would be best to make changes in your acting resume template according to the new job requirements for which you have decided to apply. For this purpose, you should mention those skills, training sessions, and awards you achieved related to that particular post.

      There is no need to list down the responsibilities being fulfilled by you in your previous role. Instead, you should only mention your designation and the production company’s name for which you had worked in the past.

      Choose the perfect font

      All the details you want to write in your acting resume template should be completed on a single page, and you can use any professional font such as

      • Arial.
      • Calibri.
      • Times New Roman etc.

      Make sure that whatever font style you are using but the font size should be large enough to be scanned, and there should be proper spacing between the lines and paragraphs so that the content does not seem to be merged. You can save your document as any file type, but the most suitable form will be PDF because it can easily be read on any device.

      Create a cover letter

      As every type of information has its significance, so is the case with the cover letter. A cover letter will be required to be submitted along with your acting resume and headshot. In a cover letter, you can mention the roles performed by you, the roles that inspire you, and your interests related to a particular type of acting, and if you are given a choice, then which role you would prefer to play.

      A cover letter can be a plus point for you over other candidates because it will make your stance about interests apparent in front of the casting director, and they will come to know about your passion in this way. 

      Attach the headshot

      In the end, you will need to attach your acting resume template with your headshot. For this purpose, you should ensure that the size of your resume page and headshot are the same so that they can be appropriately combined. You may also choose to get your resume printed on the backside of your headshot, which will be blank.

      Your headshot should be the recent one and up to the requirements of today’s market. It should not be too fancy or just a simple one. Instead, it should be a natural one. You can choose to any of the photographers to click your headshot and tell him all the details about what sort of photography you require.

      Your headshot will be the first visual impression, so it should be good.

      Note:

      A stapler can be used for attaching your resume with the headshot. Do not use a paper clip because there will be a chance that any one of the things might get misplaced. 

      Include references

      At the end of your resume, you can add references. It allows the casting director to cross-check your skills by taking the opinion of any other person with whom you have already worked. The positive feedback from your referred person will increase the director’s confidence in you, and he might get convinced to hire you for a particular role.

      Including references in the acting resume also leaves a positive impact. It also shows your credibility and honesty regarding your professional work.

      For no experience

      You can make your acting resume template impressive no matter if you do not have any previous experience of professional working in the field of acting.

      • You can mention your educational record in the resume.
      • You can write about the training programs attended by you related to the niche of acting.
      • You can include the skills that match the requirement of that role for which you will apply.
      • You can also highlight your achievements related to the performance of any role.

      These things will help you make your resume effective and get a chance of getting the acting role in a particular play.

      Following are some other tips for making an acting resume:

      • Simple is elegant. Avoid squeezing in every information and credit into the resume. Show professionalism even as a beginner.
      • Attend acting classes, take acting roles, and gain as much experience as possible. The more experience gained, the more credits the actor gets, and the better the actor becomes.
      • Write cover letters highlighting enthusiasm for the acting profession as a beginner with little experience. It gives the beginner a better opportunity.
      • Build an individual resume for each niche (TV, film, theatre), detailing each as a portion of the general resume if more acting credits and accolades are gotten from these niches.
      • Do not lie in your resume. Sounding like an experienced actor does not imply telling lies.
      • Always remember that a winning resume must incorporate specific keywords for acting roles applied for.

      How to Send Your Resume

      Your resume is ready to be sent on applying pertinent rules and tips to build a qualified acting resume. Converting your resume to a PDF is the preferred format. A PDF document retains your resume’s precise formatting and arrangement and can be opened from every device. It retains professionalism. The prepared PDF is forwarded to the prospective employer via mail, provided website address, or other available methods.

      Frequently Asked Questions

      Should acting credits be listed in order of accomplishment?

      Absolutely not. As earlier stated, credits should be listed from the most powerful to the least.

      What skills should be listed on a beginner’s resume?

      Every acquired skill beneficial in acting should be listed under the special skills category. In addition, more specific skills expected for roles applied should be summarized in the objective.

      Is putting up a headshot compulsory?

      Whether adding a headshot to your resume matters depends on your prospective employer. Some may require a headshot, and others are more interested in experiences and skills. The safest bet is to include a headshot in every acting resume.

      Should I print my resume directly on the back of my headshot?

      It is not a good idea to get your resume printed on the backside of your resume. You may have made more than one copy of the resume and headshot, and it will create a problem for you when you must edit your acting resume according to a new role because a single resume cannot fit for applying in the T.V. serials, films, theatre, and other such roles.
      So, you will need to edit your resume every time you apply for a new role, and for this purpose, what you can do is save your acting resume in a soft form so you can edit it easily according to your requirements.

      How long should your acting resume be?

      The length of your acting resume will depend on the amount of information you want to write on it, but it should be limited to one page, so you will have to plan the information accordingly. You will only have to search for a template that matches all the requirements you want to mention in your resume.

      What should you place in the header of your acting resume?

      The heading of your resume is as important as all the other information is because it will be the first thing that anyone will notice. So, you should include your personal information first, which will contain your name, contact number, and the name of your agent as well at the top of your resume.
      Make sure to use the appropriate font size in the header so that all the information can be easily noticed while having a first look at your resume.

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