Acting Resume Template, Example, and Special Skills List

Explore Resources for Your Next Career Move

• Illustrator resume
• Interior Design Resume
• Model Resume
• Music Resume
• Photographer Resume
• Technical Writer Resume
• Theater Resume
• Videographer Resume
• Web Designer Resume
• Writer Resume

Explore our complete resume examples guide for tips and resources tailored to every career path.

What To Highlight in an Actor Resume

Generally, casting directors will spend less than a minute looking at each resume that they receive, so it is important that a professional acting resume is clear and concise. You should focus on listing prestigious and notable roles and certifications as focal points of your resume. Agents and casting directors will be looking for schools, teachers, studios, and theaters that they have respect for first and foremost. If you received your Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from Julliard, for example, this should be emphasized in your resume.

Beyond this, you should highlight the different venues and productions you have acted in alongside any specialist acting skills or talents that you may have. Musical skills, singing skills, and dancing capabilities are all attractive additions to any actor’s resume, as is enrollment in acting groups and professional guilds. Some roles may ask for you to provide details of your appearance, like your height, hair color, or eye color, but it is not always necessary to include these details. Only provide this information if you are asked to.

The Structure of an Actor Resume

Ideally, your professional acting resume should be no more than one page in length. This basic structure provides a great blueprint that you can follow when writing your own resume, but you can also use a resume builder to create an eye-catching resume. ResumeHelp offers a range of beautiful resume templates via their resume-building tool.

Header

Every resume should have a header at the very top of the page. This should include your full name, phone number, alternative contact information, and professional social media profiles.

Resume summary or objective

Next, you should have either a resume summary or a resume objective statement. A resume summary should contain the highlights of your acting career and skills. Essentially, this is a summation of what makes you right for the role. If you lack experience, then you should opt for a resume objective statement instead, which is a statement of your career goals and skills.

Skills

If you have decent experience as a professional actor or you have undergone formal education, then you should have a decent range of skills to list here. Examples of acting skills you could include are:

• Singing (give your specific vocal range)
• Musical theater
• Dancing (e.g., ballet, hip hop, interpretive)
• Teamwork
• Improvisation
• Additional languages (e.g., French, Spanish, Cantonese)
• Acting techniques (e.g., Meisner technique, Checkhov technique, method acting)

Work History

The way professional experience should be presented in an acting resume differs from more traditional resume formats. Ideally, you should split your acting roles into categories and list whether you were an extra, a supporting actor, or the lead. For example, you might have headings for theater, voiceover, and film & TV roles within your work experience section. You do not necessarily need to provide the character’s name. For example:

Education

Your education section should include the formal qualifications that you have. You do not necessarily need to include the details of all of the acting classes that you have attended. Instead, focus on prestigious or notable academic achievements. For example, if you attended the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, then this will carry more weight than acting classes at your local community college. If you don’t have prestigious academic qualifications, then don’t despair; list what you have and focus on areas where you excelled.

If you want to ensure that you make a great first impression, then it is a good idea to make use of free acting resume templates and acting resume examples to ensure great formatting and get inspiration.