You may think that because you have acting profiles online, you no longer need an acting CV. But many casting directors and producers still expect to see a single A4-page CV (or résumé, as it’s known in the US), so don’t wait until the last minute to cobble one together before a casting call.
Like all CVs, an acting CV should showcase your skills, experience, and training to casting directors and agents. Here’s a breakdown of what to include, how to format it, and what to know before you begin.
An acting CV is a document detailing your acting experience, training, special skills (such as instruments or dance), and personal information relevant to casting directors and agents. Unlike a standard CV, an acting CV focuses on your artistic work and capabilities. You don’t need to include things such as your GCSEs and A-levels, or even a degree unless it was a degree in drama that included a considerable practical element. You also don’t need to include any other work experience, even if you worked in a theatre as an usher or box office assistant. It should focus solely on your acting credits.
Headshot
Unlike standard CVs, an acting CV always includes a headshot, usually positioned in either the top right or top left corner of the page, with your personal details formatted to run alongside it on the opposite side of the page. The headshot and personal details should fill the top quarter of a page of A4.
Personal details
- Name: Write your name using a large font size, usually 16pt (the rest of the document should be 11pt or 12pt). If you use a stage name, use it – there is no need to include your real name.
- Contact information: Provide your phone number, email address, and links to your online profiles. There is no need to include your actual address, but it can be useful to put either London or Manchester – where most of the UK’s TV work is filmed – depending on which is your nearest city. Or just put the nearest city to where you live.
- Physical attributes: Include your height, weight, eye colour, hair colour, and any distinguishing features. You might also consider including ethnicity or heritage information if you feel it will have an impact on your casting.
Professional summary
Write a brief About Me paragraph that highlights your strengths, experience, and career goals. Keep it concise and focus on what makes you unique as an actor. Aim for no more than 100 words.
Acting experience
List your acting credits in reverse chronological order, with the most recent first. Depending on how much experience you have, you may want to include separate subheadings for film, theatre, audio, commercial, and gaming.
Training
Finally, include a section on training. If you attended a drama school, list it, along with any professional development workshops or master classes you’ve taken. If you went to a prestigious drama school, you may want to include it in the top section with your details and then list further training below your credits.
For example:
Training
BA (Hons) Acting – Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) – 2020
Meisner Technique Workshop – The Acting Studio – 2022
Private Voice Coaching – John Drew – 2021
Skills
List any special skills that might be useful for acting roles, so long as they’re current and relevant to your experience. These can include:
- Accents and dialects
- Languages
- Singing and musical instruments
- Dance styles
- Stage combat
- Sports and athletic skills
Additional information
Your professional experience is the priority, but if you have space on the page, you can include other relevant information. This includes awards and recognitions, union affiliations, and references who can vouch for your professionalism (make sure these are industry contacts rather than friends and family).
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As you gather acting credits, you’ll likely need to tailor your CV to ensure it still fits on one page. For example, if you are going for a job in theatre, you may wish to include only your theatre credits with a link that will point a casting director to an online profile for your full list of credits. You can be even more specific too. For example, if you are auditioning for a site-specific performance, you may want to highlight all the work you have done in nontraditional performance spaces. The casting director will likely be most interested in work you have done that is similar to what they’re casting.
Every time you do a new acting job, add it to your CV and take off an older or less prestigious credit. This way, your CV will always be up-to-date and ready to send to casting directors. Some people like to include social media handles, but it is only worth doing this if your social media is focussed solely on acting rather than general updates about your life. If you do include your social media on any of your professional profiles or documents, make sure you maintain a professional online presence as it will become part of your reputation.
Check out this sample acting CV for guidance:
Your acting CV could be your passport to new career opportunities as a performer, so take the time to ensure it's representing your best professional self. Good luck!