What Belongs on an Actor’s Résumé

Introduction

An acting résumé is not a job résumé, and the rules confuse almost everyone at the start. It is a one-page, at-a-glance professional snapshot that lives on the back of your headshot. Here is what belongs on it, how to format it, and what to do when you feel like you have nothing to put there yet.

The standard structure

Keep it to one page, formatted cleanly. From the top:

Your name, and your union status if you have one.
Contact — usually your agent’s, or a professional email if you are self-represented. (Never your home address.)
Stats like height and vocal range if relevant — but not your age or date of birth. You list an age range only if asked; you never put your real age.
Credits, grouped by category: Film, Television, Theatre, and so on. Each line: production title, your role or role type (Lead, Supporting, Featured), and the company, director, or network.
Training — schools, studios, teachers, workshops.
Special skills — languages (with fluency), dialects, accents, sports, dance, instruments, driving. Be honest; you may be asked to prove any of them.

An actor organizing headshots and materials at a desk — Formatting matters: casting spends seconds on it, so make those seconds easy.

Credit types, quickly

In film and TV you generally list role size (Lead, Supporting, Co-Star, Featured) rather than the character’s literal importance. In theatre you list the actual role name. Don’t inflate — the industry is small and people check. A modest, honest résumé earns more trust than an impressive-looking lie.

What if you have no credits?

Everyone starts here, and casting knows it. When you are beginning:

List training prominently — it shows you are serious and doing the work.
Include student films, community theatre, staged readings, and workshop productions. They count.
Lean into special skills, which can genuinely get you seen — a second language, a real accent, a sport, an instrument.
Never pad with fake credits. A short, honest résumé is completely normal and completely fine.

Your résumé grows one honest line at a time. Keep it clean, keep it truthful, and keep working — the credits will come.

Frequently Asked

What should be on an actor's résumé?

Your name and union status, professional contact, relevant stats (height, vocal range — never your age), credits grouped by category with role type and company, training, and special skills like languages, accents, and sports. Keep it to one page.

What do I put on an acting résumé with no credits?

Lead with your training, then include student films, community theatre, staged readings, and workshop work — they all count. Highlight genuine special skills like a second language or an accent. Never invent credits; a short, honest résumé is normal for beginners.

How do you format an acting résumé?

One page, clean and easy to scan, designed to sit on the back of your headshot. Group credits by category (Film, TV, Theatre), list production, role or role type, and company or director, then training and special skills below.

Do you put your age on an acting résumé?

No. You never list your real age or date of birth. If needed, you provide an age range you can play, and only when asked. Height and vocal range are fine; your actual age is not part of the résumé.