A résumé introduces your child to casting directors and directors who are looking for an actor’s experience and training. The résumé itself doesn’t have to be splashy. Your child’s strengths will be enough to catch the eye. Keep the résumé simple and clean. Don’t rely on fancy paper or tricky fonts that will only distract or annoy professionals.
Use a standard 10-point or 12-point font that is easy to read and print the résumé on business-like white paper.
Start the résumé with the name at the top. List contact phone number and email directly below the name. If your child is a member of any unions such as SAG-AFTRA or Actors’ Equity, list those directly below the contact info. Follow with height, weight, hair and eye color. Include age range from a year younger to a year older.
Experience:
Begin with film and follow with TV, theater and then commercials.
- Film: Name of the project, type of role (lead, supporting, principal or featured), and the production company.
- TV: Name of the project, type of role (series regular, recurring, guest star, or costar), and the production company.
- Theater: Name of the project, actual name of the role, i.e. “Annie”, name of the director.
- Commercials
Training:
List the class, school or teacher and length of study. In addition to standard dramatic arts such as acting, singing and dancing, think of other training that could be useful. Horseback riding or swimming are some of these.
This is the appropriate category for background work as an extra.
Skills:
Use adjectives such as “proficient” or “excellent” if these match your child’s skill level in such activities as swimming or baseball. Avoid superlative adjectives and use “plays tennis” or “plays soccer” if your child’s skill is at a level appropriate to age.
Hobbies:
Directors are looking for clues to a child’s personality. Think of interests that wouldn’t win the job but that could give a director an opening to start an icebreaker conversation with your child.
