If you’re an up-and-coming actor, you need a resume.
That’s just a basic fact that everyone knows and understands. But what a lot of people don’t know or understand is the best way to put one of those pesky things together.
Los Angeles-based acting coach Amy Lyndon specializes in helping actors create resumes and generally do the little things they need to do to progress their career. She has plenty of advice for anyone looking for insights about how to best create something that will catch an agent’s eye.
Key Insights
- Lead with your strongest credits—not your newest ones—and use accurate billing to showcase the level of roles you’ve consistently booked.
- Highlight unique special skills, notable training, and standout achievements that can make you more castable for specific roles.
- Keep your resume clean and strategic by using a professional format, omitting unnecessary details like production companies or dates, and emphasizing experience that positions you as ready for professional work.
The Format is Straightforward
Since chances are that the work you’ll be getting will be in television, put that first. Then film, commercials “listed upon request,” then theater and special skills (more about those directly).
“Sometimes, if you’ve won awards, give yourself an awards category,” Lyndon says. “If you do something different, something that most people have never done, make sure that’s on there. There are people who have won Olympic medals or played in the NFL. Don’t let that slip by. You want people to know it.”
Billing is Key
Don’t exaggerate, but do maximize. The hierarchy goes: star, lead, supporting, and don’t be afraid to give yourself credit for being a lead if you’ve had enough scenes in a project to justify it. Also, if you’ve done a movie or TV show with a bonafide star, put that in parentheses next to the credit like this: (opp. Denzel Washington).
“The middle column is what people look at, the billing,” Lyndon observes. “They want to know who has hired you in what position, so if enough people hired you to star in a movie or to be a lead in a movie, even if it’s a short film, then you might get an opportunity to read for three lines on television.”
If the film is about your character, you’re the star. If you’re one of the main characters, you’re a lead. “If you have two or three scenes in a short,” Lyndon says, “give yourself a lead, unless you’re Waitress Number Two. Here’s why this is important: agents almost certainly won’t know any of the projects, they want to see that you’ve actually worked.”
Title, Director, Billing
Unless it’s a studio movie, of course, but otherwise? Chances are that no one has heard of the production company behind it.
“You’re lucky they’re even reading it,” Lyndon says, “so don’t assume that there’s a resume police where they’re going to dive into IMDb to do a matchy-match for what they see on there. TV is different, though. All the credits that you see at the beginning of a TV show are the series leads. Then series regular, guest lead, guest star, recurring guest star. The co-stars are billed in the back, all the credits that go by so fast. Those are actually easy to check, so don’t mess with those.”
One exception to this rule is if you’ve done a soap opera. Rather than “lead,” the term there is “principal,” and that can be a little bit more loose. “I’ve done five soap operas, so I would write ‘principal lead,’ or ‘principal recurring lead,’” Lyndon says. “But let’s say I had a co-starring role on Rooster. I would write, “Rooster,” then in all caps “HBO Max,” and then a slash and just the director’s name. A lot of directors in television stay in television, go from show to show, so there is a possibility that it could be working with the same director twice or three times on a different show.”
Consider Special Skills
This is a bigger deal than you might think. Believe it or not, you can get a big job based on a special skill. The legends abound about actors claiming they are expert horseback riders and then having to learn once cast, but real, genuine skills can raise you to the top of a very long list.
“I have done thousands of resumes, and I constantly find myself asking, why don’t you have ‘fluent in Spanish’ on here? That could get you a job,” Lyndon says. “Or you played college football. Or you’re a certified scuba diver. Anything that could get you a job in a movie.”
If you’re a singer, make sure you declare what styles are your specialty. If you’re a great dancer and you’re a triple threat, show it in that special skill section, as well as those styles, like, for instance, jazz, tap, salsa, musicals, and so on. Same with instruments. If you play one, it should absolutely go in this section.
“There are so many bands in movies and television,” Lyndon observes. “There’s a new show called Off Campus, and they’re playing guitar and singing throughout the whole show. These things can get you a job.”
The Importance of Theater
You come from somewhere, don’t dismiss that. Casting directors and agents both know something about theater, especially casting directors, so if you’ve done some important theater work, especially if you don’t have a lot of onscreen credits, play that up. But don’t forget something important.
“The middle of the theater category has to be the name of the character,” Lyndon advises, “because casting directors know those plays. And please don’t put A Christmas Carol down unless you’re like under 12.”
Leave Out Student and Short Films
Again, no one is going to be checking IMDb to find out more about the films or projects on your resume, so don’t advertise that it’s a short film or a student film, because you’re then only advertising your inexperience.
“Telling me it’s a student film or a short film only tells me you’re not ready for prime time,” Lyndon says. “Your resume is supposed to tell me where you came from, where you are now, and where you’re going to. It’s not a corporate resume. You’re appealing to industry who are the buyers, so what are you selling? If you write down a student film, or you write down a short, it’s just going to indicate to them that you’re not ready,
Mention Training
If you studied with a famous teacher, definitely say so, but don’t put down your teacher if they’re lesser known. People know who Stella Adler and William Esper are, to name two, and they know teachers like Lyndon, so recognize that it’s only worth noting if they’re recognizable. Likewise, comedy training. You took classes at The Groundlings? Second City? The Comedy Store? Upright Citizens Brigade? Those are worth noting.
“Also, if you’ve done a lot of classical work, Shakespeare, Chekhov, put it toward the top of your theater resume,” Lyndon says. “But if you’re going for Broadway and top musicals, put that at the top of your theater resume.”
Leave Out Dates
There’s a misnomer that your most recent work should go on top. Really, though, that’s where the biggest roles should go.
“One more time,” Lyndon says with a laugh, “people don’t have the time to check up on this stuff. They’re just looking on whether or not you’re a viable person to bank on. Your resume, if it’s not formatted properly, it really indicates whether or not you’re ready to audition for anything.”
