4 Essentials Every Actor Needs When Starting Their Career

I want to share with you the four essentials that every actor needs when beginning their career:

1. A headshot. 

   Your headshot should look like you. It should look like you on the day that you arrive on the audition or do the self tape. It doesn't have to be a glamour shot (and probably shouldn’t) unless you’re going out for glamorous roles. You can have a bunch of different “looks” in your headshots, but each and every one should look like you — how you are able to show up at an audition.

   If you have lost or gained weight, get new pictures. If your pictures are 10 years old, get new pictures! If people say you haven’t changed, they’re lying to you. Don't over-edit your pictures, taking out every line or perceived imperfection. You use your headshot to represent who you are. That photo is who they want to bring in, so make sure it matches. If the photo looks better than you, use it on a Christmas card or give it to your parents. Don’t use it as a headshot.

2. A resume.

   At the beginning of your career, you’re probably not going to have a lot of credits and that’s okay. A resume should list your training and any work that you’ve done. Student films are great experience to include (short films that friends shoot) and any theater you’ve done, including college. The “Special skills” section is a perfect place to put down interesting things about you. If you don’t have representation, list your contact information.

3. A coach or a class.

   You’re going to want to get some training. It really is essential, and hopefully if you’ve been studying acting, you know how much fun it can be. So get yourself into an acting class or with a coach, if you prefer to work one-on-one. A class is also a wonderful opportunity to build community and confidence.

4. A good mindset.

   You’re going to need a good mindset, because in other professions if you don’t get 10 jobs in a row, something is wrong. But in acting, that’s just the beginning. You’re not gonna get most of the roles that you audition for, and getting a callback is a win. Heck, getting an audition is a win. So for your mindset, the way that you’re looking at and approaching your career is vital to your sanity. Always be looking at ways that you can better and grow yourself, because not booking is rarely a reflection of talent.

Bonus tips

And here are a couple of bonus tips. I just can’t help myself! 

• Have a good self tape setup. Get yourself a tripod or a ring light that can hold a cellphone or the camera of your choice. If you don’t have or like a ring light, you’re going to need lights. Make sure you get a solid non-distracting background, a plain backdrop or just a painted wall, blue or gray, or something that tends to work on all skin tones. You don’t want to have someone’s poster in the background or a window where you can see people walking behind you. It doesn’t need to be elaborate.

• Create a reel. Agents and casting will want to see what you look like on camera, so you will need to create a reel. You can start with existing self tapes.

I hope you find these tips useful. If you start out with these four essentials, you’ll be on your way to starting your acting career.

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