Acting Resume Examples: Format, Sections, and Filled-In Templates

How an Acting Resume Differs from a Regular Resume

An acting resume violates nearly every rule of a standard professional resume. Understanding why helps you apply the conventions correctly.

The absence of dates is not an oversight; it is industry convention designed to prevent casting directors from making age-based assumptions before meeting the actor. Credits are judged on quality and relevance, not recency.

Acting Resume Format: Section by Section

Header

The header contains more information than a standard resume header and follows a specific layout:

• Name: Large, centered or left-aligned, the most prominent element on the page
• Union status: SAG-AFTRA, AEA (Actors' Equity Association), SAG-AFTRA Eligible, or Non-Union, listed directly below the name
• Contact information: Phone, email, and agent contact (if represented)
• Physical stats: Height, weight, hair color, eye color on one line (example: 5'9" / 165 lbs / Brown Hair / Green Eyes)
• Age range: Optional; never list actual age or date of birth

Do not include a home address. A city name (Los Angeles, New York, Chicago) is optional and useful if you are local-hire eligible for a specific market.

Credits Sections

Credits are organized by medium, each in a three-column format:

• Column 1: Production name
• Column 2: Role (and role type: Lead, Supporting, Co-Star, Featured)
• Column 3: Director's name (for film/TV) or Theater company/venue (for theater)

Standard order: Film, Television, Theater, Commercial. Some actors list their strongest medium first.

Training

List acting schools, coaches, workshops, and conservatories. Format: School/Coach, Technique or Focus, Location. For recent graduates, training is a major section. For experienced actors, it should be concise.

Special Skills

A comma-separated or bulleted list of genuinely mastered skills: accents, languages, instruments, combat certifications (broadsword, unarmed), dance styles, sports, driving (motorcycle, manual transmission), and unusual skills that casting directors specifically look for.

Filled-In Example: Beginner/Student Actor Resume

This example shows a recent drama school graduate with student film credits, strong training, and theater experience. No professional television or film credits yet.

This example is fictional and for illustration only. All names and productions are invented.

Filled-In Example: Working Actor Resume (Theater Focus, Union Member)

This example shows an Equity member with a mix of regional theater, off-Broadway, and television co-star credits. The credits section leads with television to show the broadest range of work.

This example is fictional and for illustration only. All names and productions are invented.

Film and TV Credits: How to Format

Film and television credits use a consistent three-column format. The role column includes a role type designation that tells casting directors immediately how large the part was:

• Series Regular: A recurring character appearing in most episodes of a season
• Recurring: A character appearing in multiple but not all episodes
• Guest Star: A named character with a story function in one or two episodes
• Co-Star: A smaller named role, typically two to five lines
• Featured: An identifiable non-speaking or minimal-dialogue role
• Lead / Supporting: For feature films

Never list Background or Extra work unless you have fewer than three speaking credits. Background work is not a credit; listing it signals inexperience to casting directors.

The director column for film is the director's name. For television, the production company or network is also acceptable. List whichever is more recognizable.

Theater Credits: Format Differences

Theater credits follow the same three-column structure but the third column is the theater company or venue, not the director. Theater casting directors want to know which companies you have worked with; the director is secondary.

Include the role name in full, not a role type designation. "Hamlet," not "Lead." "The Stage Manager," not "Supporting." Theater names speak for themselves: a credit at the Goodman Theatre or Steppenwolf carries weight without further explanation.

For college theater productions, list the school and department as the venue (e.g., "NYU Tisch Drama" or "Yale School of Drama"). These are recognized and respected, especially for recent graduates.

Commercial Credits

Commercial credits are handled differently from film and theater, because of conflict rules. There are two formats:

• Conflicts available upon request: This is the most common format. You list "Conflicts available upon request" as the single entry under Commercial. This tells casting directors you have commercial credits but protects you from advertising brands that have conflicting products.
• Full commercial list: List each spot with the brand name, role type, and ad agency. Appropriate when you have no active conflicts or are specifically marketing your commercial work.

SAG-AFTRA members must be particularly careful with commercial conflicts. A current conflict in the automotive category prevents you from booking another automotive commercial. Hiding conflicts is a code of conduct violation.

Special Skills Section

The special skills section is read more carefully than most actors expect. Casting directors use it to fill specific production needs: a casting call for a bilingual character, a fight sequence requiring a certified combatant, a musical that needs a real trumpet player.

Skills that consistently generate callbacks include:

• Dialects and accents: List specific accents with your proficiency level if it is not native-quality (e.g., "British RP (performance level)"). Do not list accents you cannot perform on demand.
• Languages: Specify fluency (native, conversational, survival). Casting for bilingual roles will test you.
• Instruments: List instruments you can play to performance standard. "Guitar (intermediate)" is honest and useful. "Guitar" alone implies professional level.
• Stage combat: List weapon forms with certification body (SAFD, BASSC, Dueling Arts International). Uncertified combat skills should not be listed.
• Dance: Styles you can perform in audition (ballet, jazz, hip-hop, ballroom). List training years if extensive.
• Sports: Competitive level is relevant. "Basketball (collegiate level)" is more useful than "Basketball."
• Unusual skills: Juggling, aerial silks, horseback riding, motorcycle license, manual transmission driving. Unusual verified skills stand out.

Union vs. Non-Union Acting Resumes

Union status is declared at the top of the resume, directly below your name. The options are:

• SAG-AFTRA: Full member of the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Can only work on SAG-AFTRA union productions.
• AEA (Actors' Equity Association): Full Equity member for stage work.
• SAG-AFTRA Eligible: Has earned SAG-AFTRA eligibility (usually through completing a Taft-Hartley waiver or accumulating vouchers) but has not yet formally joined. Can work on both union and some non-union productions.
• Non-Union: No union membership. Can work on non-union productions without restriction.

Never fabricate union membership. SAG-AFTRA and AEA maintain membership rolls that agents, casting directors, and production companies can verify.

If you have no union status to list, leave the line blank rather than writing "Non-Union." The absence of a union line communicates the same information without flagging it explicitly. Some coaches recommend writing "Non-Union" for clarity; both approaches are acceptable.

Frequently Asked Questions