An actor's CV is not an office CV. It has a specific structure, a standard sector format and very common mistakes that can make a casting director discard it before even reading it.
Basic structure of an actor's CV
- Header: Name, phone, email and online profile.
- Physical stats: Height, build, eye and hair colour.
- Training: Acting schools and relevant courses.
- Experience: Projects split by format (screen, theatre).
- Special skills: Languages, sports, instruments, dance.
- Representation: Your agent's name if you have one.
How to present your experience
List by year in descending order (most recent first). For each project: title, format, your role, director and year. Don't include every project: pick the 8-12 most relevant. If you're starting out, include school projects and verifiable short films; an honest CV with few credits is better than an inflated one.
Mistakes that get your CV rejected
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- No physical stats: Without height and build they can't shortlist you.
- Inflated skills: Only include what you can demonstrate under pressure.
- More than one page when you've been in the industry a short time.
- No design: A visually disorganized CV reflects a lack of attention to detail.
Digital format
Always keep a PDF version ready to send, optimized for screen. A profile on platforms like Arga Studios fulfils the CV's role in a more dynamic way: the director sees your photo, bio, showreel and skills in one place.
Update every 6 months: An outdated CV is a sign of professional neglect. Even if you haven't done new projects, review the photo, the details and the format periodically.
What should never appear
- ID number.
- Marital status or family situation.
- Phrases like “looking for an opportunity to grow”.
- Extra appearances with no lines.
Actor CV template, top to bottom
If you've never put one together, this is the order a casting director expects to recognize at a glance. The idea is that within a few seconds they know who you are, what you look like and what you've done.
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Header | Stage name, phone, email and a link to your online profile. |
| Physical | Height, build, eye and hair colour, the age range you represent. |
| Experience | Split into screen and theatre, in descending order: title, format, role, direction and year. |
| Training | Main school and courses or workshops with a recognized teacher. |
| Skills | Languages with a real level, sports, singing, dancing, driving licence, instruments. |
Tailor your CV to each casting
The quietest mistake is always sending the same document. An actor auditioning for a comedy and for a classical piece shouldn't highlight the same things at the very top. Reorder your credits so the ones most relevant to the project appear first, and check that the skills the call asks for —a language, horse riding, fencing— are clearly flagged. Don't overstate: if you put "high level of English" and yours is intermediate, it shows in the first line of the self tape.
CV, comp card and online profile
Today three formats coexist and each serves its purpose. The PDF CV is the formal document you attach. The comp card is the sheet with your headshot on one side and the essential details on the other, designed to hand over in person or leave in a casting room. And the online profile gathers photo, bio, showreel and skills in a link the director opens from their phone. Ideally all three say the same thing and are updated at once.
Frequently asked questions
How many projects do I include if I've just started?
Whatever you have, without padding. A student short film and an end-of-year play are valid if they're real. Better a short, honest CV than one inflated with non-speaking extra work.
Do I put my real age or the age I look?
State the age range you can play believably, not your exact age. That's what whoever is casting actually needs.
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