What type of actors headshots should you have?

There’s no doubt about it, Vancouver is definitely an actor’s town.

On a not-totally-unrelated note, a little known fact about me is that about a lifetime ago I trained as an actor in college and worked as one in Europe for a while too (side note: the Europe part sounds much more glamorous than it actually was- I did children’s theatre over there 🙃😀).

This was long before I became a photographer, and I can still remember so vividly the anxiety I felt auditioning for parts, the stress of seeking an agent who would best represent my interests, trying to keep my weight down to a number that a previous agent had suggested…all of that fun stuff.

Ultimately, acting was not my calling. I was blessed enough to discover what was my calling the first time I picked up a camera (around roughly the same time). But I will forever be grateful for the time I spent acting- I simply couldn’t imagine where I’d be today without that particular chapter in my life. It let nothing but light in.

That period also afforded me the experience of being on the other side of the camera a few times as I got my own actors headshots done in Vancouver, and I also remember very clearly the stress that that endeavor entailed. Looking back, none of the headshot photographers who photographed me asked me what type of parts I tended to go up for. Rather, each headshot session just kind of ended up feeling more like a glamour photo shoot. I also had my hair and makeup done by their in-house artists each time, and I remember that I didn’t really look like myself on either occasion (a little extra detail is that I have quite thick eyebrows, and each time they were styled differently, and in the process really kind of changed the shape of my face- eyebrows are important 😂). I certainly had a glam look for the camera, but each time it was a look that I didn’t have the ability to recreate on my own for an audition.

Which leads me to ask the following question- what should you be looking for in your actors headshots?

Technical factors ALL actor headshots should have:

First, there are some key technical factors that any professional actors headshot must include:

The technique/artistry/lighting/composition needs to be at a professional level. This means the eyes must be tack sharp, we need to be able to see some of the body in addition to the face to give the casting director a sense of your size/shape, etc.

There should be nothing distracting in the background. Again, if you go to a professional photographer, this is not something you’ll have to worry about. Remember, we want the casting director to look at YOU, not a distracting object in the background.

There should be an emotional connection through your eyes. This one is a little trickier to nail, and often requires coaching and direction on the part of the photographer (especially when working with newer actors). A blank stare is something we want to avoid at all costs. Emotional connection also ties into the character type you’re showing off in a particular headshot. The tough guy/the girl next door/the nerd/the leading man- all of these archetypes require different emoting for the camera (and again, the photographer should help to coach you on this).

Consider going a little quirky for your headshot…

As I mentioned earlier, my experience getting actors headshots provided me mainly with what felt like glamour photos. And I’m not knocking that at all- about a decade on, these headshots have a new meaning to me now as portraits that represent that time in my life. But now, as a photographer myself, I do wonder if the glam look is always best when you’re getting actor headshots. The beautiful-as-possible look works really well if you’re going up for a leading lady/leading man part. However, it’s also important to remember that casting directors are looking for the ideal actor to play a part- perhaps looking as beautiful and as glam as possible is part of what they’re looking for (especially for those leading roles), but there are also a lot of parts (and I would argue almost all prestige parts fall into this category) that are out there that require an actor to be unique and compelling and dare I say it, not glamorous at all (think Charlize Theron in Monster or Frances McDormand in Fargo).

And we’re not even talking about supporting parts yet. Take your average film, and look at the supporting actors. Are they glamorous roles? More often than not, the answer is no. Indeed, supporting actor roles tend to be on the quirkier, often comedic, side of things. A glamour headshot is not what is needed going up for these parts.

So what type of headshot would I recommend you have on hand? Personally, I’d recommend having at least one on hand that is quirky (while being reflective of the repertoire of characters you can play). I have a friend who studied acting at university and it was one of her acting profs who told her that he was able to get a lot more auditions when he had a quirkier headshot than in the past when he had gone for a more ‘leading man’ type headshot.

We have to ask ourselves, what are casting directors looking for at the end of the day? Of course, that answer is going to depend on the part in question. If you’re going up for a leading role, yes, you will want to look beautiful in your headshot. However, if you’re going up for a supporting role, I would argue it’s much more effective to go for something unconventional/quirky. And if you’re looking to book background work, you do not want to look glam (but it is very important that you present yourself professionally). In the case of background work, the casting director is looking for actors who can blend into the background. Here, looking too glam/too leading lady or leading man is actually a negative. Remember, it’s called ‘background’ for a reason. These parts are meant to fill in the background of a scene without distracting from the leads. An ultra-glamorous headshot is not going to book you this type of work.

Final thoughts…

To sum up, my recommendation for anyone looking to update their actor headshots is to certainly go for a glam look (which is popular in actors headshots at the moment), but to also consider doing a quirkier 2nd look (especially if you’re looking to audition for supporting roles).

Remember, we are all of us drawn to what is unique and authentic. The best actor headshots reflect these qualities. When it comes to both supporting and lead roles, different is memorable…and memorable gets booked.