A hundred years ago, when I was first started acting (back when head shots were black-and-white), it was standard for most actors to have one smiling shot for commercials and one serious theatrical shot…models had zed cards, and character actors had “composites”…goofy staged shots on the back of their headshot showing them roller blading or dressed as whacky nurses or cowboys. Then the industry changed and the importance of more specific headshots became the new standard. Today, as opposed to back in the dark ages when I was pounding the pavement, there are far more actors in each category which makes it important for headshots to not only be a good representation of the actor’s look, but they are also the actor’s number one marketing tool. (Please check out my Backstage article The 4 Jobs of a Headshot).
On the online acting sites, i.e. Casting Networks, Actors Access, etc., a few actors represent themselves with only one or two shots. This doesn’t even cover their marketability (the span of roles that they can and should be cast in). Some actors show a row of headshots…same pose, same facial expression, different shirt. I never understand what the point is of having a number of headshots that look exactly the same (except for the clothing). Most actors treat these sites like Facebook and/or Instagram, loading them with countless shots…new, old, different hairstyles and colors, and outfits that are clearly not right for their specific types.
An agent, manager, casting director, or even a director, should be able to check out an actor’s page and immediately get a good sense of who that actor is and how they can best use them…they should be able to look at the different headshots and instantly know the actor’s Type, Brand, and the roles they are right for…they should be able to look at the various shots and see a marketable actor with range. Instead, they are getting confused by either too few or a jumble of far too many photos…not getting any sense of who the actor truly is, let alone their age or even what they currently look like.
So Goldilocks, what is the “just right” number of headshots an actor should have?
Before beginning the headshot process, every actor must see themselves in the eyes of the industry. They must discover the exact roles that they are right for…dictated by their look, personality, and Type. Once they have a good grasp of their marketability, they then must translate that into their headshots. Let’s take a 43yr old actress as an example. First, she needs a General shot. That’s the first or main shot on the acting sites which shows the actor’s specific Type and Brand and is capable of being submitted for numerous nonspecific roles. Then she must target the exact categories of roles that she is right for: Familial (Mom/Wife/Neighbor/Friend); Professional roles, and since this woman reads Upper Middle Class, powerful, and intelligent, her professional roles are all educated, i.e. Doctor, Lawyer, Politician, etc.; Victim, something has happened either to or around her; Upscale woman, i.e. the woman dancing on a cruise ship or getting out of her new Cadillac; and she’s got a rocking body, so she should also take a Yoga Woman shot as well. That is a total of six shots covering the majority of work out there for this particular actress.
Five or six shots are the most any actor needs…as long as they target the specific roles or categories of roles for which they are best suited. Don’t confuse the people who have the power to hire you by having more than that. Your head shots need to be current and they must represent you in your best, most Castable, light. Make sure that the limited number of headshots on your sites (and that you use for submissions) fulfill the four jobs of a headshot: they look like you, they read your Type, they are Branded you, and they show your marketability…the exact roles for which you are right. Become the professional actor who represents themselves with “just the right amount” of headshots.