An actor bio is a brief summary of your education, work history and experience that is relevant to the acting profession (the focus is on brief and relevant). The theatre or agency requesting your actor bio may specify a format and length. If they don’t, follow these actor bio guidelines:
Accentuate the positive
You might have a lot of experience but no formal training. Or you might have attended a prestigious acting school but you don’t have much experience yet. Don’t worry about it. You can choose what gets highlighted in your actor bio.
Even if you have no acting experience, just write about what you do have (e.g. training, talents, a certain “look”) and don’t even address what you don’t have. In the end, the ability you show at the audition will count most of all. There are plenty of people performing on Broadway who did not attend the “name-brand” schools.
You have a brand
Like a fashion designer, you have a brand to sell. You’ve got skills, you’ve trained and studied your craft, you’ve acted, and you do good work. Project this in your theatre bio by describing yourself with confidence and verve.
Write more than one bio
You need more than one theatre or actor bio, depending on its intended purpose. Here are the most typical bios you might need.
Things to include in your actor biography
To start writing, use a point form method or use an actor bio template. A bio template is just an outline for you to fill in the blanks. You can list out the following points:
Sample bio template:
____________ (your name) has appeared in over _______ (use a general word such as “several” or “many”, or specify the number) film, television, and theatre productions (cross out any that don’t apply). You may have seen him/her in __________, __________, ___________ and _____________(names of productions), to name just a few. ____________’s (your name) ability to ____________ (what you’re good at, or what is unique about you) has been recognized by the ____________ (name of awarding body) with the _________ award. ___________ (your name) studied ____________ at ______________________ (name of school), graduating with a _____________ (leave off last part if you didn’t graduate). A native of ____________ (where you grew up), ____________ (your name) now lives in ______________ (city or state). __________ (your name) can be reached at _______ (your contact information or website).
To summarize, an actor bio is:
A template makes writing an actor bio quick and easy!
Does writing your professional bio seem like just one more task on your long to-do list? If so, get a detailed fill-in-the-blanks bio template written specifically for theatre and acting professionals. You’ll also get a version written specifically for novice actors with no acting experience. You’ll have it all done and complete within the next 20 minutes.
