Figure Out Your Type
To capture a truly effective actor/actress headshot, you MUST be clear on your Types. Most actors have about 3-4 character types they can realistically play. To figure out your Types ask yourself the following:
What kinds of characters can I see myself playing? Can I play students? Lawyers? Business professionals? Grandparents? Gang members?
It's OK to be a little stereotypical here – in fact, it's encouraged. Do you look like a typical business man? Well, if you have a big beard and messy hair, probably not. But maybe you could play a gang member or a religious fanatic.
Remember: it's important to be realistic! For instance, if you're only 16 years old, there's no way you could play a cop because you're not old enough.
Finding your Type(s) is beyond the scope of this article, but I've compiled a list of over 76 Types, plus a special 10-minute process you can follow to discover your Types (and don't worry – you don't need to awkwardly ask tons of people for feedback!).
Andrew often goes out for lawyer/business person type roles so a suit makes sense for him.
Humberly is in those in between years where she can still play young/high school but wants to push for more mature roles as well. This look definitely allows her to go for both.
Louis gets cast as the villain a-lot so something dark yet put together was a good choice for him
Arista is definitely still going for teen roles so this look, while a little more elevated than a regular t-shirt or tank top, still lets her give off that youthful energy. The great big smile doesn’t hurt either ;)