How to build an actor website casting directors actually use

An actor website gives casting directors, agents and producers one place to see your headshots, watch your reel, read your credits and find out who represents you. Casting profiles and social media have their place, but an actor portfolio website is the link you control: it's always current, it looks the way you want, and it works whether someone opens it on a laptop in the office or a phone between auditions.

This guide covers what to put on an acting portfolio, how to lay out your acting resume for the web, how to handle representation and contact details, what to keep private, and a few actor website examples you can adapt. It applies whether you work in film and television, theater, commercials, voice work or all of them, and whether you're just starting out or already represented.

What casting directors and agents look for on an actor website

People in casting move quickly. When they click your link, they're usually trying to answer a handful of questions:

• What do you look like right now? Current headshots, not photos from several years and a haircut ago.
• Can you act? A reel or a couple of short clips that show it.
• What have you done, and where did you train? Your credits and training, in the format they're used to reading.
• What can you play? Your type, playing range and any special skills.
• Who do I contact? Your agent or manager, or a direct booking route if you self-represent.

If your homepage answers those without anyone having to hunt, your site is doing its job.

Headshots: theatrical vs. commercial

Your headshot is the first thing anyone sees, so give it room. Most working actors keep at least two looks.

Theatrical headshots

Theatrical headshots are used for film, television and stage. They tend to be more serious in tone, with a focus on the eyes and a sense of character that suggests the roles you're most often called in for.

Commercial headshots

Commercial headshots are brighter, warmer and more approachable, usually with a natural smile. They're aimed at advertising and brand work, where casting is looking for someone relatable and easy to like.

Tips for headshots on your site

• Lead with one strong shot on the homepage, then put the rest in a small gallery.
• Label your looks plainly, for example Theatrical, Commercial or Character, so casting can grab what they need.
• Keep them current. If your hair, weight or overall look has changed noticeably, it's time for new photos.

The guide on choosing a profile photo has general advice on lighting and framing that applies to headshots too.

Your reel and clips

A reel shows what headshots can't: how you move, sound and react. Keep it short and put your best work first, since many viewers won't watch to the end.

• Open with your strongest moment, ideally a scene where you're clearly the focus.
• Keep it tight. A short reel that holds attention is better than a long one that drifts.
• Split by type if it helps: a drama reel, a comedy reel, a commercial reel or a voice reel.

Host your reel on a video platform you trust and link to it, or embed it if your site supports that, from a clear Reel or Watch section near the top of your page. Make sure the link is public or unlisted, not private, and test it on a phone. The guide on adding a video introduction to your portfolio has more on presenting video.

The acting resume: industry format

An acting resume is not the same as a regular job resume, and casting directors expect a particular layout. On your site, you can present it as a clean section on the page and also offer a downloadable version they can print or file.

A typical acting resume includes:

1. Name and contact: your name, plus your agent or manager's details, or a professional email if you self-represent.
2. Union status: if you belong to a performers' union, such as SAG-AFTRA in the US or Equity in the UK, list it near your name. If you don't yet, simply leave it off.
3. Physical details: height and hair and eye color are common. Some actors add a playing age range instead of a date of birth.
4. Credits, grouped by medium: Film, Television, Theater, Commercials and New Media, as separate groups. Each credit usually shows the project title, the role or billing type (for example lead, supporting, guest star or featured), and the director, theater or production company.
5. Training: drama schools, degrees, ongoing classes, workshops and coaches.
6. Special skills: accents and dialects, languages, singing range, dance styles, instruments, stage combat, sports, driving licenses and anything else that might get you cast.

A few habits make it stronger:

• List your best or most recent credits first within each group.
• Be honest. Don't inflate a background part into a featured role; casting communities are smaller than they look.
• Only list skills you could perform on set tomorrow. If you list an accent, be ready to use it in the room.

If you already have your acting resume or CV as a PDF or Word file, you can turn your acting resume into a website instead of starting from scratch, then tidy the sections and add your headshots and reel.

Representation, union status and booking contact

Make it obvious who handles your work. Casting staff don't want to guess.

If you have an agent or manager

• Name your agency and the department or agent who represents you, with their phone or email as they prefer it shown.
• Separate representation by area if you have more than one, for example theatrical, commercial and voice, or different cities or countries.

If you self-represent

• Use a contact form or a dedicated work email, not your personal address.
• Say what you're open to, for example short films, theater, commercials or voice work, and where you're based or can work as a local hire.
• Ask for the essentials in your form: production name, role, dates, location and whether it's paid or union work.

The guide on the portfolio contact section has more ideas for making contact easy without inviting spam.

Privacy and safety for actors

A public actor website should help people book you, not find you.

• Never post your home address, your neighborhood or details of your daily routine.
• Skip your personal phone number. Use your agent's line or a work email.
• Leave off your date of birth. A playing age range does the job for casting.
• Check photos and videos for anything that gives away where you live, such as street signs, house numbers or location data in image files.
• If you're under 18, a parent or guardian should manage the site and all contact.

The guide on personal information on your portfolio goes through these trade-offs in more depth.

Keeping credits and photos current

If your last listed credit is from years ago, or your headshot no longer looks like you, casting may assume you've stepped away. Add new bookings as soon as you're allowed to announce them, refresh your reel when you have stronger footage, and review links and representation details every few months. The guide on keeping your portfolio up to date has a simple routine you can follow.

Actor website examples: common structures

The outlines below are made-up examples, not real people or real sites. They show common ways to organize an acting portfolio depending on where you are in your career.

Example 1: early-career screen actor

1. Homepage: one theatrical headshot, name, a line such as "Actor based in Chicago, available for film and TV," and a Watch my reel button.
2. Reel: a short self-tape compilation and two student film clips.
3. Resume: a few short film and student credits, training at a local acting studio, and special skills including basketball, Spanish and a Southern US accent.
4. Headshots: theatrical and commercial looks.
5. Contact: a form with fields for production, role and dates.

Example 2: represented theater and screen actor

1. Homepage: headshot, name, union membership and agency name with a link.
2. Credits: grouped into Theater, Television and Film, most recent first, plus a downloadable resume.
3. Reel and clips: a main reel, plus a separate comedy clip.
4. Press: two or three short review quotes from productions, with the publication named.
5. Contact: agent details only, with no direct form.

Example 3: commercial and voice actor

1. Homepage: a bright commercial headshot and links to a commercial reel and a voice reel.
2. Voice: a list of styles such as warm narrator, upbeat retail and character voices, with a link to the demo.
3. Clients: a short list of project types, without naming any brand you don't have permission to name.
4. Resume: commercials, voice work and training, plus skills such as home studio setup and accents.
5. Booking: separate contacts for on-camera and voice representation.

Choosing a layout for your actor portfolio website

Choose a clean template that puts your headshot and reel first, uses large readable type for credits, and looks good on a phone. Avoid busy backgrounds that compete with your face.

With Folitox AI, you can upload your acting resume or CV as a PDF or Word file and the AI drafts an editable site from it. You can then add your headshots and links to your reel, and pick from 100+ responsive portfolio templates. Publish free at an address like yourname.folitox.com or connect your own domain; the guide on choosing a portfolio domain helps you decide. You can try it without signing up, and there's also an Android app on Google Play.

Putting it together

A good actor website answers casting's questions quickly: current headshots, a short reel, an acting resume in the industry format, clear representation or booking details, and nothing that reveals where you live. Keep it simple, keep it current, and treat it as the one link you'd be happy to send to anyone who might cast you.