What is my casting type and how do you find this out?
Gateshead Little Theatre (copyright 2015)
What is a casting type? In the industry, it is also more commonly known as ‘an actors’ type, which is made up of a combination of five characteristics that can be found on most character breakdowns;
Gender, Age Range, Physicality (short, tall, thin, heavy, light, dark) Job title (mum, lawyer, cop, spy, teen, criminal), Personality traits (quirky, serious, intellectual, sexy, loud, innocent).
How do you find this out? I strongly advise that you repeatedly ask the opinion of those you trust in the industry to ensure you are targeting those who are interested in you as a brand. Whenever you are in an environment in close proximity to casting directors via workshops and/or networking events, ask them if they would consider you for a role you have in mind to check if you are in the right ball park. Family and friends may not be reliable sources of truth as they just tell you what you want to hear which isn’t always the best decision for your career. Also, acting teachers, coaches and other actors are also other fantastic sources as often some will have their own theatre companies and regularly have to cast their own shows.
Techniques for exploring your casting type If I was to summarise my casting type in one brief tagline, I would state ‘northern working-class actress, professional business owner and French speaking tutor, based in London.’ To drill down further, my casting type is female brunette, brown eyes, playing age 27–37, short, job titles- teacher, business woman, caring professions, mother (similar parallels to my own life experiences, apart from being a mother!) Also, I go even deeper on knowing my type than most breakdowns as I will veer into other characteristics such as; class, socio-economic status, single or married, kids or not as that helps me get super specific on how that character would behave, and whether I can realistically relate to them or whether I need to spend more time with friends and connections who live different lives to me so I can learn method style and live a day in their shoes!
I have to admit that I didn’t really get crystal clear until I moved to London and got onto Spotlight and eventually the agent followed when I had that clarity about how I was marketing myself. I am not advising people to limit themselves by the above stringent categories as I can only speak from my own experiences, but I have to admit specificity is crucial to getting under the bonnet of character development in the casting room and beyond. When I look back at my credits, I can often see a common thread in all of the projects I have done which has helped me put together footage to be seen for similar roles in the future. Also, my London-based agent regularly tells me being northern is my USP as I am the only one on her books!
Finding clarity As in life, we are grouped by our age, looks and personality so ensure that you put your best foot forward and accept that some parts may not be suitable for you as how you look is out of your hands. Rather than seeing this as something that restricts you, see it as a liberation in that you will be more focused on auditions that stand you the best chance of getting the job. If after reading my blog, you still feel stuck and lack clarity, ask yourself four questions and try to journal some responses to help move you forward;
What TV/Theatre/Films do I like? Make a list of 20.
Are there any actors who look like you- how/why?
Are there any actors who don’t look like you but resemble you in personality traits?
Depending on your responses to questions 2 and 3, draw up two columns on a piece of A4 paper to list similarities and differences of actors you like and admire, looks and personality to see if you can find any common threads to limit your search and give you a clearer idea on your type.
How to convey your casting type through your marketing materials The next stage after doing the above crucial exploratory work is to then map out how this will feed into your headshots and promotional material i.e. showreel. For me, my first steps were looking up the Spotlight CV of my favourite northern actors (with a similar casting type to me); Suranne Jones, Kelly McDonald, Jill Halfpenny- to name but a few) to see who they booked for their headshots and also who they have worked with. There was one common denominator in that they booked the same headshot photographer so I did the same! I am still working on my showreel footage but I am feeling braver and confident about the choices I will make in my character types and the types of TV and stage shows I want to be cast in- I have my list at the ready and will be actively targeting those casting directors once my showreel is released.