Headshots: the right ones give you auditions and can help you create a career

Generally, actors have two headshots, a commercial headshot and a theatrical headshot. Some also have a character headshot, but I have elected to keep it simple for now. Here are the results. My commercial headshot is to the left and my theatrical headshot is to the right.

A headshot is an actor's calling card. Without it, you cannot get work as an actor, unless of course, you were born to a celebrity. Those of us who are trying to create a career or are in the middle ranks of working actors have headshots.

After years as an actor, I found out that it's important to get the best headshot you can get. It should show the most interesting person you are. You can go to the internet movie data base and see headshots of all kinds by typing in names. Pictures say a thousand words, but as actors, we don't need a thousand words. Rather we need one good headshot that will get attention and cause someone to offer us auditions.

In search of the best headshot photographer, I found Robert Kim on a website. I just remember seeing my acting teacher's name, Zina Provendie on an actor's website. He quoted her as saying,"This is one of the best headshots I have ever seen!" Given that Zina was Vice President of Casting in the heyday of MGM, I took this to be extremely high praise.

I was disappointed to find that Robert had recently moved to NYC and was booking appointments there. When he comes to Los Angeles, he only shoots celebrities now. So, I flew to New York the second week in January 2006 and shot with him. It took several months to created the finished product and have it reproduced, but the process, the trip and the time commitment to produce the best headshot to represent me paid off.

My agents love my headshots now and are starting to submit me for better roles. I've also sent out my headshots to casting directors as well. As a result, I am starting to receive theatrical auditions (meaning film and television auditions). I've been booking commercials here and there for years, but now I'm starting to receive the kind of theatrical auditions that are right for me.

If you are an actor or want to be, get a great headshot. It could change your life!