An actor profile that gets picked: how to fill it in and apply to castings

This one is for actors, models and parents of child actors. We see castings from the casting director's side and know what their work looks like: a hundred applications per role, the first cut in one evening, a few seconds per profile. The good news: you don't need to be a star to get through that first cut. You need a clear, honest and complete profile.

Why sign up if you can apply without an account

You can apply to a casting without signing up — just fill in the form. But a profile on the platform gives you a few advantages:

• you get found. Casting directors search the platform's talent directory by gender, age, height and appearance. A public profile shows up in those results;
• your application history. The My Castings page shows where you've applied and the status of each application;
• agency subscriptions. Notifications about new roles arrive by email, on Telegram or in your browser — you hear about castings among the first;
• fill it in once, use it everywhere. Your photos, videos and measurements are already in the profile.

Signing up is free for actors.

Photos: what to upload first

The title photo appears in lists, in search results and in applications. It's your first and often only chance to make an impression.

The minimum is three pictures:

1. A headshot — your face close up, a neutral background, daylight, no filters or heavy retouching.
2. Full length — in simple, fitted clothes so your figure and proportions are visible.
3. A candid shot — a smile, an emotion, a still from a shoot or a performance.

Tip. The casting director should recognise you when you walk into the audition. A five-year-old photo or a heavily edited one is the most common reason for disappointment at auditions. Update your pictures if you've changed your haircut or hair colour, or your weight has changed noticeably.

What to avoid: group photos, arm's-length selfies, sunglasses, photos taken in a car, blurry screenshots from videos.

A video intro is your trump card

You can upload up to four videos to your profile as files or add a YouTube link. A showreel is great. If you don't have one, film a simple intro on your phone:

• 30–60 seconds, landscape, in daylight;
• introduce yourself: name, age, city, height;
• say a few words about yourself — naturally, not a memorised text;
• at the end, turn: front, profile, full length.

A video with natural speech often decides more than ten photos: it shows how you move, how your voice sounds and how you carry yourself on camera.

Measurements: fill in everything, even if it seems unnecessary

Height, weight, bust/waist/hips, clothing and shoe size, eye and hair colour. These fields are the casting director's search filters. If your height is missing, you won't appear in a "height from 175" search even if you're a perfect fit.

Give real values. Clothing size matters for commercials and costume shoots: wardrobe picks outfits from your profile in advance.

Skills, experience and training

Skills are what set you apart from dozens of candidates of a similar type: languages, driving (with the licence category), singing, dance, sports, horse riding, stage combat, playing instruments. Add each skill separately.

List roles and projects under experience, and school, courses and workshops under training. Even a small role or a student play beats an empty field: it shows you've already worked on camera or on stage.

Contacts and privacy

Your settings have two toggles:

• Public profile — casting directors can find you in the talent search.
• Show contacts — your phone, messengers and social links are visible to directors viewing your profile.

If your contacts are hidden, a director still sees them once you apply to their casting. So you can keep contacts closed to everyone and reveal them only to those you approach yourself. Add your Telegram — many directors get in touch there.

How to apply to castings

• Read the whole casting call. If it asks for "photos without make-up and a monologue video", send exactly that.
• Check the gender and age. Applying for "male, 50–60" as a 25-year-old woman won't get past the first cut and won't earn you points with the agency.
• Include the keyword when applying through a Telegram bot or by email: it's how your application is matched to the right role.
• One role, one application. Don't send the same application three times: repeat applications are merged, but the impression stays.
• Reply quickly. If an agency asks you a follow-up question, answer within a day — auditions are often scheduled for the next few days.

Subscribe to agencies

Every agency page has a subscribe button. Choose your channels — email, Telegram, push notifications — and, if you like, your gender and age to get only matching roles. All your subscriptions are listed in the Subscriptions section of your account.

The perfect profile checklist

• Title photo: a recent headshot in daylight.
• At least three photos: headshot, full length, candid.
• A 30–60 second video intro.
• Height, weight, sizes, eye and hair colour filled in.
• Skills, experience and training listed.
• Telegram or phone added.
• Public profile switched on.
• Subscribed to the agencies you want to work with.

In short

A casting director doesn't pick the most beautiful person, but the most suitable one — and someone they can assess quickly. Honest, recent photos, a video with natural speech, complete measurements and tidy applications to roles that fit you do more than any glossy portfolio.