Intro
When creating my bio (see figure 1), I knew I wanted to come across as professional and versatile, but the challenge was to not be so vague as to sound like I didn’t know who I was.
Researching how to write them I knew I had to avoid lists and be concise. Both Backstage and Mandy advised that it should be written in third person, which I knew I wanted to do from the beginning. Writing it in first person sounds casual, I would struggle to play up to this in a room; with lack of professional experience, writing in first person could put me at risk of coming across as inexperienced.
In my first draft, I focused on my skills and what I was drawn to as a performer following the advice of my research. I felt it was important as an up and coming performer that I start to create an image for myself, as many agents and casting directors don’t know who I am. Without the professional experience, it gave me more room to discuss my interests.
In the second draft, I was more precise with my skills. For example, I referenced the styles of singing I could do so when reading it was more obvious exactly what types of roles I could be put forward for. I also removed the joke from the kickboxing segment, it felt more fitting for an actors website rather than a bio and if I wanted it to feel professional, it didn’t fit. For my word count, I had to cut down. The strike-throughs I would use in situations where I had more words to play with, but to keep it short and sweet I sacrificed them. I would have also liked to talk about my acting style, however this didn’t feel top priority, for it should translate into my show reel if done correctly.
Figure 1
Industry Deep-dive
A lot of my research was focused on screen and voice acting, as these felt most unfamiliar to me when it came to accessing them. All my life I have been theatre training, but when it came to experience for screen and voice over work, my knowledge wasn’t as strong.
Voice Acting
Researching voice acting made me notice the similarities there are to theatre, you still have to set up your accounts and create show reels – but there are contrasts. There are different websites you can use to upload your voice reels that offer all sorts of services. This is something I’m definitely interested in looking into for the future, but I wanted to first start with the basics of voice acting. I started by taking a voice acting workshop with Jennifer Bradley through Theatre Gym, making notes along the way (see figure 2a). It was a beginner session, however, it was still great to be in a space with an industry professional. I learnt a lot through hearing other people giving the scripts a go and asking her questions about the industry. Most importantly, I learnt the best way to get better is to practice and to be playful with your voice.
I continued to watch videos on how to get started in the industry and create my own demo reel(see figure 2b). I learnt from this that you can create your own demo reel, but there would be an advantage to getting one professionally recorded. It sounds like how your voice should sound on a screen, making you more hireable. Using the website Voicereels.com, I found some scripts I thought could fit my voice and had a practice recording them, adding my own sound effects in the background (see figure 2c and 2d). It was harder than I thought, especially for wordier scripts, but it was enjoyable. I just have to watch my clarity.
Figure 2a
I then watched an interview with Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham, both voice actors I admire. What stood out to me was what Laura Bailey said about the positives of the industry. You’re hired not on your looks but on your talent. I hadn’t made that observation before this, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier. I have to learn to use my voice twice as hard!
Screen
The screen industry excites me very much, but I understand how complicated it can be.
Caine (1997) in his book on screen acting offered lots of relevant points, although there were some outdated ideas. After reading it, I truly understood just how different the world of screen can be to theatre acting. There are lots of phrases and etiquettes that are new to me, very particular ways he recommended you should act like on set. But there are also familiar concepts that I recall from my training here or from my experience in short films.
The most important thing I took away from this book, however, is that if you sit waiting for a big role, you won’t be ready. It’s the experience you get from smaller roles that add up to prepare you for the big thing, and all experiences are important.
Caine (1997:138) “Make every part the one you’ve been waiting for.”
Figure 2b
Figure 2c
Figure 2d
Visual Identity
I know verbally marketing myself is something I may be weaker on, therefore it is important to be stronger in other aspects. Visual identity is essential for me, I took a great deal of care in analysing ways in which I can present myself.
Figure 3a
To understand what kind of headshots I wanted, I first had to understand my casting-type. I began talking to my teachers and looking back on past feedback, including from working with Beth Knight in our projects. I noted words people had described me as, and created a word cloud (see figure 3a) to better understand the qualities I possess. From here, I compiled a list of four headshot photographers I liked that I believed could capture the aesthetic I wanted to go for.
In this research (see figure 3b), I listed what I liked and disliked about them, making sure the skin wasn’t too airbrushed. I have acne, and my skin shouldn’t be edited too much. I need to look like myself (something we are told time and time again). Eventually, I narrowed it down to both Tom Barker and The Garden Studio. My current headshots are rather stylistic and muted in tone, but both of these photographers have this earthiness about them, creating a warmth that I really want to strive for. However, The Garden Studio has a significantly smaller following, and although I love their photos at this stage they are more stylistic and I believe I would like to go a different direction. It felt like a risk choosing them, and taking a risk would bring me too far out of my comfort zone. After looking at agents and their clients, such as Hamilton Hodell and Coulter Hamilton Rae, most headshots fit with Tom Barker’s style, and I prefer his overall look. I had to take into account that screen acting is something I am very interested in going into, and Tom Barker’s photos look as though they could fit straight into a film.
Alongside this, I’d like to carefully choose colours that suit me and use three different outfits to show different qualities: innocent, grounded and ethereal. This will allow me to show my casting range, it’s something I must communicate to the photographer. I have done headshots before – meaning I can afford to be a little bolder, more confident in my choices and clearer in communicating what I am looking for.
As I have had a spotlight profile for around 5 years I could follow the structure of this to create my CV easily whilst still adding some personality into it (see figure 3c). I formulated it to look artsy, but still “sensible”. I wanted to choose a colour I liked, and also one that fit me personally. I then chose the roles I felt could show my range, and fit them onto one page. The only thing I dislike about this are the headshots, after doing research into them I realise now that I don’t think the style of them fits me – and therefore they stick out on the CV and juxtapose what I would like to present.
Figure 3c
Reflective Break
When I look back at my year, I think of two main moments that highlight to me important lessons I should take with me into the industry.
The first is when I decided to become the class representative. It had been something I thought about in passing, but I didn’t start to debate it until my peers suggested I would be a good fit. The first thoughts that came to me were worries that people wouldn’t listen to me, or even genuinely want me to be the class rep. At the time, I thought it would save me a lot of worry if I didn’t run at all.
Yet I realised if running for a class rep scared me so much, how would I fare in the industry? I told myself that I would try to use any influence I might get to make genuine change in the industry, and to inspire others around me to change. How could I actually make any sort of change, as I have dreamed of doing, if I couldn’t even represent a class of my friends?
So I applied. I decided if I actually wanted this dream to become a reality, I had better start fighting for it. This felt like a turning point for me, where things started to feel real.
My pitch was shaky. I was so nervous, but I was also honest. I recognised that I may not have been the most confident candidate, but I would push for our voices to be heard. My efforts paid off, I was voted in to be Group 2’s class rep.
Our class had problems along the way with focus; I wasn’t prepared to deal with these issues being brought up in the meetings. I would come away feeling anxious, and so would everybody else. I had to find ways to relieve our negativity. I came up with the idea of “Reset Week” where we turned over a new leaf. We came into the week with utter professionalism, like nothing negative had happened in the first place. The tactic worked, I didn’t let the pressure get to me. Despite the issues we faced, I have no regrets running for class rep. I would do it again – I learnt a lot from this role, and the skills I learnt will surely help me in the industry.
The second is during our first projects. I came into the process excited to see how I was going to present to a director in a professional environment. After a few days of workshops, we were told we would do interviews instead of auditions. I tried very hard to prepare for this – to stand out, but speaking about myself is something I find challenging. During the interview our director, Beth Knight, said that I came across as someone who didn’t advocate for myself. After running for class rep and coming into the process trying to push myself, this shattered me a little.
I decided I wouldn’t let this get to me, I came away and wrote down in my folder notes to myself, to remind me what I need to do. From then on I committed, I gave new ideas and I attempted things again if I thought I did it badly; I spoke up for myself. And again my efforts paid off, Beth saw the change in me.
I remember asking her why she became a director. She told me she enjoyed advocating for people, and in doing so she learnt the value of her own voice. To advocate for others, you can then advocate for yourself. If their voices matter, so does yours.
This really resonated with me, and I took this on board, especially when it came to being a class rep. After projects, I felt there was an opportunity to continue growing with this new found confidence I had. I wasn’t trying to be somebody I wasn’t, loud or energetic, but became comfortable in who I was. I embraced the “quiet confidence” Beth saw in me, and could handle situations that came my way a lot better. Projects taught me a lot about the industry, more so what I still had to do moving forward. I realised coming away from them I wasn’t yet ready for the industry. I didn’t feel negative about this however, more stirred by the idea that I still had time to learn and grow. I felt as if I was in the exact place I was supposed to be in my learning.
Summative Roadmap
My second year has been a year of growth. I am no longer simply thinking of my skills as an actor, but painting the bigger picture. How am I in professional environments, and where do I still have to go from here?
Marketing Myself
Something I have found intriguing this year is how I can market myself. I know when the time comes, it is something I will struggle doing. I focused a lot of energy on how I could mitigate any challenges for myself in the future. I found it very beneficial talking to my tutors, a discussion I had with Tom Aldersley helped me greatly in understanding marketing in the industry. It gave me lots to think about for the future, but also something he called “Day 1 Casting”. How I’m perceived in first impressions (see figure 4a).
Mentioned previously, I spoke to my tutors and asked them what they believed my casting type could be. Combining their feedback, and feedback from close friends, I created a Pinterest board of characters I could potentially play (see figure 4b). I found it very hard to differentiate between characters I want to play, and characters I would play. In order to do this, I had to be very honest with myself, and rely on the honesty of others. What gave me confidence in this is that I can talk to agents about characters I would be cast in, but also give examples of the roles I would love to work my way up to. Roles I would be cast in right now are the airier characters, or the “best-friend” characters (not the leading lady’s). However, in the future I know I would love to play the stronger, darker characters. It is very well something I can play, but perhaps not the roles I should immediately be put forward for if focusing on casting types.
Figure 4b
Figure 4a
This brings me onto research I did for potential agents. I created a spreadsheet of agents I looked into, making notes on how I can approach contacting them (see figure 4c). Although I haven’t emailed any agents or casting directors yet, this is certainly something I will be doing in the near future. Emailing them any sooner than before now felt too risky as I didn’t understand how I could market myself or how the industry operated. I wanted to be fully prepared with my headshots and completed CV before reaching out to any future contacts.
The Future
Part of planning my industry launch was thinking about what I can do after graduating. Getting an agent isn’t guaranteed, so I have to be prepared for all sorts of possibilities.
During my training, I felt very engaged in Kenan Ali’s stage combat classes. With my background in martial arts, and my love for action movies, I know that being in action based stories is something I would suit; it makes sense that this is something I should explore as a possibility. Kenan himself does courses that I could take part in, but there are also MA’s I could do if I wanted to venture into a different city. There’s a whole variety of opportunities in this area, and with women in particular being less represented in the industry, it could be an exciting pathway.
Figure 4c
The Present
For now, I will be focusing my efforts on the rest of my training here. I have been reading plays in preparation for finding showcase material. I enjoyed searching for characters I think both fit me and challenged me. In doing this I found a real joy exploring darker characters, this paired with the “innocent” look creates a fun contrast I enjoyed playing with. I also enjoyed roles that brought out my caring side, which would be the best type for me in the showcase as it highlights my “day one” casting. The perfect scene would have an arc that shows a range of characters I could play.
To practice creating my own opportunities I have been discussing creating a series with my course mates from an idea we had in first year. Exercising my creativity and finding ways to create opens up doors for me in the future, it reminds me to be excited about acting, why I love doing it. There are things I can do for myself, and I must not wait around for these opportunities. After our sessions with Ruth Cooper-Rowan on how to create our own theatre company, it will be interesting exploring creating TV work and how the two will differentiate.
Conclusion
There is still a great deal of room for me to grow. With our next project coming up, it is the perfect opportunity for me to put a final test before third year on confidently stepping into a room and communicating clearly my ideas. I am excited to see how I will work with a new director, to test how far I have come.
I am still worried about contacting agents and being in a room with them. I am aware my quietness can be read as shyness, and my nerves can manifest as shyness. There’s a great deal more to learn about the industry, and about myself. This can be shown in a recent mock audition with a casting director who stated my first take lacked energy. I cannot afford to allow my energy to dip due to nerves, what is important now is to fully commit to everything I do. I am also cautious that a lot of my research was focused around the film industry, and although this is where I want to be working, theatre is something I am still interested in. To balance this out, I will continue to research the world of theatre and expand my knowledge. I will commit to my future.
Bibliography
Caine, M. (1990) Acting in Film, an Actors Take on Movie Making. Edited by M. Aitken, 1997. Applause Theatre Book Publishers.
Clark, S. (2025) What Should You Include in Your Actor Bio? Mandy, 3 July. https://www.mandy.com/uk/magazine/article/what-should-you-include-in-your-actor-bio-78955/ [Accessed 18 March 2026].
Coulter Hamilton Rae. (2026) Actors. https://coulterhamiltonrae.com/actors [Accessed 22 January 2026].
Game Spot (2016) What does it take to be a Voice Actor? – The Lobby [Video]. Available online: https://www.youtube.com/watch? [Accessed 22 March 2026].
Gilliss, G. (2022) How to Write an Actor Bio. Backstage, 22 April. https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/steps-writing-great-bio-13225/ [Accessed 18 March 2026].
Hamilton Hodell. (n.d.) Talent. https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ [Accessed 22 January 2026].
Javaughn Henry (2023) How to start a Career in Voice Acting (A step-by-step guide) [Video]. Available online: https://www.youtube.com/watch? [Accessed 19 March 2026].
Javaughn Henry (2023) How to make your first Voice Over Demo Reel | DIY [Video]. Available online: https://www.youtube.com/watch? [Accessed 19 March 2026].
Margarita Hope Photography. (2023) The Garden Studio Photography https://www.margaritaphotos.com/the-garden-studio-photography-newcastle [Accessed 19 March 2026].
Tom Barker Photography. (n.d.) Headshot Portfolio https://www.tombarkerphotography.com/#headshot-portfolio [Accessed 19 March 2026].
Theatre Gym. (n.d.) Free Voice Acting Class https://www.theatregym.co.uk/free-voice-acting-class [Accessed 16 November 2025].
Voicereels Ltd (2026) The Union Bank. https://www.voicereels.com/script/the-union-bank/ [Accessed 30 March 2026].
Voicereels Ltd (2026) Welcome to Space. https://www.voicereels.com/script/welcome-to-space/ [Accessed 30 March 2026].
