Actor's Bios

[singtopher]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 1:21pm

What are your thoughts on a good actor's bio? Do you like the funny/humorous/sarcastic ones? I've been trying to write mine for an upcomming job and tried to make mine funny and my roomate told me those are "stupid".

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 1:22pm

I like a mix of like facts and funny. i get annoyed when its all dumb s**t.

[Dover]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 10:36pm

I agree. All funny is pointless and somewhat annoying, but there's nothing worse than a straight list of credits. A good mix of the two is best. It can either be funny, or just personal somehow -- make yourself more interesting than just a list of shows and roles. Thank somebody, talk about your pets, where you're from, something odd/quirky about yourself or what you do when you're not doing theatre. Just please, don't say your "favorite production" is your kid! That drives me nuts.

I enjoy writing my bio for each show. I usually start with my previous bio, but I always customize it for the situation. I try to imagine what will be most interesting to the people reading it. For instance, is the audience very theatre-conscious, or will they care more about the celebrities I've worked with? I did a workshop earlier this year which I knew would have a very theatre-savvy crowd, and I didn't even list my two biggest credits, I made it kind of a puzzle that they would have to think about. I got a lot of compliments on that one, but it only works under certain conditions. When I do summer stock I don't even list things that people there will have never heard of.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 10:56pm

It should at least end with something personal.

Posted: 5/16/07 at 11:25pm

Dover said: When I do summer stock I don't even list things that people there will have never heard of.

Don't be so judgemental, Dover. People ARE smarter than you think.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 11:34pm

Try to avoid using the word 'thrilled'.

Everyone is always THRILLED to be part of the production...


gack.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 11:42pm

Eric is JAZZED to be in wal mart the musical.

i did rocky horror this fall and most of our cast put little things from rehersals i put "THRUST IT." (back story: our director screamed this at us when we learned time warp like a million times) the audience usually may not get it but its fun.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 11:45pm

Julie is BATHED in rhapsody to be performing in wal mart the musical...

How's that? Or is drenched better?

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 11:46pm

Eric is hmm...I am out of words...

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 11:48pm

Since I'm always doing some thankless job backstage, I usually start my bios with "Amanda is fully aware that no one is going to read this..."

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 11:48pm

Eric is all nipply to be performing for you tonight.

I think he may even have a semi-chubby.

[Dover]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 1:30am

<---- hangs head in shame.

Uses "thrilled" way too often (just checked -- yes it's in my current bio).
I'll try to stop.

Usually it's true, but I suppose there are times it should more properly say, "[Dover] only took this job because she needs the insurance weeks. She was a proud member of AEA until she heard the salary on this agreement. It's been a pleasure to work with such a talented cast, except for a couple who need to get over themselves, and under no circumstances will she ever work with this director again."

[gumbo2]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 1:31am

Now THAT'S a bio I would love to read in my playbill.

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 1:36am

This thread makes me chuckle.

I had a friend who's was very straightfoward with credits and stuff and ended with something like "James also moonlights as a professional model"

And if you've seen him... um, no.

So many people told me after shows that they laughed out loud at that while reading the program before the show.

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 9:29am

I'm in the 'Half Resume-Helf Playmate-Witty Wrap Up' school here. I really don't care that you performed as Boychik in 'Yentl: the Musical' the West Chemung Jewish Community Center or were Kid No. 3 in an Oreos commercial. I do like the humanizing Playmate , 'He surfs, skis, rescues baby otters, and likes long walks on the beach' stuff. A witty tag line or recognizing a friend is cool but I cringe at, 'I owe all to HIM' at the end, because my 7th grade gym teacher who kept me after class may have skewed my orientation but never did much for MY theatre career... that's who they are referring to, right?

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:45am

There's something amusing about reading bio after bio that ends with "PROUD member of Actor's Equity!"

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 11:48am

I just like when the actors appearance matches their headshot. I always wonder when people use 10 year old headshots and you are like-"who is that?" I think headshots should be current.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:04pm

Dover - that's a classic! Thanks for the chuckle.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:42pm

Brilliant, Dover!

And Kringas, I agree. I never met an Equity Member that WASN'T proud...

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:45pm

I hate, hate, hate, HATE goofy bio's. I can't stand bio's that thank everything under the sun, including a fish. I can't stand bio's that have a million initials, or stupid pet names for their spouse.

Just say, "_________ would like to thank his/her family, friends and partner/wife/husband/whatever word you choose".

List your credits. Be professional. Be mature. I don't want to know that you have a pet fish and like pop tarts.

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 1:25pm

NEVER put a gf/bf in your bio, its like putting your gf/bf in your yearbook- kiss of death for the relationship.

.. Sadly I've done both.. *hangs head in utter shame*

[singtopher]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 3:10pm

Thanks for your responses guys! I still haven't written it yet. I've got writers block. I'll probably just write another boring bio. I did a production of Debbie Does Dallas last fall and everyone in the cast put a million inuendos in their bios to spice them up. Ever since then I feel the need to make mine unique.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 3:16pm

So-and-so was proud to have starred in his elementary school's production of _________. Other elementary school credits include ______, _____. He took a brief break from acting to focus on his middle school studies. His love affair with acting was rekindled in high school, when he played ________, _______, ______.

[Dover]

Posted: 5/20/07 at 1:35am

"I can't stand bio's that thank everything under the sun, including a fish."

Oh God. I can't remember for sure, but I think I did actually mention (not thank, mind you) my fish a long time ago. They died so long ago, perhaps it was even a college production. That should get me off the hook, right? I needed that personal bit at the end, and for lack of a spouse, child, or mammalian pet, I think I wrote "She lives in Chelsea with her pet fish."

And on the subject of the "proud AEA member," yeah, it's kind of a boilerplate thing they asked everybody to do back around the time of the production contract negotiations in '04. There were a couple examples of things you could say in your bio to raise audience awareness that they were seeing Equity actors. It always feels a little funny. In a major production, it's kind of like, "Well duh, of course so-and-so is a member of Equity, it's a freaking Broadway show!" And when I work on productions in which not all of the company is Equity, I don't like to put it because I think it rubs it in the faces of the non-Eq actors that I'm making more and getting benefits and they're not, and I don't think it's fair to give the audience the impression that some members of the company are more "professional" than others.

I once heard a rumor that people who mentioned Equity in their bios received a little piece of Equity swag in the mail, like a magnet or something. I have a feeling this was only true at the start of that Equity-awareness campaign, and only for high-profile shows. I've never received anything for the couple times I've done it, but the rumor excited me. I should perhaps mention that my most pressing question when setting up a first rehearsal meeting with the Equity rep is, "You're going to bring us some Equity highlighters, right?" I just enjoy getting swag. I have enough highlighters now, what I really want is a pen.