Skills Needed to Become an Actor and how to Highlight Them

Being an actor requires a perfect mix of good looks, stage presence, and natural charisma. Acting skills vary in complexity and the necessity for training. Yet, if you want to get a role in a film or a commercial, you will need to have at least some of them. 

In this article, we will explore how to craft a winning resume with all the skills of acting you may need to become a successful actor. 

What is Acting? 

To know what skills do you need to be an actor, you need to know who an actor is. An actor is a person who performs a role of a character on a stage, in a show, or in a commercial. 

Usual actor activities include memorizing lines, going through auditions, and listening to the director’s guidance. An actor needs to reach the maximum authenticity in their performance. Therefore, they develop their respective skillset. 

Acting Non-Technical Skills 

There is not a strict list of special skills for acting resume to become a successful performance artist. Anything that will help portray your character and their appearance more believable is a contribution to your career. 

Examples of soft actor skills are: 

• Dancing 
• Singing
• Martial Arts proficiency
• Presentation skills. 

Any of these abilities are a fine addition to your actor’s resume.

Skills That Each Actor Must Have 

There is a trend of automatic applicant tracking in the modern job market. This trend influences acting as well. ATS bots look for an acting special skills list in job seekers’ resumes automatically and pick the most fitting instances. 

The core actor’s skills are: 

• Active listening. A good actor should be attuned to their crew and react at the moment. 
• Communication. Solid verbal communication skills are necessary for stage actors to present their characters to the audience properly. 
• Creativity. It is a broad skill that includes movements and speech during improvisational work. 
• Ability to memorize lines. Actors cannot do much without good memorizing skills. 
• Persistence. A good actor should know how to deal with rejection in a highly competitive job field. 

Active Listening

Active listening is one of the essential skills for actors. The skill implies responding in character to the stage partner. A director may set the vector for an actor on how to impersonate someone. But it is the actor who shall provide a respective act.

Active listening is a dynamic skill that you can develop. Practice it during your regular conversations and give reactions at the right time. You do not have to be overactive. The key to success is to know when to answer.

Communication 

Professional verbal communication is one of the first skills needed for acting at any time. This ability is especially relevant for the scene performance when all of the audience needs to hear an actor. 

Audition groups’ members pay close attention to actors’ communication skills. Yet, you should not be afraid to show them. Communication skills are easy to practice almost everywhere. Stick to the actor’s drill regularly, and your verbal communication will be in good shape.

Creativity  

Creativity includes a bunch of skills for acting.  Being creative means knowing how to portray your character surprisingly. Writers create the basis for their characters, but actors bring them to life. Well-developed creativity has more than one benefit. 

It is hard to set a single direction on how to develop one’s creativity. Everything that stimulates the imagination and inspires is a good source for creativity development. Be open to new experiences. Try to learn something new from each thing that inspires you to stretch your creative muscles. 

Ability to Memorize Lines 

Line memorizing is among the vital skills required for acting. An actor cannot perform if they do not know their role. A poorly practiced script is immediately visible in a performance. Therefore, an actor should dedicate oneself to proper learning of the lines. 

The ability to memorize is a mechanical skill that can be learned by repetition and practice. You may upgrade this skill by memorizing poetry or plays. Keep practicing, and you will be able to remember entire books. 

Persistence 

Being persistent is not one of the mandatory skills for acting resume. Yet, it is beneficial in such a competitive field as acting. Actors, especially fresh ones, have to go through an audition repeatedly. The ability to handle rejection and keep trying is persistence.

Similar to memorizing, persistence comes with time and experience. Keep an open mind and try not to focus on rejections too much. Gather feedback and make improvements before your next audition. With the right attitude, you will land the role of your dream.  

How to Improve Acting Skills

There is a constant question of how to improve Acting skills. There is no better way to be a better actor than to keep practicing to act. Getting into working environments is the best solution to boost your actor’s career. 

Did you know that more than 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS to streamline the recruiting process and keep up with the thousands of applications received weekly? You need a well-written ATS resume to enroll in attractions production. 

Follow Influencers in the Field 

Acting blog is a good source of actual learning material. Leaders of the industry will help you prepare for television shows or a theater scene. It is better to follow multiple accounts with different schedules for posting, so you will always have fresh content on the plate. 

Blogs: 

Twitter Accounts: 

How to Showcase Your Skills 

When it comes to highlighting your acting skills list, you need to concentrate on your particular achievements. Actors may go through different career paths with different annual salaries. The areas for acting differ too. Therefore, it is crucial to organize your resume in the right way. 

In your resume, follow this template for formatting: 

• Actual acting experience. 
• Awards. 
• Education. 
• Proficiency. 
• Community experience. 

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You need to show that you are a capable actor right at the beginning of your resume and then disclose your achievements further. 

Acting Skills in a Resume Skills Section 

You write about your acting special skills in this section of your resume. It is crucial to be specific about your specialty to land a job successfully. Good communication with a staging crew or great listening skills are beneficial for the job, but you need to focus on your acting proficiency in this section. 

Example of acting skills: 

• Different accents impersonation. 
• Proficiency in martial arts. 
• Singing. 
• Dancing. 
• Knowledge of a foreign language. 
• Proficiency with a musical instrument.

How to Highlight Your Acting Skills in the Work Experience Section

Besides the list of special skills for acting resume, you may write more about your expertise in your work experience section. It is the best way to show the exceptional talents you demonstrated while filming movies or theatre production. You may also visit specialized career resources to get relevant tips on how to describe your acting skills.

For example: 

• Performed a leading role in Hamlet. London, Palace Theater. Director John Doe. 
• Worked with an award-winning director. 
• Noted by the cast as a cooperative partner.

To Sum Up 

A good resume should highlight your acting qualifications and experiences. Yet, if you want to get more interviews, you need to meet more than regular acting requirements. A good ATS resume will allow you to engage in any acting position and give you an upper hand over the competitors. 

The best solution is to trust your resume to professionals. Our writers will help you get the most out of your experience and expertise and provide you with the best ATS resume.