How To Find Your Type As An Actor

Today we are going to be talking about type. Type is not who you are, or what you do, or what you know that counts. Type, for an actor, is simply about what other people think of you. For casting directors and producers, typing is a way to organize and categorize the thousands of names and faces they see every day. Having a distinct idea of your type allows you to focus on a direction that can help you get the most screen time, which will then lead to more opportunities.

An actor who knows their type well, and prepares to play a specific type of role by aiming their headshots, monologues, and auditions toward that type, will be more successful than someone who has no focus. Later on, after you are booking gigs and have a level of respect in the industry, you will be able to flex your range by playing against type. Developing a personal certainty — what type of roles you are best suited for is necessary when you are marketing yourself taking your headshots, and making a demo reel; this provides a clear position when agents, managers, and casting directors ask you what kind of roles you see yourself playing.

What is ‘type,’ really?

To best describe the ‘type’ — something symbolizing common characteristics. By analyzing the characteristics that are most common to you, that you are most able and comfortable with, you will obtain clarity on what roles are best suited for you. Here are some tips to help with that!

Make a list of your qualities and how you would describe yourself that would include: your physical characteristics, the sound of your voice, as well as any of your special skills, such as singing, dancing, accents, etc. Apprehend the age range that you can play, but be completely honest with yourself. For example, if you are a woman in your early 20s, then you wouldn’t be getting cast for mature mom roles in their 40s, would you?

Common types today:

• Leading Man
• Leading Lady
• Dumb Jock
• Girl Next Door
• Funny Best Friend
• Angry Old Man
• Hot Blonde

Where to start?

Knowing what you are not is just as important as knowing what you are. Assess honestly what roles you are most comfortable playing. Do the same with the roles or characters you feel would be most difficult for you. For example, are you the quirky type? The silent, brooding type? The neurotic type? The girl next door? An old-timey villain with an old-timey villain mustache?

Ask your friends, peers, teachers, or directors what they see as your most significant qualities and characteristics. There is an old saying: “It’s hard to see the picture when you are in the frame,” and this exercise will give you an idea of other people’s perception of you.

We rarely are the best judges of our abilities, although we really like to think that we are. You may be surprised by what others say. Regardless, this will give you an idea how best to define yourself regarding qualities and characteristics.

What else can you do?

Watch as many films, television shows, and theater as you can. (Yay for this one, right?) Keep a list of the kinds of characters you would be good at playing (or you think you would be good). When you watch these pieces, envision yourself playing a certain type of character on the show. List the different emotions, personalities, attitudes, and qualities that the roles demand. Add the ones you feel you could do well to your “Type List.” If you watch these things together with your friends and family, ask them, which of the characters they see you as. If your opinions match — you’ve hit a sort of jackpot.

Practice these types of roles in acting classes. Acting class is the place to experiment and determine what parts you excel in and which ones you might not be as comfortable playing. Classes also give you an opportunity to think outside the box and try unexpected things that can strengthen your core skills. Also in our previous articles, we have mentioned videotaping yourself to check out what parts you nailed and what was a total cringe-fest.

It is great to know your type, but as you become successful with the types of roles that you can easily play, then it is also important to expand and challenge yourself with new types of characters.

Real-life examples

Charlize Theron started her ‘type’ in many movies as the pretty leading lady. Then playing off of her strengths, exposure, and experience she took a role as a serial killer in ‘Monster’ and won an Academy Award for her astonishing performance. And recently, she showed herself in a completely different light playing Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road rocking a completely shaved head.

Another wonderful example is the late Heath Ledger. His fans were used to seeing him as a hunky heartthrob in such movies like ’10 Things I Hate About You’, ‘A Knight’s Tale’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’ but only after he gave up his pretty face for the messy make-up in an unforgettable portrayal of Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’, he won praise and posthumous Oscar. So, even if you’re considered classically beautiful it doesn’t mean you can’t become a character actor or memorable villain and vice versa. It’s good to be versatile. You can read more about the perks of being versatile here.

To sum it all up, trust your research and the observations of others and apply these findings to your career. Surprisingly, actors audition for roles out of type all the time. Unsurprisingly, they don’t get cast. Discovering your type is not just a good exercise in introspection, it is also a crucial career move.

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