I'm going to be in a show in March. The director asked us for bios to put in the program. She said they should be 150 to 200 words. I did as complied. A week later I received a message from someone working for the production company. My bio far exceeded the 75 word limit. They probably think I'm pretty full of myself, now.
So, I did cut down the bio.
I get very uncomfortable writing bios about myself for theatre programs. I am missing the self-promotion gene. A near fatal ailment for an actor. Unfortunately for me, any form of promotion becomes a chore. How do actors tackle this chore? What should be the approach? How general or specific should they be? How jokey or serious? I went with serious this time. Let's look at the elements of a serious bio:
Always speak of yourself in the third person. Ingratiate yourself to people you're working with by writing "...is thrilled to be working with...and..." List roles, plays, and theatres you've actually performed in. Do the same with TV and film. If you haven't been in anything you write "favorite roles include..." (there is a danger of becoming jokey with this: "favorite roles include Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman.") Some people at the end of the bio give thanks to a family member, or Jesus. Nowadays, I just as often see a website address or twitter feed.
I skipped the last step. There's not a whole lot you can do with 75 words.
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