Profile Photos Support
FAQs
Profile Photos
We require you to submit one headshot and one full-body shot when you sign up:
Headshot: This should be a forward-facing color photo of you from the shoulders up (like a passport photo).
Full-body shot: This should be a full-body head-to-toe color photo of you in a neutral pose. It should not be a selfie.
In your photos, please ensure you are standing against a solid white or light color background. You should have a neutral expression and minimal makeup. Please avoid wearing hats, sunglasses or other obstructive accessories or using props or filters.
No – professional headshots cannot be used to consider you for background work as they are often retouched and edited. For more information, see our photo guidelines.
To update your main profile photos, navigate to the Photographs section of your profile. Upload your new photo and select the slot you wish to assign it to (note: if you already have a photo in the desired slot, you will need to delete that photo or reallocate it before you can allocate a new photo to that slot).
Please note, depending on what state you signed up in, you might not be able to change the headshot and full-body shot you uploaded as part of the sign-up process. Instead, casting directors recommend that you update the Artist Choice slots with photos of your current look. Rest assured that casting directors look at all the photos in your profile to determine if you’re right for a role.
Quality over quantity is key when adding photos to your online profile, as too many photos clutters your profile and makes it harder for casting directors to find the photos that help determine if you can portray the role they’re booking.
Casting directors recommend a current casual, business and formal look, then 1-2 photos of unique looks, like a uniform you own or a period role you can portray.
Keep in mind, these photos should always reflect your current look and be unedited/unfiltered. Professional headshots cannot be used to consider you for background work as they are often retouched and edited.
While we understand that personal expression and artistic expression are important, we encourage you to infuse your personal style while dressing in a professional manner that you would like to be seen by casting directors, production staff and other industry professionals.
Casting directors recommend neutral, form-fitting clothing and minimal makeup so that they can get a true sense of what you look like. Please avoid wearing white, as well as sunglasses, hats and other obstructive accessories.
Please also ensure that you wear clothes that cover your torso and chest in your headshot and full-body shot. Additional photos, including bathing suit images, can be uploaded to your profile once approved.
It's likely that you are uploading the incorrect file type. Please only upload .jpg and .png files.
The photos in your profile are used by casting directors to determine the types of roles you can portray and may be sent to production, so they must meet our photo guidelines.
Note that depending on which office you sign up with, you may not be able to move on to the next step of the sign-up process until a member of our staff approves your photos. In this instance, if your photos are rejected, you will be given a reason(s). Retake your photo to fix the issue, then resubmit.
To delete a photo, navigate to the “Photographs” section of your profile. Find the photo you wish to delete and click the trash icon underneath it.
Please note, depending on what state you signed up in, you may not be able to delete photos that you uploaded during the sign-up process. Instead, casting directors recommend that you update the Artist Choice slots with photos of your current look. Rest assured that casting directors look at all the photos in your profile to determine if you’re right for a role.
Central Casting has been the leader for a century in casting real people for real work as background actors, stand-ins, and body doubles in movies, television, commercials and, more recently, online streaming. We are proud of our long heritage and the important role we play in helping actors get work and new actors to get into the business. In order for Central Casting to cast you, we need to share photo(s) of you with production companies so they can select people to achieve the right look for the scenes they are portraying on camera. And, like any business, Central Casting needs to promote itself which creates more job opportunities for our background actors. Thus, we may also use photo(s) of you on our website and other marketing material that promotes Central Casting’s casting business.
However, Central Casting will not use the photo(s) in an audio-visual commercial produced by Central Casting. Further, use of the photo(s) for promotion of Central Casting’s business will be accompanied by a disclaimer that use of the photo(s) does not imply the person’s endorsement of Central Casting.
Central Casting is deeply committed to supporting the background actor community and creating an environment where every background actor feels informed and valued. We recently collaborated with SAG-AFTRA to update the language in our image release regarding the use of background actor photos. We believe these updates will provide clarity and assurance to our background actors around the use of photos.
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