You’ll find some interesting thoughts about the ups and downs of voice acting in this post at the Voicemarket.com vblog. One of the best insights is this quote about why not to include a photo of yourself on your demo (or web site):
“In a word,” says agent Jack Browne, “Looks. As an agent, whenever I’m helping one of my clients sound out a demo tape, I always try to discourage them from including a photo of themselves. Anyhow, part of the beauty of the form is that one voice can suggest such a wildly different array of physical appearances. Including a photo shatters that vital illusion.”
Ouch. Sometimes the truth hurts. This, for example, is why you’ll find no copies of my “good face for radio” anywhere on this site.
The article isn’t long and well worth a few minutes of your time. Read the whole thing.
Hi Bob,
That seems to be the question for a lot of talent out there.
The “Do I include a headshot” question has been asked several times, and I respect what Jack is saying.
When someone develops their own image of a voice talent through their demo and then sees a visual representation, the two images may not correlate.
For instance, this may be the case for a lot of voice actors who record for cartoon characters. People are used to ‘seeing’ them in a certain way and don’t necessarily want to know what they really look like because they are satisfied with the image they have created in their minds.
Interesting look at why to not include a headshot!
Thanks for covering this topic and for linking to this,
Stephanie
Stephanie,
Thank you for the thoughtful comment today.
Yes, I thought Jack Browne’s quote was a blunt, but important comment and one I’ve long believed.
No one is going to cast me for a voiceover role on the basis of the way I look. But, they might well not cast me on the basis of the way I look, if my appearance clashes too much with their expectations.
The other side of the coin, of course, applies to those who do both voiceover and on-camera or on-stage acting. For those artists, a head shot is important.
Be well,
Bob