Actors need photographs of their heads in order to sell themselves to the people handing out the jobs. Full stop.

Known in the industry as headshots, these portrait-style photos are the most powerful, most immediate way to get yourself seen — especially by the one person who matters most: the casting director.

In this short, sharp episode, Todd and Jay get into why your headshot is more than a picture — it's your shot at the room, your first impression, and your first "yes." We talk about what works, what doesn't, and how casting directors actually read your image.

So… what's your face saying about you?

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Why actors need photos of their heads 01:30 – The real purpose of a headshot 03:00 – Who actually cares about your headshot? 04:30 – It's not just about the hair or smile 06:00 – Getting in front of casting 07:30 – What makes a headshot pop? 09:00 – Todd evaluates Jay's new batch 10:30 – Finding "the one" that books 12:00 – The science and art of standing out 13:30 – Role reversal: Todd critiques, Jay defends 15:00 – Jay panics about lighting 16:30 – Todd is mentally already on holiday 18:00 – "Barely hanging on" – episode energy check 19:30 – Welcome to chaos: Bonusode origin story 21:00 – "Is it Bepisode or Bonusode?" 22:30 – Spiraling into branding debates 24:00 – Good day to you, Jay. Good day to you, Todd. 25:30 – Bepisode vs Bonusode – the rematch 27:00 – Offstage inside jokes and naming chaos 28:30 – "No, that's dumb — take it out!" 30:00 – Todd immediately regrets everything 31:30 – Bepisode: The hill Jay will die on 33:00 – Bonusode wins the battle (sort of) 34:30 – You should say it to yourself… "Bepisode." 36:00 – "What's our actual topic again?" 37:30 – Jay distracts, Todd recalibrates 39:00 – Todd gets new headshots — let's unpack 40:30 – Beards, image, and first impressions 42:00 – Sorting through "the maybes" 43:30 – Navigating identity in your headshots 45:00 – Authenticity vs marketing 46:30 – The industry's visual bias 48:00 – Todd's top tips for standout shots 49:30 – Hair choices, eye contact, and posture 51:00 – Agents and the headshot debate 52:30 – Are black & white shots still a thing? 54:00 – What does a good photographer actually do? 55:30 – Jay asks about retouching and filters 57:00 – Overdoing it vs. underpreparing 58:30 – Lifestyle shots, reels, and self-branding 1:00:00 – Should your headshot match your reel? 1:02:00 – Don't fake who you are (even in print) 1:04:00 – The "type" dilemma: leaning into it 1:06:00 – Everyone wants to be leading man/woman 1:08:00 – Real talk on being a "character actor" 1:10:00 – Are casting directors visual learners? 1:12:00 – Todd on subtle storytelling in a still frame 1:14:00 – Jay's headshot regrets 1:16:00 – Final thoughts: get your face together 1:18:00 – Outro and total collapse of focus

💬 Join the Conversation

What's the worst (or best) headshot advice you've ever gotten? Tell us in the comments — or tag us in your current fave.

🔗 CONNECT & FOLLOW

🎧 Full Podcast & More: https://offstageacting.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/offstageacting ❌ X: https://x.com/OffstageActing 🌐 Todd's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/toddkramer 🌐 Jay's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jayreum

📣 HASHTAGS

#actingpodcast #headshots #actorslife #castingdirector #offstageacting #actorbranding #actorheadshots #actorsadvice #ToddKramer #JayReum