Your 'type' is deeper than you think - Image via Flickr by Alex Medvick
I get a lot of email newsletters for actors, and almost every week, one of them is about "knowing your type" (or "brand.") They offer workshops where, for a few hundred dollars, they'll tell you your "type" or "brand" and help you identify projects you're "right" for. Early in my career, I forked over the cash - more than once - hoping to learn something that would help me book work. I would do anything to go back and un-spend that money. Here's why.
In 2005, I thought I knew my type pretty well… Charactery, blue-collar, smart, funny, East-coast. Wacky best friend, skeptical young mom, off-kilter office assistant, that kinda thing. Then I booked a big role on Nip/Tuck - a super-sexy show about hunky plastic surgeons and their gorgeous families in Miami. I had three scenes in a bra and panties, I had a sex scene with a main character, my storyline was one of the darkest in the show's history. It was 180º from what I thought my "type" was. NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS would I have believed I was 'right' for that show or would ever be asked to be on tv in my underwear or do a sex scene, yet that's the role that catapulted me from pre-reads for one-line co-stars to producer-sessions for recurring guest stars where decision-makers I'd never met told me they were huge fans.
Now, of course you need a basic understanding of how you're perceived. If a total stranger were to meet you on the street, how intelligent would they guess you are? How wealthy? How old? Where might they think you're from - geographically, economically, socially? Are you naturally funny or serious? All important things to know about yourself, to be sure, and all questions you can probably answer right now.
But what I learned from Nip/Tuck (and many jobs since) is that the 'type' that matters when it comes to booking jobs goes much, much deeper. Yes, I got called in because my physical traits were in the right ballpark; but I booked it because I'm great at playing characters who are dark but put on an upbeat facade, and that's what they wanted. Variations of that 'deep type' show up all over the roles I've done, on everything from Gilmore Girls to American Horror Story. There are lots of charactery, blue-collar, smart, funny, East-coast actresses out there, but only a handful of us share that 'deep type,' and that's what books jobs.
Once you start thinking in terms of 'deep type,' it becomes clear pretty quickly why those "typing/branding" workshops are a waste of money. Because here's a list of projects likely to feature a character who is 'dark but puts on an upbeat facade':
ALL OF THEM.
(That was easy.)
This is great news, because you now officially have permission to stop worrying about what you're "right" for, and focus on what you love. I'm really excited by original cable series, so I've shared that with my representation and targeted those projects in my marketing, and it shows in my credits. When I go to an audition for one of those dark/upbeat characters, it doesn't matter whether or not everyone else looks like me... I know why I'm there. And when I read a description of a role that has that dark/upbeat combo, I know I can knock it out of the park, even if the physical type is a bit of a stretch.
How do you figure out your 'deep type'? Practice and attention. As you train and audition, ask yourself which roles feel like a comfy pair of jeans to you vs. the ones that feel like a challenge. What do you get called back for? What do you book? Which roles generate the most positive feedback? Is there a through line? It's ok if you don't know yet. Figuring that out is part of your job, and you can't speed up the process by paying someone else to do it for you.
So save your money, be your own expert, and go make a list of what you love to watch. BAM… Hundreds of dollars saved. Told ya'!