Your headshot is a promise
I shoot actors and performers in my Oakland studio every week. The ones who book aren't the most beautiful; they're the most present. Their headshots show it.
A casting director needs to see you. A character is fine, but you in that character. If your photo looks nothing like you (or you show up looking nothing like it), any plans they made are out the window. Pivoting is a great skill for later in the process, but in planning, consistency is gold.
What actually matters
Look like yourself today. Not three years ago, not ten pounds ago, not with the awesome hair from two shows ago. If a casting director calls you in, make it easy for them to spot you.
Eyes over everything. Your eyes tell a director you can carry a scene. Lighting, wardrobe, background—all of it exists to support how you look at the world, and how you use that look to convey what's inside.
But also, looks over costumes. An energy shift does more than a costume change. One session, three to five distinct reads—that's a useful comp card.
Bay Area vs. LA
If you're submitting through Theatre Bay Area, A.C.T., or local casting, ultra-polish will hurt more than it helps. Bay Area theater puts authenticity ahead of glamour.
That means real, not sloppy. Minimal retouching; natural expressions. Your headshot proves you can act before you get in the door. That inspires a director to think "Now I want to see what they can do."
The self-tape factor
Most auditions start on camera now. Your headshot needs to match what casting sees on a self-tape, so you have to tease honestly: natural lighting, real expression, no impossible retouching. If the self-tape is the pilot episode, your headshot is the trailer.
Performers who aren't "actors"
I photograph wrestlers, drag royalty, musicians, comedians—non-actor performers. You need headshots too—and they can really stretch. Bookers bet on promo photos. My Hoodslam work comes from the same place: show the moment you can create, not the pieces that put it together.