ABSTRACT
This chapter uses the term professional to include both union and non-union actors. Actors who are members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) or American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) are union professionals. But there are also many quite talented non-union actors who may be affiliated with local theater groups, schools or agencies. With a solid understanding of how crucial casting is, an actor's look becomes an interesting part of the equation. An actor being used as an on-camera host should project a look of credibility and often a possible connection to the subject of the program. An actor playing the role of a retail sales person should look the part, but again, in this instance, sales people come in so many shapes and sizes, more detail about the job or situation might be needed to clearly focus on the character type.
