How Do I Know My Casting? Balancing How You Look With Who You Really Are
Headshots and Cold Brews – Scottsdale & Phoenix Actor Headshots
One of the hardest questions for any actor to answer honestly is:
“What is my casting?”
Every actor has a relationship between how they look and who they are. Sometimes those two things line up perfectly. Other times, there’s a major gap between your authentic self and the way the industry sees you.
Dustin has lived that gap.
On the surface, especially when he’s clean-shaven with neat hair, his casting reads as:
All-American
Strong jaw
Standard American dialect
Friendly, approachable, “nice guy” energy
That worked when he was 20 or 21. But as he grew, learned more about himself, and settled into who he actually is, his internal identity shifted.
He became more grounded.
He got into hand-to-hand combat, boxing, and sparring.
He rode motorcycles, bought a Harley, and did work for Indian Motorcycles.
His real self was more rugged, more intense, more complex than his “clean cut” look suggested.
That tension between perception and truth is at the heart of the casting conversation.
Casting Has Two Parts: How You’re Seen And How You Feel
Understanding your casting is not as simple as asking, “What do I look like?”
Dustin breaks it into two parts:
How you are perceived
How your family, friends, peers, and strangers see you
How you appear at first glance
How your energy hits people when you walk into a room
How you “decorate” yourself – hair, clothing, grooming, style
Who you actually are at your core
Your emotional baseline
How you feel when you are relaxed and honest
The roles you naturally gravitate toward
The energy that feels true, not performed
Sometimes these align.
Often, especially as actors evolve, they don’t.
You might style yourself as edgy, dangerous, or “tough” – but underneath, you are kind, gentle, and emotionally soft. You might present as bubbly and bright when, in reality, you’re more introspective and grounded.
Casting lives in the overlap between these two realities.
The Problem With Over-Decorating Your Image
Dustin uses a phrase many actors don’t think about: how you decorate yourself.
Clothes, facial hair, haircuts, tattoos, jewelry, styling choices – all of it sends a message. It’s easy to use those tools to build an identity that looks interesting, edgy, or marketable.
But you have to be careful that you are not building a false brand.
He points out a familiar dynamic:
People who dress like the “bad guy” – leather jackets, certain haircuts, curated toughness – but, once you get to know them, are the softest, kindest people in the room.
We see the same thing in dating.
People buy into a perception that doesn’t match the person underneath.
The same thing happens in casting.
If your image suggests one thing and your actual energy says another, casting will feel the disconnect immediately. That hurts your long-term brand.
Peeling Back The Layers To Find Your True Casting
So how do you figure out what your casting actually is?
You start by peeling back the layers.
Remove the extreme styling for a moment.
Get quiet.
Take a deep breath.
Ask yourself, without performance: Who am I when I’m not trying to impress anyone?
That version of you is the foundation of your casting.
From there, you can build outward with intentional styling that supports your truth instead of covering it.
True casting is not about pretending to be a type.
It is about discovering where your look and your inner life naturally intersect.
Why This Matters For Your Headshots
For actors in Scottsdale and Phoenix, especially those submitting to larger markets, this alignment between appearance and truth is critical.
Your headshots should:
Reflect how you are perceived at first glance
Honor who you actually are inside
Communicate casting types that make sense for both
When Dustin shoots actor headshots, he’s not just trying to create “cool” images. He’s trying to find frames that feel like:
“That is exactly who I am – and exactly the kind of role I could play.”
If your photos only show how you wish to be seen, but not who you are, they may attract auditions that do not fit you – leading to frustration and missed opportunities.
When your photos are honest, casting directors feel a sense of trust the moment they see you.
Using Your Casting To Shape Your Brand
Once you know your casting, you can:
Choose more accurate headshot looks
Make stronger wardrobe choices
Collaborate more effectively with agents and managers
Target breakdowns that align with your energy
Build a reel and portfolio that make sense as a whole
You stop fighting who you are and start leveraging it.
That doesn’t mean you are locked into one narrow lane. But it does mean your foundation is solid. You are not chasing someone else’s type. You are owning your own.
As Dustin says, actors are what he knows – and he enjoys helping them know themselves better.
That journey starts long before you get in front of the camera, but the right headshot session can be the moment where it finally clicks:
“This is me. This is my casting. This is my brand.”
Book Your Headshot Session
If you’re ready to update your actor or business headshots in Scottsdale or Phoenix, visit: HeadshotsAndColdBrews.com
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