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Should You Tell Your Age?
Total posts: 245
Joined: 14 year(s) ago
Posted 9:53 AM Oct. 11, 2012

Brian

The head of my Modeling Agency instructs the models "Do not ever tell anyone your age".


That is the world of modeling, what is the accepted practice in the world of acting if a producer/director asks?

1) Tell the truth?

2) Lie

3) Tell them that's an inappropriate question


Thanks

This is a difficult Question with no real answer - Even in Modeling different experts will not give you the same answer your Modeling Agency did.

You have to judge (or try to) the reason for the Question

Most Times giving your Age range (a 5-7 Year span you can comfortably and reasonably play) is all that is needed

(even in Modeling) How you look against what the PERCEPTION of what that age looks like in real life is the key

I Personally at age 50 could not get hired as a 50 yr old my age range was 35 to 43 - today 5 years after Chemo & Radiation for Leukemia and the toll of Diabetes - at age 60 my age range is 58-65

In our Industry PERCEPTION (Not Reality) is reality - It is getting a lot better than it was 10 years ago but they are not the same yet

That said there are Legal issues that have to be dealt with in Advertising ( you can't have a 35 yr old Model in a Print ad claiming she is 55 and using your skin cream for just 2 weeks)

I Would never lie to a direct question but Do reply with an Age Range most of the time for General Film and Video jobs -- If they accept it Great - if they re ask - I tell the truth.

If it is an Advertising of any sort or an Industrial I give my Actual age 1st time - All the time

Best Brian