Ethnicity...

and why to put it on your IMDB page/acting resume.

It's not to stereotype or to typecast you.

It's because is every company in Hollywood, assistants are making lists daily. Whether its writer's list, director's list, actors list, or editor's list, the city runs on these lists, like an old fashioned locomotive. In order to make lists, assistant rely on STUDIO SYSTEM and IMDB. If it's not on either of those, you don't exist.

When looking to make an actor list, there are several things that are put into it. Name, agent, agency, credits, age, and ETHNICITY. If an assistant is looking for YOUR name, and they can't find the ethnicity, they have one of only a few options. They can search for 10 minutes to try to find it, they can LIE/make a guess, or they can take you off the list. Of those option, only the first one is really acceptable. But, what assistant has 10 minutes to try to find your ethnicity.

Why do people make lists? Because their bosses want to sort the lists to find out who is right for their next project. They want to be able to autosort by any of the categories and yes, they may need a Black, Hispanic, Indian, or Eskimo for a specific.

I've heard the other side, that actresses don't want to be typecast, that they should be judged for their talent, not their race or ethnicity, etc. I would counter by saying, if they are making a list of actresses in LA, don't you want to be on that list?

So... put your ethnicity on the list, so assistants can find you easily. While your at it PUT YOUR AGE DOWN. You're not fooling anyone, there is a picture RIGHT THERE. Because it's not about getting typecast, it's about landing the role.