How it went.

(Spoiler Alert: We shot in studio using all natural light except for like ten shots we snapped outside as he was headed home. And, yeah, we rocked it together!)

Here are some of the unretouched finlaists from our sesh:

Aaron and I started with a preshoot strategy session.

We looked at his older headshots, a recent selfie or two, and his resume. The older photos told me how Aaron has been presenting himself. The selfie’s showed me how he might actually land right now, without styling or lighting. And also gave me a solid idea of what he looks like now. The resume showed me what rooms and roles he’s already adjacent to, what skills he brings in, and how the industry has already started to place him.

He reads intelligent before he reads charming, observant before dominant, and internal before explosive. I saw thoughtful eyes and a calm baseline expression. To me he looks like someone who is processing information. which gives him credibility. It gives him depth. And it makes him castable in smarter worlds.

So I came up with roles we could target in what I might call the Smart Outsider space. When I say “outsider,” I do not mean loner, creep, or social exile, I mean someone who is slightly adjacent to pwer. Close enough to understand it, but not quite running it. The guy who understands the room. The junior ADA who is sharper than the lead, the research clerk who finds the flaw in the case, the public defender who believes in the client a little too much, or the analyst who becomes the whistleblower.

He already feels specific. That’s good. We never want to sand that down into “generic nice guy.”

Also, Aaron seems to bring something slightly off center (in a compelling way) based on his roles pics and as I got to know him a little bit, and I thought that if we sharpened his gaze and reduce the softness of his old materials, that we could lean towards roles like the financial crimes associate, or maybe the cult believer, or the quiet guy who planned everything, or the character we slowly realize is more dangerous than we thought.

And now, let’s talk comedy. He’s got a fair bit of comedy on his resume. Visually, however, his old photos leaned thoughtful and grounded. So to activate his comedy lane, I knew we would need to signal it more intentionally. Thinking elevated comedy, not broad. To me that meant we wouldn’t rely on wardrobe to add quirk, but instead we’d need to find it in his expressions. Cool. I like doing that.

What I don’t read from Aaron right now is blue collar tough, military alpha, frat bro energy or intimidating authority. And we agreed that chasing those wouldn’t be useful.

When I sent Aaron my ideas, his reply was “I like all of these. I agree with the comedic aspect….This is really good advice. You really read me, man.” Phew.

We were on the same page and now the goal was to cover four clear casting lanes or entry points or types or roles that he can nail easily. Roles that are in his wheelhouse, so to speak.

We were going to target:

Intellectual Authority
Smart Outsider With a Secret (Someone who is slightly adjacent to the center of power. Not antisocial, not weird for weird’s sake, not isolated.)
Indie Romantic
Elevated Comedy

And anything we got along the way was simply gravy. Mmmmmm. Gravy…

The goal wasn’t to stretch Aaron away from himself, but rather to reveal how many believable versions of himself that already exist throughout the sesh.

Based on all of this, here is some of my thinking as we moved though our sesh. The imaginary roles that come up again and again, and worlds and shows those characters exist in.

NYC TELEVISION / STREAMING TARGETS

Law & Order Universe (SVU / Organized Crime / L&O), Billions-Type Worlds , The Gilded Age type shows, Succession-Adjacent / Prestige Corporate, Only Murders in the Building, Indie / A24 / Psychological Drama.

And the roles I think we should target in the session?

Not a cop. Not as a perp-of-the-week brute (that’s my lane thank you very much, lol - I’m still in my villain era), and not as a waiter on Billions, he’s already done that.

I want to see him rock the roles that feel smart, watchful, and underestimated.

Those roles might show up as a junior ADA, a public defender, a research assistant, a financial crimes associate, or even a cult-adjacent witness, or political strategist. Maybe he’s the junior consultant, or the think tank associate, the tech founder, or the speechwriter.

And I think he could absolutely live in period intellectual. What roles might those be? Secretary, tutor, clerk or aspiring journalist. His bone structure reads period-friendly. Lucky him. Grrrrrr.

If we lean into his dry humor, I could easily see him as a podcast assistant, the awkward neighbor, or the theatre kid turned suspect.

But my favorite roles and targets for him (that I can imagine him playing immediately) might be the graduate student unraveling, the obsessive researcher or maybe the younger brother with a moral fracture on an A24 show or indie.

There is something in his eyes that I thought could carry “wait… he did what?”

OFF-BROADWAY / REGIONAL NYC THEATRE TARGETS

I’d call him in for modern, character-driven plays where the writing is smart and the relationships are layered. I can see him in modern plays where language, ideas, and character dynamics carry the story.

Ok. Phew. That’s a lot, but I wanted you to see what a strategy session can yield and how we can bounce ideas off of each other to come up with our plan.

We’ve got ideas of roles, markets, genres, types and worlds all in the mix as our target shots. We went back and forth with wardrobe ideas over text and email, made some decisions and then we met up last Saturday at the studio in Astoria. We shot, we laughed, we climbed on stools, and ran a lap of the space, and we got real serious at times.

And even though he left a couple of wardrobe pieces at home (always double check your stuff) I think we did pretty well for ourselves.

Delivering Proofs and Choosing the Winner(s)

By Sunday, Aaron had his shots in a password protected online folder at high res. The good, the bad, the ugly, the talkers and the blinkers, the outtakes and the candids. I give my clients everything we shot at high res. Why? Why not? I’m here to help actors just as I had folks helping me on my journey.

Just like actorsaccess, my proofs are initially displayed as thumbnails. Usually, I have my clients choose first and then I’ll weigh in, but I really wanted to do this blog and really liked what we got, so I jumped right in.

Try Doing Initial Selects as Thumbnails

I did an initial pass through through Aaron’s shots at just at thumbnail scale, just as a casting director would see them for the first time, and I marked my favorites. We had a ton to work with. Once I did a thumbnail pass, I refined my selection down by looking at only the selected thumbnails once more at full size and pulling out what I think are the final contenders. I don’t always work this way, but this was a fun exercise.

So let’s see how I did. First the thumbnails, then my final contenders.

The gallery below contains all the thumbnails that caught my attention on my initial pass. Did I miss some that were worth considering? Maybe. But I think I did pretty well, considering the roles and shows and worlds we want him to audition for. Couple quick disclaimers - these shots haven’t been retouched. We’re really just looking at expression and framing at this point.

Click to enlarge the options.

And Now My Final Contenders

Aaron is still weighing in on everything. So these are just my choices as I know Aaron now. What he ultimately selects might be different and I’ll be sure to add that to the comments or later in the blog.

These are my top picks and why i chose them. Ready?

Here goes:

File: 9778 (not retouched)

This is the grounded contemporary drama image.

Here Aaron reads like the observant outsider inside an investigative story. The person who notices the detail others missed. The journalist following a lead, the grad student researching something dangerous, the tech employee realizing the company is hiding something, or the younger brother who slowly becomes central to the narrative.

This image fits naturally in worlds of shows like Severance, Mr. Robot, The Bear, or investigative arcs within procedurals like Law & Order or FBI.

There is focus in the eyes and a sense that the character is processing information in real time. I think casting can immediately imagine him inside a newsroom, a university lab, a precinct bullpen, or a late-night research session.

For theatre, this supports contemporary dramatic writing and new plays where the character is the perceptive observer inside the ensemble, often the person who begins to question what everyone else has accepted.

To me this shot covers the grounded dramatic outsider that we were going for.

File 8421 (not retouched)

This image pushes slightly further into prestige drama and psychological tension and is right on the border of how intense we might wanna go.

It still lives in Aaron’s intellectual lane, but with sharper stakes. The expression carries focus and awareness, suggesting someone who is tracking danger or uncovering something deeper in the system.

This is the version of him that could live in darker streaming shows. Worlds like Severance, Mr. Robot, Dexter, or even something like The Walking Dead where characters survive by paying attention and making careful decisions.

The shot expands his dramatic range without breaking the type we established earlier. He is still the thoughtful observer, but now the stakes around him are higher.

File: 9501 (not retouched)

This image moves Aaron into the institutional professional lane.

Here he reads as someone who operates inside systems of power. Law offices, political campaigns, consulting firms, media organizations. The wardrobe and expression give him credibility without making him feel corporate or rigid.

This is where shows like Law & Order, FBI, Billions, and The Good Fight come into play. In those worlds he fits naturally as the junior ADA, the legal researcher who has read the case file, the campaign policy aide, the hedge fund analyst presenting numbers, or the consultant trying to solve a problem for the firm.

Those roles appear constantly in procedurals. They require actors who can project competence and intelligence immediately, which to me this shot does. I framed it a little off to the right just to add a slight sense of movement and a little off centeredness about his roles. It can always crop in , but I kinda like the feel of him sort of popping into the frame.

File: 8870 (not retouched)

This look sits in contemporary ensemble dramedy with an approachable intellectual edge.

In this shot, Aaron reads like someone who belongs in smart, character-driven comedy where relationships and social dynamics matter as much as plot. He feels like the observant friend in the group, the podcast assistant who knows more than he lets on, the junior researcher at the nonprofit, or the arts administrator inside a chaotic theatre company.

Shows like Only Murders in the Building, Search Party, Hacks, or other character-driven streaming comedies are exactly the kind of environments this image supports. These shows regularly cast actors who feel culturally aware, specific, and thoughtful rather than broadly comedic.

On the theatre side, this look supports contemporary ensemble writing. Think playwrights like Joshua Harmon, or modern Off-Broadway work where the character functions as the emotionally available, observant member of the group who processes what everyone else is going through.

The reason this image works is that it sends a clear signal. This is someone who belongs in present day stories about people navigating relationships, culture, and identity. The warmth is there, but it’s rooted in intelligence.

This is my favorite shot, I think. I like that the hair is slightly messy and human and I like that he’s so open and connected to the camera. The smile feels sincere and helpful. And the slight negative space under his arm gives us a good sense of his proportions and again adds a bit of movement to the shot.

So here’s that set all together:

Together these four shots give him a portfolio that covers:

grounded contemporary drama
prestige psychological tension
institutional professional roles
ensemble dramedy and contemporary comedy

But wait, I did a second pass and YES there’s more!

File: 9002 (not retouched)

This look sits squarely in grounded contemporary drama and reads like the perceptive observer inside modern storytelling. Aaron feels thoughtful, engaged, and present, the kind of character who notices what others miss and slowly becomes important to the story because of it.

Casting could easily imagine roles like a journalist following a lead, a grad student researching something controversial, a tech employee realizing the company is hiding something, or the friend in the group who starts connecting the dots.

This shot covers grounded contemporary drama and gives Aaron access to character-driven streaming series, investigative storytelling, and modern ensemble narratives. Is THIS my new favorite? hmmmmm.

File: 8733 (not retouched)

This sits right next to 850_9501 in the intellectual professional lane but reads slightly more academic and culturally driven rather than corporate or legal. It leans toward professor, journalist, policy researcher, museum curator, therapist, or political advisor worlds. Maybe this should be in his set?

File: 8210 (not retouched)

This is the darker cousin of the grounded drama shot. It pushes further into psychological drama and morally complex characters. It reads tech founder with a secret, the guy uncovering corruption, or a character caught in something they cannot control. I almost like this one more than that earlier one i thought was right on the how intense do we go line. Argh! Decisions!

File: 8231 (not retouched)

This one nearly made the set for the ensemble dramedy lane. It has the warmth and dry humor that supports contemporary comedy, indie dramedy, and ensemble storytelling like Only Murders style worlds. It reads socially aware friend, or the observant guy in the group who clocks everything. If he ever wants to lean harder into comedy submissions, this would be the swap for the lighter shot. Note to self, warm him up on the retouch, Brandhagen!

File: 9676 (not retouched)

This look places Aaron in the contemporary intellectual professional lane with a polished but approachable authority. The wardrobe reads educated, thoughtful, and institutionally credible without leaning into rigid corporate energy, which positions him in worlds built around ideas, culture, and discourse. Roles like the journalist covering politics or culture, a policy researcher, a university lecturer, architect, a museum curator, medical guy, a literary editor, or the articulate advisor inside a political or nonprofit organization.

For me, what makes this image valuable is the balance between intelligence and accessibility. The quarter-zip layered over a collared shirt signals someone who belongs in professional or academic settings but still feels contemporary and relatable. Not stuffy. He reads like the analyst explaining the implications of a decision, the journalist asking the question others avoid, or the academic who understands the historical context behind the present crisis.

It’s friendly. And, dare I say, this is a real nice commercial shot as well.

File: 9856 (not retouched)

This look places Aaron firmly in grounded contemporary drama and leans into the thoughtful outsider. The wardrobe and environment read as present-day New York or indie film realism, which positions him in narrative worlds built around investigation, personal stakes, and morally complex situations. The image supports roles such as the investigative journalist digging into something bigger than expected, the tech employee who discovers the company is hiding something, the graduate student who becomes entangled in a larger conspiracy, the younger brother in a family drama who understands more than he initially reveals, or the friend who becomes unexpectedly central to the story’s conflict. This look fits naturally within character-driven streaming drama, independent film, and limited series where the narrative centers on relationships, discovery, and personal consequences.

File: 9297 (not retouched)

This reads as contemporary procedural, legal, and institutional shows.

What makes this image useful is that it carries intelligence and credibility without pushing into hardened authority. He reads as someone early in his career but already capable, the associate who understands the brief, the analyst who has been studying the case files all night, the staffer who knows the political implications of what is about to happen and is going to let you in on it.

File: 9214, 9321, and 9656 (not retouched)

Love these also.

So how’d we do? (I can’t believe you’re still reading.)

I think we can safely say Aaron has some really stong options in his set.

Whether he agrees with my initial set is to be determined. Whether I still agree with my initial set is to be determined. Ha. I’ll let ya know what we ultimately settle on.

And I’m happy to report, that at the end of the day, it isn’t my decision. (‘Cause it was already a hard one to choose just four)

Every actor gets to control one element of their career - their headshots. Deciding how and what information they want casting to understand about them immediately is up to them (and their reps, I suppose).

I think Aaron could confidently use any one of the shots I selected as finalists with a great deal of confidence. They each have their subtle differences, but they all give casting directors a clear path to imagine him in specific roles and worlds that he can step into right now .

So what happens next?

Well, Aaron will make some final final selections, I’ll weigh in a bit if he’ll let me, and then I’ll retouch the winners.

He’ll upload web versions to his online profiles and order prints of one or two and get some of these babies out into the world.

I can’t wait to see these play for him (and, yes, I’ll be sure to let ya know what we go with).

-Clint

A Headshot Sesh with Aaron G.