Acting With Braces in 2024 – Tips from an Expert

In this article, we'll cover whether to get braces now or wait, plus 8 ways to get acting work (if you choose to get braces).

Acting with Braces

​Acting With Braces: Is it Possible?

It can feel super scary to realize you need braces, especially if you've been getting auditions for a while and are wondering how much of an impact 2-3 years of wearing braces could have on your acting career.

Well, fortunately it IS possible to build an acting career with braces, and in this article I'll show you how.

​First: How Hard is it For Someone With Braces to Land an Acting Role?

Let's get the worst news out of the way right up front (so that it's all good news after this):

There are significantly fewer audition opportunities for people with braces.

Ok, whew!! Now that we've got that hard, cold truth out of the way, it's time for the good news. The fact is, just because there are less opportunities for acting with braces doesn't mean you're stuck without acting work. To start, take the following facts into consideration:

• Casting directors cast based on experience, personality, look, and acting ability. Most casting directors are looking for an actor who meshes well with what they believe the character's personality should be. So if you have the PERFECT personality, they might cast you regardless of your braces! This has to do with your Type, which you can read about here: How to Find Your Type as an Actor.
• Some casting directors are specifically looking for actors with braces. Believe it or not, some roles actually need actors with braces, and when you audition for those, your competition will be MUCH smaller because very few actors have braces. That means you'll have a really good shot at booking those roles!
• Screen acting and stage acting are wildly different when it comes to braces. On screen, everything can be seen, whereas on theater, it's hard to see if someone is wearing braces, especially if they're clear, ceramic, or white. In general, those types of braces will give you more audition opportunities for both areas, but casting directors are much more lenient when casting for theater.
• The best time to get braces is during teenage years (if you're in theater). This is because teenagers are more difficult to cast for theatrical shows (unlike film and screen acting). So as long as your orthodontist says it's OK, you should consider delaying getting braces until the age of 13. If you're in film however, this won't make a difference.
• Health should always come first. Remember – this is just an article you found on the internet. I am not a licensed doctor, so be sure to consult a qualified orthodontist before deciding whether to get braces or not. At the end of the day, if braces are really necessary, 2-3 years is not that long of a time deal with them. In fact, there are actually ways to GROW your acting career during that time, which we'll discuss in more detail further down.
• Once your braces come off, you'll get even MORE audition opportunities than actors who never had braces. Your teeth will be straighter and you'll have more confidence in yourself than actors who never had to go through what you did during this period of your life. That confidence (plus your straight teeth) can help a LOT in the audition room.

​What About Invisalign or Lingual Braces?

​If you have not considered Invisalign or lingual (behind the teeth) braces, they are legitimate options to ask your orthodontist about.

Invisalign braces can be taken off whenever and are also clear, so they can be really easy to work with when it comes to auditioning and performing in shows. Lingual braces aren't even seen because they're behind your teeth (but note that they can only be used for the front teeth).

The main downsides with these options are that they sometimes don't provide the same results as traditional braces do. This means you could spend tons of money and years of your life... and then still not have great teeth.

​How to Build Your Acting Career While Wearing Braces

I recommend that you get braces if your orthodontist says you should. Acting with braces for 2-3 years until treatment is complete is well worth the hassle! Life is long and the positive results of braces will FAR outweigh the negative results in the short term.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I'd like to teach you how to use your braces to your advantage.

"Wait, use them to my advantage?"

Yes! I like to think differently, or as I call it, think "outside the industry." I'm all about turning negatives into positives, and when it comes to braces, there are a few ways you can think differently than most other actors and actually use them to help grow your career faster!

Here's what I recommend you do:

1. Do NOT hide the fact that you have them. Own it and LOVE it!!! Make sure your headshots show your braces if they're not removable for auditions and be sure to have or shoot at least one clip/scene showing your braces. Some actors try to photoshop out their braces or use an older headshot that doesn't have them, but this really gets casting directors mad when you show up to the audition with braces on. Better to tell them up front so you get called in for roles you're right for.
2. Add "braces" into the Special Skills section of your resume. As weird as it sounds, this relatively unknown "outside the industry" technique can actually increase the number of auditions you get. Casting directors occasionally look for actors who have braces, and they'll type that word into the search bar on casting sites like Actor's Access specifically to find them. Note however that I recommend you add it somewhere in the middle of your list of skills so it's not the first thing that captures people's eye when they're casually browsing your profile.
3. Learn how to act for theater. Since braces are less noticeable on stage than they are in film and television, learning how to act for stage will not only get you more audition opportunities, but you'll also develop skills that can benefit you years down the road when your braces come off. You'll be able to audition for twice as many productions as actors who only have screen acting training (such as Meisner Technique).
4. Make the braces a part of who you are for the time being. Build a brand or "type" around having braces and turn it into an advantage. There are several Types that typically have braces, and if you can build your marketing materials around playing those types, you'll get more audition opportunities than you can handle! Download my free "Find Your Type in 10 Minutes" guide here.
5. Continue networking, training, and auditioning. Focus on the long term instead of the short term. Way too many actors put their careers on hold while they have braces. This is a mistake because it's a major waste of time. Just think about how much better you'll be at acting, knowing how to network with people, and auditioning if you've been doing it for that entire 2-3 years (even if you don't actually book anything)? Not only that, but you'll have a huge list of people you know, and those people will be primed to give you TONS of opportunities when your braces come off and your teeth look amazing (compared to most other people's).
6. Budget for new marketing materials when your braces come off. Start putting away money now so that 2-3 years from now when your braces are off you'll be able to afford the best headshots possible (City Headshots) to skyrocket your career. You might also want to invest in having a high end scene shot for your reel (Actor Screener Shoot).​
7. Spend time building a voiceover business. As long as you can speak clearly while wearing your braces, you can build a side business in voiceover work. Here's my Ultimate Guide to Get into Voice Acting.
8. Start a side hustle to support your career. If you really want to put acting thing on hold, spend your time starting a side hustle freelance business. You can make money doing something outside of acting like photography, tutoring, etc. Freelancing can earn you hundreds of dollars per hour, meaning once you've got some clients and have a steady stream of income, when you finally get your braces off you won't need to worry about money and will have WAY more freedom to go to auditions (plus you'll rarely stress about money, meaning you'll be more relaxed in big auditions because you won't be desperate).

​Here's a video on how to grow your career as an actor. Notice all the things you can do that don't actually require you to start booking big roles – these are things that can take up some of your time while you wait to get your braces off!

​Note: This is part 1 of a 4 Part video series. Watch Part 2 on YouTube here, and the description has the links to videos 3 and 4.

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Enjoyed this article?
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Book more work by thinking "Outside the Industry."

The decision of acting with braces is a tough one! That's why I want you to have all the information possible before deciding either way. Luckily, there are many ways to continue growing your career and positioning yourself so when those braces finally come off, TONS of opportunities will be waiting for you.

​As someone who has worked with people in thousands of industries (through my headshot business), I've been able to take growth strategies that work for businesses and apply them directly to actors – to help them grow their careers faster than most would think possible  (examples: one of my clients landed his first-ever Broadway role in just 4 weeks of working with me, and a brand-new actress signed with a high-level agent in just six weeks of working with me).

I'd like to invite you to my free insider newsletter where I share my best material, including:

• How to network easily and authentically with casting directors – even if you hate self-promotion.
• How to find your Type and Brand in just 18 minutes (it doesn't require awkwardly asking lots of random people for feedback)
• How to find a hardworking and reliable agent – even if you don't have a strong resume or reel
• And much more...

Download my free Actor's Toolkit to get started and you'll hear from me a few times a week with unique "outside the industry" strategies. I promise they'll help you build a career you're truly proud of.

Send Me the Toolkit!

​Martin Bentsen (author of this guide) is an actor marketing coach who uses “outside the industry” thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 6,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and other venues.
​
Want to book more acting work by thinking different? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.

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Some Additional Q&A

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​Do Celebrities Get Braces?

Just like regular, everyday people, TONS of celebrities have needed to get braces, both at young AND old ages. Here's a list of just a few actors with braces in movies:

• Britney Spears
• Tom Cruise
• Emma Watson
• Danny Glover
• Miley Cyrus
• Gwen Stefani

Here are 53 celebrities who had braces.

​Can You Be an Actor With Braces?

Absolutely! Tons of actors have braces and are still able to book roles. The secret to getting work as an actor with braces is to OWN it and make it a part of who you are for those years. Don't hide the fact that you have braces or you'll always come across as timid in the casting room and rarely get picked.

​Can Braces Ruin Your Face?

Most orthodontists who stand to profit from braces will tell you that braces can only improve your facial structure, not ruin it. The evidence online is unclear as some people in forums claim that braces changed their facial structure for the worse. Since I'm not a doctor I can't give medical advice. Personally, I think most of those stories are hype, and if it ever does happen, it's extraordinarily rare and likely reversible if you catch it quickly.

​Can You Get Dimples After Braces?

Braces cannot give you dimples permanently, although while you're wearing them you might notice a slight change in your cheek structure. But once you take them off you will not have dimples.

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​Further Reading:

If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in some of these:​
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• How to Become an Actor: The Ultimate Guide
• How to Find Auditions: The Ultimate Guide
• How to Prepare for an Audition: The Ultimate Guide