Actor
An actor is a creative professional who performs in various mediums, including film, television, theater, and radio. Their work involves portraying characters, conveying emotions, and engaging audiences through live or recorded performances. Actors often face a fluid work environment, traveling to different locations for shoots or performances and adapting to flexible schedules that vary with each project. Because entering the acting industry can be challenging, it typically requires a strong passion for the craft, along with extensive training in literature, drama, and performance techniques.
A typical day for an actor may involve rehearsals, auditions, and networking, with some actors balancing additional jobs to accommodate their unpredictable schedules. They often collaborate with a diverse team, including directors, fellow actors, and technical crew members. Education pathways for aspiring actors include participating in theater programs and pursuing degrees in dramatic arts or related fields. Ultimately, the profession demands creativity, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to continuous self-improvement.
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Subject Terms
Actor
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Interests: Creative Arts, literature, theater, storytelling, performance art, entertainment, performance, music
Earnings (Yearly Median): $17.94per hour
Employment & Outlook: 3% (Much faster than average)
Entry-Level Education Some college, no degree
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training Long-term on-the-job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. An actor is a creative professional whose occupation primarily consists of performing on a daily basis. Actors perform in a variety of settings, including in front of the camera for film, television, and web-related broadcasts; in front of a live theatre audience; and behind the microphone for radio and voiceover broadcasts. A voiceover actor provides voice for a character on-screen but who is not actually shown.
Work Environment. Actors travel to varying locations for work, including film sets, theaters, and outdoor arenas. An actor generally works and interacts with other actors under the instruction of the project director. Actors are rarely able to rely on a fixed work schedule, as their employment dates and arrangements change from project to project. As a result, they must be open to keeping a schedule that accommodates flexibility. Often, actors will employ an agent or a manager to assist them in finding regular work.
Occupation Interest. Because the acting industry is difficult to enter successfully, only people with a deep commitment to the craft should pursue it. Actors must be highly creative, study and retain information related to literature and plays, and be willing to perform in front of large audiences. Actors must also access and express their emotions when prompted. They must be comfortable reading, speaking, moving, and physically interacting with other actors in front of the camera or in front of a group of people. An actor usually displays an inherent love for entertainment and a deep desire to entertain others.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. For actors, the diversity of the work and work schedule is part of what makes the job so appealing and exciting. There is great variety when it comes to an actor’s workday. An actor in a musical theater production may study and rehearse singing and/or dancing routines in addition to speaking roles. An actor preparing for a play might attend daily or weekly rehearsals for weeks or even months, before the show opens. The show may then run for weeks or months, typically with nightly performances and additional daily performances on weekends. Even with a set schedule, each performance is different.
An actor in a film may rehearse for a few weeks or months and then act in that film daily for a few days up to a few months, in varying locations. During shoot days, an actor might be on a film set for up to twenty-four hours at a time. The amount of time spent on the set depends on whether the actor is affiliated with a union or is based on the actor’s contract.
An actor who is employed on a regular radio broadcast, web series, or for narration work may follow a more defined schedule, with daily performances at specific times of day. An actor working on a radio show usually begins his or her day before five o’clock in the morning and finishes around midday. A voiceover actor may work only a few hours during the day.
Savvy actors attend daily auditions, network weekly with industry professionals, research roles, study their craft, and spend a significant amount of time on self-promotion. These efforts can contribute to long-term success. Many professional actors take on secondary jobs in the service, retail, or freelance allow them the flexibility to attend auditions, meetings, rehearsals, and other acting-related work.
Drama Coaches. Drama Coaches evaluate and coach the performance of actors. They coach performers in character interpretation, voice projection and stage technique.
Drama Teachers. Drama Teachers instruct about acting and drama techniques to individuals and groups. Special emphasis is placed on diction, voice inflection, enunciation, dialects and nonperformance aspects of stage production.
Radio and Television Announcers (27-3011.00). Announcers introduce radio, television and stage productions to audiences.
Extras Extras perform as non-speaking members of a cast in dramatic television, movie, or stage productions.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Most actors work “on location,” meaning they perform on film sets in different indoor or outdoor locations, sometimes outside of the United States. Other actors work in theaters and in studios.
Human Environment. Actors must work with many other artists and crew members in order to adequately prepare for and execute the final performance or project. Actors work with other actors as well as with directors, cinematographers, producers, stage managers, and other crew members, including caterers, camera operators, makeup and costume personnel, and electrical engineers.
Technological Environment. Actors may use a variety of props and equipment during rehearsals and performances, ranging from small to very large objects. If working in radio or voiceover, an actor must learn to use different kinds of microphones and radio equipment.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students interested in pursuing an acting career should study literature, writing, and the dramatic arts. They should also participate in as many extracurricular theater groups and school performances as possible, in order to gain acting experience before finishing their education. Actors should take courses in speech, speechmaking, movement for the stage and film, and other performance-related classes. They often study music and dance as well, so that their craft is as well rounded as possible when they enter the field.
Postsecondary. Many actors continue to study or major in theater arts, dramatic arts, or English literature in college or at a conservatory. They also audition for and perform in university plays, musicals, or other projects to supplement their studies and to gain additional performance experience. During the summer, many postsecondary actors enroll in regional theater or repertory companies where they perform in various plays and often earn points toward their equity memberships.
After obtaining an undergraduate degree, actors can enroll in a master’s degree or master of fine arts program at select universities, where they can continue to study their craft while meeting and interacting with other actors and faculty members in the entertainment industry.
Related Occupations
− Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators
− Model
− Radio/TV Announcer & Newscaster
Bibliography
"Actors." Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6 Sept. 2023, www.bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/actors.htm. Accessed 8 Sept. 2023.