Actors

Career Overview

Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film productions, or other settings for entertainment, information, or instruction. Interpret serious or comic role by speech, gesture, and body movement to entertain or inform audience. May dance and sing.

Also Known As

• Actor
• Actress
• Comedian
• Performer

Alternate Job Titles

• Actor
• Actor Understudy
• Actress
• Background Actor
• Character Artist
• Character Performer
• Comedian
• Comic
• Community Theater Actor
• Costume Character
• Double
• Dramatic Reader
• Elocutionist
• Ensemble Member
• Entertainer

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.
• Portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences.
• Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role.
• Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures.
• Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.
• Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations.
• Attend auditions and casting calls to audition for roles.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Fine Arts
• English Language
• Communications and Media

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Reading Comprehension
2. Speaking
3. Active Listening
4. Social Perceptiveness

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Memorization
• Written Comprehension
• Speech Clarity
• Originality
• Near Vision
• Problem Sensitivity
• Speech Recognition
• Fluency of Ideas

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Adaptability
• Self-Confidence
• Innovation
• Social Orientation
• Cooperation

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Achievement
• Recognition
• Independence
• Working Conditions

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Less than a High School Diploma

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Facebook
• Linux
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• TikTok
• Zoom

Tools & Equipment

• Digital still cameras
• Digital video recorders
• Laptop computers
• MP3 digital voice recorders
• Personal computers
• Photography tripods
• Tablet computers
• Wireless microphones

Work Environment

• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
• Physical Proximity
• Contact With Others
• E-Mail
• Time Pressure

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.