Become An Actor

Where do you want to work?

To get started, tell us where you'd like to work.

Sorry, we can't find that. Please try a different city or state.

Working As An Actor

Coaching and Developing Others
Training and Teaching Others
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Getting Information
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

$36,283
Average Salary

What Does An Actor Do

Actors express ideas and portray characters in theater, film, television, and other performing arts media. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain or inform an audience.

Duties

Actors typically do the following:

Read scripts and meet with agents and other professionals before accepting a role
Audition in front of directors, producers, and casting directors
Research their character’s personal traits and circumstances to portray the characters more authentically to an audience
Memorize their lines
Rehearse their lines and performance, including on stage or in front of the camera, with other actors
Discuss their role with the director, producer, and other actors to improve the overall performance of the show
Perform the role, following the director’s directions

Most actors struggle to find steady work, and few achieve recognition as stars. Some work as “extras”—actors who have no lines to deliver but are included in scenes to give a more realistic setting. Some actors do voiceover or narration work for animated features, audiobooks, or other electronic media.

In some stage or film productions, actors sing, dance, or play a musical instrument. For some roles, an actor must learn a new skill, such as horseback riding or stage fighting.

Most actors have long periods of unemployment between roles and often hold other jobs in order to make a living. Some actors teach acting classes as a second job.

Show Less

How To Become An Actor

Many actors enhance their skills through formal dramatic education, and long-term training is common.

Education

Many actors enhance their skills through formal dramatic education. Many who specialize in theater have bachelor’s degrees, but a degree is not required.

Although some people succeed in acting without getting a formal education, most actors acquire some formal preparation through a theater company’s acting conservatory or a university drama or theater arts program. Students can take college classes in drama or filmmaking to prepare for a career as an actor. Classes in dance or music may help as well.

Actors who do not have a college degree may take acting or film classes to learn their craft. Community colleges, acting conservatories, and private film schools typically offer these classes. Many theater companies also have education programs.

Important Qualities

Creativity. Actors interpret their characters’ feelings and motives in order to portray the characters in the most compelling way.

Memorization skills. Actors memorize many lines before filming begins or a show opens. Television actors often appear on camera with little time to memorize scripts, and scripts frequently may be revised or even written just moments before filming.

Persistence. Actors may audition for many roles before getting a job. They must be able to accept rejection and keep going.

Physical stamina. Actors should be in good enough physical condition to endure the heat from stage or studio lights and the weight of heavy costumes or makeup. They may work many hours, including acting in more than one performance a day, and they must do so without getting overly tired.

Reading skills. Actors must read scripts and be able to interpret how a writer has developed their character.

Speaking skills. Actors—particularly stage actors—must be able to say their lines clearly, project their voice, and pronounce words so that audiences understand them.

In addition to these qualities, actors usually must be physically coordinated to perform predetermined, sometimes complex movements with other actors, such as dancing or stage fighting, in order to complete a scene.

Training

It takes many years of practice to develop the skills needed to be successful as an actor, and actors never truly finish training. They work to improve their acting skills throughout their career. Many actors continue to train through workshops, rehearsals, or mentoring by a drama coach.

Every role is different, and an actor may need to learn something new for each one. For example, a role may require learning how to sing or dance, or an actor may have to learn to speak with an accent or to play a musical instrument or sport.

Many aspiring actors begin by participating in school plays or local theater productions. In television and film, actors usually start out in smaller roles or independent movies and work their way up to bigger productions.

Advancement

As an actor’s reputation grows, he or she may work on bigger projects or in more prestigious venues. Some actors become producers and directors.

Show Less

Actor Career Paths

Actor

Production Assistant Office Manager Instructor

Director Of Instruction

6 Yearsyrs

Crew Member Technician Instructor

Lead Instructor

5 Yearsyrs

Production Assistant Assistant Director

Owner/Director

7 Yearsyrs

Crew Member General Manager Director Of Sales

Vice President

8 Yearsyrs

Average Length of Employment

Television Actor 4.7 years
Artistic Director 4.4 years
Actress 3.3 years
Actor 3.0 years
Voice Actor 2.8 years
Background Actor 2.2 years
Motion Picture Actor 1.2 years

Top Careers Before Actor

Top Careers After Actor

Actor Demographics

Gender

Male
64.4%
Female
33.9%
Unknown
1.7%

Ethnicity

White
79.8%
Hispanic or Latino
10.7%
Asian
7.1%
Unknown
1.7%
Black or African American
0.6%

Languages Spoken

Spanish
46.2%
French
16.2%
Italian
6.3%
German
4.2%
Chinese
3.6%
Russian
3.3%
Japanese
3.3%
Mandarin
2.7%
Arabic
2.7%
Portuguese
1.8%
Swedish
1.5%
Irish
1.5%
Thai
1.2%
Vietnamese
0.9%
Korean
0.9%
Turkish
0.9%
Greek
0.9%
Dutch
0.6%
Hebrew
0.6%
Hmong
0.6%

Actor

Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.

Actor Education

Schools

New York University
10.7%
Temple University
8.6%
University of Central Florida
7.4%
University of Phoenix
6.4%
Florida State University
6.1%
Columbia College Chicago
5.8%
University of California - Los Angeles
4.9%
University of Northern Colorado
4.6%
Syracuse University
4.3%
DePaul University
4.3%
Savannah College of Art and Design
4.0%
Virginia Commonwealth University
4.0%
Santa Monica College
4.0%
Appalachian State University
3.7%
Northwestern University
3.7%
Middle Tennessee State University
3.7%
University of Arizona
3.7%
Montgomery College
3.4%
Pennsylvania State University
3.4%
James Madison University
3.4%

Majors

Degrees

Bachelors
48.5%
Other
26.9%
Masters
10.7%
Associate
7.8%
Certificate
3.5%
Doctorate
1.6%
Diploma
0.8%
License
0.2%

Actor

Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.

Job type you want

Full Time

Part Time

Internship

Temporary

Real Actor Salaries

Job Title	Company	Location	Start Date	Salary
Actor	Second Team Productions	Allen, TX	Jan 15, 2011	$156,525 - $260,875
Actor	Henderson Romeo Incorporated	CA	Oct 01, 2009	$104,350
Actor	Second Team Productions	Allen, TX	Nov 15, 2010	$90,000
Actor	360 Casting	CA	Jun 29, 2011	$78,263
Actor	Second Team Productions	Allen, TX	Feb 01, 2011	$70,000 - $100,000
Film Actors	Sky Trading LLC	OH	Nov 04, 2013	$62,610
Actor	D L White & Associates	Los Angeles, CA	Nov 15, 2009	$50,985
Actor	D L White & Associates	Los Angeles, CA	Nov 01, 2009	$41,740
Actor	D L White & Associates	Los Angeles, CA	Nov 01, 2009	$39,653
Actor	D L White & Associates	Los Angeles, CA	Nov 01, 2009	$37,566
Actor	The Wooster Group	New York, NY	Oct 01, 2014	$35,000
Actor	George Street Playhouse	New Brunswick, NJ	Oct 01, 2010	$33,914
Actor	Fusion Collective LLC	Los Angeles, CA	Sep 09, 2014	$32,000
Actor	Fusion Collective LLC	Los Angeles, CA	Sep 11, 2014	$32,000

No Results

To get more results, try adjusting your search by changing your filters.

Top Skills for An Actor

Top Actor Skills

Narrate Action
Scare People
Performances

You can check out examples of real life uses of top skills on resumes here:

Read from scripts or books to narrate action or to inform or entertain audiences, utilizing few or no stage props.
Answer questions for costumers, scare people, help customers find their way around the park.
Listened to director's notes and incorporated feedback into performances.
Dress in comical scarecrow costumes and makeup, and perform horror routines to entertain audiences.
Work in entertainment industry as an actor in numerous movies and television series being filmed in and around Georgia.