Actor/Actress

Introduction

Actors/actresses use speech together with body language and movement to play the part of a character in a play or film. In so doing, they communicate to an audience the ideas of a playwright or scriptwriter. They work in theatre, film, television and video.

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Work Activities

Actors/actresses use speech together with body language and movement to play the part of a character in a play or firm. They convey to an audience the ideas of the playwright or scriptwriter. Much of their time is spent learning lines and in rehearsals. They may also spend time researching the character they are to play or the period in which the drama is set.

In addition to their training, actors/actresses draw on their own emotions and experiences for the roles that they perform. They may also have to change their voice and appearance very significantly for particular roles. In some roles, for example musical theatre, they may have to combine acting skills with singing and dancing. In all cases, they must concentrate intensely during rehearsals and respond to the guidance and comments of the director.

Actors/actresses have very busy schedules and often have to work awkward hours both during the day and the night. It is not uncommon for actors/actresses on location to have to wait for the right conditions, for example light and weather, before they can perform.

Actors/actresses can often find themselves out of work. They might spend this time learning parts for auditions and attending drama and voice projection classes. They may also have to take other work between acting jobs in order to survive financially.They may be in competition with hundreds of other hopefuls when trying for a part.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

You must have acting talent, imagination and creativity, together with the confidence to perform in front of an audience. You need a good speaking voice and the ability to learn a range of accents.

You should be a close observer of other people, their facial expressions, physical gestures and accents, so that you can incorporate these features into your work. You also need good memory for learning lines.

You must be versatile, extremely committed and determined. You should be able to get on with your colleagues, as you may spend a long time working and even living with them. Stamina is important.

You must be resilient and able to take criticism and rejection. In addition to acting talent, it is very helpful to have abilities in singing and dancing.

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Pay and Opportunities

Salaries for actors/actresses vary widely depending on the media they work in and the type of contract they have.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Actors/actresses in the theatre outside London's West End earn about £330 a week. They may also receive overtime payments, subsistence payments and a touring allowance if appropriate.

In television, the BBC's minimum weekly fee for a main part artist is around £500 and this can be increased by repeat fees and other payments.

Membership of Equity can be considered proof of professional experience, although it is no longer a requirement for working as a professional. Actors and actresses get into the industry from many different routes. Competition for all acting jobs is incredibly fierce.

Many actors and actresses are self-employed. Most spend more time out of acting work than in it. You must therefore must be able to cope financially and emotionally with long periods out of work.

Talent and experience help, but do not guarantee success in what is an overcrowded profession.

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Adult Opportunities

It is now illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Most successful entrants have had several years of acting, including working in areas such as fringe theatre, community theatre and variety shows.

Some colleges and drama schools may relax the normal entrance requirements for applicants with relevant unpaid performing/acting experience.

• 85% of people in occupations such as acting are self-employed.
• 44% work part-time.
• 3% have flexible hours.
• 7% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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