Actor/Actress

Introduction

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

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Work Activities

Actors/actresses use speech, body language and movement to play the part of a character in a play or film. They communicate the ideas of the playwright or scriptwriter to an audience. 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.

Actors/actresses draw on their own emotions and experiences for the roles that they perform. They may have to change their voice and appearance very significantly for particular roles. They may have to wear awkward and uncomfortable costumes for long periods at a stretch. They may have to wear few or even no clothes for some scenes.

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.

As well as performing in plays and films, many actors/actresses find work acting or doing voiceovers in TV adverts or feature films.

Actors/actresses have very busy schedules and often have to work long hours by day and by night. Often actors/actresses on location have to wait for the right conditions, for example light and weather, before they can perform.

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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 which you can project 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 include these features in your performance.

You must have a good memory for learning your lines - in some forms of drama these could run to lengthy monologues.

You must be versatile: in addition to acting talent, it is very helpful to have abilities in singing, dancing and even playing a musical instrument such as the guitar.

It helps if you have some athletic ability: male actors in particular are sometimes involved in energetic fight scenes. On occasion, particularly in period films, actors may be called on to ride a horse.

You must be committed and determined and resilient enough to accept criticism and rejection. 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.

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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.

Basic rates for actors and actresses, for example, in the Royal Shakespeare Company are around £380 a week. Actors may also receive rehearsal fees, overtime payments, subsistence payments and a touring allowance, if appropriate.

Minimum pay rates for actors in television are significantly more and are 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. There is a lot of competition for all acting jobs.

Many actors and actresses are self-employed.

Actors/actresses may be in competition with hundreds of other hopefuls when trying for a part. Most spend more time out of acting work than in it and must therefore be able to cope financially and emotionally with long periods of unemployment. They might spend this time learning parts for auditions and attending drama and voice projection classes. Between acting jobs they may also have to take work unrelated to the theatre in order to survive financially.

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

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Adult Opportunities

It is 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 or community theatre.

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

• 84% of people in occupations such as acting are self-employed.
• 50% work part-time.
• 6% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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