What Do Actors Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Actors play parts in stage, television, radio, video, motion picture 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. They also collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.

Other tasks include:

• 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.

We asked Actors how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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76% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 67% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Actors collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble. They portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences.

A typical day for an Actor will also include:

• Sing or dance during dramatic or comedic performances.
• Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures.
• Work with other crew members responsible for lighting, costumes, make-up, and props.
• Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role.
• Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.

We asked some Actors a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	21% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	89% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	48% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	57% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	40% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Actors also promote productions using means such as interviews about plays or movies. They may also learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Actors Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures. They might also Tell jokes, perform comic dances, songs and skits, impersonate mannerisms and voices of others, contort face, and use other devices to amuse audiences.

In addition, they Work with other crew members responsible for lighting, costumes, make-up, and props.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Attend auditions and casting calls to audition for roles.

To some Actors, it is also their responsibility to Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.

Working life

Less than 40 hours per week

Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.

In a typical work week as an Actor, you can expect to work less than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules..

They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/entertainment-and-sports/actors.htm

http://www.actorsequity.org/

http://www.nea.gov/

http://www.sagaftra.org/