Actors

Description

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.

Tasks

Study and rehearse roles from scripts in order to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.
Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role.
Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other in order to develop role interpretations.
Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.
Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures.
Attend auditions and casting calls in order to audition for roles.
Portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements in order to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences.
Work with other crewmembers responsible for lighting, costumes, makeup, and props.
Sing and/or dance during dramatic or comedic performances.
Read from scripts or books to narrate action or to inform or entertain audiences, utilizing few or no stage props.
Promote productions using means such as interviews about plays or movies.
Write original or adapted material for dramas, comedies, puppet shows, narration, or other performances.
Prepare and perform action stunts for motion picture, television, or stage productions.
Tell jokes, perform comic dances, songs and skits, impersonate mannerisms and voices of others, contort face, and use other devices to amuse audiences.
Introduce performances and performers in order to stimulate excitement and coordinate smooth transition of acts during events.
Manipulate strings, wires, rods, or fingers to animate puppets or dummies in synchronization with talking, singing, or recorded programs.
Dress in comical clown costumes and makeup, and perform comedy routines to entertain audiences.
Perform original and stock tricks of illusion to entertain and mystify audiences, occasionally including audience members as participants.
Construct puppets and ventriloquist dummies, and sew accessory clothing, using hand tools and machines.

Knowledge

Fine Arts: Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Work Activities

Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Work Context

Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Physical Proximity: To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Level of Competition: To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Public Speaking: How often do you have to perform public speaking in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Time Pressure: How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

Interests

Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Work Style

Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Social Orientation: Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Innovation: Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Work Values

Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Related Occupations

Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

Floral Designers

Talent Directors

Music Composers and Arrangers

Singers

Models

Lay Titles

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Acting Teacher

Actor

Actress

Aerialist

Amusement Park Entertainer

Aquatic Performer

Artistic Director

Circus Clown

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Comedian

Comic

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Diver

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Elocutionist

Ensemble Director

Extra

Impersonator

Impresario

Juggler

Magician

Mime

Minstrel

Monologist

Motion Picture Actor

Movie Actor

Movie Star

Movie Stunt Performer

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Puppeteer

Ring Conductor

Second

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Soubrette

Stand Up Comedian

Stand-In

Stunt Driver

Stunt Performer

Stunt Person

Stunt Woman

Television Actor

Theatre Ensemble Member

Theatrical Performer

Theatrical Trouper

Thrill Performer

Understudy

Vaudeville Actor

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Voice-Over Artist

Wire Walker

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $20.26 hourly, $0 annual.

Employment (2008):: 70,540 employees