Simply put, actors act. They breathe life into roles, be they onstage,
on the movie screen, on television or on the radio.
The job of an actor is to become the character they're acting. It's essential
for an actor to memorize lines from a script. They must also take guidance
from their director, the person who oversees how the script is put into action.
Some actors learn to sing or dance. This gives them more versatility in
terms of jobs. For instance, they can act in commercials or do a Broadway
musical.
Actors are usually considered to be self-employed. Each has an agent who
helps them get auditions, which are like interviews. If the director or producer
of a play or movie likes how the actor performs during the audition, the actor
gets hired.
Once an actor is getting regular work in this field, they can join a guild
or union. These bodies can negotiate better wages and also provide access
to health insurance and other benefits a regular full-time job usually offers.
Actors have to live where the work is. Some actors travel as members of
a touring company. They may tour around the country for six months at a time,
performing in various venues.
In the U.S., the center for movie making is in Los Angeles. The capital
for stage productions, including musicals, is New York.
There are thousands of actors in every big city. Most of them are called
"struggling actors." That means they have to struggle to earn a living. Many
have done a lot of training yet still find themselves spending more time waiting
on tables than acting.
Acting is a very tough business to get into. It takes a thick skin and
a lot of determination to make it.
Half the battle is just getting your foot in the door, says Petrea Burchard.
Burchard, who lives in Los Angeles, has been acting for 25 years, in nearly
every medium: movies, television, stage, voice-overs and improvisation.
Acting is competitive, so be prepared, she says. "Many actors spend most
of their time auditioning, and little of their time acting. And those are
the lucky ones," says Burchard. "The unlucky ones are spending their time
just trying to get the auditions."
Actors with contracts for regular work, such as a TV series, have the comfort
of knowing their work -- and paycheck -- is steady. Many other actors must
rely on performing a part here and a commercial there, and often need a regular
part-time job to ensure their income during slow periods.
But any acting experience helps, Burchard says. "Every acting job you
do, from performing in children's shows to improv comedy in a night club to
Shakespeare in the park, makes you a better actor," she says.
Actors have to have flexible schedules. If you're looking for a career
that has regular, structured hours, acting isn't it!
As an actor, you may have 365 different employers during the course of
a year. Each one of these jobs will have its own schedule. Or you may get
a longer-term job on a movie set, or a fairly steady job on a television set.
Film and TV work usually involves long days. Things happen to stretch the
days out, like weather delays or broken props. Even if everything's going
well, a director isn't likely to stop and shut down thousands of dollars worth
of equipment just because it's close to the end of the day.
Physical requirements vary in this field. If you're considering puppeteering
or stunt performing, you'll need good physical health and abilities.
There are working actors with a range of physical and mental abilities
and disabilities.
In other words, if you want to be an actor, you can give it a shot. Some
disabilities are harder to handle than others, however. Someone with ADHD
(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) may have more problems remembering
their lines -- and remembering lines is essential for any performer.
It may be hard work, but Burchard says you should never give up. "There
are other professions that are more lucrative, less difficult and perhaps
more rewarding," she says. "But I am a performer at heart. There's nothing
like the feeling of putting real emotion of my own into lines of a script.
I don't think I could have chosen any other profession."