What Is the Job Description of an Actor?
Actors seem to lead a glamorous life. They appear for two hours on stage or screen, and the select few receive millions for a starring role. They spend their non-acting time signing autographs, appearing on talk shows and endorsing commercial products. To chase this fantasy, thousands take acting classes or travel to Hollywood only to discover that real actors have a far different job description.
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Perform
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Through the use of talent, technique and perseverance, an actor portrays roles to bring characters alive for an audience. She not only expresses emotional intent through speech and action, but she may need to sing and dance as well.
Audition
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To get a role, an actor auditions in front of directors and producers. This can consist of performing a memorized monologue, improvising a performance or reading entirely from a script.
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Rehearse
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An actor brings a role to life by rehearsing his part under the guidance of a director. This involves memorizing lines, following directorial cues and discovering ways of interacting with fellow actors so the final performance is polished and exciting.
Research
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While this is more true for stage than screen, research is important in discovering the writer's intentions with the script and the meaning behind the lines. Research may involve reading other scripts by the same writer, watching films by the same director, or discovering historical facts for a period TV series. This can also involve researching aspects of the character, such as his profession and lifestyle.
Work uncertain hours
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An actor works irregular, long and unconventional hours. He may need to audition for hundreds of hours and never get a role, sign a stage contract that's only six weeks long, or work 12-hour days to ensure his TV show comes out on time.
Earn irregular income
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Unless performing in a TV series, actors rarely earn regular income. They typically work under a defined contract, lasting from a day to a few months. He can earn from nothing for community stage productions to several thousand dollars daily for a major movie role.
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- Photo Credit Stage actors performing "Dancing at Lughnasa"
