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Career Details :: Actors

Description

Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or motion picture productions 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.

Experience

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Education

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

Tasks

• Portrays and interprets role, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain radio, film, television, or live audience.
• Constructs puppets and ventriloquist dummies and sews accessory clothing, using hand tools and machines.
• Writes original or adapted material for drama, comedy, puppet show, narration, or other performance.
• Signals start and introduces performers to stimulate excitement and to coordinate smooth transition of acts during circus performance.
• Manipulates string, wire, rod, or fingers to animate puppet or dummy in synchronization to talking, singing, or recorded program.
• Sings or dances during dramatic or comedy performance.
• Performs humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using only body movements, facial expressions, and gestures.
• Reads and rehearses role from script to learn lines, stunts, and cues as directed.
• Reads from script or book to narrate action or inform or entertain audience, utilizing few or no stage props.
• Prepares for and performs action stunts for motion picture, television, or stage production.
• Dresses in comical clown costume and makeup and performs comedy routines to entertain audience.
• Tells jokes, performs comic dances and songs, impersonates mannerisms and voice of others, contorts face, and uses other devices to amuse audience.
• Performs original and stock tricks of illusion to entertain and mystify audience, occasionally including audience members as participants.

Related Careers

• Cartoonists
  
• Floral Designers
  
• Models
  
• Music Arrangers and Orchestrators
  
• Singers
  
• Sketch Artists
  
• Talent Directors
  

Important Abilities

• Oral Expression
• Memorization
• Speech Clarity
• Written Comprehension
• Originality

General Work Activities

• Performing for/Working With Public
• Thinking Creatively
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Communicating With Persons Outside Organization
• Getting Information Needed to Do the Job

Important Skills

• Speaking
  
• Monitoring
  
• Reading Comprehension
  
• Social Perceptiveness
  
• Coordination
  

Frequent Work Context

• Objective or Subjective Information
• Job-Required Social Interaction
• Provide a Service to Others
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
• Importance of Being Sure All Is Done

Related Majors

Major	Add to XapPack
Acting	[ add ]
Acting/Directing	[ add ]
Children's Theatre	[ add ]
Communication Studies/Theatre	[ add ]
Communication/Theatre	[ add ]
Communication/Theatre Arts	[ add ]
Communications/Theatre	[ add ]
Dance/Theatre	[ add ]
Directing	[ add ]
Drama	[ add ]
Drama/Dance	[ add ]
Drama/Design	[ add ]
Drama/Production	[ add ]
Drama/Speech Communication	[ add ]
Drama/Theatre Arts	[ add ]
Drama/Theatre/Dance	[ add ]
Dramatic Arts	[ add ]
Dramatic Arts/Drama	[ add ]
Dramatic Arts/Theatre	[ add ]
Dramatic Literature/Theatre/History/Cinema	[ add ]
Dramatics/Theatre Arts	[ add ]
Educational Theatre	[ add ]
English Dramatic Literature/Theatre	[ add ]
English/Drama/Speech	[ add ]
Film/Drama	[ add ]
Historical Performance	[ add ]
Media Arts/Theatre	[ add ]
Music Theatre	[ add ]
Music/Theatre	[ add ]
Music/Theatre Arts	[ add ]
Musical Theatre	[ add ]
Performance Art Theatre	[ add ]
Performing Arts/Musical Theatre Performance	[ add ]
Speech Communication/Dramatic Arts	[ add ]
Speech Communication/Theatre	[ add ]
Speech Communication/Theatre Arts	[ add ]
Speech/Drama	[ add ]
Speech/Dramatic Art	[ add ]
Speech/Dramatic Arts	[ add ]
Speech/Theatre	[ add ]
Theatre	[ add ]
Theatre Arts	[ add ]
Theatre Arts Management	[ add ]
Theatre Arts/Dance	[ add ]
Theatre Arts/Drama	[ add ]
Theatre Arts/English	[ add ]
Theatre Arts/Speech	[ add ]
Theatre Arts/Technical Theatre	[ add ]
Theatre Arts/Theory/Performance	[ add ]
Theatre for Youth	[ add ]
Theatre Management	[ add ]
Theatre Performance	[ add ]
Theatre Production	[ add ]
Theatre Studies	[ add ]
Theatre Technology	[ add ]
Theatre/Acting	[ add ]
Theatre/Communication	[ add ]
Theatre/Communication Arts	[ add ]
Theatre/Dance	[ add ]
Theatre/Dance/Film	[ add ]
Theatre/Design	[ add ]
Theatre/Drama	[ add ]
Theatre/Dramatics	[ add ]
Theatre/English	[ add ]
Theatre/Film	[ add ]
Theatre/Fine Arts	[ add ]
Theatre/Music	[ add ]
Theatre/Speech	[ add ]
Theatre/Stage Management	[ add ]

Institutions Offering Related Majors

No institutions found.