Jobs / Design, media, and writing / 27-2011.00
Actors
Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film 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.
- US jobs
- 55,000
- Job family
- Design, media, and writing
Can agents do the work of actors?
We read the evidence for the whole job family, Design, media, and writing: Unmeasured (no change in 12 months)
No direct benchmark gives a success rate.
0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.
- 64%Present arts or entertainment performancesNot measured
- 13%Study details of artistic productionsNot measured
- 6%Communicate with others about specifications or project detailsNot measured
- 5%Promote products, services, or programsNot measured
- 5%Perform athletic activities for fitness, competition, or artistic purposesNot measured
- 3%Write material for artistic or commercial purposesNot measured
- 2%Provide information or assistance to the publicNot measured
- 1%Create decorative objects or parts of objectsNot measured
Benchmarks for the job family
These cover work in design, media, and writing, not always this occupation's tasks.
Also relevant
These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.
- OSWorld-Verifiedby HKU, Salesforce AI Research, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Waterloo90.2%Intelligence-Indeed Agent · 25 Jul 2026Saturated
Context only
These benchmarks span many occupations, or they test how agents behave. They give context but do not set the step.
Typical tasks
From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.
- Attend auditions and casting calls to audition for roles.
- Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role.
- Portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences.
- Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.
- Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.
- Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations.
- Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures.
- Read from scripts or books to narrate action or to inform or entertain audiences, utilizing few or no stage props.
- Work with other crew members responsible for lighting, costumes, make-up, and props.
- Promote productions using means such as interviews about plays or movies.
- Tell jokes, perform comic dances, songs and skits, impersonate mannerisms and voices of others, contort face, and use other devices to amuse audiences.
- Write original or adapted material for dramas, comedies, puppet shows, narration, or other performances.
Other job titles for this occupation (31)
Actress · Comedian · Community Theater Actor · Entertainer · Film Actor · Motion Capture Actor · Role Player · Tour Actor · Voice Actor · Voice-Over Artist · Actor Understudy · Background Actor · Character Performer · Impersonator · Motion Picture Actor · Movie Actor · Movie Extra · Movie Star · Movie Stunt Performer · Scare Actor · Show Girl · Stunt Double · Stunt Driver · Stunt Performer · Stunt Person · Stunt Woman · Television Actor · Theatrical Performer · Theatrical Trouper · Thrill Performer · Vaudeville Actor