Have you ever wondered how a typical day of an actor is? You may be interested in going into acting, but you have no idea what actors do daily. Is it like a regular 9-5-day job? You are at the right place! In this article, we have taken a look at what actors do daily. We consulted with some actors to have a look at a typical day of an actor. Here is everything you need to know.

I love telling stories. I like the challenges presented to me on a daily basis. There’s nothing resting about acting.

David Morrissey

When most people think of an actor, their mind immediately darts to a Hollywood star. It’s logical to think like that because its every actor’s ultimate dream. However, most actors start from the grassroots and hassle before they make it or get significant roles. While some actors make it early in their acting careers, most have an average job. So, what do actors do on a daily basis?

An actor takes up roles in television or stage to bring a character to life. Your job as an actor is to convince the audience that the character is real by connecting to them and drawing them into your story. It’s the leading role of an actor, whether they have a significant or small role.

An actor also plays in radio, videos, different motion pictures, and any other entertainment setting that may need an actor. The job description of an actor, in short, is to interpret a text by speech, body movements, and gestures as a form of entertainment to the audience. An actor can also perform the following as a part of their job description;

  • Research and learn about characters from scripts, master their lines, and bring them to life through their body movements and gestures and voice.
  • Work closely with other actors, directors, filmmakers, and playwrights to find the most suitable interpretation.
  • Read scripts as instructed by the directors and filmmakers. It can also be reading unrelated scripts like plays and films for learning purposes.
  • Exhibit a wide range of emotions on cue, depending on the script. It may be according to the instructions of the directors and other actors. Actors are usually expected to bring out the emotions of the character, such as happiness, rage ad, even crying. We have covered how to act out feelings in another article if you are wondering how to do that.
  • An actor’s career is based on memorizing their lines. It can be lines from a script, for a commercial, radio, or any other the filmmakers and directors may instruct. An actor can take cold reading classes to sharpen their script reading and memorizing lines skills.
  • Sing and dance for dramatic and musical performances and comedies. An actor should have some necessary movement skills to cast roles that require a bit of music.
  • Improvise by manipulating strings, wires, rods, and fingers, for instance, to animate dummies and puppets to entertain the audience.
  • Promote works and production by attending interviews about the plays and films, appearing on commercial and publicizing productions through social media.
  • Audition and go for casting calls. I like to say that auditioning is an actor’s job at least until they have a stable career. A typical day of an actress is made jumping from audition to audition until they land their dream role.

An actor can also perform small obligations while on set even though they don’t seem to relate to their job. An actor may also;

  • Introduce performers and different performances to stage like in comedy performances.
  • Sew costumes or make accessories required for a performance.
  • Dress in clown costumes and makeup for comedy routine performances to entertain audiences.
  • Write original and adapted lines or material from drama, narration, play, and films or other artistic works.

What is an actor’s workplace like?

Will you be working in an office setting at a desk all day? An actor’s workplace will depend on the kind of the type of production they are involved in. Films and commercials or advertisements are usually filmed in studios or onset. The set designers are charged with the responsibility to create a set such that it seems real. It gets inspiring, compared to sitting in the form of a desk all day.

Films can also be filmed at locations depending on the theme of the movie or television show. Such films are even more exciting since they feature a lot of travel and most times it’s travel to exotics and far from home places. If you are into theatre, you should be prepared to be on stage for most of your career. Theatre productions are usually conducted on stage.

Performances, on the other hand, take place in front of a live audience like in theatres and studios. Some performances don’t need any unique location or workplace as they don’t have an audience, and the feedback is not instant. Depending on your work, your work station may even be an amusement park. The performance and form of acting determine the workstation.

Since the workplace is highly varied, the actors need to be flexible with their work and where they can work. As an actor, you should be ready to do anything on set, especially in the early stages of your work. You should also be prepared to sacrifice for the sake of your career. Maintaining relationships can get tough for an actor. For instance, you may be called upon to go for shooting on a location miles away from home for several months. What am I saying? The chances are higher for a flexible actor ready for all kinds of situations to find their niche and make a career out of acting.

The good news is the actors rank in the top 100 percentile of people satisfied with their career. The acting career has its share of frustrations, but good things come to those who persevere in acting. You may have to accept the scraps from the table, which makes it easy to get sick of the rejection. However, an acting career is built from getting back up and dusting yourself. We have given you headshot on what to expect from an acting career. If you can’t imagine yourself doing something else, then acting is right for you!

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