Types of Actors in 2023 (The Ultimate Guide) (2024)

In this article, we'll discuss the most common types of actors, from film actors to stage actors and everything in-between.

If you're looking for something different however, choose the appropriate link below:

• Types of Acting Roles ("lead," "supporting," etc.)
• How to Find Your Type as an Actor
• Types of Acting Techniques (Meisner, Method, Chekhov, etc.)

An actor is someone who portrays a character in a performance. They'll either perform in-person (theater) or on screen (film, television, etc.). Their job is to bring their character to life in such a way that the audience can follow the story without being distracted by poor acting.

Actors perform in film, television, theater, radio, and many other mediums, including video games and online webseries. We'll discuss the most common types of actors and their typical career paths in this guide.

​Ready to get started?

• Film Actors: Acting in a major Hollywood feature filmis often considered the gold-standard – it's the dream most actors aspire to. Booking the lead in a major feature film leads to red-carpet appearances, interviews, and a HUGE fanbase that can least for years (and even decades). For that reason, these roles are also the most competitive, meaningentry-level actors have a near 0% chanceof booking them without first paying their dues in lower-level productions. There are plenty of opportunities for newer actors to work on film sets however, from performing in professionally-produced independent feature filmsto acting in shorts and student productions. Some actors even produce their own films!
  • Related Guide:Access Netflix Film Auditions WITHOUT an Agent
• EpisodicActors: The next-best thing tobooking the lead role in a major Hollywood film is to get booked as a "series regular" on a major television show. In fact, some actors actually prefer working in episodics because it's easier to build a name for oneself, and you'll often get paid more over the long runsince there are multiple episodes. Actors trying to build a screen acting career typically start by trying to book co-star (one-liner) roles in streaming episodics(Amazon Prime and Netflix Originals, for instance), and then slowly work their way up to recurring and series regular roles. Once they book their first recurring or series regular, they can use that credit to attempt a lead or supporting role in a major feature film.New actors just getting started in episodics will oftenfocus their attention on getting booked in independent online webseries.
  • Learn more about the different types of roles in episodic acting (co-star, guest-star, etc.)
• Theater Actors: ​The gold-standard for theater actors is to make it to Broadway.Almost allformally-trainedactors begin their careers in theater (performing in their high school theater group) and then slowly diverge into other areas of focus such as screen acting, commercial, etc., after graduation. Since theaters require a live audience and a large, professional stage, there are often fewer paid jobs in theatre than there are for screen actors (unless you're in a major market like New York or London). However, they typically last longer and can be some of the most fun and rewarding acting gigs due to their live nature and the ability to interact directly with the audience before and after the show.
  • Learn more about the different types of roles in theater acting (ensemble, lead, etc.)
• ​​Voice Actors: Voice acting is a great way to build a career in acting with much more flexibility. Since voice actors usually work from home, all that's required to get started is a small up-front investment in the right gear. Voice actors must develop a deep technical knowledge of how to operate their equipment and properly mix and master their recordings.Actors can get voice work in video games, audiobooks, and even as announcers at airports and train stations. Many actors use voice acting as a side hustle to pay the bills in betweenother acting gigs.
  • Learn about how to start a career in voice acting here.
• Commercial Actors: Some actors build a career in the commercial industry, while others use it as a way to simply earn extra cash. Because commercials are always being shot and the need for a wide variety of actors is ever-increasing, it's generally not too difficult to find work as a commercial actor or to get a commercial agent. Commercial casting directors require most of the actors they hire tohave some training in improv, but besides that there are no formal requirements. The gold standard of commercial acting is booking a national commercial that pays residuals; in fact,some actors have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from such commercials.
  • Learn how to build a commercial acting career here.
• Background Actors: Working as an "extra" on set with non-speaking roles can be an easy way to support oneself financially while still working in the industry, gaining experience, and meeting new people. While most serious actors won't pursue a career as a background actor because the pay is low and background work is generallynot credited, it can still be a great way to break into the industry to start learning the ropes. Just make sure NOT to include background work on your acting resume because casting directors won't take you seriously (unless you're only applying for background roles).
  • Learn all about background acting here​​
• Character Actors:Character acting is an extremely confusing term because so many people have different definitions for it. At it's core, it's all about playingnon-lead roles.Typically, character actors will play unusual or eccentric characters – characters who have a very particularphysical look or off-beat personality.
  • Learn all about character acting here.​​

When theatre first began in ancient Greece, actorsneeded to

,

, and

such as stage combat, dancing, and singing. They performed in such a way that an audience could understand the basics of what emotion was meant to be portrayed (anger, sadness, etc.), but did not need a deep understanding of how to project emotions in an authentic and natural way.

Later, when silent film was developed,actors needed to learn how to hit specific marks and feel comfortable

. At first, actors over-emphasized body language and facial expressions so the audience (who could not hear them) could understand what their character was going through. However, as more and more people started to watch these silent films, a preference for

developed andwell known acting greats such as Stanislavski created

for the subtlety required by film. The revolutionary closeup shot created a need for natural acting and actors were soon required to go through extensive screen acting training before being allowed to perform in most silent films.

When sound was later introduced to film, a whole new set of challenges arose. Films started shooting out of order more frequently, which forced actors to come to all scenes with a fully developed character.

were no longer only done in-person – they were also filmed so a director could watch later. These "screen tests" made the audition process even more nerve-wracking for actors because they were no longer just performing for the casting director – they were also performing for the camera. Sound also required speech and accent training and new acting techniques such as

and

were developed.

Radio emerged next. Radio drama is a purely acoustic performance, broadcast live over the radio or recorded for later playback. With no visual component, it relies on the performance of the dialogue, mixed with music and sound effects to help the listener visualize the characters and story. Radio required actors to over-enunciate and speak with slightly more melodramatic voices than they would in film. When television later emerged, radio drama lost it's appeal, but has in recent years been making a comeback due to the popularity of audiobooks and podcasts.

In the 1950's as television emerged, the challenge of live-switching between multi camera shoots presented brand-new challenges for actors. Actors working in live television sometimes get confused about which camera to look into, and need to learn how to use lavaliere microphones and understand framing (how far out the shot is – i.e. "Will my hands be in the frame?"). Although subtle, each of these challenges was another thing to keep in mind on top of the zillions of other things an actor must deal with as they perform a role.

More recently, 3D movies (and potentially virtual reality films) have been posing new challenges to actors, but these challenges have not yet become widely known as these technologies are still so new. The verdict is still out on how actors will respond!

Knowing the different types of actors is important, but it's just one small part of growing your acting career.

If your goal is to act full-time, you should know these 3 numbers:

• 40-60 Submissions–This is how often full-time, working actors submit themselves(whether they have an agent or not) each month.
• 10-20 Auditions–This is how many times full-time working actors audition (or at leastrecord and submit self-tapes) each month.
• 3-5 Bookings –This is how often full-time working actors book real,paid acting jobs each and every month.

If your numbers aren't there yet, that's OK! It's certainly noteasy to audition and book that much.

But those areactual, real numbersfrom busy, working actors

.

Those busy, working actors started at the beginning– for them, thebiggest question swirling in their minds at the time was:

How do I get taken seriously by casting directors when I don't have good credits or footage? And how do I get credits/footage without being taken seriously by castingdirectors?

It's the classic actor's catch 22.

When we're struggling to get our careers off the ground, our minds can slip into "desperation mode" and start looking for quick-fix solutions. We'll ask ourselves questions like:

• "Should I take another acting class?"
• "Do I need better headshots or should I pay to shoot a reel?"
• "What's the fastest way to get an agent?"

But questions like those mean you're focused onTactics, instead ofStrategy.

Think about it this way: Would you bake a cake by randomly sliding a pile of flour, eggs, and chocolate into the oven? Of course not! How you combine the ingredients, the temperature you cook it at, and for how long are all just as important.

Similarly, the long-term, well thought-outstrategyyou follow as you grow your acting career matters. A LOT.

That's why "strategic thinking" is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as an actor.

So today I'd like to give you a gift: 3 tools specifically designed to help you start thinking and operatingstrategically.

These tools have helped over 14,000 actors so far, many of whom have gone on to:

• BookBroadway roles
• Landnetwork televisionand Netflix shows
• Signwith agents and managers
• And much more – faster than you'd expect (you can seesome success stories here).

My freeActor's Toolkitwill help youBLAST through the actor's catch 22 so you start getting WAYmore auditions and bookings every month:

A Type Actor is an actor who plays very specific character Types, such as detectives, cops, and lawyers. They typically specialize in only playing those types and leave everything else to other actors.

Related: Types of Actors List

If you enjoyed this article (Types of Actors: Everything You Need to Know), you might be interested in some of these:​
​

• ​How to Memorize Lines: The Ultimate Guide
• The Ultimate Guide to Finding Auditions
• Types of Actors in Film
• Types of Actors in Method Acting
• How to Become an Actor at 13