actor

Person playing roles

An actor is a person who performs in plays, films, or television, portraying characters through speech, gesture, and movement.

The word applies to performers of any gender, though actress persists for women.

Beyond entertainment, actor extends to anyone who takes action or plays a role: a bad actor in the industry, state actors in international affairs.

In legal and political contexts, an actor is any entity capable of action.

stage

theater

Venue for live drama

soliloquy · dialogue · blocking · cue · curtain · proscenium · backstage · spotlight · prop · costume

types

comedian

Professional humor performer

mime · extra · stand-in · scene-stealer

performance

role

Position or part

motivation · backstory · transformation · arc · protagonist · antagonist · hero · villain · persona · lead

film

cinema

Motion picture theater

screen · camera · take · scene · cut · director · casting · audition · screenplay · soundstage

celebrity

star

Luminous astronomical object

icon · idol · headliner · marquee · red-carpet · paparazzi · tabloid · fanbase · autograph · celebrity

crew

director

One who leads

grip · gaffer · costumer · manager

Categories
Opposites
participation

actorspectator

Observer at an event

audience · observer · viewer · onlooker · watcher

creative control

actordirector

One who leads

playwright · screenwriter · auteur · filmmaker · producer

authenticity

actornonactor

One who doesn't perform

real person · genuine article · straight shooter · real deal · truth-teller

Phrases
Family

act, action, active, acting, activity, actress, react, actual, actually

Familiarity
Top 3,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G