When it comes to the day-to-day life of someone in the entertainment industry, acting itself might comprise little of what does an Actor do.
Of course, when part of a production, the majority of the day might be spent on set. But the career of an Actor encompasses far more than just acting.
It’s going to auditions. Making self-tapes. Taking classes. Networking with Directors and Producers. And maybe even learning some new skills!
But then there’s also the waiting. Waiting for a callback. Waiting for the next gig. Even waiting while on set.
If you want to pursue this career – this highly fulfilling but also highly frustrating career – it’s important to realize that it’s an unpredictable profession no matter how successful you become. It’s unpredictable in terms of when you get work, how much you make, and what roles you’ll be able to perform.
For these reasons, it might also mean doing other kinds of work outside of performance to fill your days and make sure you can pay your bills.
Unless you decide to strictly self-direct or self-produce all of your project – and you have the financial resources to do so – there must be a level of peace and acceptance that goes with this incredibly unique career.
The career of an Actor involves far more than just performance. Along with the efforts an Actor might make to get gigs, they should also be prepared for periods of little work or financial compensation from it.
What do Actors do on set?
Anna Keizer (CareersInFilm)
Almost without fail, every other person who is part of a film, television show, or other filmed type of storytelling is behind the camera. In fact, it’s often considered a huge mistake if someone like the boom operator is accidently caught on camera.
This makes the Actors a part of the filmmaking process entirely unto their own, as their entire job is done on camera! That’s often why Actors become the most famous association with any given movie. Audiences come to identify a film or show with the Actors because that’s who we see and laugh, cry, rage, or otherwise sympathize with.
On set, it is the job of the Actors to convincingly perform the role of the character whom they were cast as to effectively tell the story of the script.
What does an Actor do on a daily basis?
Anna Keizer (CareersInFilm)
What an Actor does from day to day depends entirely on their professional schedule. Are they in the middle of shooting a film or television show? Then they will be on set to shoot their scenes for the bulk of the day.
Do they not have any ongoing projects? Then they may spend the day auditioning or making self-tapes to book that next gig. They might also be rehearsing scenes with other Actors or going to an acting class to improve their craft.
Some Actors double as Screenwriters in order to create material for themselves. So in some cases, an Actor might be working on a screenplay when they’re not actively acting or working on their acting skills.
Given that the world of acting is an unstable one at best, many, many Actors also have other jobs outside of entertainment to provide them with financial security. So even Actors who are quite busy may have plenty of days where their schedule is devoted to non-acting responsibilities.