I’ve been asked a lot of questions since graduating including: “what does an actor do?”, “how do you become an actor?”, “what is a day in the life of an actor like?” and my favourite, “isn’t it hard being an actor?” All of these questions have variations, but the underlying tone is still the same. I thought I would dedicate this blog to answering the fundamental question: what does an actor do?
The answer to this question is so simple: A lot. Actors act. We act for television, film and theatre; we also act in schools and in our homes all around the world. We are constantly acting and adjusting our actions to fit whatever situation we find ourselves in. Acting is about being present; it’s about being aware and actively listening to those around you. It’s about being able to be vulnerable, honest and open even when it feels uncomfortable or scary. It’s about making connections with people that you meet and making those connections genuine, meaningful and important.
Acting means listening to your instincts, exploring your emotions and translating those emotions into actions that are clear and precise (even if they are wrong). Acting means knowing
People ask me all of the time what I do. When I tell them I’m an actor, they have a hundred more questions. What kind of acting do you do? Where can I see you? How much money do you make? The list goes on and on.
I don’t mind these questions at all. My personal favorite is “What’s your dream role?” To be honest, I am not sure that there is one role that defines my dream role. But there are certain roles that I will always feel more attached to than others. These are roles that I bonded with in a way that was different from every other role I’ve played before or after it.
There is something powerful about being identified as an actor. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this is my job, but it’s not just a job-it’s who I am as well. Every moment of my life is devoted to being an actor in some way, shape or form.
I find myself lost in thought about the things that inspire me about the art form and how to become a better actor . What does it mean to be an actor? An artist? And when all of these different elements come together, what does it mean for me?
In order to understand what an actor does, we need to define what an actor is. According to Webster’s Dictionary, an actor is a professional who performs in plays and films. However, that definition is not complete. An actor can also be defined as a person who interprets the lines of a playwright through the character they portray.
For example, I am currently playing the role of Mrs. Paroo in the show The Music Man at The Muny. My character has a daughter named Winthrop who has a speech impediment. This impediment makes it difficult for him to pronounce some words correctly or speak clearly at all when he is excited or nervous. In order to properly portray Mrs. Paroo, I must have knowledge of Winthrop’s condition and react in the way she would react given his impediment; that way, I am interpreting what the playwright intended when they wrote this role for me to play.
As actors, we are paid to embody another person and bring them to life on stage or film. This amazing job comes with lots of responsibilities and hard work.
The role of an actor is not limited to simply telling a story. An actor brings life to the words on paper and makes them relevant to the audience. When I was younger, I didn’t understand what that meant. I felt like acting was just another job, something you do for a paycheck. Now, however, now I understand that there is a bigger purpose to what we do as actors.
A professional actor has a lot of responsibilities. While it may seem obvious that actors are responsible for memorizing lines and learning blocking, their responsibility goes much further than that. An actor must be able to connect with the character they are playing in order to give the audience an experience they will never forget.
For example, I recently performed in “Chicago” at The Playhouse on Main in El Dorado Hills, CA. It was here where I realized my appreciation for our craft grew immensely. I played the role of Velma Kelly and realized something very important about myself as an actor: I am not just Velma Kelly; she is me and vice versa. When I perform, whether it’s as Velma or another character, I am no longer Ashley Freeman but rather Velma Kelly because that is who my audience sees when they watch me on stage.
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According to dictionary.com, an actor is “a person who acts in stage plays, motion pictures, television broadcasts, etc.” It’s a pretty simple definition for a job that can be as complicated as you want it to be.
I don’t know about you, but I’d like to think that the actors I know do more than just act in stage plays, motion pictures and television broadcasts. I know actors who are also writers, directors, producers, teachers, managers and casting directors. That’s just naming a few of the many different things these people do.
So what does an actor really do?
An actor tells stories for a living. It’s that simple. We tell stories with our words, our bodies and our emotions. We use whatever we have at our disposal to move an audience to feel something. We make people laugh and cry and everything in between by living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. We live in a world where most of us know what it feels like to be tired or hurt or angry or sick or happy or sad or confused or hopeful or excited… but rarely do we get the opportunity to express those feelings without being judged for them. Actors get to do that every day.
Actors are trained to be emotionally honest with themselves
I have been an actor for over 40 years now and have been fortunate to work in all the media. The most fulfilling part of being an actor is the variety of roles I’ve had the opportunity to play. For example, I have played roles as diverse as a transvestite, a pimp, a priest, a soldier, a doctor and a lover. These roles give me the chance to create characters that I can relate to and feel emotionally connected with.
I must say that there are actors out there who are just as good, if not better than me in some cases. However, I am the only one who has had such an opportunity to work in so many different mediums at such a high level. This experience gives me an edge over other actors in my field. It is this edge that makes me want to share my knowledge with you on how you can be an actor too.
In the theatre, it is not uncommon for the actors to be required to do various tasks that are not in their job description. This is perhaps more true of community theatre where there are no stage managers and the actors must literally do everything while they are not on stage, including running the light board, operating sound cues, and sometimes even directing each other. A professional actor will do whatever it takes to put on a good show. Professional actors should be flexible and able to work well with others under any circumstances.
